Year 1999 – Acquire Property, Commence Construction and “Flatcar Bridge” Installed:

Design, engineering and master planning ensued over the summer and construction commenced by late fall of 1999 at the far South end of the property within the three (3) acre area between the two creeks and the aspen stand, now known as “Buffalo Creek Village”.

David purchased a 90' long railroad flatcar from Canadian National Railways. The retired Canadian National auto carrier railcar traveled 3,100 miles, from Quebec, Canada to the railroad yards at Sparks, Nevada. Then he bought 140 - 6" x 14" decking timbers, originally used as a part of the nuclear submarine dock at the Treasure Island Naval Station in Alameda, California. The flatcar was retrofitted and fabricated into a bridge, the decking bolted, the supporting trestle constructed and erected and the entire structure was set in place, with a 120-ton crane and “Flatcar Bridge”, became a reality by Christmas of that year.

Directly below the 14' wide bridge, the Buffalo Creek private picnic grounds were constructed, complete with their own “John Deere Chuck Wagon”, an outdoor kitchen, 7’ long eight burner barbecue, rock lined fire pit, seating for 140 guests with Sheridan Creek running through the area, thus requiring the construction of “Rattle Snake Foot Bridge” (killed 3 rattlesnakes at this location during the summer and fall of 1999).

Year 2000 – “Buffalo Creek Village” Built:

By the fall of 2000, construction was completed on the Guest Log Cabin, Volunteer Fire Department and Water Wheel Utility Company building.

On July 5, 1999, David purchased a railroad car caboose from a private owner for the sum of $3,000. Restoration began off site, at a cyclone fenced in lot adjacent to the Carson City Railroad Museum.

By the summer of 2000, the Buffalo Creek Men’s Club & Cigar Parlor, consisting of a fully restored wooden railroad caboose car (commissioned by the BRP or the “Buffalo Rochester & Pittsburgh” line in 1923), containing solid oak interior wainscoting with crown molding, a wet bar, granite counter tops, pot belly stove fireplace and a custom made 42” round poker table, was finished.

During approximately the same time frame, the Buffalo Creek Silo was purchased from a Carson City company, which used it to store resin pellets as a part of their business operation. Both the silo and the caboose were transported by tractor and semi-trailer and then set in place with a 60-ton crane.

For reference, the first official sanctioned Buffalo Creek Men’s Club & Cigar Parlor poker game was held on April 15, 2002. Before the year was over, railroad tie staircases were built throughout the Buffalo Creek Village area and low voltage garden lightening was installed.

Year 2001 – Lower Pond Landscaping Begins:

The landscaping in and around the Guest Log Cabin, the wooden gazebo was constructed, digging of the lower pond (directly below the log cabin), setting huge boulders, Buffalo Creek Village pathways, picnic grounds outside kitchen, trellis, retaining walls, infrastructure and underground utilities were the primary focus over the summer and fall of 2001. A protective three-sided structure was constructed around a large 1,000-gallon propane tank, located behind the Water Wheel Utility Company building at the far south end of the ranch, very near Little Barber Creek, directly adjacent to the Village pathway.

Year 2002 - Lower Pond Landscaping Complete:

The lower pond, final boulder placement, landscaping and irrigation around the Guest Log Cabin were completed. Construction commenced on the Train Station containing a fully equipped kitchen (hot dog warmer, popcorn machine and ice maker), walk-in pantry, bathroom, entertaining room and over 2,000 square feet of deck area, with an outdoor barbecue, fire pit and “loading dock”. Pathway’s and hiking trails all around the Village area were hand graded, wood chips laid down, the dead trees were cleared from the aspen stand and the healthy trees were cleaned and trimmed.

Year 2003 – Train Station Completed, Olive Orchard and Horse Pasture Installed: The Train Station and all of its redwood decking and hand rails became fully operational and a 60 car parking area was graded above the picnic grounds. The main project during the spring, summer and fall was primarily agriculture related. The five (5) acre experimental proposed Olive Orchard was cleared, graded and installed, including grass service roads, fencing, over 1,000 feet of 24” culverts and irrigation drip lines for the 1,000 trees.

An 8" agriculture well (460 feet deep) was completed, producing 75 gallons per minute. The 2-acre horse pasture, three rail horse fence and “Rain Bird 65” sprinkler irrigation system (bolted to fence posts and will throw water 65 feet or a 130 feet diameter), together a natural fenced in wildlife area was completed. A 14 foot deep x 42 foot long, 3-sided cedar wood ranch implement equipment shed was built next to the southeast end of the olive orchard next to the future home site for the Ranch House.

Year 2004 – Olives To Apples, Covered Bridge, Horse Shed, Ranch House, Paving and Ponds:

Maybe second only to the 1999/2000 Buffalo Creek Village construction year, the 2004 period represented an extremely ambitious undertaking. The Semas’ made the decision to build the Buffalo Creek Ranch House and relocate from their present home in Genoa to Buffalo Creek Ranch, several years prior to their original plan.

Building and construction plans for the Ranch House were drawn in February and March, permits were pulled in April and construction commenced April 16th, with every intention of trying to move into the home prior to the winter snows.

To make matters a little more complicated, the olive trees died over the winter and the decision was made to replace the olive trees with 1,000 with Red and Golden Delicious apples over a two-week period. A small protective horse shed building was completed in the pasture and a fenced-in arena was installed.

The Buffalo Creek Covered Bridge was designed, built and christened in August. The Village area was paved, the middle pond (next to the water wheel), the 50,000 gallon upper pond (next to the caboose), with its 10,000 per hour waterfall, iron gazebo and all landscaping was installed in time for David’s daughter’s wedding in September.

David and Susan moved into their Ranch Home on schedule, on Halloween, October 31st. Susan was bound and determined not to have a muddy mess around the home over the winter so she pressed David to have all the landscaping completed before winter settled in.

On this project, David and Susan acted as their own landscape designers and contractors and finished all underground irrigation and the planting of trees, shrubs and lawn, one day before the first snow of the 2004 season fell, November 28th.

Year 2005 – Deer Fence, “Five Foot Bridge”, Vineyard and Work Shop:

With the completion of the Ranch House and David and Susan now residing at the ranch, David could attend to other projects. First, his attention was given to constructing a protective deer fence around the apple orchard, as the native mule deer population were devastating the Red Delicious apple trees (apparently, they didn’t like the Golden Delicious) by eating the soft branches. He then installed motion detector sprinklers and also additional sprinkler lines to irrigate a cover crop of clover, which would be used to prevent erosion, promote nitrogen for the apple trees and keep the orchard cool in the summer and the ground somewhat insulated during the cold winter months.

Just in time for the annual F. E. A. T. charity concert, construction was completed on the free span, 100’ long “Five Foot Bridge”, which spans Sheridan Creek (a flow rate of 75,000 gallons per hour or enough water to fill the average swimming pool in under 30 minutes), some 42 feet, at its highest point, above its water line.

Five Foot Bridge is constructed of two - 22” - “I” beams that connect the picnic parking area to Buffalo Creek Village, 300 feet west of Flatcar Bridge (at a 30 foot higher elevation).

The project was completed within 22 days from groundbreaking.

In the summer, clearing and grading was completed on the seven (7) acre vineyard located at the far North end of the property, adjacent to the Job’s Peak Ranch Development main road, Five Creek Road, which also serves as the primary guest entrance to Buffalo Creek Ranch.

Through the late summer and into the winter, underground utilities, irrigation lines, 6” x 6” end posts and other infrastructure items were installed. The vineyard is projected to be ready for planting a total of 8,000 vines comprised of several different types of grape varietals by June of 2006.

Buffalo Creek Ranch will be among the first to grow, harvest and then sell its grapes to Northern Nevada’s Rick and Kathy Halbardier of the Tahoe Ridge Winery in Minden, Nevada.

On November 8th, the concrete footings for the 35' x 100', two story Tuscan style Work Shop and Equipment Garage building were poured, which is located just due east of the apple orchard. The 6” concrete slab was also poured in late November and the concrete block building, roof trusses and exterior windows were installed by the end of the year.

The building is 20’ tall, with four (4) large garage 14’ x 20’ garage roll up doors on the east end. The structure has a large interior mezzanine (1,000 square feet), allowing Buffalo Creek Ranch workers to access the building from the apple orchard side (west), along Orchard Road, the main access road to the Ranch House. The 5,500 square feet building structure will house Buffalo Creek Ranch equipment, tractors, trucks, trailers and hand tools. It has a bathroom, kitchen and a complete automotive repair station including a 2-ton overhead rolling hoist and a 6-ton auto lift.

The building and yard have been designed to be the central location for all ranch repair, maintenance, equipment storage, construction yard, trash and disposal operations. As the orchards and vineyards mature, the Work Shop and Equipment Garage will be almost entirely concealed from view by those outside the boundaries of Buffalo Creek Ranch.