Last week, I went over to Bud Hurlbut's shop and offices and began moving his papers over to the Orange County Archives. It's mentioned in an article in today's Register. For those who don't know, Bud created high-quality and innovative attractions for theme parks all over the world. However, he is most associated with Knott's Berry Farm, where he once built, owned and operated all the rides himself. He even designed such groundbreaking attractions as the Calico Mine Ride (1960) and the Timber Mountain Log Ride (1969). Along with his papers, the Archives is also receiving some artifacts, including two scale models of the Log Ride. These models were created to show what the attraction would look like when completed. The photo above depicts Bud showing Walter Knott the first and smaller of the two models in 1967. This version included tunnels in the "mountain" through which Knott's steam train and burro rides would pass.
The second and larger model (6'3" long), shown immediately above, includes a lot more detail and is more accurate to the attraction as it was ultimately constructed. I keep noticing more details (as shown below) each time I walk past it.Thanks to Steve Oftelie for helping me move all this stuff, to Chris Merritt for sharing his knowledge, and most importantly to Philip Coulson and the Hurlbut Estate for making it possible for us to preserve Bud's legacy.
Come learn about new Orange County history books and meet their authors at the Orange County Historical Society’s annual Authors' Night, this Thursday, April 14th, 7:30 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church, 2400 N. Canal St., in Orange. Featured authors include Guy Ball (Images of America: Tustin), Michael T. Barry (Final Resting Places: Orange County’s Dead & Famous), Chris Epting (Orange County Then & Now), Karin Kline (50 Hikes in Orange County), and Joe Santiago (Ebb & Flow: 100 Years of Huntington Beach). Each author will speak about their book, after which there will be time to purchase books and have them signed. Refreshments will be served. As always, this OCHS event is open to everyone. For more details, see the OCHS website.
