A DAY AT BUFFALO BILL'S RANCH AND MUSEUM

We arrived at Buffalo Bill State Park in North Platte, NE. on Tues. Oct. 7th. We were almost by ourselves. The state park is on the backside of Buffalo Bill's Scout's Rest Ranch.

We were met by the only other couple there. Susan and Dave were suppose to leave this morning, but their cat Oreo had other ideas. She has always stayed around the RV but this day something must have caught her eye and she went off. Being a big animal lover, I helped them search for Oreo as soon as we set up our home.

We searched and searched, but no luck. They knew she was in the area and said she will come home at dusk for dinner.

Susan and Dave invited us over for a campfire that evening and we had a fun time chatting. They have been "full timing" for about 18 months. Well sure enough Oreo showed up for dinner like nothing was wrong. I was so thankful. I had worried about her all day.

Please for any of you that travel with a pet, please look into getting them micro chipped!

On Wed. Oct. 8th we headed over to Buffalo Bill's Home. Originally his ranch was 4,000 acres, but now it is 256 acres. Many of his ventures were ill-fated and disastrous and he also
had been taken advantage of by friends and foes. In need of money after the close of the 1911 show season, BB sold most of his ranch land to his Wild West Show partner Pawnee Bill.

William F. Cody was born in 1846 and died in 1917 just shy of his 71st birthday.

He was a very colorful character and I thoroughly enjoyed reading all about him.

His home was built in 1886 at a cost of $3,900. Many personal pieces of furniture that Buffalo Bill owned were on display such as his roll top desk, leather chair and his bed. Irma, BB youngest daughter and her husband, lived there from 1909 to 1913 and several pieces were hers.

The barn  was built in 1887 and is 148' long, 70' wide and 40' high. It housed his Thoroughbred
racehorses, ranch and work horses. He raised high-grade Herefords, shorthorns and polled Angus cattle. He had the ranch's name painted on the roof.

The rafters under the roof eaves are cut in the shape of gunstocks. Annie Oakley's trademark, the Ace Of Hearts with a bullet hole in the center is at the peak of the barn at both ends. The Ace of Hearts is a trademark taken from Annie Oakley's shooting act. She used cards thrown into the air as targets. Sitting Bull gave Annie Oakley her nick name "Little Miss Sure Shot".

Upstairs was a museum filled with memorabilia including a wonderful video that we watched. It had footage from his Wild West Show.

Here is a picture of Chief Iron Tail, a Lakota Chief that starred in BB Wild West Show. His distinctive profile was used on the Buffalo-Indian Head nickle.

Chief Sitting Bull is shown here with his white horse, "Gray Ghost". The story is below. I am sorry it is side ways.

Hope you all enjoyed this little bit of western history. Buffalo Bill was a fascinating man.