Our Roots… Where We Came From

A Story Over a Century in the Making

Some places carry a soul that no amount of renovation or reinvention can manufacture. Buffalo Ridge Resort & Spa in Gary, South Dakota is one of those places. To walk these grounds, to run your hand along the original brick, to sit in spaces where generations of remarkable people lived, learned, laughed, and grew — is to feel something rare and genuine. This is not just a resort. This is a living piece of South Dakota history, lovingly reclaimed and joyfully shared with every guest who walks through its doors.

The story begins in 1895, when the citizens of Gary — having just lost their status as the Deuel County seat — made a characteristically bold and generous decision. Rather than accept defeat, they offered the Deuel County Courthouse Building to the state of South Dakota for use as a school for the blind. The original building proved unsuitable, and so the people of Gary did what small communities do best — they came together, raised the necessary funds, and built something worthy of the children who would call it home. The result was a beautiful two-story brick structure, constructed between 1899 and 1900, that opened its doors in 1900 as the 42nd School for the Blind in the entire nation.

For more than 60 years, this remarkable campus — eventually growing to nine buildings spread across 37 acres — served as South Dakota’s premier educational facility for blind children. With an average enrollment of 55 to 60 students per year, the school offered a full curriculum that mirrored public school education across the state, while adding specialized instruction in braille, piano tuning, broom making, chair caning, upholstery, domestic science, and industrial work. The school was entirely self-supporting, operating its own dairy, beef cattle, hogs, chickens, and gardens. The produce from those gardens was stored in the root cellar — a space that lives on today as the wine cellar for the Rock Room Bar & Grill, connecting the present to the past in the most delightful way imaginable.

The students were not hidden away on campus — they were woven into the fabric of the Gary community. Townspeople gave them rides to church, invited them into their homes for Sunday dinners, and traveled from far and wide to attend the extraordinary musical concerts and operettas performed by the school’s celebrated music department. That department was so outstanding it directly influenced the public school music program, earning awards for both institutions. And in a piece of history that still resonates across the state, the upper level of the campus barn played host to the very first sanctioned high school wrestling match in South Dakota history. These were not just students. They were community members, performers, athletes, and pioneers.

In 1961, after growing concerns about facilities, proximity to colleges, and the need for expanded travel experiences for students, the school was relocated to Aberdeen, South Dakota. The buildings then served as an assisted living home until the early 1980s, after which they sat vacant for nearly three decades. Vandals, weather, and time took their toll — but remarkably, none of the original buildings had been structurally altered. The bones were sound. The soul was intact. The buildings were simply waiting for someone with the vision and courage to bring them back.

That someone arrived in 2008. South Dakota native and entrepreneur Joe Kolbach purchased the property at an estate sale and immediately set about making something extraordinary happen. On a cold, snowy evening on December 12, 2008, Kolbach gathered in what is now the Sundance Ballroom with the people of Gary and the surrounding communities to share a vision and ask a simple question — what do you want this place to become? Ideas flowed. Dreams were spoken aloud. And an ambitious completion goal was set — to have the resort open in time for Gary’s beloved annual Independence Day celebration on July 3, 2009.

Restoration began immediately. The two original dormitory buildings — constructed in 1910 and 1924 — were brought back to life, and the stunning Lake Elsie was re-established on the property. True to the vision and the promise made that snowy December evening, Buffalo Ridge Resort opened its doors on July 3, 2009, welcoming guests back to the Herrick Hotel, Woodbury Hall, and the Talking Waters Campground just in time for Gary’s 4th of July celebration. In July of 2010, the Rock Room Bar & Grill opened on the ground floor of the beautifully restored Administration Building, completing the campus and giving guests a gathering place as rich in character as the history surrounding it.

Today, Buffalo Ridge Resort & Spa stands as a testament to what is possible when a community believes in something, when history is honored rather than erased, and when the right stewards step forward to preserve something worth saving. The oak trees are mature and beautiful. The brick is original and proud. The spirit of the children who once filled these halls — their courage, their music, their community — lives on in every corner of this extraordinary place.

History this rich deserves to be experienced in person. We are ready to welcome you.

Meet Patricia Fields — Owner & Managing Member, Buffalo Ridge Resort & Spa

Passion. Purpose. A Lifetime of Making People Feel Extraordinary.

Patricia Fields is not your typical resort owner. With over 34 years as a licensed massage therapist, a deep commitment to holistic healing, and an entrepreneurial spirit that has taken her from the beaches of Florida to the rolling plains of South Dakota, Patricia brings to Buffalo Ridge Resort & Spa something that no business plan or renovation budget can provide — a soul. And it shows in every corner of this remarkable property.

Born and raised in Florida, Patricia spent her younger years living and learning across the globe — from Texas to New York City, from London to the Dominican Republic. It was during her studies in Ko Samui, Thailand — and later under five different masters across the United States — that she deepened her expertise in Thai massage, adding a rare and powerful dimension to her already exceptional skill set.

A seasoned entrepreneur, Patricia has owned and operated a hotel, a laundromat, a restaurant, and most notably, a struggling spa in Trinity, Florida that she successfully transformed into one of the premier spas in the entire Tampa Bay area.

In August of 2023, Patricia purchased what was then known as Buffalo Ridge Resort and Business Center and immediately saw its untapped potential. She designed and built Talking Waters Spa on the second floor of the historic Administration Building — creating not a quick in-and-out day spa, but a genuine resort spa experience where guests can spend an entire day or weekend unwinding, reconnecting with loved ones, and returning to themselves. In doing so, she renamed the property Buffalo Ridge Resort and Spa — and has never looked back.

Welcome to Buffalo Ridge. Welcome to something genuinely special.

Come as a guest. Leave as family.