CODY

So with the previous day shot to hell, I moved my plans around where I would still go everywhere I planned but in a different order. What was supposed to have been Saturday afternoon became Sunday morning. I think this was the first time crossing the Yellowstone River. I would cross it many more times. On September 12, 1877, Chief Joseph and his band of Nez Perce crossed near here on their 1800 mile flight to Canada. They didn't make it, surrendering to U.S. forces on October 5. Chief Joseph said he would fight no more forever. If you are a fan of the American Adventure attraction in Epcot, you know some of that surrender speech.
I would be hitting four states on this trip. Here I cross from Montana into Wyoming,
From the mountains to the prairies...
The sun would not shine for any decent period of time until late in the week.
Welcome to Cody, Wyoming, co-founded by and named for Buffalo Bill Cody. This is the hotel he built called the Irma Hotel.
I asked if I was the first person to sign the guest book at the Old Trail Town that day. I was told that I was the first one to sign it this year. It must have just opened for the season.
Old Trail Town is a collection of historical buildings that were moved to the site from around the Cody area, assembled in a way to recreate an Old West town.
This is Curley's Cabin. You would think that with all of his success with the Three Stooges he would have had a nicer place.
Wait, I am being told that the Curley in question was actually this Crow scout named Ashishishe, who lived in this cabin on the Crow Reservation from 1885 to 1923. He served as a scout with General Custer's 7th Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. He was the first to report their defeat.
This homesteader's cabin was pretty fancy with all of the dead animal things on the walls and the organ. But it's not terribly insulated. It was bloody cold that day and not exactly toasty inside the buildings.
The Coffin School was built in 1884. I guess American History class was shorter back then.
I mean look, the flag only had 33 stars on it.
Built in 1892, this store was the first store in Shell, Wyoming. I still prefer Publix.
According to the sign on the cabin, through that door walked Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid and other outlaws of the Hole in the Wall Gang. The cabin was built west of Kaycee, Wyoming Territory in 1883.
Bill Cody is not buried here, but there is a memorial.
Built in 1879, William Carter's Cabin has some anachronisms such as the stuffed cat on the bed and the electrical socket on the wall. Carter brought the first cattle into the Cody region.
Buggies, buggies, buggies! Are you in the market for a new buggy? Come on down to Crazy Al's Livery, where our prices are so low, they are insane!
Papooses, papooses, papooses! Are you in the market for a new papoose? Come on down to Crazy Squatting Bear's Papoose Tepee, where our prices are so low, they are insane!
A hearse is a hearse of cearse of cearse.
This chuckwagon was owned and used by cattle man Henry Larsen, who owned a ranch in the late 1890's. It was used on the roundups and trail drives to the railhead where the cattle would be shipped to Omaha.
I found moose. Did not see squirrel.
The Rivers Saloon, built in 1888, was located at the mouth of the Wood River in Wyoming. It was frequented by cowboys, gold miners and outlaws such as Butch Cassidy and his gang.
Old Trail Town was put together in the area that Bill Cody chose for the first town site for Cody City in 1895. The collection now consists of 27 buildings dating from 1879 to 1901.

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