Hobo Jungle

[MurphOnMillerAve]

...The hippies and war protestors would come into the farm in the early morning hours and vandalize the place...

Wow, that's heavy, man. Do you mean they would steal unharvested food or just destroy crops?

[webenda]

...The hippies and war protestors would come into the farm in the early morning hours and vandalize the place...

Wow, that's heavy, man. Do you mean they would steal unharvested food or just destroy crops?

The place was no longer a farm at that time Murph. Knott's wife Cordelia began serving fried chicken dinners, and within a few years, lines outside the restaurant were often several hours long. To entertain the waiting crowds, Walter built a Ghost Town in 1940, using buildings relocated from Old West towns. Early additions to the farm included the Ghost Town & Calico Railroad, a narrow gauge railroad in the Ghost Town area. I don't remember Knott's without the railroad. For me, it was unthinkable to go to Knott's Berry Farm without getting in line for lunch or dinner at Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant.

In 1968, the Knott family fenced the farm, charged admission for the first time. I could no longer walk through the back gate and go straight to the model train shop... the gate was locked. I was told it was because hippies had moved into the buildings so they had to control who entered the ghost town area. I never paid an entrance fee. When I told the person at the ticket gate I only wanted to go to the model train store, they always let me in for free.

The model train store was exactly as in the photo Hondo posted. Inside the glass case, I found early Kadee Couplers, Kemtron parts, and best of all, Weston Figures.

[robert.]

I WANT TO GO TO THE TRAIN STORE. That’s code for some funky hippie stuff.

[webenda]

I WANT TO GO TO THE TRAIN STORE. That’s code for some funky hippie stuff.

The code=> https://www.google.com/search?q=funky+h ... 20&bih=900

[Roy]

The place was no longer a farm at that time Murph. Knott's wife Cordelia began serving fried chicken dinners, and within a few years, lines outside the restaurant were often several hours long. To entertain the waiting crowds, Walter built a Ghost Town in 1940, using buildings relocated from Old West towns. Early additions to the farm included the Ghost Town & Calico Railroad, a narrow gauge railroad in the Ghost Town area. I don't remember Knott's without the railroad.

Knott's grew boysenberries, when they were still a farm. One of the other side lines Cordelia developed was jellies, jams and preserves. I think Knott's still has a good chunk of that market. At the park in the 60's, you could get boysenberry juice, pie and just about anything you could make from boysenberries.

Knott's had other railroad stuff. They had San Francisco cable cars, a mine ride, and a miniature live steam train across the street.

Oh, and one of the ghost towns Knott got his buildings from was named Calico.

[Tramp]

You got to be kidding me! People are still complaining about hippies? With the shite that is going on in this country? You must be joking, right?

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Exactly.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

You got to be kidding me! People are still complaining about hippies? With the shite that is going on in this country? You must be joking, right?

A lot of people are desperately clinging to a time 50-60 years ago as if those were really "good times". They also continue to live with their hatreds and biases of those times. In some ways, they perpetuate the problems that plague this country. 2 steps forward, 1 step back...although it seems right now that's been reveresed.

[up148]

I think today's world is a serious reflection of the "hippy" mentality displayed in the 60's. Self serving, anti-establishment, contribute little or give back nothing to a country that made your life possible, more interest in self than family, do whatever you want, even if it's irresponsible and damaging. We live in a world today where this is more prevalent than even in the 60's.

Mothers running away from families, grandparents raising grandchildren, parents allowing schools and government to take over the responsibility of raising a child, drug abuse like we've never seen before in this country.

This only touches the tip of the iceberg, but when I hear from 20-40 year olds, about how their parents were more into themselves than their children, how do we expect the children of our children to be any different. We've just learned as a society to expect less as time goes on. There are obviously many exceptions to this comment. But, there is a widening divide between those responsible today and those who are not, IMHO.

But, I thought it back in the 60's and still do today, that "hippies" were lazy, scummy, people who were just taking the easy way out. It's easy to be anti-establishment and "hip", the hard part is participating and doing something about it.

Sorry for the ramble.

BH

[MurphOnMillerAve]

...A lot of people are desperately clinging to a time 50-60 years ago as if those were really "good times". ....

I couldn't speak for "a lot of people," but I can offer a personal perspective.

What we remember most about people, places, and events is how they made us feel. IMO.

I don't, however, feel myself "desperately clinging to a time 50 - 60 years ago". (I've been thinking about this recently and conversing with my wife about such matters.) I have concluded that I have no desire to go back to the places and time of my childhood and adolescence, to relive them, or live there again. Instead, I do cherish them and am grateful for them in my live. They (time and places) certainly did contribute to and establish the foundation of the safe and secure life I have today. My friends and my wife are like the people of my youth, with similar values and modes of conduct.

And as far as those years being "really 'good times'," my having had polio, and myriad childhood-diseases, and having my father die when I was ten, I do not recall - do not re-feel - them as "really good," but sacred, yes. because that is where I first said hello to the world and have emerged from those years as feeling blessed to have been there, at that time and in that place.
Murph

[Rufus T. Firefly]

............but I can offer a personal perspective.

You have a balanced perspective and firm grasp of reality of the pluses and minuses.

[up148]

............but I can offer a personal perspective.

You have a balanced perspective and firm grasp of reality of the pluses and minuses.

+1

BH

[rogruth]

The three of you, Rufus, Murph and BH(?) have expressed my thoughts and feelings almost exactly.
I remember some nice and not so nice things from the 1940s, '50s and '60s. I don't need to say more.

[Tom Dempsey]

Most people seem to me to have a "Happy Days" memory of the past. In reality, Richie wouldn't have made it out of the alley.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Most people seem to me to have a "Happy Days" memory of the past. In reality, Richie wouldn't have made it out of the alley.

Probably be there with that bottle of rye,