T E Ranch Headquarters facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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T E Ranch Headquarters
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 Location in Wyoming
Location in the United States
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| Location | Park County, Wyoming, USA |
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| Nearest city | Cody, Wyoming |
| NRHP reference No. | 73001939 |
| Added to NRHP | April 03, 1973 |
The T E Ranch Headquarters, located near Cody, Wyoming, is a historic log ranch house. It was once owned by the famous buffalo hunter and entertainer Buffalo Bill Cody (1846–1917). This ranch is a special place because of its connection to such an important figure in American history.
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Discovering the T E Ranch
The T E Ranch Headquarters is a classic example of a ranch house. It faces the Shoshone River and is quite long, measuring over 60 feet (18 m). It's also about 20 feet (6.1 m) wide. The house has a wide, gently sloping roof, which is typical for ranch homes.
- Unique Features: Two special windows called cupolas were built on the roof. They help bring light and fresh air into the house.
- Surroundings: The area around the house has native plants that were moved there. This makes the ranch headquarters look natural and fitting for a large ranch.
- Antler Collection: You might notice an interesting collection of antlers and horns placed around the grounds.
Buffalo Bill's Big Dreams
Buffalo Bill Cody bought the ranch around 1895. It might have been built by a homesteader named Bob Burns before that. Cody made the ranch much bigger, growing it to about 8,000 acres (3,200 ha). He used the "T E" brand for his large herd of about a thousand cattle.
Watering the Land
Cody had a huge plan for the T E Ranch. He wanted to bring water to more than 100,000 acres (40,000 ha) of dry land. This was part of a government program called the Carey Act of 1894. His manager, George T. Beck, started what became the Shoshone Reclamation Project. This project eventually led to the building of the famous Buffalo Bill Dam.
However, this big project cost a lot of money. It was more than Cody could afford. In 1904, he had to give the water rights back to the State of Wyoming.
Ranch Life and Changes
The T E Ranch lands were next to the Yellowstone Timberland Reserve. This reserve was set up in 1891 and offered good places for cattle to graze in the summer. Cody bought more land nearby, but as he faced money problems, he had to sell some of it. When Cody passed away in 1917, the T E Ranch was about 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) and had about 500 cattle. Before he died, Cody was even thinking about turning the T E into a "dude ranch" for visitors, but he didn't get to do it.
New Owners Through the Years
After Buffalo Bill Cody's death, the ranch had several new owners.
- Stanley Groves: A man from Philadelphia named Stanley Groves took over the ranch. He continued raising cattle and also used the T E as a family getaway. He built cabins and a cool log building shaped like an octagon for a library and games.
- Paul Patton: After Groves died in 1930, the ranch was sold to Paul Patton. He was from Kansas City and later had to sell the ranch because of problems with his business partner.
- Robert W. Woodruff: The next owner was Robert W. Woodruff. He was the president and later the chairman of Coca Cola.
- Charles Duncan: In 1972, the property was passed from Woodruff to another Coca Cola executive, Charles Duncan.
- Photographs of the T E Ranch at the National Park Service's NRHP database
