Where the buffalo roamed

Kris O’Donnell

In 1954, the community of Newport Beach was the home to an organized

buffalo ranch. The Newport Harbor Buffalo Ranch was located a mile

north of Coast Highway and bordered MacArthur Boulevard and Ford

Road.

The buffalo ranch, comprised of about 100 head of buffalo on 115

acres, had been leased by rancher Gene Clark from the Irvine Co. --

Clark maintained the world’s largest privately-owned buffalo herd.

The herd was brought from Independence, Kan., to serve as a

tourist attraction by providing a glimpse into the colorful days of

the old west with its authentic buildings, animals, cowboys, chuck

wagons and Indians.

According to the Irvine Historical Society, the attractions

included: the Gold Rush Museum, a trading post, an Indian village,

Porter’s Western Wear store, Nancy’s; a general store, the New Ranch

Cafe, picnic grounds, hay rides and barbecues. Parents would drive

their children for miles to see the buffalo and feast on buffalo

burgers that sold for $1.

In the 1950s, several Native American families, including Chief

Kuthle Geronimo III, grandson of the famed Apache Chieftain, were

relocated from Kansas to the buffalo ranch to entertain visitors with

tribal dances.

The buffalo ranch was great fun for the entire family, as Newport

Beach provided the perfect setting for the bison to roam amid the

beautiful surroundings. Unfortunately, the Buffalo Ranch was

short-lived.

After five years of providing western-style entertainment to

youngsters of all ages, according to the Costa Mesa Historical

Society, the Newport Harbor Buffalo Ranch was forced to close its

gates by the Irvine Co.

In its heyday, according to the historical society, the buffalo

ranch site served as the set for the TV series “Rin Tin Tin” and the

movie “White Buffalo.”

In 1961, architect William L. Pereira , a self-proclaimed “barn

freak,” acquired the land lease.

The ranch was sold and next purchased in 1981 by William Lange,

founder and president of the Lange Financial Corporation.

When the Irvine Co. announced plans to develop the adjacent

property into condominiums and apartments, a contingent of Orange

County residents took action.

Attempting to block the development, they started a grass-roots

organization called “Friends of the Buffalo Ranch.” The development

ultimately received approval from the planning commission. The bison

herd was thereafter donated to the Discovery Museum of Orange County

and auctioned.

The old bison ranch is a part of Newport Beach’s heritage and the

only reminder of the fact that they were once part of the great

Irvine Ranch.

The only remaining structure of the buffalo ranch, which had been

declared a historic site, is the silo that is on display at the

Orange County Fairgrounds.