Lizzy Tex Borden's

 I came across a few things from travels when I was much

younger. Here is a brochure I got when I visited a place that

I LOVED: The Ponderosa Ranch from our beloved

Bonanza television show. The Ponderosa was home to the

Cartwrights. Ben, Adam, Hoss, Little Joe, the family friend and

cook, Hop Sing and later in the series, Jamie.

I think that this version of the home was really just built for fans of

the show who wanted badly to visit the Cartwright's home. I don't

think it was used more than once or twice for the show except

maybe for exterior shots.

Interiors and exterior Western Street shots were filmed at Paramount

Studios in Hollywood. There was a Ponderosa Ranch set there inside

a sound stage. Take all of this with a grain of salt though.

Anyway, I loved visiting The Ponderosa at Lake Tahoe. Unfortunately

they closed the park in 2005. The land was purchased by a private party

and fans everywhere just hope that the buyer has not razed the ranch.

I have left my scans of this brochure pretty danged big so that they

can be opened in another window to better see the photos. I like the

photo with Little Joe in the engine of the small train. I wonder how

much he "loved" engineering "Little Joe's Express".

 

On a side note... I found this picture on the Internet. It is a souvenir

tin cup from the Ponderosa Ranch. This is one item that I am so

sorry I did not buy when visiting. I love this cup. Years later some

friends went to the Ponderosa and bought one for my son, when he

was little. I wanted to steal it. I didn't. I should have.

It is long gone now.