Tadpole, the most celebrated cowgirl of all time grew up in the Sandhills

The post office in Cody seems a logical starting place in search of answers to a Sandhills mystery. The postmaster lifts her gaze from sorting bills and ads soon to be delivered to the community of 154 people.

She can't speak with authority about the town's history. But she knows who can.

Walk next door to the Husker Hub, she instructs. Table closest to the salad bar.

There a woman with white hair tightly curled above her glasses sits chewing her cheeseburger. Rocky Richards, a recently retired Cody-Kilgore High School teacher with a passion for collecting newspaper archives of western Cherry...