Local master stone mason, Ed Crain is laying decorative stone on the base of the Nate Champion bronze which marks the entrance to the JIM GATCHELL MUSUEM.

Local History at the Library

The Johnson County Library in Buffalo, WY has an extensive local history collection. With the assistance of volunteers, we have an index to the obits in the BUFFALO BULLETIN and other early local newspapers, as well as an index to the marriage records in our County. We have a copy of the burials in WILLOW GROVE CEMETERY and the cemetery at Kaycee, WY. And there is information on the graves located on various ranches in our county. The Library has copies of the early Federal census for our area and the indexes to them, as well as having access via our online databases to the complete Federal Census up to 1930. We have information gleaned from the historic sites surveys done in the 1980s, giving the history and description of some of our early homes and business buildings. Our files contain papers from the W.P.A. PROJECT funded in Johnson County during the Depression. When there was an active D.A.R. group in Buffalo, they interviewed older residents and compiled research papers to be presented at their monthly meetings. These papers are available in our collection. We have extensive files on the Johnson County Cattle War, 1892. Over the years, researchers and genealogists have visited our facility or been in contact with us via phone calls, postal mail, or email to see what information we can provide on their subjects, and many of them have generously donated their completed project to our collection. Our photographic collection has recently been scanned and fully indexed, making it more accessible.

Saturday 27 June 2009

LIVING HISTORY DAY

A windy day in Buffalo, WY. A nice crowd attended the event sponsored by the local Museum. There was music, square dancing and performances by the local Basque dancers. The cabin on the Courthouse lawn was open and there were displays set up all around the buildings. The local Basque club was selling lukana sandwiches. At approximately 12:15 there was a brief ceremony, featuring local artist, Mike Thomas, and the bronze sculpture of Nate Champion was unveiled. Present at the event were 6 Champion descendants, 2 men and 4 women.