Centennial State Diaries - Buffalo Bill Cody Museum and Grave Lookout Mountain
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Buffalo Bill Cody Museum and Grave
987 Lookout Mountain Road
Golden, CO 80401
One of the absolute best things about living in Colorado is having a home deep in the heart of the history of the Wild West. At some point, every great gunslinger, vaudevillian or peacekeeper made their way through Colorado before making their way into history.
For this edition of the Centennial State Diaries, I had an opportunity to visit the museum and grave site of William Frederick “Buffalo Bill” Cody. Through his Wild West shows, he defined the aura, mystique and the very West itself for history books around the world.
Step into the mind and the myth of the man who defined the American Wild West.
A Brief History of Buffalo Bill Cody
William Frederick Cody was born on February 26, 1846, on a farm located outside Le Claire, IA. After spending a few years in Ontario, Canada, where he was baptized at the Dixie Union Chapel in Peel County, William Cody’s family moved to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas Territory in 1853 just prior to the United States Civil War.
The Cody family was ardently opposed to slavery, and Isaac Cody, William Cody’s father, was stabbed twice with a Bowie knife while delivering a blistering antislavery speech at a local trading post where pro-slavery men held meetings. While Issac Cody survived, he ultimately died in from complications related to that stabbing in April 1857.
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While under contract with the Kansas Pacific Railroad, William Cody had a contract to provide workers with Bison (American Buffalo) meat. He was purported to have killed 4,282 buffalo within an eighteen month period. It was during this time he served as the scout for a highly publicized buffalo hunting expedition for the Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia and befriended Brevet General George Armstrong Custer. In 1869, he met Ned Buntline, who published adventure stories based upon William Cody's adventures, which launched the legend of Buffalo Bill Cody into the minds of mainstream America and thrust him upon the world stage.
Personal Effects of William Frederick “Buffalo Bill” Cody
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0.50 Caliber Model 1866 Springfield - Buffalo Bill’s best-known Buffalo Hunting Rifle
The Buffalo Bill Museum on Lookout Mountain holds an incredible treasure trove of his personal effects, collected by his adopted son Johnny Baker during his time with the Wild West show (February 26, 1846 – January 10, 1917).
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Buffalo Bill’s Last Show Outfit for His Final Public Appearance November 11, 1916
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Buffalo Bill’s Ivory Handled Bowie Knife and Shiloh Cane Carved from a Confederate Flagstaff Captured at the Battle of Shiloh
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Ore from one of Buffalo Bill’s Mines near Oracle, Arizona
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Buffalo Bill’s Colt Dragoon Revolver Used While Riding for the Pony Express
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Ivory Scrimshaw Horn Commemorating Buffalo Bill’s Time with the Pony Express
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Buffalo Bill Cody’s Original Script “Twenty Days”
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The Desk and Camp Chair of Buffalo Bill Cody from his time with the Wild West Show
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Original Edison Wax Cylinder Recording of Buffalo Bill’s Farewell March and Two Step
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The Final Cartridge Shot by Buffalo Bill Before his Death
Buffalo Bill Cassidy Equal Rights for Women
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The museum holds objects celebrating Buffalo Bill Cody’s commitment to Women’s Suffrage in the United States. Not only did his Wild West shows openly feature female performers such as Goldie Griffith, Lulu Parr, and Annie Oakley, but he also provided equal pay to the female cast in his Wild West shows.
Lulu Bell Parr and Goldie Griffith
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Goldie Griffith took up bronc riding after she met a longtime love interest, Charlie Mulhall while performing with the 101 Wild West show. By the spring of 1912, she was riding with the 101 Wild West show on the road, and within a year, she was approached by Buffalo Bill Cody as a female bronc rider. The night before her wedding to Harry Smith Walters, she was thrown into the stands during a performance and it landed her in the hospital. Sore and bruised, she left the hospital, mounted her horse, and had a wedding ceremony with Harry Walters in Madison Square Garden arena with 8,000 spectators in attendance as Buffalo Bill Cody gave away the bride to be, Goldie Griffith.
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Goldie Griffith’s Steemer Trunk
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Annie Oakley Portrait from Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show
Native North American Indian Artifacts (Chief Sitting Bull and Lakota Medicine Man Short Bull)
In addition to advocating for Women's Suffrage and Equal Pay, Buffalo Bill Cody also advocated for Native North American Indian rights as well. The museum holds a number of Plains Indian artifacts.
Chief Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill Cody
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The history of Chief Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill Cody was mutually linked through General George Armstrong Custer’s death at the Little Bighorn Massacre in 1876. The death of Custer devastated William Cody and forced Sitting Bull to flee into Mountain Wood, North-West Territories, where he would remain until 1881. Upon his return, he became part of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.
The museum holds a number of the personal effects of Chief Sitting Bull, from his head dress to his bow and his peace pipe. The ceremonial garb and moccasins of Sitting Bull’s wife are also housed at the museum on Overlook Mountain.
Outside of the personal effects of Sitting Bull, the museum holds an extensive collection of Native American artifacts. A series of tomahawks, war maces, moccasins, spoons, drums and other artifacts from the Plains Indian tribes are featured throughout.
The Peace Pipe Owned by Sitting Bull
Original Bow and Arrows Possessed by Sitting Bull
Short Bull and Buffalo Bill Cassidy
In addition to artifacts owned by Sitting Bull, the museum owns artifacts from Short Bull, the Lakota Medicine Man instrumental in bringing the Ghost Dance Movement to the South Dakota reservations. Ultimately the fear of Indian uprising related to the Ghost Dance Movement led to the massacre at Wounded Knee and the fatal shooting of Sitting Bull.
After the fatal shooting of Sitting Bull at Fort Yates and Short Bull’s subsequent imprisonment, he joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.
Original Headdress Presented to Buffalo Bill Cody by Short Bull
Dew Claw Necklace Owned by Short Bull and Presented to Buffalo Bill Cody
On your next trip into Denver, take a step into the history of the man who defined the American West. It’s a slice of history you should not pass up.
If You Enjoy This Edition of The Centennial State Diaries, Check Out Some Previous Editions
- Centennial State Diary – Manitou Springs Penny Arcade
- Centennial State Diary (Historic Places Edition) – Doc Holliday Trail
- Centennial State Diary (Entertainment Venues Edition) – Glenwood Springs Vaudeville Review
- Centennial State Diary (Eateries/Bar Edition) – Linger
- Centennial State Diary (Eateries/Bar Edition) - The Syntax Physic Opera
Amazing info on Buffalo Bill Museum and life history of Buffalo Bill. The photos are wonderful. Thanks for the post.
@shirish5 glad you stopped by to check out the post. I appreciate it.
The whole stereotype of American Indians the world has come to know is as a result of Buffalo Bill Cody and the Lakota tribes he featured in his show. Interestingly, the tribes are as diverse and different as the various countries across the globe.
That was really good to know :) wonderful share by you.
@blazing glad you enjoyed the post.
yes good to see you post after a long time :)
@blazing glad I've got a captive audience.
Funny thing is when I had just a single child, I could easily find time to create content and explore a bunch of things to write about. Since I had my second, it's been tough to make some time. I still have another interview to finish editing.
Honestly this museum is amazing, It was truly amazing to know about Buffalo Bill and Lulu Bell Parr.
@damien138 Thanks or checking out the post. I appreciate it.
I think of the female bronc riders, Goldie Griffith's story was most amazing. She started out in wrestling and boxing, then moved into trick riding.
On the evening before her wedding, she was thrown by a horse into the grandstands and sent to the hospital. The next morning, she checked herself out, grabbed her horse and made her way to Madison Square Garden and had the ceremony while not fully recovered in front of a crowd of 8,000 in Madison Square Garden. Absolutely incredible woman.
Wow That's what i call a strong woman. Womens at that era were absolutely tough .
Amazing Museum wonderfully described by you.
@cityslicker thanks for checking out the post. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Your post is very interesting, I like this post, thank you for sharing your information here in your post, congratulations to you and hope you can always make interesting post and get interesting achievement with every post you make, good job friend
@vonnaputra Thanks for checking out the post. I appreciate it.
Lately I have been visiting more of the state I live in more deeply. The best part of living in Colorado is it's the heart of the American West, so all the stories of cowboys, gunslingers and vaudeville actors came through here at some point. Very cool place to visit.
thanks you very much brother....
Great to know about it. Thanks for sharing.
REALLY INCREDIBLE
@steemphotography glad you enjoyed the post. If you ever have the opportunity, I'd suggest you visit Colorado. Sometimes I think the Tourism Bureau should pay me for the promotion I do.
Wonderfull history lesson. Tnx for the great post!
@zoef thanks for stopping by to check out the article. I appreciate it. More things upcoming in this series as I have some plans to hit a few other spots here in Colorado in the days and weeks ahead.
Great to see the historical things from the past
@starving I have always loved history and objects that connect me to the past. While this museum is considerably smaller than most, the artifacts they had and the state they were preserved in was amazing and by far one of the best.
you explained everything from your experience thanks you so much for sharing this on steemit.
@cutiepie thanks for taking some time to check out the photos and history of Buffalo Bill Cody. I've always loved visiting places of historical significance. It's something to do with connecting to the past and having a frame of reference.
I think I need to contact the Colorado tourism bureau about sponsorship.