Tuesday, September 28, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
INCLINE VILLAGE -- Nevada's Ponderosa Ranch has faded into the sunset.

The 570-acre Western theme park overlooking Lake Tahoe and made famous by the 1960s television series "Bonanza" shut its gates Sunday after nearly four decades.

Thousands of people visited the park over the weekend for one last snapshot of the Ponderosa and the Bonanza television show that featured the Cartwright family -- Ben, Little Joe, Hoss and Adam.

"It's the final day and look at the crowds," Royce Anderson, whose father Bill opened the Ponderosa in 1967, said Sunday.

"On Saturday we had 2,200. It was the biggest September day we've ever had. People are coming out of the woodwork."

Anderson said some of the TV program's scenes were shot in the Incline Village area and horses for the show were kept at the Incline Stables, which his father opened in 1963.The stables later became the theme park.

Bonanza, which was first broadcast in 1959, went off the air in 1973. But the Ponderosa Ranch, with its Western town, memorabilia, "Hoss" burgers and hayride breakfasts, stayed open. Owners of the ranch sold it in July to Incline Village resident and developer David Duffield for an undisclosed price.

A coalition of government agencies had hoped to buy the land, putting together more than $50 million for the purchase before the Ponderosa's owners made a deal with Duffield. (See article below)Government officials had said they wanted to preserve the ranch as public land.

In a written statement shortly after the sale was announced, Duffield said he had "no immediate development plans" for the property.

"It's really the end of an era," said Anderson, who was 6 years old when he first went to work for his parents at the Ponderosa. The ranch, which was open from April to October every year, was a successful business until the end, Anderson said.

"This is the biggest year we've ever had," he said.

From the Reno Gazette  www.rgj.com

      'Bonanza' creator regrets sale of Ponderosa Ranch
      ASSOCIATED PRESS
      3/7/2004 10:29 pm
 INCLINE VILLAGE — David Dortort, creator of the long-running television series "Bonanza," says he's saddened by a plan to sell a Western theme amusement park at Lake Tahoe that was inspired by the show.
      Last month, Ponderosa Ranch owners announced they're considering a plan to sell the 548-acre park to the government and turn it into a regional park. If the public buyout fails, owners said the prime North Shore site could  be sold and targeted for major commercial development.
      "Well, my feeling is one of regret," Dortort said. "We had a lot of  fantastic years up there, but I'm in favor of it being restored to what it was when we first arrived  "I just hope developers don't get their hands on it. That would be tragic," Dortort said.
      The amusement park, which opened in 1968, was based on the NBC show that aired from 1959 to 1973. "Bonanza" concerned the exploits of the Cartwright family on the fictional Ponderosa Ranch.While few scenes were filmed at the ranch itself, "Bonanza" at times was
      shot on location around Lake Tahoe. Joan Markowitz, who came up with the name for the ranch when working on  the show's pilot, said she hopes some of the buildings can be saved.
      "It's too bad it's changing hands," Markowitz said. "I hope it won't get  torn down. Maybe they could move the house to a place like Universal Studios. Or, with so many fans around the world, they could each chip in a few bucks and buy the place."
      Carla Ledford of Cincinnati also expressed concern over the park's future. She's among many Bonanza fans who have formed clubs to honor the show. "I'm devastated by what could happen to the ranch," Ledford said. "Just about every year, we've had our fan conventions up there at the ranch. It's been our centerpiece, our Mecca. It'd be a shame if we didn't have it       anymore."
      A coalition of governmental agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, is considering the public buyout of the property. But it's uncertain whether it's feasible because of the land's cost — up to $50 million. "Bonanza" was the No. 1 television show in the United States for several       years and spent most of its 14 years among the top-rated shows. The show  now is in syndication.