78-10-B5

- Main Page \ Reagan Radio Commentaries \ 1978

<< Previous Broadcast

Next Broadcast >>

Walter Knott

Transcript Back in 1920, when he was a nurseryman and farmer in Orange County in Southern California, Walter Knott probably had no idea that the roadside stand he and his wife opened to sell berries would someday turn into America's third most popular "theme" park, drawing five million visitors a year. That's just what Knott's Berry Farm has done. Today, it is still family-owned and managed by second and third generation members of the Knott family. Walter Knott's farm is a classic American success story. Today, Knott's farm is a 150-acre collection of rides, shops, restaurants, food stalls, Wild West relics and historic buildings. There are stagecoaches, trains, models of California's Spanish missions, a Roaring Twenties Airfield, a parachute drop, motorcycle chase, animal farm--well, the list seems almost endless. All this is set in a beautifully landscaped, tree covered park--a far cry from that little berry stand. In common with other popular "theme" parks throughout the country, Walter Knott's enterprise is designed for family recreation. But, unlike the latter day parks which sprang, full-blown from drawing boards and blueprints, Knott's Berry Farm just grew and grew over the years. In the early days, Walter Knott developed and promoted his boysenberry. Selling a variety of berries, he and his late wife Cordelia found that the world began beating a path to their roadside stand. Then, Mr. Knott decided to serve chicken dinner in the family's dining room to bring in a little extra money. They were a great hit. Soon, the waiting lines were so long Walter decided to buy an old hotel, dismantle it and rebuild it as a diversion for the dinner customers while they waited their turn. Today, the farm that Walter built has 20 eating places, and Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant serves more than a million and a half chicken dinners ever year. Though it has grown to be a $60 million-a-year enterprise, Knott's Berry Farm has never lost the family touch. And, it still reflects its founder's deep love and patriotism for his country. Walter Knott is 88 now and he still lives on the farm. Though he's not as active as he once was, he looks on with pride as the members of his family continue to do what he has been doing for so many years--bringing smiles of pleasure to people's faces. This is Ronald Reagan. Thanks for listening.		Details Batch Number 78-10-B5 Production Date 07/15/1978 Book/Page N/A Audio Youtube? No
		Added Notes