With this update comes one of my favorite extinct creatures - the “Catawampus.” Made of an old tree branch, a bristle brush and a set of ram horns, he was  originally located near the holding area Walter Knott and Paul Swartz used to store the lumber they assembled their buildings with. In later years (and in a more truncated version), this predecessor to the creations of Forrest Morrow could be found near the Old Windmill at the end of Main Street. In fact, one of the first jobs Walter hired Forrest Morrow to do in the 1960s, was to  refurbish this fanciful creature, which then turns into an offer to be a concessionaire at Knott’s - operating the long-missed Jungle Island.

The sign underneath him reads: Of the vast herds of Catawampus which centuries ago roamed the western plains, this is the only one left. According to Prof. Ananias when the Catawampus is gone the species will be extinct.

I have no idea who Prof. Ananias is!

Dinosaurs may not be mythical creatures - but they certainly stir the imagination, and this weeks update includes a look at the now shuttered Kingdom of the Dinosaurs attraction. With wonderful designs by Robin Hall and Laine Houser, and a beautiful soundtrack by Kevin Nadeau, this show aimed high. Unfortunately, due to a limited budget, the ride didn’t fare so well in its later years. You can view the update by clicking here.

In other news, it looks like I will be coming back to SoCal for a few weeks at the end of April, and I’m planning some events with the Los Angeles Conservancy on Modern Architecture and Knott’s Berry Farm. Thanks to Chris Nichols and Jennifer Blazey for helping to set these up! More on that as I firm up details, but you may want to leave April 17 & 18 open...

- C.M.