Buffalo Bill Boycott returns Nov. 3

Next month, fourth grade students will get an interesting look at the history of Wyoming when “Buffalo Bill” Boycott and Dr. Jo (Flower of the Prairie) come and visit with them, Nov. 3 beginning at 10:40 at Ralph Witters Elementary.

Boycott said the program, “The Legacy of Wyoming” includes performance on fiddle, banjo, mandolin and guitar; while he is experienced in playing all four instruments, Dr. Jo sticks to the guitar and banjo, and they both harmonize their voices.

Among the topics the address are Native American history, trappers, the Oregon Trail and the transcontinental railway. Boycott noted this railway was very important to the state, as it helped bring enough people out here when Wyoming was still a territory so that they could apply for statehood.

While the program is largely taught through music, there are some spots for teaching moments as well.

Boycott said there is also a multimedia presentation featuring historical paintings and photos from the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, the Wyoming State Museum and Scottsbluff National Monument.

The slideshow accompanies the music, but also shows the preservation of history through drawings and photos.

Boycott said the fourth-graders are at a point where they are journaling in class, and this is another form of preserving history. He further pointed out in the Rocky Mountain area fourth grade students are those who are studying state history, so the program fits into that curriculum.