Shouldn’t this show have been more-correctly named “Ponderosa”? What does “Bonanza” have to do with anything?
According to Wikipedia, Ponderosa was an alternate name. Bonanza is named after the Comstock silver lode.
IIRC, the show was renamed Ponderosa in syndication.
The theme song was named “Bonanza”. They were staying the corse.
The Comstock lode is an interesting story, because the area was initially mined/prospected for gold, though very little was found, and it was tough going because of the thick, blueish tinted mud mucking everything up, the stuff was everywhere.
Eventually, someone with at least some geology training arrived, and on a hunch quietly had the “blue mud” assayed, and it came back as nearly pure silver. Even more quietly, he bought up all the “worthless” gold mining claims. Nice work if you can get it…
Ya know, I don’t think Bonanza is an accurate depiction of the west.