OLD WEST LEGENDS

Buffalo Bill Cody - Trapper, Trader and

             American Frontiersman

William Frederick Cody, "Buffalo Bill," was born in LeClaire, Iowa in February 26, 1846. While he was still a child, his family moved to Leavenworth, Kansas. Cody left his home in Leavenworth, at the young age of twelve, working for a wagon train going to Fort Laramie, Wyoming. Herding cattle and driving a wagon, he crossed Great Plains several times. The year 1859, found Bill rushing to the gold fields of Colorado  along with thousands of other prospectors. Searching for gold for two months near Black Hawk, Colorado, he met with little success. 

On his return to Kansas he stopped in Julesburg, Colorado, where he was recruited to ride in the Pony Express in 1860. Most of his time with the Pony Express was spent in Kansas, although he occasionally traveled across northeast Colorado.

Shortly after the death of his mother in 1863, Cody enlisted in the 7th Kansas Cavalry regiment and fought with them for the rest of the Civil War.

Buffalo Bill Cody in 1907, T.J. Hissock

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During this time, authors were avidly romanticizing the exploits of the heroes and villains who roamed the plains and Buffalo Bill Cody was no exception.  Ned Buntline, who wrote a number of western stories that became known as “dime novels,” further exaggerated and created the hero of Buffalo Bill. Hungry for news of the West, easterners quickly bought these many books by Buntline and others. In 1872, when Cody was just 26 years old, Buntline persuaded him to take the stage portraying himself, which eventually led to Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. 

Over the years, the troupe included James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok, Texas Jack Omohundro, Annie Oakleyy, several Native Americans, including Sitting Bull, “real” cowboys recruited from the West, and buffalo, as well as other live animals.

Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show toured in one form or

another for 30 years, courtesy Library of Congress.

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 and downloads HERE!

The Wild West Show would run, in one form or another, for 30 years, charming crowds throughout the United States and Europe.

During the height of the Plains Indians resistance to white settlement, Cody returned to the prairies in the summer to scout for the Fifth Army. On July 17, 1876, just three weeks after Custer and the Seventh Cavalry were defeated at Little Big Horn, Cody's regiment intercepted a band of Cheyenne warriors. When Buffalo Bill, in his stage clothing, killed and scalped a Cheyenne warrior named Yellow Hair, he reportedly cried out "First scalp for Custer!"

Despite his characterization as a figure from the past, Buffalo Bill always looked to the future. As a businessman, he invested his earnings in an Arizona mine, ranching, coal and oil development, film making, publishing, founded the city of Cody, Wyoming in 1896, and built hotels in both Sheridan and Cody, Wyoming .

Furthermore, he became an advocate for his former foes, the Native Americans, pushing for better treatment and despite his history of killing the buffalo, spoke out for conservation of this American icon.  In 1885 he stated "The defeat of Custer was not a massacre. The Indians were being pursued by skilled fighters with orders to kill. For centuries they had been hounded from the Atlantic to the Pacific and back again. They had their wives and little ones to protect and they were fighting for their existence."

On another occasion, he said "Every Indian outbreak that I have ever known has resulted from broken promises and broken treaties by the government."

By the turn of the 20th century, William F. Cody was probably the most famous American in the world. No one symbolized the West for Americans and Europeans better than Buffalo Bill. He was consulted on Western matters by every American president from Ulysses S. Grant to Woodrow Wilson.

However, at the same time another show was providing serious competition - “Pawnee Bill’s Wild West and Great Far East Show, operated by Gordon “Pawnee Bill” Lillie, who had, years earlier, worked for Buffalo Bill. When Cody's show began to suffer financially he sold a one-third interest in his production to Pawnee Bill in 1908. Soon, Gordon bought the remaining interest in the show, but retained Buffalo Bill as a partner. The two traveled together as the “Two Bill’s Show” until 1913, when the venture went bankrupt. It was billed as one of the entertainment triumphs of the ages and  traveled all over the world entertaining audiences with both realistic and fantasy views of the Old West. The show closed in Denver, Colorado, in 1913 after touring for five seasons.

Buffalo Bill Cody never retired. He died on January 10, 1917 while visiting his sister’s home in Denver.  By his own request, he was buried on Lookout Mountain, west of the Denver, Colorado, overlooking the Great Plains.  His wife Louisa was buried next to her husband four years later.

Kathy Weiser/Legends of America, © updated August, 2009.

Also See: Buffalo Bill & Wild West Show

Buffalo Bill Cody in 1903/

Buffalo Bill, 1872, P. Frenzeny, Forbes Co.

This image available for photographic prints and

 downloads HERE!

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