Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Knott's First Grizzled Old Prospector

In honor of Talk Like a Grizzled Old Prospector Day, January 24, I'm posting some pictures of whom I believe was the first "Grizzled Old Prospector" at Knott's Berry Farm. These pictures are from 1940 or 1941, I know this because Ghost Town isn't finished yet in some of the pictures. This gentleman has a very grizzled look with his bare feet and tattered clothes. I don't know his name and haven't been able find anything about him in any of the books or publications I have.

The first picture is of him outside the Silver Dollar Saloon and the next is actually the same picture but it's a picture of the picture pinned to a wall with writing on it like they did for all the old postcards.



The next couple are of him trying to get his stubborn burro to move. This first picture shows them in front of the Blacksmith's Shop. And in the next one they are pretty much in the same place just taken from a different angle. It is looking north, the Blacksmith's Shop is to the left, the gap between the buildings is were the Pitchur Gallery will be.



This last one is the "Old Timer" with a very young Marion Knott. If these pictures were taken around '40 or '41 as I figured then she would've been 18 or 19 years old. They are by the old logging wheels, at the time these pictures were taken it was located down at the end of Main Street.


Well that's all for now pardner, ya all be sure to come back soon.

7 comments:

  1. Thanks for the show of support for TLAGPD!

    My theory (re this photo series) is that these were mostly actors brought in specifically for a promotional photo shoot. In some photos in this series, you can see that some of the buildings that opened in 1941 weren't completed yet. And most of these folks never show up in later photos. I'm happy to entertain other theories, but that's my best guess at the moment.

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  2. Those two shots with the burro are quite something! Don't know why, but I had always connected this fellow with the later character that played Judge Roy Bean. Upon comparison however, they don't seem to be the same person. Maybe it was something in print somewhere...

    In any event, the pictures are swell. Thanks, Allen.

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  3. Great stuff! Do you have any materials about the Calico Mine Ride construction or opening?

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  4. I love this early old timer character with the bare feet and tattered clothing... Knott's never quite went that far with a character again.

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