Return to Ghost Town, Pt. 1

It had been three years since my last visit to Knott’s Berry Farm (and twice as long for the neighboring theme park in Anaheim!), so when history expert/neon aficionado Eric Lynxwiler suggested we meet in Ghost Town, I immediately said “yes”!

Billing itself as “America's 1st Theme Park,” Knott’s Berry Farm is currently celebrating its 100th Anniversary a year late, due to the pandemic. For me, the draw of Knott’s is Ghost Town and its charming recreation of a Gold Rush mining town. The rest of the park…meh.

There are portions of Ghost Town that have drawn controversy because of their perceived “racist” nature. Some stumble upon the hangman’s noose when they first enter and immediately assume that it’s a reference to the lynching of Blacks.

Not so. It pays to read the signage and do the research before jumping to conclusions. It’s a bit unsettling to see this, but I do applaud its inclusion as it provides an opportunity to have a dialogue. Yes, dialogue can be good and allows an acknowledgement of unsavory parts of the past and whether there has or hasn’t been progress made in the years since. Erasing those elements leads to the possibility that those dark events will be repeated.

Eric pointed out all of the ghostly-paint that still exists on the original wooden structures:

I love seeing these remnants of the past that hang on to their existence despite “progress” and the ravage of the natural elements, like sunlight and termites!

The peek-ins are fun glimpses into the businesses of the past, complete with mannequins, originally carved by Andy Anderson.

Want to see the bottles in the Drug Store?

Zooming into the image in the mirror, you can see an ad for Lydia Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound, an herbal medicine that was supposed to relieve menstrual discomfort and menopausal symptoms. It contained 20% alcohol!

A card game at the Sheriff’s office:

A winning hand?

Goldie’s Place, a hotel that provides “extra” room service.

The swinging leg should give you an idea of what you might encounter inside:

Goldie:

and her girls:

The puns strewn throughout Ghost Town give it a home-spun charm that is refreshing.

Kind of like the jokes on the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland: the last vestiges of non-corporate/spontaneous fun.

The often seen front of the sign:

…and thanks to Eric, I saw the rarely-seen back of the sign:

See more Knott’s Berry Farm Ghost Town photos at my main website.

Ghost Town: Chinese Laundry

This vintage image from April 30, 1956 shows Hop Wing Lee's Chinese Laundry. Located in Knott's Berry Farm's Ghost Town, it is one of the peek-in shops located on Main Street. According to the website immigrationtounitedstates.org, Chinese laundries were an important niche industry for Chinese immigrant families who came to the U.S. after the California gold rush in 1849:

Chinese laundries developed as a major occupation for the first wave of Chinese immigrants who came to the United States during the mid-nineteenth century. Laundries opened throughout the country and became uniquely identified with this ethnic group. The Chinese launderer stereotype appeared in popular culture and media.

On my first visit to Knott's Berry Farm in 2010, I captured this shot of Hop Wing Lee's, complete with Pepsi-themed trash can.





Flash forward to 2014, and mercifully the Pepsi trash can is gone.





This vintage post card shows how the peek-in originally looked, complete with Andy Anderson carved figure:



Circa 2010:



And how it looks today:



See more Daveland Ghost Town Hop Wing's Chinese Laundry photos at my main website.

Ghost Town: Sad Eye Joe

He's Orange County's longest jailed inmate. He's also probably one of the most visited prisoners, as you can see by the vintage shot below:



Who is he? He's the Ghost Town Jail's Sad Eye Joe at Knott's Berry Farm. The jail out back, seen below, was rebuilt a few years ago.



The figure, carved by woodcarver Andy Anderson, visits with park guests with the help of a hidden voice.





The Sheriff's Office is one of the few original buildings from 1940-41 that is still intact. The poker game scene inside is also by Anderson.



See more Daveland Sad Eye Joe photos at my main website.