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Fathers Day this year was a mixed blessing this year as I had to tell my own father that one of his good friends had passed.  Similar to my Father, Bill Anderson was one of the classic men of all men.  His word was his word and he wasn’t a baby that went running to Attorneys everytime a situation got rough, he simply worked it out (what a concept).  He commanded the utmost respect and I enjoyed listening to his stories throughout the years. 

I remember a story how he was in line at a buffet and some kook was sounding him as he came back in line from the bathroom to rejoin his wife.    He gave him a couple of warnings to drop it and then proceeded to drop HIM with one punch.  He stayed in line and enjoyed a nice meal as if nothing happened.  If you like classic American success stories, read his book; Bills Big Bonanza, it is compelling as they traveled west when he was young, sometimes eating roadFathers Day this year was a mixed blessing this year as I had to tell my own father that one of his good friends had passed.  Similar to my Father, Bill Anderson was one of the classic men of all men.  His word was his word and he wasn’t a baby that went running to Attorneys every-time a transaction went rough, he simply worked it out (what a concept).  He commanded the utmost respect and I enjoyed listening to his stories throughout the years kill.

When he was older, Bill and his brother had a scrap yard, towing etc. in San Lorenzo in the 60s.  As I recall, he bought a bunch of military surplus after the war and brought it up to Incline and put the roads in for a land trade which eventually became the Ponderosa Ranch, Incline Village Nevada.  It became one of the most valuable pieces of Incline Village real estate let alone the whole entire lake.

Upon retiring, he left it to his children, they in turn sold it to David Duffield, the Peoplesoft founder.  This (sale) was pulled right out from underneath the Incline Village General Improvement District et al as they were hoping to preserve this National treasure/landmark for generations. 

This (sale) crushed many children’s, parents, grandparents, foreigners and Lake Tahoe/Incline Village tourists summer plans and their subsequent precious memories, (I still have the tin cup that Hoss gave me when I was 4). 

This guy (David Duffield) is known for tearing down perfectly good structures and then building elaborate ”trophy properties” which sometimes rarely even get used according to many in the Incline Village Community.  His latest trophy hunting as far as the Incline Village community has heard is apparently in Danville California where he supposedly bagged something and is dressing it now.

The good news is; they were able to keep the Incline Lake sale from going a similar route and away from other big game trophy property hunters.

My deepest sympathy goes out to my good friend Royce Anderson and the rest of the family, I am enclosing a nice article from the North Lake Tahoe Bonanza, T-Can, Tahoe.com, Reno.com, about the man, the myth, the legend, the cowboy, the gentleman, and the Father; Bill Anderson……

              ENLARGE 

A photo taken of William Anderson in 1972 in Washington, D. C. when he was named an ambassador for U. S. travel. His ownership of the Ponderosa Ranch made him a popular visitor any place he traveled.

Courtesy Photo

ENLARGE

Ponderosa Ranch owner leaves legacy

When William Anderson, founder of the Ponderosa Ranch, died June 4, an important chapter in the history of Incline Village closed.

Anderson always liked to have lots of room around him, which is part of the reason he decided to move to Incline, his first wife Joyce Anderson Bock said.

“Bill came home one day in 1961 and told me that it was getting real congested in the Bay Area and he thought we should move up to the mountains,” she said.

William and Joyce Anderson were married in 1959 and they lived in the Bay area where he got into purchasing heavy machinery with his brother Chris from war surplus. Bock said that after they arrived in Incline, Anderson built the roads, infrastructure and also used his equipment to build the golf course.

Anderson and his heavy equipment company came to Incline Village in 1962 to help Boise Cascade develop the area.

“He invested in land in Incline and brought his company here to develop Incline Village,” his son Royce Anderson said. “He developed a lot of the infrastructure of Incline Village.”

But it is not because he built the roads or the infrastructure that Anderson was known and not why he was such a significant part of Incline’s history.

Anderson had a love for horses. Bock said that when Incline developer Art Wood wanted every kind of recreation in Incline Village he told Anderson that he would sell him the property real cheap if he would put in riding stables. Royce Anderson said that at that time Incline only had a small ski area and the beaches but wanted to market the area to bring in visitors. That is how the Incline Riding Stables came about. Royce Anderson explained that his father was “always the entrepreneur.”
When the crew of the popular television series, “Bonanza” came to Incline Village to do some filming they kept their horses at the Incline Riding Stables. “Bonanza” started appearing on television in 1959 and quickly grew into a popular weekly series that continued for 17 seasons. It was one of the first color TV shows to really go into major production and highlighted the Lake Tahoe area because of its incredible beauty. The show featured Loren Greene as one of the actors.

“Bill and Lorne Greene started talking about building the Ponderosa Ranch for the public,” Bock said. She explained that this eventually required a quick trip to New York for Anderson to negotiate the contract.

“Bill had not worn a suit for awhile,” she said. “He had a suit made but did not have time to get the pants hemmed so he had to get them hemmed in New York.”

Even though not much of the show was filmed in Incline Village the Ponderosa Ranch grew into a family business for the Anderson’s. His son said The Ponderosa Ranch was the nucleus of the family and the family revolved around the business for 40 years.

Bock said it was not easy for the Anderson’s to get the Ranch open.

“We had to go into debt and sell everything we had,” Bock said. “But we were lucky to be in the right place at the right time.”

She explained that Bill had to sell his last shotgun and an antique car to make payroll but it did become successful.

“Bill was a true entrepreneur and liked to take a risk,” she explained.

That risk paid off.

“He built an incredible business and it was a boom to Lake Tahoe and especially to Incline Village,” said Chuck Greene, son of “Bonanza” actor Lorne Greene and an Incline Village resident working to preserve historical information.

“Lots of groups used it for conventions and meetings,” Greene said. “He was very tuned in to the area.”

Greene said that most of the work developing Incline Village was done by Anderson’s company.

“Bill Anderson was a real part of the early development and put Incline on the map by bringing tens of thousands of visitors to the Ponderosa,” Greene said. “He was a significant part of Incline’s history.”

Greene also said that Anderson’s book “Bill’s Big Bonanza” was a piece of history because it provided so much information about Anderson’s work in Incline Village and the creation of The Ponderosa Ranch.

“His book touched many people,” Royce Anderson said. “Everyone that reads it has to comment because it is such a piece of Americana.”

Anderson explained that he felt that people that grew up during the Great Depression just seemed to be more motivated and it is something that other generations do not understand.

“He was a super provider, highly motivated and through his efforts was responsible for providing an incredible business for our family,” Anderson said. “He was an incredible business man and a great outdoorsman.”

Longtime friend Andy Romo said that in his book, Anderson stated “I never had a friend and don’t believe in that word.” But Romo called Anderson his friend as well as a very generous man.

“Bill Anderson was Mr. Make It Happen,” said his friend Romo. “Bill had a fantastic mind.”

He also had a generous heart, according to Romo.

“For my 50th birthday he gave me a $500 bill and for my 55th birthday he gave me a $1000 bill as a gift,” Romo said.

Anderson was Romo’s landlord for a building called Tahoe Masonry. Romo is a plumbing and heating contractor in Incline Village and also worked at the Ponderosa helping Anderson with maintenance and other projects.

“We designed the big caboose into a kitchen with a walk in refrigerator,” said Romo about the many projects he and Bill Anderson worked on through the years at the Ponderosa along with many other employees.

“The Ponderosa employed alot of people,” he said. “Every kid in Incline worked at the Ponderosa during the summer.”

In 1972 Bill and Joyce Anderson were named ambassadors for the U. S. travel service. They were invited to Washington, D.C. where they were honored as official ambassadors.

“Everyone wanted to meet the owner of the Ponderosa,” Bock said.

This was a change from Bill’s humble upbrings, Bock said.

“He and his family lived in the back seat of a car.”

She also said he was very patriotic and always very fair.

“We were truly a team,” Bock said about their years at the Ponderosa Ranch. “And he was very generous with his family.”

William Alfred Anderson died at his ranch home in Dayton, Nev. June 4.
He was 84 years old.

“He passed away at home with his wife, Sharon caring for him, which is what he wanted,” Royce Anderson said.

Bill and Joyce were divorced in 1995 and he married Sharon Hunt in 1996.
Anderson was preceded in death by his brother Chris Anderson of Carson City and his sister Georgia Nelson of Tickfaw, La.

He is survived by his wife Sharon of Dayton, son and daughter-in-law Royce and Jessica Anderson of Wellington, Nev., daughter and son-in-law Jillaine and David Geddes of Reno, Nev., granddaughters Jennifer and Michelle Geddes, six neices and his former wife, Joyce Anderson Bock.

No memorial services will be held but memorial contributions may be made to The Alzheimer’s Association of Northern Nevada, P. O. Box 6362, Reno, Nev. 89513, or to Saint Mary’s Hospice, 520 West 6th Street, Reno, Nev. 89503.

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