The Buffalo Bill Dam was originally known as the Shoshone Dam and was at one time the tallest dam in the world.

The Dam is located outside of the small town of Cody, Wyoming, and was a project that began in 1904 and was completed in 1910. The Buffalo Bill Dam helps to irrigate around 12,500 acres of land.

UWYO.edu American Heritage Digital Collections
UWYO.edu American Heritage Digital Collections
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But did you know that several miles West of where the dam is located, there once was a small town named Marquette, Wyoming?

The town was named after George Marquette, who settled in the area in 1881 and officially took ownership of his homestead in 1897.

The small town had a store, post office, and school and also included several ranches located further up the North Fork.

When the location of the Shoshone Dam was chosen, the land that the town was on was purchased by the government.

Most of the main buildings and homes were relocated, but a few outbuildings and a few of the older homesteads were left to be covered by the reservoir.

While researching this story, I was surprised to come upon the name of my husband's grandfather, "Evan Holman."

I know that my husband is a 4th generation Wyomingite and that his family lived in that area at the time. But it was still a surprise to see a picture of his grandfather not only in front of the Marquette school, but he was also listed as a participant in the rodeo.

Below is a series of pictures that shows what the town of Marquette looked like before it vanished into the waters of the Buffalo Bill Reservoir. I've also included some pictures of what the Dam looked like as it was being built.

The Small Town Of Marquette, Wyoming From Beginning To End

A history in pictures of the small town of Marquette, Wyoming, from its beginning to the end when it was flooded upon the completion of the Shoshone Dam (later named the Buffalo Bill Dam).

Diary of a Wyoming Homesteader From Over 100 Years Ago

Taylor Barnette has a TikTok account where he shares 100-year-old diary entries from his Great Grandmother while showing what life looks like now on the very same ranch.

Wyoming At The Turn Of The Century Through The Eyes Of Lora Webb Nichols

Nichols received her first camera in 1899 at the age of 16. Her earlier photographs are of her family and friends as well as self-portraits, and landscape pictures of the land surrounding the town of Encampment.

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