Bob Richard papers, 1880-2025

Bob Richard was a photographer, National Park ranger, author, rancher, and businessman based in northwestern Wyoming. He was primarily known for his work related to Yellowstone National Park and the Cody, Wyoming region. Raised near Cody by his parents Jack and Rhea Richard—both journalists and historians—Richard pursued higher education at the University of Wyoming and the University of California, Fresno. He served as a Marine Corps pilot in Vietnam and later worked as a schoolteacher, school administrator, and Red Cross coordinator across the western United States. Richard’s professional life also included guiding horse and hunting trips, operating a cattle ranch, and running Grub Steak Expeditions for 37 years, during which he led tours throughout the Yellowstone ecosystem. His deep family ties to Yellowstone, including a grandfather who guided Buffalo Bill and a father who worked in the park, shaped his lifelong engagement with the area. He became the first Front Country Horse Patrolman in Yellowstone and was widely recognized for his historical knowledge of Yellowstone, Buffalo Bill, and the town of Cody.