Buffalo Bill Dam
National Register of Historic Places

Buffalo Bill Dam

Cody, Park County, Wyoming
Listed
August 11, 1971
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
71000890

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. The original structure was designed by engineer Daniel Webster Cole and was built between 1905 and 1910. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and named a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1973. The land around the reservoir is maintained as Buffalo Bill State Park.

Location

Cody, Park County, Wyoming
44.50131, -109.18331

Categories

INDUSTRYENGINEERINGEXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT
National Register nomination ›
Sources

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.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Buffalo Bill Dam

This page lists Buffalo Bill Dam. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Buffalo Bill Dam report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Hayden Arch Bridge
Industrial
1.9 mi
Colter's Hell
Early Republic
3.4 mi
Stock, Paul, House
Industrial
5.3 mi
Buffalo Bill Boyhood Home
Industrial
5.5 mi
Buffalo Bill Statue
Listed
5.6 mi

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.

More in Park County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Park County.

Explore ParkCounty ›

More historic places in Wyoming

Browse all historic places in Wyoming.

View Wyominghistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Wyoming history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Wyominghistory ›

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.

Research your locationView a free sample report