living with History
We stood in North Platte, under a sky that didn’t feel ordinary.
The sun burned a little deeper that day, like it knew something we didn’t yet.
This land… it’s not just land.
It’s where railroads once carved their way through the country.. part of the Transcontinental Railroad that changed everything.
Where buffalo once roamed in endless numbers.
Where a man named Buffalo Bill Cody built his life: hunting, scouting, surviving… before turning it all into a story the world would never forget.
Just miles from here, near Fort McPherson, history wasn’t a story yet.
It was real.
Messy.
Unfolding.
And somehow… you can still feel that.
Hours later, fire would sweep across parts of this same land.
The same ground that has seen so much—growth, conflict, survival, legend.
And now I can’t stop thinking about how quickly things can change.
How something so beautiful…
can become something so powerful…
and so devastating.
But if this place has taught us anything:
through history, through hardship, through every story it carries..
It’s that it doesn’t just burn.
It rebuilds.
It endures.
It remembers.
And standing here…
for just a moment
so did we.
Visiting North Platte offers a unique opportunity to connect with American history on multiple levels. The life-size bronze statue of William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, sculpted by W. Bryan Mickleburgh and gifted to the city in 1998, stands as a poignant symbol of the indomitable spirit of the Wild West. Buffalo Bill, a legendary figure known for his hunting, scouting, and survival skills, helped shape the region's identity and brought the stories of the frontier to audiences worldwide through his Wild West shows. The Transcontinental Railroad, part of which carved its way through the land here, was one of the most transformative infrastructure projects in U.S. history, connecting the East and West coasts and facilitating growth and settlement. Walking the same grounds where railroads once thundered and buffalo roamed in great numbers is humbling, especially when considering the waves of change that swept through this land—growth, conflict, and survival. North Platte is also recognized as the birthplace of spectator rodeo traditions. The "Old Glory Blowout" rodeo event held on July 4, 1882, marked the beginning of professional rodeo culture, painting vivid pictures of cowboy life with bucking broncs and bull riding. This cultural heritage continues to thrive, celebrated by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) today. The land’s resilience is evident not only in its history but also in its recovery from natural disasters like wildfires. These events remind us how quickly the environment can change but also highlight the enduring strength of the land and communities that rebuild and remember their past. For anyone interested in American history, cowboy culture, or the story of the frontier, North Platte offers a living museum full of stories that are messy, unfolding, yet deeply inspiring. Standing here is not just about witnessing history; it’s about feeling it and recognizing the continuum of endurance and remembrance that carries us forward.