At the next talk in the popular “Local Lore” series, historian, author and photographer Bob Richard presents Ranching on Rattlesnake Creek before Electricity. The program focuses on the history of ranching in the Rattlesnake Creek area 75-80 years ago, with emphasis on Mooncrest Ranch.

The free, illustrated talk takes place Thursday, June 8 at noon in the Buffalo Bill Center of the West’s Coe Auditorium. This installment takes place the second, rather than the third, Thursday of the month, a departure from the series’ regular schedule.

Photographs from the Center’s McCracken Research Library’s collection, including many taken by Bob’s own father, photographer Jack Richard, richly illustrate the history and stories Bob shares.

Following each “Local Lore” program, Bob signs copies of his books at the Center’s Points West Market, which has several of his titles available for purchase.

The “Local Lore” series is hosted and coordinated by the Center’s McCracken Research Library and takes place every other month. The next talk is Aug. 17 and features photos and stories of the Buffalo Bill Dam, Shoshone Canyon and Hayden Arch Bridge Road.

For more information on all center talks and other events, visit centerofthewest.org/events.  

A lifelong Wyoming resident, Richard’s varied experiences are pure West. He worked at guest ranches, guided horse and hunting trips, ranched, and for 37 years owned and operated Grub Steak Expeditions, personally touring thousands of visitors from around the world through Yellowstone and its ecosystem.

Educated at the universities of Wyoming, Arizona and California (Fresno), Richard has served as a teacher and school administrator, a decorated U.S. Marine Corps pilot in Vietnam, and, for 21 years, helped coordinate American Red Cross service and relief activities in the western United States.

Richard is the author of several books on the Cody and Yellowstone area, as well as his own family’s deep roots in the region. They feature his own photographs and often those of his father Jack Richard and uncle Ned Frost. For information on Bob’s photography and his published books, visit bobrichardphotography.com.