Pollardville Chicken Kitchen, Palace Showboat & Ghost Town

08/27/2026

Ray Pollard (The Original Founder of Pollardville and Neil’s father) and Pressler dismantling and moving the building. February 1964, Jamestown CA. The jail was 70 years old at that time and being discarded. I’m going to add the history and pictures to this post. When Neil and I sold the Pollardville property in March of 2006, over the next year, we began contacting the different towns where all the original mining town buildings came from. We contacted Jamestown Merchants in the later part of 2006 and offered to donate the jail back for free, but they had to move it by April 2007 or it would be torn down. There is a booklet of the dedication and some history that was given to us by the town of Jamestown I will post next.

07/28/2026

Part 2

ts been one year since we lost this wonderful man. July 28 2025 Neil Rayne Pollard died at the age of 92. I was blessed to be married to him for a month short of 41 years and blessed to be a part of a wonderful, magical place called Pollardville. Neil was the heart and soul of Pollardville and the reason it endured for sixty years. I didn’t post anything last year on this page because then it would make it real. But, it’s been one year without him and it’s time.
Neil’s mother Ruth was where the secret family recipe came from and his father was the businessman with unique ideas. When his parents died it was left to Neil and his siblings. In 1984 the Restaurant burned and Neil was the only one of them who wanted to continue Pollardville. So we bought out his siblings, purchased The Islander and we opened a trailer in Ghost Town to sell chicken while the Restaurant was being built. We re-opened in March 1987. To say Neil had a work ethic is putting it mildly, he was the hardest working man I ever knew. He was the kindest, most caring man who loved his family and friends. Neil did every job duty on the property and anyone around him that didn’t get inspired by or learn from him wasted a master class at being a brilliant Businessman/Entreprenuer. Neil could fix anything and everything and had a positive outlook that rose above every problem. He was a dreamer, an idea man, part cowboy, builder, Engineer, woodworker, collector of everything old and antique, actor, comedian, plumber, janitor, fry cook or whatever job was needed. Never too good to not do anything he asked of others. He was also a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother, son in law, brother-in-law and friend to many.In 2005 he had a triple bypass and we decided then that it was time for him to retire and be able to take life a little easier. We sold in 2007. Chicken Kitchen had been in business sixty years. We knew we would miss it and we do but Neil was 75 and someone that age ahouldnt have to work so hard. I’m including some personal -family and friends pictures (and that’s hard for me) because Neil Pollard was more than just the owner of Pollardville. No one will ever take his place or fill his shoes in our eyes. They just don’t make them like him anymore. Scott Cherney from Palace Showboat and one of my favorite Comedian/gunfighters in Ghost Town (other than Neil) wrote a Remembrence/Eulogy that captured Neil pretty well and our son Austin read it at Neil’s celebration of life. I will include it in the pictures. Please Enjoy.

07/28/2026

07/28/2026

It’s been one year since we lost this wonderful man. July 28 2025 Neil Rayne Pollard died at the age of 92. I was blessed to be married to him for a month short of 41 years and blessed to be a part of a wonderful, magical place called Pollardville. Neil was the heart and soul of Pollardville and the reason it endured for sixty years. I didn’t post anything last year on this page because then it would make it real. But, it’s been one year without him and it’s time.
Neil’s mother Ruth was where the secret family recipe came from and his father was the businessman with unique ideas. When his parents died it was left to Neil and his siblings. In 1984 the Restaurant burned and Neil was the only one of them who wanted to continue Pollardville. So we bought out his siblings, purchased The Islander and we opened a trailer in Ghost Town to sell chicken while the Restaurant was being built. We re-opened in March 1987. To say Neil had a work ethic is putting it mildly, he was the hardest working man I ever knew. He was the kindest, most caring man who loved his family and friends. Neil did every job duty on the property and anyone around him that didn’t get inspired by or learn from him wasted a master class at being a brilliant Businessman/Entreprenuer. Neil could fix anything and everything and had a positive outlook that rose above every problem. He was a dreamer, an idea man, part cowboy, builder, Engineer, woodworker, collector of everything old and antique, actor, comedian, plumber, janitor, fry cook or whatever job was needed. Never too good to not do anything he asked of others. He was also a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother, son in law, brother-in-law and friend to many.In 2005 he had a triple bypass and we decided then that it was time for him to retire and be able to take life a little easier. We sold in 2007. Chicken Kitchen had been in business sixty years. We knew we would miss it and we do but Neil was 75 and someone that age ahouldnt have to work so hard. I’m including some personal -family and friends pictures (and that’s hard for me) because Neil Pollard was more than just the owner of Pollardville. No one will ever take his place or fill his shoes in our eyes. They just don’t make them like him anymore. Scott Cherney from Palace Showboat and one of my favorite Comedian/gunfighters in Ghost Town (other than Neil) wrote a Remembrence/Eulogy that captured Neil pretty well and our son Austin read it at Neil’s celebration of life. I will include it in the pictures. Please Enjoy.