George Washington's hidden California fireplace at Knott's Berry Farm - Randomland
Hidden away behind one of the original buildings at Knott's Berry Farm is, among other early attractions, Walter Knott's replica of George Washington's kitchen fireplace.
Knott's Berry Farm is well known today as a full-fledged amusement park featuring roller coasters, games, and even a neighboring water park. Just up the freeway from the world famous Disneyland, it provides a different, coaster-heavy experience at a relatively low price.
During the great depression, however, this was Walter Knott's working berry farm. Among his other produce, he developed the original crop of Boysenberries here. Alongside him, his wife began a chicken dinner restaurant that brought families in from miles around. Soon Walter Knott began to add various displays and attractions to keep those hungry dinner guests and produce shoppers entertained.
For more on the Knott's Berry Farm origin story see our previous video on the subject here: http://youtu.be/EPxe804B76Q - if you're really hungry for some more Knott's history google "Knott's preserved"
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Transcript
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[Music]
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[Music] Farm here you leave today and enter the
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Farm here you leave today and enter the
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Farm here you leave today and enter the world of random
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world of random
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world of random [Music]
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land ah not Berry Farm for over 75 years
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land ah not Berry Farm for over 75 years people have been coming here in drov in
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people have been coming here in drov in
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people have been coming here in drov in fact they were coming here long before
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fact they were coming here long before
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fact they were coming here long before there were any roller coasters at all
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there were any roller coasters at all
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there were any roller coasters at all all of this was once Walter Knot's
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all of this was once Walter Knot's
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all of this was once Walter Knot's actual working bear farm and people
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actual working bear farm and people
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actual working bear farm and people would come from miles around not only to
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would come from miles around not only to
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would come from miles around not only to get his famous Bo and berries but also
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get his famous Bo and berries but also
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get his famous Bo and berries but also to get some of his wife's famous chicken
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to get some of his wife's famous chicken
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to get some of his wife's famous chicken dinners hungry so many people were
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dinners hungry so many people were
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dinners hungry so many people were visiting the farm trying to get their
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visiting the farm trying to get their
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visiting the farm trying to get their hands on those delicious Bo and berries
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hands on those delicious Bo and berries
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hands on those delicious Bo and berries and Mrs Knot's chicken dinners that
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and Mrs Knot's chicken dinners that
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and Mrs Knot's chicken dinners that Walter KN started adding all kinds of
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Walter KN started adding all kinds of
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Walter KN started adding all kinds of little features to keep them entertained
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little features to keep them entertained
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little features to keep them entertained while they waited now I've talked about
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while they waited now I've talked about
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while they waited now I've talked about this before but basically all those
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this before but basically all those
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this before but basically all those things Walter not added became the main
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things Walter not added became the main
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things Walter not added became the main attraction themselves and pretty soon
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attraction themselves and pretty soon
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attraction themselves and pretty soon over the years this developed into the
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over the years this developed into the
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over the years this developed into the full-fledged theme park it is today Nots
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full-fledged theme park it is today Nots
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full-fledged theme park it is today Nots Berry Farm is full of all kinds of
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Berry Farm is full of all kinds of
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Berry Farm is full of all kinds of roller coasters and thrill attractions
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roller coasters and thrill attractions
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roller coasters and thrill attractions but if you know where to look you can
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but if you know where to look you can
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but if you know where to look you can touch the past and uncover the history
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touch the past and uncover the history
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touch the past and uncover the history of the original knot Berry Farm Roadside
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of the original knot Berry Farm Roadside
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of the original knot Berry Farm Roadside Attraction built on Walter knot Berry
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Attraction built on Walter knot Berry
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Attraction built on Walter knot Berry Farm behind me just south of the main
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Farm behind me just south of the main
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Farm behind me just south of the main entrance to knot Berry Farm is the berry
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entrance to knot Berry Farm is the berry
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entrance to knot Berry Farm is the berry market and it's one of the original
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market and it's one of the original
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market and it's one of the original buildings used by Walter knut and his
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buildings used by Walter knut and his
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buildings used by Walter knut and his family and just like all those berries
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family and just like all those berries
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family and just like all those berries some of Walter knut's earliest
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some of Walter knut's earliest
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some of Walter knut's earliest attractions are preserved just
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attractions are preserved just
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attractions are preserved just inside they still sell a lot of Berry
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inside they still sell a lot of Berry
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inside they still sell a lot of Berry Products here but the ities we're
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Products here but the ities we're
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Products here but the ities we're looking for are right out this back door
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looking for are right out this back door
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looking for are right out this back door the one that says restroom the reason it
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the one that says restroom the reason it
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the one that says restroom the reason it says not an exit is cuz it's a time
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says not an exit is cuz it's a time
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says not an exit is cuz it's a time machine just behind the original buried
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machine just behind the original buried
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machine just behind the original buried Place Building is this area flanked by
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Place Building is this area flanked by
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Place Building is this area flanked by restrooms this waterfall was one of the
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restrooms this waterfall was one of the
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restrooms this waterfall was one of the earliest attractions most people from
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earliest attractions most people from
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earliest attractions most people from Southern California had never seen
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Southern California had never seen
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Southern California had never seen anything like this it was littered with
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anything like this it was littered with
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anything like this it was littered with tropical flowers builing this greenhouse
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tropical flowers builing this greenhouse
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tropical flowers builing this greenhouse like structure out of real volcanic rock
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like structure out of real volcanic rock
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like structure out of real volcanic rock hauled in from the desert and really
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hauled in from the desert and really
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hauled in from the desert and really took their breath away H the restrooms
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took their breath away H the restrooms
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took their breath away H the restrooms are taking my breath away now Walt had a
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are taking my breath away now Walt had a
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are taking my breath away now Walt had a big imagination and in addition to all
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big imagination and in addition to all
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big imagination and in addition to all the beautiful landscaping and
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the beautiful landscaping and
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the beautiful landscaping and interesting volcanic rock around he also
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interesting volcanic rock around he also
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interesting volcanic rock around he also started adding legitimate artifacts from
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started adding legitimate artifacts from
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started adding legitimate artifacts from all over the old west to entertain
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all over the old west to entertain
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all over the old west to entertain guests waiting in line inside this
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guests waiting in line inside this
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guests waiting in line inside this little out Cove is one of the earliest
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little out Cove is one of the earliest
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little out Cove is one of the earliest of Walter Knot's artifacts it's this
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of Walter Knot's artifacts it's this
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of Walter Knot's artifacts it's this grindstone and it's actually one of if
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grindstone and it's actually one of if
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grindstone and it's actually one of if not the first commercial grindstone in
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not the first commercial grindstone in
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not the first commercial grindstone in Los Angeles according to Walter not it
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Los Angeles according to Walter not it
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Los Angeles according to Walter not it was actually built in England and
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was actually built in England and
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was actually built in England and transported all the way around Cape Horn
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transported all the way around Cape Horn
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transported all the way around Cape Horn to be brought to California although no
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to be brought to California although no
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to be brought to California although no longer fully functional this water wheel
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longer fully functional this water wheel
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longer fully functional this water wheel here used to turn this small grindstone
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here used to turn this small grindstone
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here used to turn this small grindstone to show people how flow used to be
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to show people how flow used to be
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to show people how flow used to be ground back in the day if you wanted
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ground back in the day if you wanted
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ground back in the day if you wanted bread you have to actually bring grain
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bread you have to actually bring grain
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bread you have to actually bring grain down to a Mill and have it ground up and
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down to a Mill and have it ground up and
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down to a Mill and have it ground up and pulverized by one of these huge Stones M
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pulverized by one of these huge Stones M
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pulverized by one of these huge Stones M grindy never one to miss an opportunity
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grindy never one to miss an opportunity
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grindy never one to miss an opportunity for promoting his family history this
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for promoting his family history this
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for promoting his family history this sign explains the connection to Walter
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sign explains the connection to Walter
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sign explains the connection to Walter Knot's family my mother's family settled
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Knot's family my mother's family settled
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Knot's family my mother's family settled into the San Gabriel Valley in
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into the San Gabriel Valley in
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into the San Gabriel Valley in 1868 they hauled grain to an Old Mill
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1868 they hauled grain to an Old Mill
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1868 they hauled grain to an Old Mill like this one in pente to be ground into
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like this one in pente to be ground into
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like this one in pente to be ground into flow Walter not I think that's what his
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flow Walter not I think that's what his
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flow Walter not I think that's what his voice sounded like but I'm not sure the
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voice sounded like but I'm not sure the
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voice sounded like but I'm not sure the only disadvantage to this old school
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only disadvantage to this old school
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only disadvantage to this old school method is that sometimes little Flakes
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method is that sometimes little Flakes
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method is that sometimes little Flakes and flecks of stone would end up in your
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and flecks of stone would end up in your
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and flecks of stone would end up in your flower and then in your bread M vitamin
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flower and then in your bread M vitamin
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flower and then in your bread M vitamin s for stone this thing is pretty cool
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s for stone this thing is pretty cool
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s for stone this thing is pretty cool but of course the main attraction of
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but of course the main attraction of
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but of course the main attraction of this little outo is this a replica of
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this little outo is this a replica of
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this little outo is this a replica of George Washington's fireplace around
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George Washington's fireplace around
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George Washington's fireplace around 1939 or 1940 the knots took a trip to
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1939 or 1940 the knots took a trip to
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1939 or 1940 the knots took a trip to the east coast and when they saw George
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the east coast and when they saw George
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the east coast and when they saw George Washington's fireplace at Mount Vernon
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Washington's fireplace at Mount Vernon
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Washington's fireplace at Mount Vernon they knew they had to have one of their
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they knew they had to have one of their
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they knew they had to have one of their own it was one of Walter knut's first
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own it was one of Walter knut's first
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own it was one of Walter knut's first attempts at a Brick by Brick historical
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attempts at a Brick by Brick historical
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attempts at a Brick by Brick historical replica and it's not just a facad it's
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replica and it's not just a facad it's
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replica and it's not just a facad it's actually a real fireplace if you stick
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actually a real fireplace if you stick
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actually a real fireplace if you stick your head in here you can see all the
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your head in here you can see all the
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your head in here you can see all the way up
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way up
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way up it's hard to believe now but back in the
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it's hard to believe now but back in the
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it's hard to believe now but back in the day they actually used to have real
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day they actually used to have real
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day they actually used to have real fires burning in there here's a picture
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fires burning in there here's a picture
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fires burning in there here's a picture from the early' 40s this woman is
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from the early' 40s this woman is
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from the early' 40s this woman is enjoying a nice roasting real fire while
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enjoying a nice roasting real fire while
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enjoying a nice roasting real fire while this woman looks slightly less impressed
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this woman looks slightly less impressed
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this woman looks slightly less impressed maybe it's cuz she's still wearing her
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maybe it's cuz she's still wearing her
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maybe it's cuz she's still wearing her sweater she's
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sweater she's
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sweater she's hot can somebody bring me some
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hot can somebody bring me some
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hot can somebody bring me some marshmallows if you compare it to the
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marshmallows if you compare it to the
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marshmallows if you compare it to the Vintage photographs almost all of the
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Vintage photographs almost all of the
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Vintage photographs almost all of the same props are still here that were here
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same props are still here that were here
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same props are still here that were here in the early 1940s except the gun
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in the early 1940s except the gun
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in the early 1940s except the gun somebody stole the president's gun call
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somebody stole the president's gun call
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somebody stole the president's gun call the Secret Service well the rifle may be
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the Secret Service well the rifle may be
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the Secret Service well the rifle may be gone but at least there's still this
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gone but at least there's still this
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gone but at least there's still this repca of George Washington's pistol the
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repca of George Washington's pistol the
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repca of George Washington's pistol the president was packing heat just think of
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president was packing heat just think of
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president was packing heat just think of it for almost 75 years this replica has
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it for almost 75 years this replica has
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it for almost 75 years this replica has stood here to inspire and educate people
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stood here to inspire and educate people
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stood here to inspire and educate people who might otherwise never get to see
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who might otherwise never get to see
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who might otherwise never get to see Mount Vernon for themselves it just goes
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Mount Vernon for themselves it just goes
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Mount Vernon for themselves it just goes to show you that Walter KN was one of
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to show you that Walter KN was one of
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to show you that Walter KN was one of those rare dreamers who understood that
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those rare dreamers who understood that
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those rare dreamers who understood that education and entertainment could go
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education and entertainment could go
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education and entertainment could go hand in hand now nber Farm may have
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hand in hand now nber Farm may have
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hand in hand now nber Farm may have evolved over the years into a
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evolved over the years into a
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evolved over the years into a full-fledged theme park and changed
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full-fledged theme park and changed
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full-fledged theme park and changed quite a bit but if you know where to
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quite a bit but if you know where to
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quite a bit but if you know where to look it still has a lot to say about the
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look it still has a lot to say about the
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look it still has a lot to say about the past not just the history of America or
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past not just the history of America or
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past not just the history of America or the west but also the story of one man
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the west but also the story of one man
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the west but also the story of one man one hardworking farmer who made his
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one hardworking farmer who made his
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one hardworking farmer who made his dreams a reality well that's all we got
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dreams a reality well that's all we got
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dreams a reality well that's all we got for today make sure you subscribe to
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for today make sure you subscribe to
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for today make sure you subscribe to this channel for some more zi Adventures
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this channel for some more zi Adventures
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this channel for some more zi Adventures check out our website where we're
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check out our website where we're
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check out our website where we're posting something almost every single
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posting something almost every single
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posting something almost every single day now check out our t-shirts right
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day now check out our t-shirts right
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day now check out our t-shirts right here and we'll later I got to go back in
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here and we'll later I got to go back in
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here and we'll later I got to go back in there and get some BO and Berry Jam I'm
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there and get some BO and Berry Jam I'm
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there and get some BO and Berry Jam I'm so hungry okay we'll see you later
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so hungry okay we'll see you later
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so hungry okay we'll see you later [Music]
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[Music] shake them M and I