(Casper, Wyo.) – Around eighty Wyoming enthusiasts gathered at Fort Caspar Museum last night to unlock seven discussed mysteries about the celebrated icon, Buffalo Bill Cody.

• Where are Buffalo Bill’s parents, Issac and Mary Cody buried?
• Did Buffalo Bill really ride for the Pony Express?
• Was there really a “Battle of the Bill?”
• Where Buffalo Bill Cody and General George Custer friends?
• Where is Buffalo Bill’s last buffalo located?
• Whose has Buffalo Bill’s true Metal of Honor?
• Where is Buffalo Bill really buried?

Author and historian, Jeff Barnes, a fifth generation Nebraskan spoke to the room about his book, “Great Plains Guide to Buffalo Bill, The:Forts, Fights & Other Sites,” and answered the mysteries.

“Buffalo Bill Cody was the world’s first Super Star in the 1900s. With fame and fortune comes some mystery. Some of these mysteries, I hope never get truly solved, it would take the Legend out of Buffalo Bill,” reported Barnes.

Barnes went on to unlock the secrets that he had discovered about Buffalo from his research which he reports in detail in his book, we don’t want to steal his thunder and report all of the answers!

But, we will leave it up to you to decide, he reported last night that Buffalo Bills parents could be buried in either:

a) Mount Cedar in Cody, Wyoming

b)Mount Aurora, Leavenworth, Washington

c)Washington DC

d)Devils Tower Monument, Wyoming

Barnes’ next mystery, Buffalo Bill riding in the Pony Express, we will leave that one up to you.

“‘Battle of the Bills,’ may or may not have happened. Buffalo Bill Cody had lots of people out to claim his name, including Buffalo Bill Cramer, Buffalo Bill Brooks, Buffalo Bill Wilson and the one that started the possible ‘Battle of the Bills’ was Medicine Bill Comstock,” said Barnes.

He continued to report that the two set out for a buffalo hunt to claim the name, it was reported that Buffalo Bill Cody shot 69 buffalo during the hunt and Comstock killed 46, Buffalo Bill claiming the victory.

“From my research, I have found that the possible site of the hunt was along US 40 outside of Monument, Nebraska. Near the site historians have found numerous pieces of glass in the area, so whether the hunt took place may be unknown, but someone must have had quite the party there,” said Barnes.

Barnes explained how it was unlikely that Buffalo Bill Cody and General Custer were great friends. The two were fighting for attention from the public, and both had huge egos.

“It is safe to assume that the two weren’t the greatest friends that some like to believe. They were both jealous of one another.”

Quiz time! Where do you think Buffalo Bill’s last buffalo resides?

a) The Colorado Buffalo in Golden, Colorado’s  Museum

b) The Wyoming Buffalo in Cody, Wyoming’s Museum

c)The Nebraska Buffalo in Monument, Nebraska Museum

d) Buffalo Bill did not shoot any  buffalo

Barnes continued his lecture, and reported that Buffalo Bill Cody had received numerous metals throughout his life one from Colorado and one from Wyoming which one is the true metal of honor is open for debate.

The big question, that many people want to know, where is Buffalo Bill Cody truly buried.

Barnes explained,

“During Buffalo Bill’s lifetime he spent a great deal of time in Wyoming and in Colorado as well as traveling the country with his Wild West Shows. He told many of his Wyoming friends that he wanted to be buried on Mount Cedar in Cody, Wyoming when he passed. But, when he passed away in 1917 of kidney failure, his wife Lulu supposedly sold his burial rights to Colorado for $10,000.”

“Now Buffalo Bill died in January, the ground was still frozen in Colorado on Lookout Mountain, where Lulu wanted his body buried. So it is said that they kept his body until the ground thawed out before burying him. Some stories that I have read reported that some of Buffalo Bill’s friends from Wyoming, found an undertaker and went into Colorado, stole Buffalo Bill’s body and switched it out with a similar looking fellow and brought him back to Cedar Mountain to be buried,” said Barnes.

The fight between Colorado and Wyoming continues, where do you think Buffalo Bill’s body is buried?

Barnes will be presenting in Cody, Wyoming next week and continue his tour through the west.

Next Wednesday, July 1st, Fort Caspar will host another Free Summer Lecture with Barbara Mueller as she discusses, “John Colter: Superhero” at 6:30 pm.