Comanche
The KU Natural History Museum is the home of Comanche, a horse ridden during the Battle of Little Bighorn, also known as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, in 1876. The horse was later was cared for by the 7th Cavalry. After the horse died in 1891, it was given to Lewis Lindsay Dyche by the Cavalry to be taxidermied and it has remained at the museum to this day.
In 2005, museum staff completely restored the mount for further preservation and created a new display on the fourth floor, where it can be seen today. The accompanying information panels have been temporarily removed and are currently undergoing updates for 2023.
When Comanche died in 1891, Professor Lewis Lindsay Dyche was asked to taxidermy the horse to preserve its remains.
Dyche waived his $400 taxidermy fee in exchange for allowing KU to keep the mount, which was made of wood, wire and clay, with the skin stretched over the structure. First displayed at the 1893 world's fair. Comanche is still exhibited at the museum.
In 2005, museum staff carefully dismantled the old Comanche exhibit on the fifth floor of the museum and restored the mount.