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
Cross S Ranch Headquarters in the 1970s, and the headquarters building is all that remains of the original property. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 8, 2006. Cross S Ranch Headquarters The Cross S Ranch Headquarters is a historic building located in farmland south of Olustee, Oklahoma. The two-story stone building served as the headquarters of the Cross S Ranch, a cattle ranch founded in 1891. As a major cattle trail passed through the area, the ranch took advantage of the open land to raise free-range cattle. By 1902, the ranch had decreased in size due to