Cody Nite Rodeo

Cody Wyoming and Rodeo are synonymous. When the fall round-ups

were over each year, The Big Horn Basin saw cowboys run cattle right through

Cody to the railhead across the river.

There was even bronc riding in the early 1900's in town on what is today Sheridan Avenue.Today's Stampede Park built in 1976 has competition every night from June through August

We went to the final Thursday evening rodeo as they end
in August. It was cold and windy but the rodeo was great!

Cody Covered Rodeo Stands waiting

for the fans...it's early.

Getting the field ready and a few early

cowboys stretching and tape wrists

A glimpse of the staging area in the rear of

the rodeo.

  

Just shootin' the bull before

the start of the rodeo

The Cody Nite Rodeo begins!

The shoots are prepared and loaded

with riders preparing to mount,with collar

protection and many wear helmets

instead of cowboy hats today for

added safety

Cowboy waiting his turn

The cowboy to the left with the

helmet is entering to ride the bull

to his immediate left

...and I thought my truck rode hard

Calf roping is more complex than

I ever thought. Who do you see?

Cowboy and calf?...the horse

is the cowboy's other cowboy.

Saddle Bronc riding came before

rodeos. Breaking and training

horses came before the entertainment.

8 seconds on the bronc is part of the qualifier. The cowboy's free

hand may not touch his equipment, his body, or the horse.

I'm so glad I was in the stands!

As we leave the Rodeo...

Oh, one more thing...I was getting fuel in Cody for the truck

and came upon some local advertising...

Can you read the sign?

It says

TAKE YOUR "MITT" OFF MY

LADY PARTS

Picture taken 08/29/2012

Our next visit in the Cody-Powell,Wyoming was

was very moving and revealing

Cody - A Drinking Town with a Rodeo Problem

Cody Wyoming was founded in the 1895-1896 period by

Buffalo Bill Cody.

The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is a great center to visit. Your

pass is good for two days and worth the price. 

Buffalo Bill Cody was born in Iowa as William Frederick Cody. 

At the age of 14 he became one of the youngest Pony Express riders.

He was a stage driver, an Army soldier, managed a hotel, a buffalo hunter

and a leader of a Wild West show and toured 17 years with Annie Oakley and her husband.

 Buffalo Bill Cody(actor)

preparing the audience for the "show"

everynight at 6 PM in front of the

Irma Hotel in downtown Cody.

Cody's Sheridan Ave looking West.

The streets were purposely made wide

in early 1900's for wagons, etc to move through.

Cody shoppers waiting

on the Cody Trolley Tour, seen

in the background at the Irma Hotel.

The tour was inexpensive and very good.

Hotel Irma was established in 1902

by Buffalo Bill Cody. It was named after his daughter.

Cody had one son and three daughters. Son, Kit Carson

Cody and daughter Orra died at early ages due to illnesses.

Current view of the Irma Hotel

in downtown Cody WY on Sheridan Ave.

 

Irma Hotel center, was built in 1902.

Buffalo Bill Cody Beer poster

on the side of a downtown Cody building.

It is brewed in Billings Montana.

Buffalo Bill Historical Center Entrance

There are five museums within the

Buffalo Bill Historical Center. 

 The museum has its roots going

back to 1917 and today it is a pleasant and informative

visit that could certainly fill a day or more. It's theme

throughout is The Spirit of the American West

Our focus for the blog is the Draper Museum of Natural History, one of

the five museums

RAPTORS

http://www.bbhc.org/explore/greater-yellowstone-natural-history/raptor-experience/

Meet Teasdale, a great - horned owl.

Teasdale was found by a hiker in Utah on the ground.

Because the owl did not heal correctly, it can no longer fly. Teasdale

now lives at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center.

Teasdale behaving

 Meet Hayabusa, Peregrine Falcon

It came from a Tucson Wildlfe Rehabilitation Center

Hayabusa did damage to its wrist joint on its

right wing and will never have ability to fly naturally again. The

Peregrine can fly up to speeds of 200 mph and this raptor

exists throughout the world except polar regions. It's diet consists

mainly of medium size birds.

Haybusa and Dennis August 31, 2012

at Buffalo Bill Historical Center



Trivia    Haybusa is a Japanese word for Peregrine Falcon

Haybusa is the world's fastest production motorcycle made

by Suzuki since 1999 with unmodified top speeds of 194 mph.

We move next to the Cody Nite Rodeo and

a very interesting tour of Heart Mountain

Heart Mountain

 I can't portray or even know where to begin trying

to share Heart Mountain and all that it was to the

Japanese immigrants and yes, Japanese American citizens interred there.

Here are some pictures of today and then when this "city"

was inhabited by over 10000 human beings.

Maybe it will enlighten and add curiosity to look further.

Peaceful and picturesque Heart Mountain has an elevation of
8123 ft. It is between
Cody and Powell Wyoming.

On February 19, 1942 President Roosevelt
signed Executive Order 9066.
The E.O. authorized the removal of any or all people from military areas "as deemed necessary or desirable." The military in turn defined the entire West Coast, home to the majority of Americans of Japanese ancestry or citizenship, as a military area. By June, 1942 more than 110,000 Japanese Americans were relocated to remote internment camps built by the U.S. military in scattered locations around the country. For the next two and a half years, many of these Japanese Americans endured extremely difficult living conditions and poor treatment by their military guards.

A dark time in our history resided in the Heart Mountain shadow
for over three years from August 11, 1942
to November 10, 1945.

It was the Heart Mountain Internment Camp

The young Japanese boy was one

of 10767 Japanese and Japanese American

internnees. The internees sent here at Heart Mountain Wyoming

came from Pomona, Santa Anita, California,

Portland Oregon and Washington state.

Heart Mountain and internment barracks can be seen

in the background.

Families arriving Heart Mountain via

train travelled from California, Oregon and Washington.

There were 10 Internment camps in the U.S. This map
shows their locations.
Over 110,000 Japanese immigrants and Japanese Americans,
including whole familes, men, women and children and some from
multiple generations were rounded up and shipped to these camps.
 Those interred were business owners, families,community leaders
 and for many - American citizens.
They were readied for transport in 1-2 weeks, either sold their homes and
businesses cheap or lost them totally. Loaded onto trains and shipped to
one of ten internment camps shown above.

Heart Mountain Wyoming camp became the third largest city
in Wyoming.

An internment barrack remains

at Heart Mountain. The camp was

closed in 1945

Pictured is George Hirahara who was interred in 1942

to Heart Mountain from Yakima Washington.

He was able to build and setup his own darkroom

at the Relocation Center and took and kept

over 2000 photos that will soon be available

at the Washington State University Library of

camp life has he saw it.

Japanese American boy scouts

during the raising of the American flag each

day at Heart Mountain

Todays view of the Heart Mountain Interment camp

and all that remains.

http://heartmountain.org/

The above link is to the Heart Mountain Foundation. 

The chimney in the background was the location

of the camp hospital which was staffed largely

by Japanese within the camp who had were professionals

prior to their internment. 

A view of an internment camp street

with Heart Mountain in the background

Heart Mountain Hospital care

by Japanese doctors who also were interred.

Farming near the camp was allowed.

As the camp members became trusted by many

of the local farmers, they were used to help

harvest local products as well. The locals from the

Cody and Powell Wyoming area initially did not want the

Internment camp near them at all.

This plaque on the Heart Mountain

Internment camp grounds honors those

15 killed and named on the plaque the 799 who served.

In late 1944, Heart Mountain internees erected an Honor Roll
 near the main gate that listed the names of all of its 799 soldiers,
 fifteen of whom were killed and 52 wounded in battle.

Norman Mineta, distinguished

Japanese American born in San Jose CA

in 1931 was an internee at the Heart Mountain

Interment Camp. Mr. Mineta served Presdents

Clinton and Bush as Secretary of Commerce and

Transportation

Below is National Park Service link that provides

further narrative on the Relocation process that began

in 1942 for the Japanese American civilians to ten

camps in the U.S. away from the West Coast

http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/personal_justice_denied/chap6.htm

I was born in 1942 and my father served in Naval combat in the Pacific. He remains alive today at almost 93. If he viewed this section he may have memories of a different view however, no matter anyone's view of that dark time, it is our history and hopefully we learned that we too

could be inhumane even though we felt justified. Hopefully we

won't forget that. dl

Cody Bound

This segment of our trip takes us from Yellowstone/Grand Tetons to Cody Wyoming.
 Cody was one of the last places in the West to be developed. Wyoming
became a state in 1890 and Cody followed in 1895. Oh there
were a few cattle ranches as early as 1878 and before that the
area was inhabited by Crow Indians.

 

From Moran Junction, Wyoming we head to the Yellowstone South Entrance. We will remain in Yellowstone heading North then turning East at Fishing Bridge

(Hwy 14-16-20) to Cody. We enter Cody at the Yellowstone East Entrance.

 

The Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Highway Route 14-16-20

heading toward Cody

 

Views from the Highway

 

The Shoshone National Forest consists of 2.4 million acres and surrounds

our travel to Cody. It is the first national forest

created in 1891 by President Benjamin Harrison and consists

of sagebrush flats and rugged mountains

 

 

 

 

Camping at the Buffalo Bill Reservoir

off Hwy 14-16-20 toward Cody

 

 

 

 As we head toward Cody with some

great views as we travel, we are just a few miles

from our next adventure.