Flying into Cody, Wyoming, a glance out the window of the airplane reveals nothing but mountains as far as the eye can see. It’s rough yet majestic, desolate yet delightful. This least populous state may look uncharted from above, but once on land, the history and heritage of the West stand proud.
In this part of Wyoming where history runs deep, the Richard family is embedded in the local lore. Bob Richard, now in his 80s, is a historian whose life is part of the Wild West of Cody, Yellowstone National Park, and all they represent—splendid scenery, wildlife, and nature; the Wild West traditions of ranching, rodeos, and gunslingers; and a passion for sharing the local heritage.
The Richard family has ties to the famous William Frederick “Buffalo Bill” Cody, for whom the town was named. Both of Richard’s grandfathers were friends with Buffalo Bill. The grandfather on his father’s side, Fred Richard, was hired by Buffalo Bill to guide his European guests, the most notable being the Prince of Monaco, during a hunting trip in 1913.
As a third-generation Codyite, a lifetime of education was passed down from his elders so that he could continue the tradition for future generations. Richard has worked as a rancher, a hunting and wilderness guide, and an educator and school administrator. In addition to serving in the Vietnam War as a pilot in the United States Marine Corps, he spent 21 years with the American Red Cross, helping with disaster relief in the United States. At Yellowstone National Park, Richard was one of the last Yellowstone horseback rangers; the position was eliminated around the 1960s due to a lack of skilled rangers and horseback riders. He continues to share his passion for the West and its traditions as an author and photographer with several books that feature the unique landscapes of both Cody and Yellowstone.
His photographic book, “Cody to Yellowstone,” takes readers on a visual journey of points of interest along the route from Cody to Yellowstone National Park. His favorite book to write was “Memoir of a 1950’s Yellowstone Horse Ranger,” in which he recounts stories about the park, its guests, and the stallion he rode each summer, Big Red.
The name Big Red was well-earned; Richard says the horse was so tall that he would need to stand on a log or rock to be able to mount him. As intimidating as the stallion was—Big Red would lay his ears back and chase bears out of the pasture—Richard said it was a relationship of mutual respect. “If we were in the backcountry, I would turn him loose and he would stay by the cabin. In the morning, he would look in the window and hit his hoof against the side of the cabin to say, ‘Come feed me.’ Which I did.”
Richard said of his time as a horse ranger, “I was helping people. My job was to interpret Yellowstone for people and to listen to them. They would share with me the excitement of seeing the geysers, seeing the natural features, seeing the wildlife. As I met people—both in campgrounds or around the different places such as Old Faithful or the fishing bridge—people would see me on horseback and they’d stop and want to talk. I learned to be a good listener.”
It was his family that initiated his education about the local culture and the way of the land. He credits his grandfather with teaching him the basics of ranching; because of him, Richard was driving teams of horses by the time he was 10.
“My grandparents, my mother, my father, aunts, and uncles were all important in helping shape my future—by their leadership,” he said. “And by my following in their footsteps, they pass on their experience and knowledge of living and surviving in these mountains and the valleys of this area. They would turn me loose with the responsibility of learning and accepting their guidance and doing the outdoor way of life.”
Richard said his family taught him how to make a living from the land: raising animals, cutting lumber, and fishing. He was taught how to preserve the land, too, “by not over-grazing, cutting the forest, and alternating years to feed livestock on a specific pasture. … Through this, I learned to adapt and accept change,” he said.
For Richard, Cody will always be home. “I’ve traveled all over the world both in the military and with my wife, but I find that Cody is still the place that I come back to because of the friendliness of the community. I watch over Yellowstone and watch the changes,” he said, noting that the sharp increase in park visitors has meant making accommodations in everything from traffic control to adding restrooms and adjusting the hiking trails themselves.
“Cody kept the flavor of the West, but we also enjoy the way of life that we have now,” he added. Richard plans to continue his path of publishing books and telling the stories and history of the area—so people can see how such lessons can shape the direction of our future.
This article was originally published in American Essence magazine.
