New store revives Buffalo Bill’s legacy

When sisters Jody Jeffries and Cristi Vega made plans to open a general store here, they chose the name Cody’s General Store for two reasons.

First, the name touts the store’s Western theme.

Second, it honors their father, Donald Cody, who shared the same Feb. 26 birth date with Buffalo Bill Cody and was proud to be related to the Wild West legend.

“The family always thought an old-time general store in an Old West city would be a perfect fit for Baker City,” Vega said.

Besides the family relationship and Cody’s 1908 visit to Baker City, Vega said there’s another coincidence linking the names Cody and Baker.

Buffalo Bill’s adopted son, Johnnie Baker, met Cody at age 9 and later became known as The Cowboy Kid when he performed as a sharpshooter in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show.

When Buffalo Bill died in 1917, Baker inherited most of Cody’s personal items and memorabilia, which is displayed at the William F. Cody “Buffalo Bill” Museum near his burial site at Lookout Mountain, Colo.

Jeffries ran an antique business for nearly 10 years, and her antiques are displayed in the new store along with a collection of Western and colonial furniture, art, memorabilia and gift items.

In addition to antiques, there’s lots of Buffalo Bill signs and posters, and other Buffalo Bill collector’s items are on the way, She said.

“Step back in time as you wander through the store filled with antiques and old time country home decor,” Vega said. “We sell antiques and new production stuff.”

Gift items sold in the general store range from candles and lamps to quilted runners, rag rugs and yellow-ware dishes, she said.

“We just opened the last week of December. So far, things are going really well,” Vega said. “Our goal is to capture Western, old-time feel.”

For now, the businesses is located in the front portion of Jeffries’ colonial-style home at the corner of Oak and Auburn.

But eventually the sisters hope to move their store to Main Street in the downtown historic district.

The sisters currently work full-time jobs — Jeffries as the Baker Clinic and Vega at the Baker County Courthouse — in addition to operating their store.

To keep wages and overhead costs low, they’ve set store hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturdays, with one sister manning the store on Thursdays, the other working on Fridays, and the pair alternating duties on Saturdays. 

“Our plan is to start out small, to keep that small-town feel,” Vega said.

In addition to the regular hours, Vega and Jeffries said they would be happy to open Cody’s General Store by appointment “when it is convenient for you.”

“That’s what is great for about a small town,” Vega said.

For more information or to call for a personal shopping experience at Cody’s General Store, call 541-519-0611 or 541-519-3302.