I slept in Buffalo Bill's bed

We were on one of our vacation trips to Montana, Wyoming and Yellowstone Park and stopped for a time in Cody, Wyoming.

We were looking for a place to stay because we wanted to take in the museum there and go to the night rodeo.

We saw the sign for the Irma Hotel and decided to try our luck there for a bed for the night.

When we asked if there was an available room, the clerk said the Buffalo Bill suite was available.

It would afford two beds since our son Paul was along.

We immediately took the suite. It was really two rooms along with a bathroom. They were all part of the suite and the price was right.

The Buffalo Bill suite was always available to Bill Cody when he was in town. He had already passed, dying in 1917.

The hotel had started the slippery slope and was well on its way to the history books.

The suite was decorated in the 1900 era, and everything was old but suitable for the night.

The clerk said the suite was just like it was for Cody when he used it.

He was a flashy person, great at promoting himself.

He had been a buffalo hunter, U.S. Army scout, Pony Express rider, actor, and showman.

He was a Pony Express rider while still in his teens and earned his reputation.

The Irma Hotel was named after his youngest daughter who was his constant companion.

In the second half of his life, he became world famous because of his wild west show.

The show was made up of cowboys and Indians, hundreds of them.

He interviewed the individual for his wild west show right there in his suite, the clerk happily told us. The clerk was amused by our string of questions.

The giant show was a big hit in Europe. The individuals, horses, gear, and everything was shipped to the many huge arenas in Europe that attracted thousands of fans, who paid high prices to see the action.

The suite had turn-of-the-century furniture and a large picture of Buffalo Bill.

It appeared that Irma was on her last legs.

But a new owner changed all that. The new owner put a shine on the place and advertised the Buffalo Bill facility. He installed a cherrywood back bar and pictures of Bill Cody everywhere. 

The Irma was back in business and, from what I recently learned, the place is packed.

The backbar reminded me of a time in Helena where in the saloons there were large pictures, painted by Charles Russell, and beautiful wooden backbars in most drinking joints.

People paid huge prices for both the pictures and the backbars and soon they disappeared.

But if you ever go to Cody, Wyoming, the Buffalo Bill suite is still there. I don’t know if it still features the bed that Bill slept in, but the amenities are many.