CODY — The Fourth of July goes beyond a celebration of freedom and all things Cody with the start of the Cody Stampede, it’s also the 100th anniversary of an iconic local landmark sculpture “Buffalo Bill — The Scout.”
The bronze statue of William "Buffalo Bill" Cody was placed on an elevated stone pedestal and dedicated July 4, 1924. A century later Thursday, Cody residents and visitors gathered to rededicate the statue, which has become to northwest Wyoming what the bucking horse and rider logo is to Wyoming.
"It's more than a sculpture that people visit," said Ken Straniere, spokesman for the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. "It's iconic to our region. What the bald eagle is to America is what The Scout is to Cody and northwest Wyoming."
A Bronze For Bill
“The Scout” was commissioned in honor of Cody's founding father, the legendary Wild West showman William Frederick “Buffalo” Bill Cody. It was initiated by his niece, Mary Jester Allen, who was establishing the museum that would become the modern-day Buffalo Bill Center of the West (BBCOW.)
Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, a sculptor and wealthy heiress, created the larger-than-life statue and covered most of its $50,000 cost (close to $900,000 in 2024).
It depicts a young and vigorous Buffalo Bill on horseback, thrusting his rifle into the air and gazing down into the eyes of the people viewing him from below.
After some disagreement over where to put it, the sculpture was placed at the edge of the city of Cody with a vista of the Absaroka Mountains as a backdrop.
The stone pedestal represents Cedar Mountain, Buffalo Bill's intended (and theoretically final) resting place.
“The Scout” was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. It's since become a Cody landmark and one of the most photographed attractions in northwest Wyoming.
Fireworks from the Cody, Wyoming, Fourth of July celebration Thursday night explode behind the iconic "Buffalo Bill — The Scout" sculpture. (Katrina Southern via Facebook) 
The iconic "Buffalo Bill — The Scout" sculpture at the end of Sheridan Avenue in Cody, Wyoming, depicts the town's founding father, Buffalo Bill Cody. It was rededicated Thursday, the 100th anniversary of its unveiling. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily) 
The iconic "Buffalo Bill — The Scout" sculpture at the end of Sheridan Avenue in Cody, Wyoming, depicts the town's founding father, Buffalo Bill Cody. It was rededicated Thursday, the 100th anniversary of its unveiling. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily) 
The iconic "Buffalo Bill — The Scout" sculpture at the end of Sheridan Avenue in Cody, Wyoming, depicts the town's founding father, Buffalo Bill Cody. It was rededicated Thursday, the 100th anniversary of its unveiling. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily) 
The iconic "Buffalo Bill — The Scout" sculpture at the end of Sheridan Avenue in Cody, Wyoming, depicts the town's founding father, Buffalo Bill Cody. It was rededicated Thursday, the 100th anniversary of its unveiling. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily)
Celebrating A Century
A large crowd assembled at the statue's base after the Cody Stampede Parade on Thursday while Cody Mayor Matt Hall started the ceremony with a speech.
“When Gertrude put hands to play to bring this image to life, I doubt she had the foresight and understanding of how it would affect this town," he said. "The people of the state of Wyoming, and people around the world, know our Scout. For those of us who grew up here, we have a deeper connection. We're connected to its virtues: courage, independence and freedom."
The statue now stands at the end of Sheridan Avenue, Cody's main street, with a traffic roundabout encircling it. Hall spoke of the statue as an old friend and a constant, comforting presence in the community.
"It's the spiritual center of our town," he said. "While most of our sons and daughters moved away, a few of us loop back. No matter how long we've been away or how often we periodically drive by the statue, our Scout, this monument brings a certain strength, comfort and solace."
Rebecca West, executive director of the BBCOW, praised Buffalo Bill's foresight in laying the foundation for the creation of Cody as it exists today.
"Buffalo Bill carried out his grand plans for this, and they truly were grand," he said. "It included a sprawling and seemingly impossible irrigation project and a hotel that would cost over $3 million today. This was during a time when Cody had fewer than 50 buildings, and 10 of those buildings were saloons.
“Today, we see the impact, we feel the impact, we know the impact of Buffalo Bill's grand vision."
Up And Over
When it was time to cut the rededication ribbon, the ceremonial scissors were handed to Buffalo Bill himself, or at least his 2024 proxy.
"Buffalo Bill" was Evan Wambeke, a born-and-raised Cody resident who stars as the Western showman in the “Wild West Spectacular,” an original musical performed in the Cody Theatre in downtown Cody.
Wambeke, with the dress and distinctive facial hair of Buffalo Bill, was joined by the performers playing the Cody founder's friends and colleagues, like headlining sharpshooter Annie Oakley and Nate Salsbury, the business partner who helped create Buffalo Bill's Wild West.
The Cody Outriders, the horse-riding volunteers who ride in the Cody Stampede Parade, ended the rededication with a short, symbolic ride. Their annual tradition is to ride up and down the staircase behind the statue as an end to their Independence Day commitments and a tribute to Buffalo Bill and Cody.
The assembled crowd took in every speech and spectacle with joy and reverence. They recognized “Buffalo Bill — The Scout” as the icon of their community and a symbol of their strength, spirit and home.
"If Buffalo Bill and Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney taught us anything," West said. “It's that if you have a dream or an idea you want to share and make a reality, grab the reins, don't be afraid to use your spurs and don't let go. Thank you for helping us celebrate the last 100 years and the next 100."
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
