Buffalo Ranch
Encyclopedia
Buffalo Ranch was a famous tourist attraction which was operated on 115 acre (0.4653889 km²) in what is today Newport Beach, California
by Gene Clark of the Irvine Company and the grandson of the famous Indian chief Geronimo
. It was the first outside business to be allowed onto land owned by The Irvine Company. The ranch began with a herd of 72 buffalo, and this number quickly grew. Several Indian families from Kansas were invited to live in the area and work at the Ranch to add to its authenticity and present various tribal dances for the tourists. Bison Road, which exists today as a connection between Jamboree and MacArthur roads in Newport Beach, was originally created as an access road to Buffalo Ranch.
campus, and at the same time the Irvine Company
had hired the campus' architect, William Pereira
, to plan the city of Irvine
around it. Pereira, who considered himself a "barn freak" and enjoyed renovating them, took the vacant Buffalo Ranch barn, which stood on the corner of MacArthur and Ford Road, and converted it into his on-site planning office which he called "Urbanus Square." It was here that much of the cities of Irvine and Newport Beach were planned.
Long after Pereira and his team departed, the barn stood on the street corner as a landmark to passersby. It was demolished in the 1990s to make way for the Bonita Canyon housing development. Today, a large bronze statue of a buffalo stands at the street corner with a large plaque placed in front of it honoring the site's history.
Part of the barn, including the silo that Pereira had converted into a 360-degree survey platform for his planning efforts, was moved to Centennial Farm at the Orange County Fair & Exposition Center
where it remains to this day.
The main section of this barn is still located in Newport Beach. It can be seen fully rebuilt at the corner of Irvine Avenue and Holiday Road.
Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach, incorporated in 1906, is a city in Orange County, California, south of downtown Santa Ana. The population was 85,186 at the 2010 census.The city's median family income and property values consistently place high in national rankings...
by Gene Clark of the Irvine Company and the grandson of the famous Indian chief Geronimo
Geronimo
Geronimo was a prominent Native American leader of the Chiricahua Apache who fought against Mexico and the United States for their expansion into Apache tribal lands for several decades during the Apache Wars. Allegedly, "Geronimo" was the name given to him during a Mexican incident...
. It was the first outside business to be allowed onto land owned by The Irvine Company. The ranch began with a herd of 72 buffalo, and this number quickly grew. Several Indian families from Kansas were invited to live in the area and work at the Ranch to add to its authenticity and present various tribal dances for the tourists. Bison Road, which exists today as a connection between Jamboree and MacArthur roads in Newport Beach, was originally created as an access road to Buffalo Ranch.
As Urbanus Square
In late 1959/early 1960, Buffalo Ranch was shut down due to rising land costs. At the same time, a nearby site had been chosen for the University of California, IrvineUniversity of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
campus, and at the same time the Irvine Company
Irvine Company
The Irvine Company is a privately held real estate development company based in Newport Beach, Orange County, Southern California. The corporate center of the company lies in Newport Center. A large portion of its operations are centered in and around the City of Irvine, a planned city of 250,000...
had hired the campus' architect, William Pereira
William Pereira
William Leonard Pereira was an American architect from Chicago, Illinois, of Portuguese ancestry who was noted for his futuristic designs of landmark buildings such as the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco...
, to plan the city of Irvine
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
around it. Pereira, who considered himself a "barn freak" and enjoyed renovating them, took the vacant Buffalo Ranch barn, which stood on the corner of MacArthur and Ford Road, and converted it into his on-site planning office which he called "Urbanus Square." It was here that much of the cities of Irvine and Newport Beach were planned.
Later existence
Bonita Canyon, which lies within the land that had once been Buffalo Ranch, became somewhat notorious in the late 1960s as a hideout for hippies from the nearby university. Indeed, drug paraphernalia and evidence of sexual encounters were frequently found there by rock climbers who frequented the canyon, attracted mainly to a large rock formation that was known as the "Buffalo Chip."Long after Pereira and his team departed, the barn stood on the street corner as a landmark to passersby. It was demolished in the 1990s to make way for the Bonita Canyon housing development. Today, a large bronze statue of a buffalo stands at the street corner with a large plaque placed in front of it honoring the site's history.
Part of the barn, including the silo that Pereira had converted into a 360-degree survey platform for his planning efforts, was moved to Centennial Farm at the Orange County Fair & Exposition Center
Orange County Fair & Exposition Center
The OC Fair & Event Center is a event venue in Costa Mesa, California. The site hosts over 150 events attracting 4.3 million visitors annually, and is home to the Orange County Fair, Centennial Farm, Costa Mesa Speedway, and Pacific Amphitheatre....
where it remains to this day.
The main section of this barn is still located in Newport Beach. It can be seen fully rebuilt at the corner of Irvine Avenue and Holiday Road.