Explore the storied wild west history of the town founded by the legendary Buffalo Bill
About This Tour
Cody, Wyoming was founded in 1896 by the living legend, Colonel William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody, who at the age of 41 was one of the most famous men in the world.
Walk through downtown Cody and travel back to the frontier days, exploring sites such as:
- Carnegie library founded by literary frontierswomen with help from Andrew Carnegie - Irma Hotel, Buffalo Bill’s “Hotel in the Rockies,” named after his daughter - Chamberlin Inn, where celebrity guests like Ernest Hemingway stayed
This tour was created in partnership with the Buffalo Bill Center of the West and the Park County Travel Council. It was made possible by the generosity of the Nielson Family. Narrated by retired local radio broadcaster Mack Frost.
Sample Stories
For more content, click the "Explore this Tour Remotely" button below.
First National Bank Robbery
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It was a quiet November afternoon in 1904 when two unidentified men rode through town. The two men stopped and dismounted in front of the stone building with the purple door and windows. They strolled into First National Bank with pistols in hand and shouted for everyone to put their hands up.
Ira O. Middaugh who was cashier and part owner of the bank ran through a side door and out into the street yelling for help. One of the robbers ran into the street after him, striking him in the head. While Mr. Middaugh was on the ground, the robber then fired two shots at the unarmed cashier fatally wounding him in the chest and neck. Hearing gun shots outside, the other robber ran out of the bank and the two fled on horseback, without any money.
The "Cody Enterprise" described the killing and attempted robbery as "the most sensational event with a shocking termination that ever happened in Cody...creating an excitement of a character never before known in the town."
Carnegie Library
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If it's getting close to lunch or dinner time and the smell of pizza is in the air, you are getting close to the site of the old Carnegie library. Where you now see Millstone Pizza, Cody's Carnegie library once stood.
In 1904 a group of women in Cody decided Cody needed a library. In an effort to build a library, the Women's Club of Cody asked for a contribution from Andrew Carnegie. Unfortunately, his foundation would only contribute funds to county seats. The club did, however, succeed in acquiring land and built a small library in 1906. After Cody became the county seat of the newly organized Park County in 1909 a contribution from Carnegie was received.
Mabel Wilkinson from Greeley, Colorado became Cody's first professional librarian and the opening ceremonies for the Carnegie library were held on the evening of May 9, 1916. The library was added on to in the early 1960s and when it became apparent that the Carnegie building had suffered termite damage and could not be repaired, it was demolished to make way for another addition that was dedicated in 1965. After the county library moved to a new location in 2008 the former library building was sold. When renovations were made to convert the library into Millstone Pizza, a time capsule was discovered behind a 1965 cornerstone. Inside were photos of the old Carnegie library, various documents, and several old coins.
