A historic buffalo statue perched atop Cedar Mountain has been successfully restored and rededicated following a community-driven project led by Park County Archives curator Brian Beauvais. The vandalized fiberglass sculpture, which has stood as a landmark since 1968, was repaired and honored with a new commemorative plaque during a ceremony held in mid-October.
The restoration project began when Beauvais was researching public art and discovered the buffalo statue along with its fascinating origin story. On July 4, 1968, Husky Oil provided a helicopter that flew the fiberglass sculpture onto Cedar Mountain to commemorate the opening of the Buffalo Bill Museum in its current location. The statue was a gift from Golden, Colorado, to the city of Cody, intended to appease local residents who were disappointed that Buffalo Bill's actual grave remains on Lookout Mountain outside Golden, rather than in Cody.
After discovering that no one officially owned the statue, Beauvais obtained permission to access the site across both Bureau of Land Management and private land before beginning the restoration planning process. He found a craftsperson to fashion new ears, horns, and tail for the damaged sculpture, attach them securely, and perform additional minor repairs. The project served multiple purposes beyond simply honoring Cody's heritage.
Beauvais envisioned the restoration as fulfilling several important community goals: recognizing the historic significance of buffalo in the Big Horn Basin, performing a valuable community service that celebrates local history, promoting public art appreciation, and paying tribute to the late Dr. Jeremy Johnston, who served as curator of the Buffalo Bill Museum and participated in planning the project before his death.
The restoration work involved assembling a dedicated crew to repaint the buffalo statue, which had been covered with white paint over its original brown coloring. The team worked carefully to restore the sculpture to its intended appearance while ensuring its structural integrity for future years.
Last fall, the restoration crew installed a commemorative plaque that provides historical context for visitors. The plaque reads: "This statue was placed in 1968 to commemorate William F. Cody's intended grave site atop Cedar Mountain. As Buffalo Bill embodied the spirit of the American West, so too does the buffalo – now recognized as the national mammal – symbolize that enduring legacy. In 2025, the statue was restored and rededicated in honor of Dr. Jeremy Johnston."
The rededication ceremony brought together several members of the local museum and historical community to honor both the restored artwork and Dr. Johnston's memory. Attendees included Draper Natural History Museum curator Corey Anco, Draper assistant curator Amy Phillips, Buffalo Bill Museum curatorial assistant Sam Hanna, Park County Archives curator Brian Beauvais, and Dr. Johnston's family members, including his wife Amanda Johnston and their son Sam Johnston. The ceremony was documented by photographer John Housel, capturing the moment when the community came together to celebrate the completion of this important cultural preservation project.
