Bonanza City Origins

Near the current location of Bonanza Creek Ranch, the faint remains of Bonanza City still linger, a short-lived mining town born during the 1879 silver, zinc, and lead rush in the Los Cerrillos Hills mining district of northern New Mexico. In 1880, the townsite was officially founded by John J. Mahoney, a former ambassador to Algiers. By 1881, Bonanza City featured a post office, hotel, general store, and smelter.

Though historical accounts suggest the population may have reached 2,000 residents by 1883, this number was never officially confirmed. The boom was brief. By 1884, the post office had closed, and the population had dropped to just 200. Bonanza City eventually faded into obscurity and was fully abandoned by the early 20th century.

Bonanza Creek Ranch Legacy

Established in the early 1950s, Bonanza Creek Ranch, originally known as the Jarrott Ranch, began as a working cattle ranch and continues to operate today, raising over 150 free-range cattle annually. Its vast landscapes and preserved history have made it an ideal backdrop for both ranching and film production.

Owner Richard Hughes carries on a long family legacy of New Mexico ranching. His family roots trace back generations, including ties to the historic Forked Lightning Ranch near Pecos, once briefly owned and operated by his great-grandfather. That ranch was later sold in the 1940s to Hollywood actress Greer Garson and her husband Buddy Fogelson, who famously showed visitors the bullet holes in the mantel that still bore the remnants of a gunfight involving Hughes' grandfather during the territorial days of New Mexico.

This unique blend of Western heritage and film history continues to shape Bonanza Creek Ranch’s identity today.