Buffalo Bill's Well (Beach Ranch Well)

Quick Facts

Location:

Four miles west of Lyons, on U.S. Highway 56 to Father Padilla's Cross, then turn left (south) for one mile on a gravel road. At this point, two gravel roads intersect, and the well is in the northwest quadrant of that intersection, very near the road.

Significance:

Water was a precious commodity along the Santa Fe Trail, and Buffalo Bill's well helped quench many a mighty thirst during the trail's heyday.

Designation:

Certified Site

MANAGED BY:

Rice  County Clerk's office

The well was originally dug to serve the Beach Ranch at Cow Creek crossing, providing water for livestock as well as for travelers on the Santa Fe Trail. Sometime after 1860, William Mathewson - who was the original Buffalo Bill - purchased the ranch of Asahel and Abijah Beach, also called the Cow Creek Ranch, and operated it until 1866. Mathewson was known as Buffalo Bill because he helped supply buffalo meat to starving settlers in Kansas Territory during the severe drought of 1859-60. (In later years, the better-known Buffalo Bill, William F. Cody, worked for Masterson.)

Site Information

Location (Four miles west of Lyons, on U.S. Highway 56 to Father Padilla's Cross, then turn left (south) for one mile on a gravel road. At this point, two gravel roads intersect, and the well is in the northwest quadrant of that intersection, very near the road.)
 

Available Facilities: This hand dug well can be visited today. The well was nearly wiped out a number of years ago when a road improvement project was under way. It was saved by the timely action of several local historians.

Exhibits: A Daughters of the American Revolution marker is located just north of the well.

Safety Considerations

More Site Information

Santa Fe National Historic Trail