110 Years Ago This Week The Buffalo Bill Dam Was Completed
Anyone that listens to us regularly knows that we are Wyoming history nerds.
We love anything and everything that has to do with our state, and have a special soft spot in our heart for pictures of the "Old West".
This week marks the 110th anniversary of the completion of the Buffalo Bill Dam.
Originally known as the Shoshone Dam, it was considered a modern engineering marvel and was compared to the Panama Canal for its positive impact on American industry and Western expansion.
According to an article on WyoHistory.org "Construction of Buffalo Bill Dam, six miles west of Cody, Wyoming, was the key that opened about 90,000 acres in northwestern Wyoming to irrigated farming."
When I came across a picture of The Buffalo Bill Dam being built, I was immediately intrigued. Not only is the building of this dam a big part of our state's history but my family has a personal connection to it as well.
My husband's grandfather was among the group of men that helped to build this damn.
Family lore says that as he was helping build the dam during the frosty winter months the team of horses pulling supplies slipped. His foot was crushed by the wagon and according to the story, the team of horses went over the edge and was lost.
Even without this personal connection, it's really fascinating to take a look at the work that went into building this dam.
If you want to see more historical pictures of this dam being built you can follow this link to the University of Wyoming Digital Collections.