May 1, 1883…William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody staged his first Wild West Show.
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August 4, 1999 Corey and I stopped on visited at the Buffalo Bill Ranch while on our trip out west.  This is where Buffalo Bill Cody settled on a ranch just north of North Platte in 1877. At the time, Buffalo Bill was in the midst of his famous Wild West Show, which featured scenes from the "West." Buffalo Bill had ventured into many other occupations before, and after, the Wild West Show.

He began as a Pony Express rider, at one time riding 322 miles in 21 hours, 40 minutes and going through 20 horses. Once the Civil War broke out, he was still too young to enlist, so he became a ranger, dispatch bearer, and scout in Missouri, Kansas, and the Santa Fe Trail. William F. earned his nickname of Buffalo Bill when he won a buffalo-hunting contest.

The Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park encompasses 16 acres of the 4,000 acres of Buffalo Bill's Ranch or Scout's Rest. The house, barn, and outbuildings are preserved and house Buffalo Bill and Wild West memorabilia and artifacts from Chief Sitting Bull. The three-story Victorian house was built in 1886, and was the home for Buffalo Bill, now it is open for the public to see what the times were like when this most famous showman lived.

August 6-7 - 750 Miles

We headed off for Cody, Wyoming for a daycation and decided to head north first of all on the interstate.  Then we were going to head west through the Big Horn Mountains since it had been two years since our last visit in that area. 

Heading into the Big Horn Mountains.

There's four moose(es) eating in these bushes.

The first of the snow we saw yesterday.

Some of the summer flowers.

The Big Horn Basin that goes on and on as far as you can see.

A view of the Big Horn Basin

Montrose, Nebraska

This monument on the summit of a conical hill nearby, honors Col. Wesley Merritt and troops of the Fifth US Calvary who used this position to prevent a group of approximately 800 Cheyenne Indians from joining the victors of the Little Big Horn Battle. As the troops charged toward the southeast, the Cheyenne returned to the Red Cloud Indian Agency near Fort Robinson. The Indian leader, Yellowhand, was killed during the skirmish. 
This same hilltop was the site of a civilian "fort" used in protecting area residents in case of Indian attack during the Ghost Dance troubles of 1890. The anticipated attack never came. Parts of this outpost are still visible.

Montrose Church and cemetery.

Immaculate Conception Church was planned in 1886 and build in 1887.

The oldest grave in the cemetery is dated 1839.

Across the road from the Montrose church is a monument that marks the spot where Buffalo Bill Cody scalped Chief Yellowhand, the Cheyenne leader, after hand to hand combat.  His scalp was displayed for years in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show.