Sep 20 2007
Bonanza City - Short-LivedBonanza City was never a "bonanza." The short-lived town, now the supposed setting for TV's "Kid Nation," never lived up to its name.
Bonanza was founded in 1880 and was abandoned about 1885. It was a mining town. Located in the Los Cerrillos Hills, Bonanza was a mining town founded on the search for silver, zinc and lead.
The population of Bonanza in 1884 is listed as two hundred and dwindled after that.
In reality, as Kid Nation was being developed, all you could see of the town were faint foundation outlines and rock ruins of a smelter.
The former Bonanza City was located near the present city of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Will Kid Nation Bring Back Bonanza?
The show's producers have given Bonanza City a great start. A whole small town was re-created for the show, a water producing well, and serviceable buildings. Or is it really the old Bonanza City?
An NPR article, looking at the possible child endangerment aspects of the show mentions, "The 40 kids spent 40 days in what is billed as a New Mexico ghost town. In fact, it is a 10,000-acre, working cattle ranch and historic western movie set." Whoa! Is there a bit of Hollywood magic going on here?
Bonanza Creek Movie Ranch
Ah, the truth is out. We found that the show was actually filmed at New Mexico's Bonanza Creek Movie Ranch. Bonanza Creek is only eight miles away from Santa Fe. Don't you have visions of film crews relaxing around Santa Fe's plaza drinking margaritas and enjoying Mexican food? Famous movies such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Lonesome Dove were filmed at the ranch.
