Thank you going down these rabbit holes of history ... like another comment, Knott's was a more frequent visit whereas Disney was more of a annual visit. Mrs. Knott's Chicken restaurant was always a family destination. I miss the cable cars that once looped through the parking lot. But occasionally you will still see a chicken or two. Like Disney, the Knott's had endured hardships and sacrifice in order to mark their mark on the land. I look forward to additional research you unearth about the Knott's and their relationship with Disney. I'd have to say that both parks have benefited from the other.
The more I hear from people about what it was like, and continues to be like, to visit this park, the more I want to go. Spotting a random chicken sounds amazing (perhaps I’m just very easily amused 😂)
As a child of the 50's Disneyland was a place we went as a family once a year. Knott's Berry Farm, on the other hand, was a place we'd go once or twice a month. You see, Knott's was free admission. No roller coasters but there were all kinds of things to see and do either free or very inexpensively. It never seemed like when the Knott's were in charge making money was the primary goal. We'd usually have dinner there and if the chicken place was too crowded there were a couple of other places there to eat. All had apple pie. Sometimes we'd stay late and at the covered wagons there'd be a big bonfire and some kind of show, sometimes nothing more than square dancing. The available history of Knott's isn't even close to places like Disneyland. You did a super great job on the very early history and I hope more episodes continue. That being said, you currently have 24 views. You should have hundreds of thousands of views. You have not been discovered. How can we help?
Thank you for the compliments. The early history of Knott's is fascinating, and I'm kinda jealous of your memories from those times. For months now, while working on this series, I've had a bit of a wish that I could go back and have lunch at the Roast House and then spend an afternoon wandering the park in the late '50's or early '60's. That era of the park just seems like such a fun time. Especially with the Haunted Shack, the train, and Stagecoach, but all before Calico Mine Ride was built. As far as helping, there's a few things. First and foremost is just to keep watching. Right now the channel's biggest need is to hit 1,000 subscribers. That's the point where we can join the TH-cam Partner Program, which gives us the ability to control when the ads show on the videos, among a few other important features we don't have now. The more views, likes, comments, and clicks the videos get, the more TH-cam shows them to other people. So just watching to the end, hitting the "like" button, and commenting really do help us grow. Second way to help is to share the episodes around on the internet, especially in places where people interested in theme park history hang out. It feels a bit shameless for us to go around and just post our videos on Reddit, on forums, in message or Facebook groups, that kind of stuff. Plus, it's a bit different when somebody in those places says "please watch my thing" versus "here's a cool thing I found about this topic". The latter is much more likely to get upvotes, clicks, and views, and every person that sees the video from that is a potential new subscriber. So just posting a link to the video in those places with a recommendation or comment on what you liked about it is a massive help. Also, there's a bit of a time issue: every minute we spend posting about the videos online is a minute not spent making more videos for you all to enjoy! The last thing is helping us out over on Patreon. We understand that not everyone has the means to help out financially, and early on in the channel's life, it felt improper to ask for assistance when there was no real proof we had a history of getting videos out regularly. This video marks the beginning of our eighth month posting two full-length (roughly 15-20 minute) videos per month. We produce these videos months in advance (don't worry about more episodes continuing - there are four more already finished on Knott's, which will get us to October). We're at a point now where if people do have the means to support the channel financially, we're including a request for that kind of help at the end of the video. All that said, getting 1k subscribers here is far more important - in terms of financial support - than getting a few extra supporters on Patreon, though I do genuinely appreciate every single bit of help over there more than I can express. When I say "we" in regards to the channel, I'm counting those Patrons in that, because without them these videos, honestly, would not get made. But one of the things the Partner Program allows us to do is offer "channel memberships" - the ability to offer the same or similar benefits as our Patrons receive to people here directly on TH-cam. It also opens a "tip" jar, which allows viewers to give one-time gifts instead of having to sign up for recurring charges. As someone who's lived paycheck-to-paycheck before, I can appreciate how that feature could be easier for some that want to help. So once we have those options, anyone hesitant to use another website to financially support us can do that here instead. That's a huge wall of text, but that's a pretty comprehensive summary of it. Thanks again for the support and interest in the channel. There's a lot of work that goes into making these videos, but knowing people enjoy them makes that effort worthwhile.
Same. I'd heard the broad strokes of the park's history, but after getting really deep into who the Knotts were and how the park came to be, I'm dying to actually see it myself.
i always love how in depth you go in your videos- most people really wouldn't go this far back in history and with this much depth to cover a theme park shoutout to the photo of the good kitties too
I'm so glad you enjoyed this one. Hopefully makes that spoon even more special. 😉 That's what the Archives series was for: to cover the history no one else will/does. It takes longer, means more research and time trying to find visuals to represent the story we're telling, but it's what I wanted to do when I started thinking about making a channel. That's why the supercut of the first Archives season, those first seven episodes about Disneyland with the intros and outros removed, runs one hour and 57 minutes. Still trying to decide what I want to do with that supercut version, if anything. Anyway, this series of the first five episodes on Knott's will run about the same length. In addition to the good kitties, there was also a good doggo in this one. And I can promise more good doggo in the next episode, too!!
8:32 for as detailed and well told as the archives series are, notes like this always leave me wondering what other fascinating tidbits were left on the cutting room floor because they fall outside of the scope of the topic. So thank you for sharing the details about the Orange County Archives and Chris’ blog site to have a chance to go explore a bit more!
Yeah, that’s one of the things that can be a challenge for these videos: deciding what’s too interesting to leave out, versus what’s interesting but not worth keeping. This episode had a few of those moments, since we’re trying to set up both the broad strokes of California’s history and tell the story of the Knott family. Knott’s park, especially in the early years, was centered around being something of an historic recreation, and so the history of California plays a role in shaping the park all the way into the 1970’s. A lot of the stories that get cut end up as Patron-exclusive posts over on the Patreon, as an extra for the people supporting us over there. In this case, I haven’t made one on Walter’s younger brother yet, but I probably will in the future. The short version is that he was very important to Cal Poly’s Engineering School, basically founding their Mechanical engineering program and department. His career mirrors his brother’s in a few interesting ways as well.
Earthquakes were an annoyance instead of a tragedy when you had a campsite instead of a city.
7:55 a good boy indeed 😂
My GrandFather did work for Mr Knott and I had a summer job on the Mule/Burro ride. Good times
Thank you going down these rabbit holes of history ... like another comment, Knott's was a more frequent visit whereas Disney was more of a annual visit.
Mrs. Knott's Chicken restaurant was always a family destination. I miss the cable cars that once looped through the parking lot. But occasionally you will still see a chicken or two.
Like Disney, the Knott's had endured hardships and sacrifice in order to mark their mark on the land. I look forward to additional research you unearth about the Knott's and their relationship with Disney. I'd have to say that both parks have benefited from the other.
The more I hear from people about what it was like, and continues to be like, to visit this park, the more I want to go. Spotting a random chicken sounds amazing (perhaps I’m just very easily amused 😂)
As a child of the 50's Disneyland was a place we went as a family once a year. Knott's Berry Farm, on the other hand, was a place we'd go once or twice a month. You see, Knott's was free admission. No roller coasters but there were all kinds of things to see and do either free or very inexpensively. It never seemed like when the Knott's were in charge making money was the primary goal. We'd usually have dinner there and if the chicken place was too crowded there were a couple of other places there to eat. All had apple pie. Sometimes we'd stay late and at the covered wagons there'd be a big bonfire and some kind of show, sometimes nothing more than square dancing. The available history of Knott's isn't even close to places like Disneyland. You did a super great job on the very early history and I hope more episodes continue. That being said, you currently have 24 views. You should have hundreds of thousands of views. You have not been discovered. How can we help?
I agree hermanprez
Thank you for the compliments. The early history of Knott's is fascinating, and I'm kinda jealous of your memories from those times. For months now, while working on this series, I've had a bit of a wish that I could go back and have lunch at the Roast House and then spend an afternoon wandering the park in the late '50's or early '60's. That era of the park just seems like such a fun time. Especially with the Haunted Shack, the train, and Stagecoach, but all before Calico Mine Ride was built.
As far as helping, there's a few things. First and foremost is just to keep watching. Right now the channel's biggest need is to hit 1,000 subscribers. That's the point where we can join the TH-cam Partner Program, which gives us the ability to control when the ads show on the videos, among a few other important features we don't have now. The more views, likes, comments, and clicks the videos get, the more TH-cam shows them to other people. So just watching to the end, hitting the "like" button, and commenting really do help us grow.
Second way to help is to share the episodes around on the internet, especially in places where people interested in theme park history hang out. It feels a bit shameless for us to go around and just post our videos on Reddit, on forums, in message or Facebook groups, that kind of stuff. Plus, it's a bit different when somebody in those places says "please watch my thing" versus "here's a cool thing I found about this topic". The latter is much more likely to get upvotes, clicks, and views, and every person that sees the video from that is a potential new subscriber. So just posting a link to the video in those places with a recommendation or comment on what you liked about it is a massive help. Also, there's a bit of a time issue: every minute we spend posting about the videos online is a minute not spent making more videos for you all to enjoy!
The last thing is helping us out over on Patreon. We understand that not everyone has the means to help out financially, and early on in the channel's life, it felt improper to ask for assistance when there was no real proof we had a history of getting videos out regularly. This video marks the beginning of our eighth month posting two full-length (roughly 15-20 minute) videos per month. We produce these videos months in advance (don't worry about more episodes continuing - there are four more already finished on Knott's, which will get us to October). We're at a point now where if people do have the means to support the channel financially, we're including a request for that kind of help at the end of the video.
All that said, getting 1k subscribers here is far more important - in terms of financial support - than getting a few extra supporters on Patreon, though I do genuinely appreciate every single bit of help over there more than I can express. When I say "we" in regards to the channel, I'm counting those Patrons in that, because without them these videos, honestly, would not get made. But one of the things the Partner Program allows us to do is offer "channel memberships" - the ability to offer the same or similar benefits as our Patrons receive to people here directly on TH-cam. It also opens a "tip" jar, which allows viewers to give one-time gifts instead of having to sign up for recurring charges. As someone who's lived paycheck-to-paycheck before, I can appreciate how that feature could be easier for some that want to help. So once we have those options, anyone hesitant to use another website to financially support us can do that here instead.
That's a huge wall of text, but that's a pretty comprehensive summary of it. Thanks again for the support and interest in the channel. There's a lot of work that goes into making these videos, but knowing people enjoy them makes that effort worthwhile.
Great work establishing the layers of history. Looking forward to watching the rest of the series!
This is fascinating. I’ve never been to Knotts Berry but it is for sure on my bucket list now
Same. I'd heard the broad strokes of the park's history, but after getting really deep into who the Knotts were and how the park came to be, I'm dying to actually see it myself.
i always love how in depth you go in your videos- most people really wouldn't go this far back in history and with this much depth to cover a theme park
shoutout to the photo of the good kitties too
I'm so glad you enjoyed this one. Hopefully makes that spoon even more special. 😉
That's what the Archives series was for: to cover the history no one else will/does. It takes longer, means more research and time trying to find visuals to represent the story we're telling, but it's what I wanted to do when I started thinking about making a channel.
That's why the supercut of the first Archives season, those first seven episodes about Disneyland with the intros and outros removed, runs one hour and 57 minutes. Still trying to decide what I want to do with that supercut version, if anything. Anyway, this series of the first five episodes on Knott's will run about the same length.
In addition to the good kitties, there was also a good doggo in this one. And I can promise more good doggo in the next episode, too!!
8:32 for as detailed and well told as the archives series are, notes like this always leave me wondering what other fascinating tidbits were left on the cutting room floor because they fall outside of the scope of the topic. So thank you for sharing the details about the Orange County Archives and Chris’ blog site to have a chance to go explore a bit more!
Yeah, that’s one of the things that can be a challenge for these videos: deciding what’s too interesting to leave out, versus what’s interesting but not worth keeping. This episode had a few of those moments, since we’re trying to set up both the broad strokes of California’s history and tell the story of the Knott family. Knott’s park, especially in the early years, was centered around being something of an historic recreation, and so the history of California plays a role in shaping the park all the way into the 1970’s.
A lot of the stories that get cut end up as Patron-exclusive posts over on the Patreon, as an extra for the people supporting us over there. In this case, I haven’t made one on Walter’s younger brother yet, but I probably will in the future.
The short version is that he was very important to Cal Poly’s Engineering School, basically founding their Mechanical engineering program and department. His career mirrors his brother’s in a few interesting ways as well.