Buffalo Bill's Blog

Did you know that there are over 85,000 dams in the United States?  My goodness!  Just eleven of those are in Wyoming – and we’re really fortunate here in Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country to benefit from the Buffalo Bill Dam, construction of which began on October 19, 1905 and was completed January 15, 1910. The dam provides this area with irrigation water, electricity, recreation opportunities, and a great history lesson.

What’s neat about the Buffalo Bill Dam is not only the value of the crops raised on almost 100,000 acres of now-irrigated agricultural lands, the power generated by the four electric plants fed by the Dam, and the water used for the cities and towns downstream – it’s also the historical significance of how the construction of the dam changed this part of the country.

At the time of its construction, the then-named Shoshone Dam was the tallest concrete dam in the world, at 325 feet. It cost about a million dollars at the time to build the dam, which holds back about 400,000 acre feet of water in the Buffalo Bill Reservoir. Construction was difficult – because the region was so remote, it was hard to recruit and keep workers; additional difficulties ensued because of the steep granite canyon that the dam was built in.  And the Shoshone River’s unpredictable flows caused problems – one year, almost half of the annual snowmelt runoff came through within a 30-day period, causing construction to come to a halt almost completely.

The dam was re-named about 30 years after its construction to honor the man who had the vision for the dam and resulting irrigation system, William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody.  The dam was renovated in the 1990s, adding 25 feet to its height, and a visitor center that tells the story about the dam and its effects on the surrounding area.

One of the neat stories about the construction of the Buffalo Bill Dam centers on a town that is no longer there.  Beneath the waves of the Buffalo Bill Reservoir are the remnants of the town of Marquette, established in 1890 and named after a colorful rancher by the name of George Marquette. In 1903, the town was described as “consisting of a few scattered log houses, a little log post office and a school-house described as ‘a little lot structure, rude, bare, unattractive, but occupying a lightly sheltered pot on the South Fork of the Shoshone River.’”* In 1905, in preparation for the construction of the dam, the federal government bought the town site as well as some surrounding ranches, to the tune of about $400,000.  What buildings weren’t torn down prior to the filling of the reservoir in 1910 still remain at the water’s bottom, ghostly reminders of an era gone by.

The Buffalo Bill Dam Visitor Center, which was added with the addition of the dam in 1993, has preserved the story of the construction of this historic landmark.  It functions as a rest area as well as a museum/gift shop, and its exhibits and self-guided audio tour tell the tales of the laborers who toiled to build the dam, those who lost their lives in the effort, and the townsfolk who witnessed the changes to the landscape and to their lives as a result.

The Buffalo Bill Dam Visitor Center is a must-see when you’re planning a vacation to Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country – don’t miss it!

Until next time, I’ll be lovin’ life in Buffalo Bill’s Country!

Corrie N. Cody

*Credit the “Wyoming Tales and Trails” website at http://www.wyomingtalesandtrails.com/

I like to spend a little time every few weeks featuring cool things about Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country.  And with the summer season closing in on us fast, I thought it was appropriate to shine the spotlight on one of Cody’s top attractions – the Buffalo Bill Historical Center! 

Here are my Top 11 reasons why you should visit the BBHC:

1.   Five different themes to explore.  Whether you’re into western art, the geological and scientific aspects of the Yellowstone region, firearms through the ages, Native American history, or Buffalo Bill Cody himself, there are five different wings to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center that feature extensive artifacts, stories and treasures dedicated to those subjects!

2.  Appeal for all age ranges.  Young or old, techno-savvy or old-school, you’ll find wonders galore at the BBHC.  The Draper Museum of Natural History features interactive displays that are geared specifically toward the younger crowd, and adults in all age ranges will find the displays in every museum fascinating!

3.  The 30^th Annual Plains Indian Powwow.  This event began in 1982 when just a few dancers and one group of singers stopped to participate on their way to another powwow. It has since grown to include several hundred dancers representing around thirty tribes from across the Plains, at least a dozen drum groups, about four thousand spectators, and more than forty arts vendors. The Powwow this year will be held June 18 and 19 – you’ve got time to make your plans to be here!

4.  Special exhibitions.  From photographs and stories from the Wind River Indian Reservation to arts and crafts from the Heart Mountain Internment Camp, there will be special exhibits dedicated to local history throughout the summer.  Check out www.bbhc.org to keep up with what’s happening!

5.  Learning opportunities.  Each weekday, Monday through Friday, a different educational program takes place in the gardens outside the museum. Family programs, games and art programs are each included in the price of admission!

6.  Daily programs and demonstrations.  From June 1 through August 31, each weekday and most Saturdays, there will be a Chuckwagon Cooking Demonstration in front of the Historical Center.  Sample cowboy biscuits and beans made in Dutch ovens over a fire! Cowboy music will be played live three days a week, as well, from 1-2 p.m.

7.  Family Fun days.  Once a month, BBHC educators will host a “Family Fun Day,” designed to involve the entire family in exploring all the facets of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center.  Fun Days are scheduled to be June 24, July 23 (the National Day of the American Cowboy), and August 12.

8.  Firearms… how the west was won!  If you’re into guns, the BBHC has no shortage of programs and exhibits featuring historic firearms.  The Winchester Arms Collectors Association Annual Firearms Show, including the Winchester Club of America and the Sharps Collectors Association, will be hosting a gun show in Cody July 8-10 at the Riley Arena in Cody.  This show is an affiliated event with the Cody Firearms Museum.  If shotguns are your thing, the Buffalo Bill Invitational Shootout will be August 11th through the 13th.

9.  The best of western art.  This year marks the 30th year of the Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale.  The annual event is a fine art sale with a Western theme, offering works relating to the land, people and wildlife of the American West. Artists feature a broad range of stylistic interpretations of the West, in oil painting, watercolor, pastel, sculpture, ceramic and mixed media. The show is part of a week-long celebration of the arts in Cody, known as Rendezvous Royale, and is held the last week of September.

10.  Smithsonian affiliation.  In 2008, the Buffalo Bill Historical Center became an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, and is the only museum in Wyoming to bear that distinction. The program permits the long-term loan of artifacts from the Smithsonian’s collection, and the BBHC can also incorporate Smithsonian educational resources into curriculum development for local schools, lectures, traveling exhibitions, workshops, study tours and other programs.

11.  Plan to spend more than just one afternoon.  As you can see, there is SO MUCH to do at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, it’s impossible to see everything in just a few hours! That’s why, when you pay your admission fee, it’s good for two days.

What a treasure we have here in Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country!  The Buffalo Bill Historical Center truly is a must-see when you’re in the area.  For hours and admission prices, click here!

Until next time, I’ll be… lovin’ life in Buffalo Bill’s Country!

Corrie N. Cody

The Irma Hotel in Cody is haunted.  No, really!

Now, I’m a pretty level-headed gal, and have personally never seen anything “other-worldly” – but if you ask the members of the Wyoming Area Paranormal Society, they’ll tell you that at least one ghost haunts the famous Irma Hotel, and they’ve got scientific proof!

The stories of Buffalo Bill’s ghost haunting the Irma have been going around for years.  But Mike Darby, whose family owns the hotel, says that when they bought the place 22 years ago they didn’t know a thing about it!  It was only after they purchased the historic building that they started hearing stories about strange phenomenon – like waitresses seeing people in dining room booths, then finding no one there when they went back to that table; or feeling someone touching them when there was no one around…  What’s more, visitors staying in Room 35 over the years have reported very visible disturbances – the water in the bathroom turns on and off by itself; clothes may be moved in the middle of the night; pictures have been found off the wall and on the floor in a way that wouldn’t have resulted from falling from the nail; and most disturbing, there have been many sightings of a soldier in a cavalry uniform with a sword… BUT THEY COULD ONLY SEE HIS BOTTOM HALF.

So when the W.A.P.S. group approached Darby last year about holding a ghost hunt, Mike thought it sounded like a good idea – let’s get these sightings and disturbances on the record!  About 25 people showed up last year to utilize the tools of the trade – electromagnetic field indicators; infrared cameras; thermal imaging cameras; and digital voice recorders.  According to W.A.P.S. founder Jez Krubeck, this equipment is used to detect what human eyes and ears simply can’t see or hear.  Last year when the ghost hunters camped out in the “hot spots” of the hotel, Jez said that some of them were rewarded with tell-tale readings on their equipment, and some of the ghost hunters heard sounds on the voice recorders after they’d left the room… SPOOKY!

So after the success of last year’s ghost hunt, the W.A.P.S. group decided to host a second annual event, and last weekend more than 30 ghost hunters from near and far – along with ghost hunting celebrities like Karl Pfeiffer from Ghost Hunters International, and a representative from the also-haunted Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado – gathered at the Irma to see if they could capture evidence of paranormal activity at the famous hotel.

Seems like the ghosts were more cooperative this year, as Krubeck said that almost every participant had “something” happen to them.  Several people reported being touched by an invisible hand in Room 35, which is notorious for strange goings-on; and in Room 20 (the Colonel Cody Suite), the EMF readings showed quite a bit of activity!  What’s really interesting is that both Krubeck and another participant found that several days after the hunt, their watches quit working… and Jez says that’s the second watch of his that’s stopped after investigating at the Irma!  WEIRD…

Mike Darby says that the ghost stories have actually been good for business – he says the stories give the hotel an added dimension, which appeals to some folks who specifically book rooms at the hotel because they’ve heard it’s haunted!

And as for making this ghost hunt an annual event?  Well, Mike says, “That’s up to the ghosts.”

Until next week, I’ll be… lovin’ life in Buffalo Bill’s Country (and on the lookout for spooky specters at the Irma Hotel)!

Corrie N. Cody

Cody, Wyoming is named after William Frederick Cody, more popularly known as Buffalo Bill. He’s said to have shot more than 4,000 buffalo between 1867 and 1868. Despite that feat, he wasn’t the only one to have that nickname. For a time, he shared it with a buffalo hunter called Bill Comstock, but the two had a contest to determine who should keep the name and William Cody won.

Born in 1846, Buffalo Bill grew up in Kansas. A Civil War soldier and a scout during the Plains Wars, he claimed to have done several other jobs. Apart from hunting buffalo, he was most famous as a showman. After appearing in others’ shows for a number of years, he founded Buffalo Bill’s Wild West in 1883. This was a touring circus show with performances, races, sideshows and appearances by colorful Western figures.

The town that’s named after him was founded in 1895. Buffalo Bill had passed through the Big Horn Basin in Wyoming in the 1870s and liked what he saw so much that he returned almost 20 years later to found a town. Buffalo Bill had a colorful life and was involved in many business ventures, many of which eventually failed. He died in 1917 in Denver, Colorado. His name lives on as a symbol of the old West and in shows such as Annie Get Your Gun.