The actor who played Eric “Hoss” Cartwright, Dan Blocker, created a chain of Golden Corral-style buffet restaurants named after the television series in 1963, as reported by Vox. Blocker opened the first of his restaurants in Westport, Connecticut, and by 1989, more than 600 locations stretched from “sea to shining sea.” They served up hearty fare, including ribeye and sirloin steaks, and the brand still holds a soft spot in many people’s hearts, according to Wide Open Eats.

How did the Ponderosa restaurants fit into the picture? Charles Kleptz, Norm Wiese, and Dan Lasater founded the dining brand independently in 1965. The Ponderosa chain opened locations across Canada and the United States.

Although it would take three decades, these two restaurant chains eventually joined forces in 1997. That’s when Metromedia Family Steakhouses acquired both brands. Unfortunately, Metromedia declared bankruptcy in 2009, bringing the history of the Bonanza and Ponderosa Steakhouses largely to an end. Although a few of these establishments still persist in places including New Columbia, Pennsylvania, and Presque Isle, Maine, they’re a fast-vanishing feature of the landscape. Nevertheless, Wide Open Eats notes, “The legacy of the Bonanza Steakhouse chain will always be a big part of America’s history.”

Tourists flocked to the former mining metropolis once bursting with tens of thousands of residents and boasting cutting-edge industrial marvels. Although Hollywood played fast and free with its portrayal of the Wild West town, according to Peter B. Mires’ “Wicked Virginia City,” visitors ignored the disparities. What did some of the differences entail? Hollywood’s version of the Comstock (Virginia City’s historic mining district) catered to ranchers, cowboys, and gunslingers rather than hard-rock miners, stockbrokers, and industrialists.

Instead of the historical city’s magnificent brick buildings, the Hollywood version showcased humble wooden false fronts on a short, flat street. But the real cityscape included mountainous terrain, sweeping vistas, and sprawling neighborhoods. Its steep streets sat on a par with San Francisco’s. And far more people died from industrial accidents than gunslinging or cattle rustling (via “Rockin’ at the Red Dog“). As “Bonanza” grew in popularity, enterprising shop owners altered their town to fit the show’s portrayal. Some, like the Bonanza Casino’s owner, placed false plywood storefronts over their brick-stout Victorian exteriors, resulting in so-called Bonanzafication.

According to “Wicked Virginia City,” “The public expected the Cartwright’s Virginia City, and the town delivered; building facades became more rustic. Costumed gunslingers strolled the boarded sidewalks, and souvenir shops did a land office business.” Local commerce fueled a makeover (or perhaps a takeover). Like the gun-toting psychedelic bands that descended in 1965, locals embraced “Bonanza” fever as the best merchandising trick ever. Telltale “Bonanzafication” marks the thriving town today.

“Bonanza” was filmed exclusively in color when other programs weren’t even entertaining such an idea, per Real Clear History. The show was the first to air entirely in color. For this reason, its creators chose the location near Lake Tahoe with great care, resulting in vibrant cinematography. And the same considerations went into selecting the cast.

Instead of going with big-name Hollywood celebs, they chose a lesser-known cast to “create a new generation of color TV stars” (via Daily Choices). The formula worked beautifully considering “Bonanza” proved the most successful and longest-running western on television (aside from “Gunsmoke”). Replete with likable characters, incredible scenery and interiors, and storylines that appealed to families, the show ran for 14 seasons and 431 episodes, as reported by Newsner. Only the untimely and tragic death of Dan Blocker could bring it to a close.

But the homage to color television doesn’t stop there. According to Live About, the show “was created to sell a commercial product. Hours spent watching ‘Bonanza,’ dreaming of the Wild West and swooning over Little Joe came about because RCA, NBC’s parent company, wanted to sell more color televisions!” Despite the desire to promote products, the show’s producers knew what they were doing. They crafted meaningful storylines that captured the public’s imagination. Soon, selling products went on the back-burner as the show skyrocketed in popularity (via History Garage).

“Bonanza” and “Star Trek” were both popular shows in the 1960s, so it’s little wonder there was notable crossovers between them (via Do You Remember). “Star Trek” actors that donned western garb to appear on the show included Ricardo Montalban, DeForest Kelley, Majel Barrett, Leonard Nimoy, and James Doohan.

According to MeTV, Montalban starred in “Day of Reckoning” as a Native American character named Matsou well before playing Khan in “Star Trek.” Kelley showed up a handful of times on the show, including an appearance as Captain Moss Johnson in “The Honor of Cochise.” And Leonard Nimoy, dressed as a dandy, got knocked around by the titular character of “The Ape.”

Besides Trekkie celebs, “Bonanza” featured many other incredible guest stars. They included big names like Bob Barker, Dabney Coleman, Dennis Hopper, and Charles Bronson. Fun crossovers also occurred with future 1960s “Batman” crew members, from Adam West to Cesar Romero and Burgess Meredith. To be a fly on the wall of that sound studio!

No, your eyes weren’t playing tricks on you. As early as the fourth season, the Cartwrights and all other recurring characters wore the same clothing every episode (via Outsider). The reason? It all came back to keeping costs down.

By keeping the same outfits, the production could significantly cut the costs associated with re-filming action shots. According to Daily Choices, “by having the characters never change their clothes, the production team could lower some of the production costs by subbing in different stock footage when they were able to make it work.”

Considering how long the show lasted, the need for plenty of stock film footage usable from season to season proved high. But keeping closets that only Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble could love did the trick. What’s more, the consistent wardrobe also did wonders for branding. After all, what would Superman be without his blue tights and red cape? Or Indiana Jones without his khaki clothes, fedora, and whip? Keeping each character’s “look” the same created iconic images people still associate with the show’s characters today.

Among the more colorful residents of 19th-century Virginia City, Nevada, Samuel Clemens ranks at the top, according to History. Assuming the pseudonym Mark Twain, he worked as a highly inventive journalist for the Territorial Enterprise. During his stint in the area, he willingly admitted to creating more than one news story from whole cloth. The reason? To entertain locals and sell more newspapers. But he also showed a prodigious talent for crafting humorous and intriguing tall tales about the Wild West. (Think, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.”)

According to MeTV, the young newsman would have been a neighbor of the Cartwrights had they really lived on the Ponderosa Ranch near Virginia City. “Bonanza” paid homage to this literary giant in Season 1, Episode 5, entitled “Enter Mark Twain.” The story followed the investigative work of Samuel Clemens as he attempted to get to the bottom of corrupt dealings between a local judge and a railroad company. 

Of course, the Cartwrights soon came to his aid, helping the journalist save the city from shady activity. The best line of the show comes from Eric “Hoss” Cartwright when he exclaims, “I don’t know about that name Mark Twain. It seems to me like I’ve heard a lot better names than that before. You sure that’s a fittin’ name for a writer?” (via IMDB). As always, the show inspired laughs while entertaining audience members through heartfelt storylines that, despite the odds, brought the close-knit Cartwrights together to save the day.