About this property
Buffalo Bill Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam on the Shoshone River in the U.S. state of Wyoming. Originally 325 feet (99 m), it was the tallest dam in the world when it opened in 1910; a 25-foot (7.6 m) extension was added in 1992 in one of the numerous changes and improvements to the structure and its support facilities, which include two full-time power generators and two seasonal operations added between 1920 and 1994, and a 2.8-mile (4.5 km) irrigation tunnel completed in 1939. The dam is located in Shoshone Canyon, and named after the famous Wild West figure William "Buffalo Bill" Cody, who founded the nearby town of Cody and owned much of the land now covered by the reservoir formed by its construction. It is part of the Shoshone Project, successor to several visionary schemes promoted by Cody to irrigate the Bighorn Basin and turn it from a semi-arid sagebrush-covered plain to productive agricultural land. Known at the time of its construction as Shoshone Dam , it was renamed in 1946 to honor Cody.
Location
Federal Designation
The National Register of Historic Places, administered by the National Park Service, is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical, architectural, archaeological, engineering, or cultural significance. Listing on the National Register recognizes a property's importance to American history but does not place restrictions on private owners; it does, however, make properties eligible for federal historic preservation tax incentives and enables consideration in federal planning decisions. This property is recorded in the National Register under reference number 71000890. It was listed on August 11, 1971.
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Nearby Historic Sites
Questions about this property
When was Buffalo Bill Dam listed on the National Register?
Buffalo Bill Dam was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 11, 1971.
What type of historic resource is Buffalo Bill Dam?
Buffalo Bill Dam is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Buffalo Bill Dam?
The period of significance for Buffalo Bill Dam is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1910.
Can I research the history near Buffalo Bill Dam?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Buffalo Bill Dam will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Buffalo Bill Dam will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.