Welcome to The Pondy
Sam and Skip Oliver bought 120 acres from Mrs Byersdorfer in 1962 for about $5,500.
It was Skip's dream place and the Olivers worked for 10 years to make it a comfortable home.
We built a 26' x 52' combnation garage and living space, where we lived until we finally completed the present house in 1973.
Sam firmly believed in the "Early American Plan," which meant "pay cash for everything," and it took years to pay for everything.
In 1983 the garage burned and was rebuilt on the same foundation to become the present wood shop.
The Ponderosa was named for the Cartwright ranch on TV -- we only got one channel and Sunday night was all about Bonanza.
When Skip died in 1991, Ed was still moving around the country in the Air Force, and Dee and her family rented the property.
Once her kids were grown, Dee moved to the Twin Cities where she and Ed were married in 2002.
Now The Pondy is our retirement destination, a weekend getaway for our extended families -- five kids plus spouses and nine grandkids, who have re-christened the place "The Pondy."
Ed's younger son Jake will marry Leah on the property in June, 2011. Sam and Skip will be smiling.
We have the original homestead papers signed by President McKinley and I hope to post images of it here.
Other expected images include the cemetery where Sam and Skip are resting and a number of landscape and wildlife scenes.
Plat map of the Ponderosa property
Google satellite view
The dotted outlines are the original 120 acres plus 10 acres added during the 1980s.
The orange box is location of the house and other buldings.
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