Quad Citians are invited to join the Buffalo Bill Museum in LeClaire on Sunday, Feb. 26, to celebrate the region’s native son’s birthday.
The museum, located at 199 N. Front St., will host festivities to mark the birthday of one of America’s greatest legends. William “Buffalo Bill” Cody was born Feb. 26, 1846, in Scott County. Buffalo Bill was a Pony Express Rider and a civil war hero before starring in own Wild West Show and the namesake of the LeClaire historical museum.
New museum exhibits related to Buffalo Bill include the Cody Stone from his mine in Arizona. Last November, a Cody Stone (milky quartz ore) containing gold, silver, copper and tungsten was donated to the museum. The stone originated from William Fredrick (Buffalo Bill) Cody’s Campo Bonito gold mine in the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson, Arizona. It was donated by Appleton, Wisconsin business partners Loren Breckenridge and Jackie Lee, who donated the stone to help preserve the history for future generations.
In addition to the 5,200-carat, $156,000 rare specimen stone, which was extracted from the mine, by Jackie Lee and a seasoned prospector, the business partners donated photographs and correspondence in Buffalo Bill Cody’s own handwriting to the museum. The donation was presented during a ceremony Saturday, Nov. 19 at the museum.
Special birthday activities include live music by the Chord Busters and Acoustic Friends, a buffalo chip throwing contest and refreshments.
The Buffalo Bill Museum is open from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday and admission is free.
Other popular exhibits include: the Lone Star steamer, a wooden hull steam powered paddle wheeler; Native American artifacts; 1900’s ladies’ fashion; life on the Mississippi River items; a riverboat pilots exhibit; and a recreated 1920s one-room schoolhouse exhibit.
For more information, contact the museum at (563) 289-5580, visit www.buffalobillmuseumleclaire.com or email contact@buffalobillmuseumleclaire.com.
