Why we care

My wife and I love Cody. From our first visit, we knew we were going to make it our home as soon as we could. As such, I was interested in learning as much about Cody as I could, including the early years and establishment of Cody.

Starting out, I just assumed that William F. Cody founded the town that carries his name. It turns out that another historical figure played a much larger role in the establishment of Cody, a man by the name of George W. T. Beck.

I began researching archives of Cody at the University of Wyoming, it was Beck’s name that kept appearing in the directories of the early companies. It became apparent to me that William Cody was the face, but George was the “boots on the ground”.

A recently published book by Lynn J. Houze and Jeremy M Johnston entitled “Beckoning Frontiers - The Memoir of a Wyoming Entrepreneur” illustrates this man’s accomplishments and his impact on Cody and the Big Horn Basin.

George Beck was a great-nephew to George Washington on his mother’s side of the family. His father, a Scot, was a lawyer and later a Senator in Washington DC. Beck was well educated, affluent, and saw the opportunity in developing the West.

After attending Rensselaer Polytech in New York, George Beck headed west and was involved in railroad work, mining, and ultimately a ranch owner in northeastern WY. In addition to ranching, he traded wool to England’s commodity exchange, became a postmaster, and built a flour mill.

But Beck was keenly interested in starting a town. Towns required water, so Beck with others started the Cody Canal Company to irrigate land to attract farmers. In addition, Beck established The Shoshone Land and Irrigation Company, The Cody Club, The Shoshone Electric Light Company, The Cody Hotel, and the first school district.

As Cody developed, Beck helped finance an Episcopal Church, laid out street designs, was a Territorial Legislator, and a Wyoming State Senator. Cody, WY was not just an investment for Beck, it was his life.

The question is, why is there no statue of George W. T. Beck in Cody? This man and his legacy certainly deserve one.

We have established the “George T Beck Memorial Foundation” for the purpose of raising approximately $137,000 to erect a statue to memorialize the founding fathers' contributions to the early development of Cody, WY.

The George T Beck Memorial Foundation (GBMF) has partnered with Wyoming Community Foundation, a Wyoming-based 501-c3 charitable organization to receive and distribute all donations for this project. Wyoming Community Foundation (www.wycf.org) is based in Laramie, WY, and has served Wyoming through grants totaling more than $100 million in its 33-year history. WYCF serves as sponsor for this charitable community project and this relationship allows donations to be tax-deductible to donors that qualify under current IRS guidelines

GBMF has selected Vic Payne of Vic Payne Studio of Powell, WY to create a life-sized bronze of George Beck. Vic Payne has been sculpting for 35 years. Vic has been commissioned to sculpt for corporations, municipalities, and individuals. (www.vicpaynestudio.com) Examples of his work can be seen in Cody WY in front of the Irma Hotel and in front of the AmericInn Lodge.