Editing Walter Knott (section)

=== Early efforts ===
Knott was adept at growing produce, and would rent vacant lots around Pomona to grow produce to contribute to his family's income.<ref name=":0" /> At the time he married Cordelia Hornaday in 1911, Knott was working for a cement contractor.<ref name=":0" />

In 1913, Knott homesteaded on 160 acres in the [[Mojave Desert]] near [[Newberry Springs, California|Newberry Springs]] and made his first effort at farming, which was unsuccessful.<ref name=":0" /> Knott tried farming again in 1917 near [[Shandon, California]]—growing produce to feed the employees of a cattle ranch and selling the excess supply for his own profit. This enterprise proved to be more successful, as Knott and Cordelia made enough money to pay off all his debts and had become a major supplier of produce for the area.<ref name=":0" />