A familiar face from an earlier El Dorado Hills
For longtime El Dorado County residents, the sight of buffalo grazing near Highway 50 in El Dorado Hills is a piece of local history that is difficult to forget.
The man behind that herd, known locally as “Buffalo” Will Neunam, remains a colorful figure in the community. At 94, Neunam is still telling the stories that helped make him one of El Dorado Hills’ more memorable characters.
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California Sen. Ted Gaines recently met with Neunam and described the encounter as an opportunity to hear firsthand accounts of a life that stretches across several generations of American history.
“Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting Buffalo Will, 94, who shared fascinating stories of growing up in Kentucky, his Cherokee heritage, his service in the Air Force, and his many careers over the years,” Gaines said.
Gaines also recalled seeing Neunam’s buffalo herd along Highway 50.
“I’m old enough to remember his herd of buffalo along Highway 50 near El Dorado Hills years ago,” Gaines said. “It was a pleasure to hear his stories and learn more about this remarkable local figure.”
The man behind the buffalo
Neunam’s connection to El Dorado Hills goes back decades.
The Clarksville Region Historical Society documented Neunam as a speaker at an August 2014 meeting at the El Dorado Hills Library. The society described him as “Buffalo” Will Neunam and noted that he was part Cherokee and part Cree.
The historical society also recorded a remarkable collection of interests and occupations. Neunam had collected Native American artifacts, old automobiles and airplanes and had worked as a jazz singer, where he reportedly performed in nightclubs as the “white Nat King Cole.”
But for generations of El Dorado Hills residents, his most recognizable legacy was the buffalo.
Four decades of buffalo along Highway 50
The buffalo became such a familiar sight that they were woven into the visual landscape of El Dorado Hills long before the community’s modern development transformed the area.
The Clarksville Region Historical Society noted in its 2014 account that residents had watched the herd for approximately 40 years and expressed sadness when the animals were eventually moved.
“We were all sorry to see the familiar buffalos go after 40 years of watching the herd,” the historical society wrote in its announcement of Neunam’s appearance.
That history puts Gaines’ recent meeting into perspective.
For commuters traveling Highway 50 today, the corridor is defined by subdivisions, commercial development and a rapidly growing Sacramento foothills community. For longtime residents, however, there was a time when a herd of enormous buffalo grazing beside the freeway was simply part of the daily drive through El Dorado Hills.
More than a roadside curiosity
The story of Buffalo Will is more than a story about unusual livestock.
It is a snapshot of an older El Dorado County — one in which colorful individual characters could become local landmarks simply by living unconventional lives.
Neunam’s story also reflects the cultural and historical intersections that shaped his life: Kentucky roots, Native American ancestry, military service and a succession of careers and interests.
The historical society’s records show that Neunam was not simply remembered because he owned buffalo. He was considered a colorful local personality in his own right, with a collection of interests that ranged far beyond his ranch.
At 94, he now occupies a different place in El Dorado County history.
The buffalo are gone. The landscape around Highway 50 has changed dramatically. But the stories remain — and for residents who remember seeing those animals from the freeway, Buffalo Will remains connected to a very specific image of El Dorado Hills that cannot be recreated.
Sometimes local history is found in government archives, old buildings and historic markers.
Sometimes it is standing in front of you at 94 years old, telling you about the buffalo.
A living piece of El Dorado County history
Gaines’ visit serves as a reminder that some of the county’s most interesting history never made it into a textbook.
It lived in the memories of the people who built their lives here.
Buffalo Will Neunam is one of those people.
For longtime residents, his name immediately conjures the image of buffalo along Highway 50. For younger generations, his story offers a glimpse into an El Dorado Hills that existed before today’s neighborhoods and traffic patterns reshaped the western end of the county.
And at 94, Neunam still has something valuable that no archive can completely preserve: the firsthand stories of the life he lived.
Source: Clarksville Region Historical Society records documenting Buffalo Will Neunam, his Native American heritage, varied career, and the approximately 40-year history of his buffalo herd in El Dorado Hills.
