George W. T. Beck, an influential rancher and entrepreneur in the
American West, collaborated with William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody to
establish the town of Cody, Wyoming, in the 1890s. He advanced his
financial investments in Wyoming through his numerous personal and
professional contacts with various eastern investors and
politicians in Washington DC. Beck's family—his father a Kentucky
senator and his mother a grandniece of George Washington—and his
adventures in the American West resulted in personal associates who
ranged from western legends Buffalo Bill, Jesse James, and Calamity
Jane to wealthy American elites such as George and Phoebe Hearst
and Theodore Roosevelt. This definitive edition of Beck's memoir
provides a glimpse of early life in Wyoming, offering readers a
rare perspective on how community boosters cooperated with
political leaders and wealthy financiers. Beck's memoir, introduced
and annotated by Lynn J. Houze and Jeremy M. Johnston, offers a
unique and sometimes amusing view of financial dealings in eastern
boardrooms, as well as stories of Beck's adventures with Buffalo
Bill in Wyoming. Beck's memoir demonstrates not only his interest
in developing the West but also his humor and his willingness to
collaborate with a variety of people.