William F. "Buffalo Bill” Cody grew up in the West and rode in the Pony Express, fought in the Civil War, hunted buffalo to feed railroad workers, and scouted for the Army. His show, Buffalo Bill's Wild West, drew on these and other experiences in the American West. He was awarded the Medal of Honor by Congress in 1872, began every performance of Buffalo Bill's Wild West with "The Star Spangled Banner" long before it became the National Anthem, advocated for American Indians' and women's equal rights, visited over 14 countries and 1,400 cities in 30 years, employed performers from every inhabited continent, and called for preservation of the buffalo, other wild animals, and wild places like the Grand Canyon. The buffalo maintained by the City of Denver are direct descendants of the last wild buffalo herd left in America.

Photo: Duane and Tracy Marsteller

Golden, Colorado · USA