Buffalo Bill – The Scout is a bronze statue of a mounted rider outside the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming, United States, that was placed in 1924 to commemorate the town's most famous resident and de facto founder, Buffalo Bill Cody. Originally in open land on the western outskirts of Cody, the statue now stands at the end of Sheridan Avenue, which became the town's main thoroughfare as Cody grew to the west. The project was initiated by Buffalo Bill Cody's niece, Mary Jester Allen, who had established the basis of what would become the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. A New Yorker, she persuaded heiress and artist Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney to sculpt the piece.
Despite the offer of two existing sites in Cody, Vanderbilt selected and bought the final Cody site. Her first efforts attracted criticism for the type of horse, its pose, and its tack, all of which were regarded as too "eastern."[2] She then arranged for a horse named "Smokey" from Cody's TE Ranch to be shipped to New York, along with a cowboy from Cody to pose in the saddle.[3] The statue was dedicated on July 4, 1924 in the presence of an unusual number of dignitaries for such a remote location. It stands on a large stone base, meant to represent nearby Cedar Mountain, which Cody chose as his gravesite. The base is a consciously ironic statement, since Cody was buried, against his wishes, at Lookout Mountain in Colorado.[3]
In time, Sheridan Avenue was extended to the statue and loops around the site. The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is located nearby.[3]
Vanderbilt funded most of the estimated $50,000 cost for the memorial out of her own pocket. She would go on to establish the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1931. Her son, Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney would fund the establishment of the Whitney Museum of Western Art at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center.[4]
Stock Center, the original home of the Buffalo Bill Museum, located across Sheridan Avenue from the Buffalo Bill Historical Center
Alex Halone House, the Thermopolis, Wyoming, home of the stonemason who built the base of the sculpture, also listed on the National Register of Historic Places
^Nicholas, Liza J. (2006). "The West, The East, Buffalo Bill, and a Horse". Becoming Western: Stories of Culture and Identity in the Cowboy State. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. pp. 57–59. ISBN978-0-8032-2069-0.
^ abcFrost, Ned (January 25, 1974). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form: Buffalo Bill Statue". National Park Service. Retrieved 2009-07-15.
^ ab. Buffalo Bill Historical Center. 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-08-13. Retrieved 2009-07-15.
External linksedit
Photographs of The Scout at the National Park Service's NRHP database
Buffalo Bill Statue at the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office
November 27, 2023
buffalo, bill, scout, bronze, statue, mounted, rider, outside, buffalo, bill, historical, center, cody, wyoming, united, states, that, placed, 1924, commemorate, town, most, famous, resident, facto, founder, buffalo, bill, cody, originally, open, land, western. Buffalo Bill The Scout is a bronze statue of a mounted rider outside the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody Wyoming United States that was placed in 1924 to commemorate the town s most famous resident and de facto founder Buffalo Bill Cody Originally in open land on the western outskirts of Cody the statue now stands at the end of Sheridan Avenue which became the town s main thoroughfare as Cody grew to the west The project was initiated by Buffalo Bill Cody s niece Mary Jester Allen who had established the basis of what would become the Buffalo Bill Historical Center A New Yorker she persuaded heiress and artist Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney to sculpt the piece Buffalo Bill The ScoutU S National Register of Historic PlacesShow map of WyomingShow map of the United StatesLocation720 Sheridan Avenue Cody WyomingCoordinates44 31 34 N 109 4 30 W 44 52611 N 109 07500 W 44 52611 109 07500Built1924ArchitectGertrude Vanderbilt WhitneyNRHP reference No 74002319Added to NRHPDecember 31 1974 1 Despite the offer of two existing sites in Cody Vanderbilt selected and bought the final Cody site Her first efforts attracted criticism for the type of horse its pose and its tack all of which were regarded as too eastern 2 She then arranged for a horse named Smokey from Cody s TE Ranch to be shipped to New York along with a cowboy from Cody to pose in the saddle 3 The statue was dedicated on July 4 1924 in the presence of an unusual number of dignitaries for such a remote location It stands on a large stone base meant to represent nearby Cedar Mountain which Cody chose as his gravesite The base is a consciously ironic statement since Cody was buried against his wishes at Lookout Mountain in Colorado 3 In time Sheridan Avenue was extended to the statue and loops around the site The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is located nearby 3 Vanderbilt funded most of the estimated 50 000 cost for the memorial out of her own pocket She would go on to establish the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1931 Her son Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney would fund the establishment of the Whitney Museum of Western Art at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center 4 The statue s full title is Buffalo Bill The Scout 4 The statue was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 1 See also editStock Center the original home of the Buffalo Bill Museum located across Sheridan Avenue from the Buffalo Bill Historical Center Alex Halone House the Thermopolis Wyoming home of the stonemason who built the base of the sculpture also listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesReferences edit a b National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service March 13 2009 Nicholas Liza J 2006 The West The East Buffalo Bill and a Horse Becoming Western Stories of Culture and Identity in the Cowboy State Lincoln University of Nebraska Press pp 57 59 ISBN 978 0 8032 2069 0 a b c Frost Ned January 25 1974 National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form Buffalo Bill Statue National Park Service Retrieved 2009 07 15 a b History of the Buffalo Bill Memorial Association and the Buffalo Bill Historical Center Buffalo Bill Historical Center 2009 Archived from the original on 2009 08 13 Retrieved 2009 07 15 External links editPhotographs of The Scout at the National Park Service s NRHP database Buffalo Bill Statue at the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Buffalo Bill The Scout amp oldid 1152447847, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
