1. Walter Marvin Knott was an American farmer and businessman who founded the Knott's Berry Farm amusement park in Buena Park, California, introduced and mass-marketed the boysenberry, and founded the Knott's Berry Farm food brand.
23 Facts About Walter Knott
1. 2.
Walter Knott's parents were Rev Elgin Charles Knott, a Southern Methodist minister originally from Tennessee, and Margaret Virginia Daugherty Knott.
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Walter Knott's father was a preacher at a church in Santa Ana, California when he was born.
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Walter Knott had aspirations of being a farmer from a very young age, and ended his formal schooling at age 16 in order to start working.
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Walter Knott was adept at growing produce, and would rent vacant lots around Pomona to grow produce to contribute to his family's income.
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At the time he married Cordelia Hornaday in 1911, Walter Knott was working for a cement contractor.
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In 1913, Walter Knott homesteaded on 160 acres in the Mojave Desert near Newberry Springs and made his first effort at farming, which was unsuccessful.
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In 1920, Walter Knott went into a partnership with one of his cousins, berry grower Jim Preston, to farm 20 acres of land in Buena Park, California.
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In 1923, Walter Knott set up a small berry stand on the property, facing Grand Avenue to sell their produce to locals and tourists on their way to the beach.
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The next year, in addition to a new house for his family, Walter Knott built an 80-foot-long stucco building on the farm to house a new berry market, a nursery, and a tea room for Cordelia to sell hamburgers, sandwiches, and pies.
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In 1934, Walter Knott introduced the hybrid boysenberry, named after its creator, Rudolph Boysen.
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The plant produced huge berries, and Walter Knott integrated the boysenberry into all of his products as well as Cordelia's tea room menu.
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Walter Knott had an interest in American history, particularly the Old West, and purchased buildings from many old ghost towns around the west.
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In 1968, the Walter Knott family fenced the farm, charged gate admission for the first time, and Walter Knott's Berry Farm officially became an amusement park.
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Walter Knott remained active in the operation of Knott's Berry Farm until Cordelia's death in 1974, at which point he left day-to-day park operations to his children and focused on political causes.
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On December 3,1981, just eight days shy of his 92nd birthday, Walter Knott died from complications of Parkinson's disease at his home in Buena Park, California.
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Walter Knott is buried at Loma Vista Memorial Park in Fullerton, California.
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The Walter Knott family remained owners of Walter Knott's Berry Farm until 1997, when the park was sold to Cedar Fair Entertainment Company for $300 million.
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Walter Knott married his high school sweetheart, Cordelia Hornaday, on June 3,1911.
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Walter Knott was active in a variety of conservative causes, including founding the California Free Enterprise Assistance and endowing various private schools and colleges.
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Walter Knott campaigned for Republican politicians like Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.
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Walter Knott was a member of the John Birch Society and sponsored its Orange County chapter.
23.
Walter Knott appeared on the December 23,1954, episode of You Bet Your Life, hosted by Groucho Marx.