TE Ranch

 historical building  Add category

The T E Ranch Headquarters is a single story log ranch house acquired by Colonel William F. (Buffalo Bill) Cody in 1895. Although it is not certain, it may be that the cabin of the original homesteader of the ranch (Bob Burns) may have been incorporated into this structure after Cody purchased the property. Before Mr. Burns' ownership in the early 1880s, while the site was still federal owned public domain, a man called Captain Belknap had used the site as location for a summer range cow-camp and established an open-range cattle operation. When Cody acquired the property he ordered the movement of Nebraska and South Dakota cattle to Wyoming. This new herd carried the T E brand. The late 1890s were relatively prosperous years for Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and he used some of the profits to accumulate lands which were added to the T E holdings. Eventually Cody held around eight thousand acres of private land for grazing operations and ran about a thousand head of cattle. He also operated free dude ranch, pack horse camping trips, and big game hunting business at and from the T E Ranch. In his spacious and comfortable ranch house he entertained notable guests from Europe and America.