I'm supposed to be organizing and decluttering, but I found an old postcard of the Ponderosa Ranch, and that set me off on a rabbit trail...
Because inquiring minds want to know!
I picked up this postcard during my visit to Ponderosa Ranch years ago. For those of you who are younger, the TV series "Bonanza" was extremely popular in its time. I'm not sure how popular it was in other parts of the country, but here it was a top show. My parents owned a duplex in the Lake Tahoe area, and the towns and places mentioned on the show were familiar to us. This connection sparked our imagination and deepened our affection for the history of mining in California and Nevada.
The Ponderosa Ranch, established in 1964, featured a theme park based on the Cartwright family from the TV western. It operated in Incline Village, Nevada, near Lake Tahoe, from 1968 until 2004. Parts of the last five seasons of the series and three TV films were filmed there.
In 2004, fans of the classic TV western “Bonanza” were disheartened when software entrepreneur David Duffield acquired the Ponderosa theme park near Lake Tahoe and closed it indefinitely. The ranch was purchased for around $55 million.
By 2020, parcels of land had been sold off, and the house was sold for $38 million. That year, the Nevada Commission on Tourism approved a VIP grant to create a new Ponderosa Ranch exhibit near Elko, but it won't be the same.
David Duffield's decision to purchase the theme park raises questions, particularly since he made no significant changes to the property other than selling off the land. The park was already generating profit, and his selfish actions ended the legacy of the Bonanza brand.
Oh, how I long to visit the Ponderosa once more. My husband never had the chance to experience it.
The Ponderosa Barn
I looked for it on Google Maps - This isn’t it! It’s really gone! 😢 or is it??? See video.
April 2025
The last remnant of the Ponderosa Ranch and Bonanza
Okay I better start working on dinner.
Debby
Have you ever been to the Ponderosa Ranch as a child?
What did you think of it?
Were you a fan of Bonanza?
Who was your favorite Cartwright?
Have you ever been distracted when you’re deep in declutterring mode?
