Ponderosa Ranch 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
The 101 Ranch The 101 Ranch The 101 Ranch written by Ellsworth Collings in collaboration with Alma Miller England, narrates the history of the famed Miller Brothers 101 Ranch, the Miller Brothers 101 Ranch Wild West Show, and the Miller family who founded and operated both the ranch and the show. The 101 Ranch Wild West Show was one of the last of the large Wild West Shows. The history spans from 1841, Col. George Washington Miller Jr.'s birth, until 1936, when the last piece of property was auctioned off following the economic downturn of 1929. At its height, the ranch encompassed more