The William F. Cody Archive: Documenting the life and times of Buffalo Bill

Omaha, Neb., February 21st, 1901.

Dear Sir,—

Referring to my letter of 6th instant and subsequent conversation in Burlington, about the terminus of the Toluca Line, and my message of this date on this subject.

After returning from Burlington and going into this question thoroughly with Messrs Calvert and Morrill, who have carefully examined that country, we find that there is no land suitable for a good townsite on the north side of the river west of Corbett. Valley too narrow. We think it desirable that the terminus for this year should, in accordance with your plan of last summer, be located as far west as Cody, for the Park business, for handling ore from the Sunlight Basin, and for the purpose of occupying the Shoshone Valley close up to the canon.

After discussing the matter again this afternoon with Colonel Cody, it will be agreeable to him to have our station located on the north side of the river, directly opposite Cody, about half a mile from the townsite. The bottom lands can be taken up on the north side from the United States by filingfiling up them as Depot Grounds, and by the construction of a good wagon bridge the depot will be sufficiently accessible to the town. We have, as you know, a number of towns on our lines located half a mile or more from our stations: — Red Cloud is one mile, Bloomington ¾ of a mile, Table Rock half a mile, Pawnee City one mile, Falls City one mile, and Norfolk (on the Elkhorn) ¾ mile.

During the meeting this morning, Cody urged the importance of building up the south side of the river on the ground that we would draw sheep, cattle and horses from the territory farther south, without requiring them to drive across a bridge to the north side of the river. After further considering the matter, however, he is fully satisfied with the plan above defined.

In accordance with Mr. Calvert's letter, copy of which was sent to you with mine of the 6th instant, we shall save by this arrangement about $120,000.00 this year, and when the line is extended to the common point above Cody, on the north side, we shall save about $188,000.00 in the cost of construction.

In view of the development now well under way in the Big Horn Basin country, there is every reason to confidently expect that within a year or so, it will pay to construct a line across the Shoshone River in the central part of the Basin to the Gray Bull Valley at or near Burlington, and, perhaps, to extend up that valley to Meeteste or Kerwin, or in a southerly direction from Burlington for such distance as settlement may warrant. The stock business from the south will then necessarily take this line and we would not be warranted at this time in making the expenditure to cross the river on the line to Cody, for the sake of obtaining additional stock shipments. Outside of the argument as to stock shipments, there is really no important reason for placing the Cody Branch on the south side of the river.

Messrs Calvert, Morrill and myself all agree entirely on this question, and I trust the arrangement made will be satisfactory to you.

Your respectfully,

G. W. Holdrege

Mr. C. E. Perkins,

Pres't, Burlington.

Banner image: Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming, U.S.A.; Original Buffalo Bill Museum Collection, P.69.118