For thousands of years, this valley has sustained life and drawn early Native Americans to hunt buffalo, elk, deer, moose, sheep, and bear. It has long been considered a unique place. The establishment of the nation’s first park and timber reserve in the late 1800’s sparked angry protests among local settlers, who were outraged that vast tracts of land were no longer available for personal gain. Residents soon recognized the profits to be made from tourism, and a new road through the valley brought more people into the region. While resources in many other parts of the West were being spent for profit, these protected resources proved profitable for local citizens. Lodges along the byway date to this early era in the nation’s history, and the highway, Buffalo Bill Days, and the town of Cody grew from this visionary planning more than a century ago, preserving a window of the Wild West for future generations.