We are huge fans of David and Gayle Woodruff’s historic lectures and this one, Reflections of Bonanza, has been highly anticipated.Laura and Steve joined us as we were encouraged to "Take a look back at one of the most popular and socially groundbreaking television shows of all time in an entertaining and fun-filled 55-minute slideshow presentation. Why did the Cartwrights seem to always wear the same clothes? How many scenes were actually filmed at Lake Tahoe? Who built the Ponderosa Ranch? Why did Pernell Roberts leave the show? You will find out the answers to these questions and dozens more, as local author and historian David Woodruff delves deep into this classic show from the 1960s."These two are incredibly entertaining and each of their performances tops the last.
I thought it was very interesting that David began his lecture about a TV show with the history of television. Its history in America is marked by its rapid rise from experimental technology to a ubiquitous household appliance. Early development in the 1920s and 30s led to the first public broadcasts in the late 30s, but it was the post-World War II era that saw its explosive growth, transforming American culture and entertainment.
Bonanza, an American Western television series, ran for 14 seasons on NBC from 1959 to 1973, making it NBC's longest-running Western and the second-longest-running American Western series overall. The show focused on the Cartwright family, owners of the Ponderosa Ranch near Virginia City, Nevada, and their adventures during and after the Civil War.
A highlight for us was the history of the more familiar Ponderosa Ranch, a theme park based on the TV show. The idea of it came about in 1965. Bill and Joyce Anderson owned a small horse ranch, which was located in about the same area as the fictional Ponderosa on the famous Robert Temple Ayres drawn map. According to the Andersons, tourists would regularly show up at their gates asking where the Ponderosa was. Smelling opportunity, the Andersons contacted NBC and Bonanza creator-producer David Dortort. They proposed turning their small ranch into a theme park. NBC, Dortort, and the cast saw the tie-in as a "bonanza" for everyone. All parties being of one accord, the cast agreed to promos being shot at the ranch site and the Virginia City set – including the nearby Silver Dollar Saloon – for financial consideration. The ads stimulated revenue for the park. The park opened to the public in 1968, complete with a scale replica of the Cartwright ranch house and barn similar to the ones seen on television. A replica of Virginia City was later added. The original plan was to open the set to tourists once filming had wrapped. However, shuttling cast and crew up to Incline Village on a weekly basis became cost-prohibitive. Thus, only 20 scenes of Bonanza were filmed there. A majority of ranch-specific scenes were shot on a sound stage at Paramount Studios in Hollywood. However, Michael Landon, Lorne Greene, and Dan Blocker often made appearances at the ranch in costume to mingle with fans and sign autographs. We went a few times, never seeing the Cartwrights but enjoying the early morning hayride that took us to an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast. The Park closed in 2004, leaving both our sons sad that the Ponderosa tradition couldn't be continued.
For one hour, we sat under the tent at Dangberg Ranch and remembered not only memories of our own childhood but of those we created at the Ponderosa Ranch with our boys. What a special, unforgettable treat.
"The best fruit is not what falls,
but what you have to reach for.”
― Hoss Cartwright
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