Traces of Gold Gulch

So often, the most interesting things in life are right under our noses but we aren’t even aware of them. That was the case when I discovered my newest obsession thanks to Ken of Stack’s Liberty Ranch a few weeks ago. The two of us were catching up over lunch in Balboa Park. Before departing, Ken said he wanted to check out the trail to Gold Gulch. The trail to what? He told me that during the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition held in Balboa Park that one of the attractions was a Ghost Town called Gold Gulch. Once the Expo was over in 1936, it was removed. I stared at him in total disbelief. How had I never heard of this? As we walked over to the area now known as Zoro Garden, he told me that guests could ride a stagecoach along the path that spilled out onto the very vibrant Ghost Town of Gold Gulch. While it may not have been the yellow brick road, to me, it was the next best thing.



It was easy to imagine myself riding in a stagecoach, passing the oak trees and other sites along the way. According to Ken, there was also a replica of the Mark Twain cabin where the author spent the winter and wrote "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” Below is a vintage shot of the “original” replica, located in Sonora, California.



Can’t you just picture it nestled right here?



All I could keep thinking was, “How do we get this attraction back?” I purchased a souvenir guide for the 1935 Expo, hoping to glean more information.



Inside was a photo of Gold Gulch. Ken told me that both Walts, Knott and Disney, visited this attraction and were inspired when they built their own theme parks. Anyone who has been to Ghost Town at Knott’s Berry Farm can see the living proof of this.



The guide book gave this description of Gold Gulch:

Admission free although area contains pay shows
Gold Gulch—down a ravine into 21 acres of raw Western mining town country. Stage-coaches rumbling down the narrow roads. All the thrill and excitement of the rip-roarin’ days of ‘49!. Aside from the fun of it, it’s a faithful “movified” version of the pioneering period by a Hollywood motion picture art director. Ten cents for a burro ride, down past the Shooting Gallery, Blacsmith Shop, Horse-shoe ring punctuated with hitching posts and whiskered miners. Visit the old Stamp mill, assay office, the Pioneer Dance Hall and old-time bar-room. The Old Mill, with a flume of wter to turn the wooden wheel, presses out the best cider you eer drank! And coffee out of a tin cup tastes grand at the Gulch Chuck Wagon—not to mention steam beer by the scupper. The cigar shop has the inevitable Wood Indian out front. The mighty smithy-at-his-forge turns out rings and medals from horse-shoe nails that delight the youngsters. Step right up, gals, and have your pitcher took, at the tin-type gallery! The boy-friend can be photoed with whiskers, six shooter revolver and ten gallon hat—and be leaning against a burron, if necessary. Gold Gulch isn’t just a show. It’s real. It savors of the days of Mark Twain, Bret Hart and John Sutter. You rub shoulders with such characters as Liminatin Lem, Gopher Joe, Screw Bean Benny and the “spattenest tabeccer spatter” in town which you probably remember in Oliver’s “Dessert Rough Cuts.” The heathen chinee and the strange characters from the four corners of the wold will be there—just as in ’49. And you? Well you’ll be one o’ ‘em, stranger.

I also acquired a Five Nugget souvenir bill from the Expo:



Love the artwork on this!



I immediately called my Mother to see if she had any recollection of Expo. She would have been three at the time, so my hope was that HER Mother had either taken her there or talked about it in her later years. By the next morning, I had a photo of a souvenir bracelet that she still had in her possession from the Expo. She wasn’t sure if her Mother had taken her or if the souvenir was a gift from someone else who attended.



And the final “duh” moment for me came when I realized that hanging on my living room wall was another souvenir from the 1935 Expo that had once belonged to my Grandmother. Chock full of images, including a Miner panning for Gold.



I returned a week later to make a video (definitely not ready for Sundance!) to document the pathway that guests once took to view Gold Gulch.



If you want to learn more about Gold Gulch, Ken of Stack’s Liberty Ranch put a great primer on his Facebook Page. Check it out!

Anyone else out there ever heard of this marvel?

See more 1935 California Exposition & Gold Gulch photos at my main website.

Return of The Haunted Shack

The Haunted Shack at Knott’s Berry Farm was a guest favorite since the time it debuted in 1954, causing fans to rumble when it was unceremoniously removed in 2000. For the (belated) 100th anniversary of Knott’s Berry Farm, a piece of The Haunted Shack has returned. The original experience was a guided tour through several rooms, but among the favorite was a room where two guests would stand in opposite corners, making one appear taller and the other shorter.

Eric graciously modeled the trick for me during our recent visit:

Today, a diagram explains how to accomplish this little parlor trick. It would have been helpful if I had read this beforehand!

This little barrel appears to be held up by falling water:

It’s a nice touch to honor the history, but it also reminds one of how much cooler the original was and what a shame it was removed to begin with. Want to experience what it was like? Drive over to the town of Calico and visit their Mystery Shack:

Back to Knott’s…I do enjoy this other creepy parlor trick that resides as peek-in at the Boot Hill Undertaker:

Love this!

Want to see the original Knott’s Haunted Shack? This video on YouTube shows a guest’s final walk-thru:

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

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.

Miscellaneous Monday at Knott's Berry Farm

Since this October 1959 image came with a batch of Disneyland shots, I originally thought it must be from the Golden Horseshoe, except for the inscription which clearly states Knott’s. Comparing the stage/curtain to Disneyland, it most certainly is not a match…

whereas it definitely matches this color shot of Steve Martin at the Birdcage from 1965:

Note the sign on the left advertising the Old-Time Melodramas at the Bird Cage in this 1950s shot:

This 1956 photo is another shot in the dark (pun semi-intended).

Perhaps it’s the Knott’s Berry Farm Pitchur Gallery?

The exterior of the Pitchur Gallery and Portrait Artist circa 2018:

This 1956 photo will have you saying “E-I-E-O”:

A closeup of the snack stand:

I wonder if these 1956 kiddie rides would pass a safety inspection today?

I can barely make out what the sign on the post at the left says; something about “No Folks … Please …Free Ride On Merry-Go-Round. Thanks.” Anyone…anyone?

The authentic San Francisco Cable Car that functioned as a parking lot tram:

Wonder if she has any tasty snacks in those bags?

Another vintage 1956 shot from my collection of the SF Cable Car at Knott’s. Apparently these were removed in 1979 and went back to San Francisco.

Last one for today is a 1957 shot of a little boy posing with one of the Indians at Knott’s…and he had the audacity to wear what appears to be a Disneyland Keppy Kap!

See more vintage and contemporary Knott's Berry Farm photos at my main website.