BUFFALO BILL HISTORICAL CENTER I CODY, WYOMING I SUMMER 2008 What you didn’t know about Buffalo Bill W.H.D.Koerner: a family legacy Lee Whittlesey’s Yellowstone Lake in history, part 3 Hopalong species of the Greater Yellowstone region To the point © 2008 Buffalo Bill Historical Center. Written permission is required to copy, reprint, or distribute Points West materials in any medium or format. All photographs in Points West are BBHC photos unless otherwise noted. Questions about image rights and reproductions should be directed to Associate Registrar Ann Marie Donoghue at [email protected] or 307.578.4024. Bibliographies, works cited, and footnotes, etc. are purposely omitted to conserve space. However, such information is available by contacting the editor. Address correspondence to Editor, Points West , Buffalo Bill Historical Center, 720 Sheridan Avenue, Cody, Wyoming 82414 or [email protected] . Senior Editor Mr. Lee Haines by Bruce Eldredge Managing Editor Executive Director Ms. Marguerite House Copy Editors To the point Ms. Lynn Pitet, Ms. Joanne Patterson, Ms. Nancy McClure Designer he “First 100 Days” seems to be the quintessential Ms. Jan Woods–Krier milestone for “new kids on the block” in political, Photography Staff Teducational , and business circle s—and even for Ms. Chris Gimmeson, Mr. Sean Campbell the executive director of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. Book Reviews Folks seem to take considerable stock in what’s Dr. Kurt Graham accomplished in those first days of one’s tenure. Historical Photographs Along with finding my desk and discovering who makes Ms. Mary Robinson; Ms. Megan Peacock the best burgers in town, I’ve enjoyed the remarkable Rights and Reproductions amount of activity surrounding the Buffalo Bill Historical Ms. Ann Marie Donoghue Center and its numerous programs and events. Calendar of Events We’re in the throes of strategic planning; we’re looking Ms. Nancy McClure at ways to become a “green” institution; and we’re exam - Advisory Team ining ways to use technology more effectively as we Lee Haines , Public Relations Director and Senior Editor become better stewards of your contributions. For instance, we made a decision to make our 2007 annual Marguerite House , Media Manager and Managing Editor report available on our Web sit e— effectively saving more Nancy McClure , Public Relations Assistant and Calendar Coordinator than $10,000 in printing costs and countless trees. (Go to Wally Reber , Acting Vice-President and Deputy Director Development www.bbhc.org to download.) Jan Jones , Director of Membership One of the most important activities in these first hundred days, however, is the kick-off of the annual fund Mindy Besaw , Curator, Whitney Gallery of Western Art campaign, chaired by trustee Naoma Tate and coordinated Megan Wasp , Public Programs Coordinator by Diana Jensen in the development office. The annual Jan Woods-Krier , Senior Graphic Designer fund is one of the chief ways in which we gain operating support for the historical center. Points Wes t is published quarterly as a benefit of membership of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center (BBHC). For membership information, contact For example, a contribution of $50 sponsors an elemen - Jan Jones, Director of Membership, at [email protected] or by writing to tary class for a day-long visit at the museu m— and I can the address above. attest we have had literally hundreds of school children The BBHC is a private, non-profit, educational institution dedicated to preserving and interpreting the natural and cultural history of the American enjoy the BBHC during the past hundred days. In addition, West. Founded in 1917, the BBHC is home to the Buffalo Bill Museum, $90 supplies a day’s worth of visitor guides, $500 conserves Whitney Gallery of Western Art, Plains Indian Museum, Cody Firearms Museum, Draper Museum of Natural History, and McCracken Research Library. an outdoor sculpture, $325 trains a docent, and it takes The mission of Points West is to deliver an engaging educational magazine $970 to light and cool the center on a hot summer day. primarily to the patrons of the BBHC. Points West will use a multi-discipli nary Jim Minter, a long time trustee who recently passed strategy to connect the reader to the nature and culture of the American West, and the BBHC in particular, through exceptional images and appealing, away (see page 15), had a terrific fundraising program. His reader-friendly stories. idea was to have a multitude of donors make smaller contributions to the historical center in an effort that About the cover: would ultimately raise thousands of dollars in support of Bear 104 was joined by her cub our activities. I like to think the annual fund could benefit earlier this year in the Draper from the same kind of thinking that says every gif t— Museum of Natural History. no matter how large or how smal l— is important in Visitors can learn more about living in bear country with a accomplishing our mission. We hope you agree. stop at this educational exhibit. As for my first hundred days? I have just one word: Photo by Sean Campbell. DRA.305.67 (cub). DRA.305.4 I Whew! (adult) 2 Points West I Summer 2008 Contents This great gray owl, the unfortunate victim of a collision with a truck northwest of Cody, was recently installed in the Draper Museum of Natural History. Read more in the “Treasures” section on page 28 . and see dozens more specimens of plant and animal life in the Greater Yellowstone region on your next trip to “the Draper.” FEATURES DEPARTMENTS 4 Staying afloat in the 1890s: Buffalo Bill’s financial woes. 14 BBHC BITS AND BYTES, also continued p.18 Cody’s attempts at management from afar, and his News, activities, events complaints to Beck about the latter’s inattention and CALENDAR OF EVENTS neglect, continued throughout the remaining years of 16 their business relationship. By Jack Rosenthal IN OUR BACKYARD: YELLOWSTONE 19 Hopalong species: lizards, turtles, and amphibians of the 8 W.H.D. Koerner: a family legacy. His father asked Billy to Greater Yellowstone region. By Philip and Susan McClinton join him after lunch to pose wearing a costume of a cattleman in a driving blizzard. “Imagine posing for a 28 TREASURES FROM OUR WEST freezing snow scene wearing a heavy cowboy costume This month’s look at BBHC collections when the studio interior was over a hundred degrees blistering hot!” By Mindy A. Besaw 30 BETWEEN THE BOOKENDS Spectacular Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks edited by Dany Levy, Letitia Burns O’Connor, and Paul Vucetich with 10 Buffalo Bill’s fight against Wyoming’s outlaws . All across essays by Charles R. Preston and Jim Robbins. Review by Tooraj America, the news depicted in great detail the adventure Kavoussi of Universe Publishing of Buffalo Bill chasing down vicious Wyoming desperados. Clearly the public assumed Buffalo Bill would save the day 31 A THOUSAND WORDS by capturing these two violent outlaws who callously took the life of an innocent bank teller. By Jeremy Johnston 24 Byways, boats and buildings: Yellowstone Lake in history, part 3 . [E.C. Waters] was a gadfly who was present in Yellowstone for twenty years (188 7–1907), working first as general manager of the Yellowstone Park Association (YPA) hotels and then with his own company, the Yellowstone Lake Boat Company. He caused trouble for nearly everyone around him, including fellow employees, other concessioners, tourists, and the U.S. Army. By Lee H. Whittlesey Visit us online . Purchase your favorite historic photographs from the Buffalo Bill Historical Center Web site. Check it out today at www.bbhc.org/hmrl/collection.cfm or contact McCracken Research Library Photo Archivist, Megan Peacock, at [email protected] or 307.578.4080. Magazine of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center • Cody, Wyoming 3 Staying afloat in the 1890s: By Jack Rosenthal $As any entrepreneur is sure to attest, the challenges of Beck/Hearst U.S. Senate relationship, coupled with the managing a business enterprise are substantial. The Great notoriety and popularity of the “Wild West ” impresario Showman himself, William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody, faced those Buffalo Bill, endeavored to assist financially in the develop - trials as he traveled with his Wild West show on the one hand ment of the new town. But those responsible for managing and worked to develop the community of Cody, Wyoming, on her finances attempted to keep the dealings on a “business - the other. Jack Rosenthal discusses those difficulties in the like basis, ” no matter how exasperating it would eventually story that follows, which is based on a series of letters he become . Peering back through those years via the newly- recently donated to the McCracken Research Library . discovered correspondence, it’s plain to see how frustrating the situation was to the principals involved. ewly uncovered correspondence from the 1890s A letter dated April 4, 1904, was addressed to Col. W.F. and early 1900s reveals the extent of the financial Cody at a New York hotel where he was staying on his Nhurdles experienced by the founders of the town of way to England with “Buffalo Bill ’s Wild West .” Edward H. Cody, Wyoming. William F. “Buffalo Bill ” Cody and George Clark, writing on Mrs. Hearst ’s letterhead, refused to Washington Thornton Beck were the principals in the devel - accept a small partial payment and wrote: opment of the town site and in its early public utilities. Beck ’s father, U.S. Senator James B. Beck of Kentucky We have carried this matter along for a consider - served in Washington, D.C., with fellow Democratic Senator able time, and you will understand that the extensions which we have granted from time to George Hearst of California.