Words of Wisdom from SharLeigh
WHERE THE BUFFALO ROAMED?
It has been estimated that 50 million buffalo (actually they are American Bison) once roamed the plains. It must have been something to witness the thundering herd in those days – but did you know that in the middle of the 20th century there was a herd of bison that roamed the hills of Newport Beach in Southern California? In 1954, Myford Irvine (of the Irvine Ranch) leased 115 acres to Mr. Gene Clark for the Newport Harbor Buffalo Ranch. Mr. Clark had a vision to bring the Old West to Orange County. The Buffalo Ranch had authentic western buildings, cowboys, Indians with a trading post, a chuck wagon and refreshments. Mr. Clark shipped 100 bison from Independence, Missouri to Newport Beach. The ranch was a working ranch and the bison were not only for viewing but for eating! Yes, while at the park, you could order a Buffalo burger for 55 cents. The ranch raised its own meat for the Buffalo burgers and for the dinner menu at Knott’s Berry Farm (buffalo was on their menu twice a week). Somehow it just doesn’t seem right to view the bison on the range and then sit down for a buffalo burger, but that is what they did! The ranch charged visitors $1.00 to drive through and view the herd on the open hills of Newport Beach (see photo). Not only could you view the herd, but there were rides for the kiddies – a miniature train ride, a fire truck ride, burro ride, and miniature tractor ride, as well as horse riding lessons and hayrides at night. But alas, by 1959, land was in demand and the Newport Harbor Buffalo Ranch could not compete with the other local attractions (like Disneyland and Marineland) so the park was closed. Today, the land is a housing development known as Harbor Ridge, but on the northeast corner of Bonita Canyon and MacArthur Boulevard stands a bronze statue of a bison (see photo) and a sign that proclaims the history of the almost-forgotten Buffalo Ranch.
