| William Frederick Cody | |
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| Born | February 26, 1846 near Le Claire, Iowa, United States |
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| Died | January 10, 1917 (aged 70) Denver, Colorado, United States |
| Burial place | Lookout Mountain, Golden, Colorado |
| Spouse | Louisa Frederici (1843-1921) |
| Children | Four children, two of whom died young: Kit died of scarlet fever in April, 1876, and his daughter Orra died in 1880 |
William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody (February 26, 1846 – January 10, 1917) was an American soldier, bison hunter and showman. Events 747 BC - Epoch (origin of Ptolemy 's Nabonassar Era 364 - Valentinian I is proclaimed For the game see 1846 (board game. Year 1846 ( MDCCCXLVI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display Le Claire is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2847 at the 2000 census The State of Iowa ( is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States of America. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signaling the start of civil war. Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The City and County of Denver (pronounced /ˈdɛnvɚ/ is the Capital and the most populous city of Colorado, in the United States The State of Colorado ( or chiefly by nonresidents) is a state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Lookout Mountain is one of the larger foothills which overlooks Golden Colorado. The historic City of Golden is a Home Rule Municipality that is the County seat of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Events 747 BC - Epoch (origin of Ptolemy 's Nabonassar Era 364 - Valentinian I is proclaimed For the game see 1846 (board game. Year 1846 ( MDCCCXLVI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signaling the start of civil war. Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America The American bison ( Bison bison) is a Bovine Mammal, also commonly known as the American buffalo. Showman can have a variety of meanings usually by context Travelling Showmen are people who run Amusement and side show equipment at regional Shows Capitol Shows events and festivals He was born in the Iowa Territory (now the American state of Iowa), near Le Claire. Iowa Territory was an Organized territory of the United States from July 4, 1838 until December 28, 1846 when the The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The State of Iowa ( is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States of America. Le Claire is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2847 at the 2000 census He was one of the most colorful figures of the Old West, and mostly famous for the shows he organized with cowboy themes. A cowboy is an animal Herder who tends Cattle on Ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback and often performs a multitude of Buffalo Bill received the Medal of Honor in 1872. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government.
Nickname and work life
William Frederick ("Buffalo Bill") Cody got his nickname after he undertook a contract[1] to supply Kansas Pacific Railroad workers with buffalo meat . The Kansas Pacific Railway ( KP) was a historic railroad company that operated in the western United States in the late 19th century The American bison ( Bison bison) is a Bovine Mammal, also commonly known as the American buffalo. The nickname originally referred to Bill Comstock. Cody earned the nickname by killing 4,280 buffalo[2] in eighteen months (1867-68)[3].
In addition to his documented service as a soldier during the Civil War and as Chief of Scouts for the Third Cavalry during the Plains Wars, Cody claimed to have worked many jobs, including as a trapper, bullwhacker, "Fifty-Niner" in Colorado, a Pony Express rider in 1860, wagonmaster, stagecoach driver, and even a hotel manager, but it's unclear which claims were factual and which were fabricated for purposes of publicity. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South The activity of animal trapping has two separate but related meanings The Fifty-Niners were the estimated 100000 gold seekers who streamed into the Pike's Peak Country of western Kansas Territory and southwestern Nebraska Territory The State of Colorado ( or chiefly by nonresidents) is a state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. The Pony Express was a fast Mail service crossing the North American continent from St For other meanings see Stagecoach (disambiguation. A stagecoach (also called diligence) is a type of four-wheeled enclosed A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging usually on a short-term basis He became world famous for his Wild West show.
Early years
William Frederick Cody was born at his family's farmhouse in Scott County, Iowa, on February 26, 1846, to Isaac Cody and wife Mary Ann Bonsell Laycock, daughter of Samuel Laycock and wife Hannah Taylor. Scott County is a County located in the US state of Iowa. As of 2000 the population was 158668 2006 estimate is 162621 The State of Iowa ( is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States of America. When Cody was 7, his older brother, Samuel, was killed by a fall from a horse. His death so affected Mary Cody's health that a change of scene was advised and the family relocated to Kansas, moving into a large log cabin on land that they had staked there.
Cody's father believed that Kansas should be a free state, but many of the other settlers in the area were pro-slavery (see Bleeding Kansas). Bleeding Kansas, sometimes referred to in history as Bloody Kansas or the Border War, was a series of violent events involving Free-Staters While giving an anti-slavery speech at the local trading post, he so inflamed the supporters of slavery in the audience that they formed a mob and one of them stabbed him. Abolitionism was a political movement of the 18th and 19th century which sought to make Slavery illegal particularly in the United States and British West Indies Cody helped to drag his father to safety, although he never fully recovered from his injuries. The family was constantly persecuted by the supporters of slavery, forcing Isaac Cody to spend much of his time away from home. His enemies learned of a planned visit to his family and plotted to kill him on the way. Cody, despite his youth and the fact that he was ill, rode 30 miles (48 km) to warn his father. Cody's father died in 1857 from complications from his stabbing.
After his father's death, the Cody family suffered financial difficulties, and Cody, aged 11, took a job with freight carrier as a "boy extra," riding up and down the length of a wagon train, delivering messages. From here, he joined Johnston's Army as an unofficial member of the scouts assigned to guide the Army to Utah to put down a falsely-reported rebellion by the Mormon population of Salt Lake City. The Utah War, also known as the Utah Expedition or Buchanan's Blunder, was an armed dispute between Latter-day Saint (" Mormon " The State of Utah (ˈjuːtɔː or) is a western state of the United States. TalkMormon#Latter Day Saint vs Latter-day Saint --> Mormon Salt Lake City is the Capital and the most populous city of the U According to Cody's account in Buffalo Bill's Own Story, the Utah War was where he first began his career as an "Indian fighter". The Utah War, also known as the Utah Expedition or Buchanan's Blunder, was an armed dispute between Latter-day Saint (" Mormon "
Presently the moon rose, dead ahead of me; and painted boldly across its face was the figure of an Indian. He wore the war-bonnet of the Sioux, at his shoulder was a rifle pointed at someone in the river-bottom 30 feet (9 m) below; in another second he would drop one of my friends. I raised my old muzzle-loader and fired. The figure collapsed, tumbled down the bank and landed with a splash in the water. 'What is it?' called McCarthy, as he hurried back. 'It's over there in the water,' I answered. McCarthy ran over to the dark figure. 'Hi!' he cried. 'Little Billy's killed an Indian all by himself!' So began my career as an Indian fighter.
At the age of 14, Cody was struck by gold fever, but on his way to the gold fields, he met an agent for the Pony Express. The Pony Express was a fast Mail service crossing the North American continent from St He signed with them and after building several way stations and corrals was given a job as rider, which he kept until he was called home to his sick mother's bedside.
His mother recovered, and Cody, who wished to enlist as a soldier, but was refused for his age, began working with a United States freight caravan which delivered supplies to Fort Laramie. Fort Laramie National Historic Site, located in present-day Goshen County, Wyoming
Civil War soldier and marriage
Shortly after the death of his mother in 1863, Cody enlisted in the 7th Kansas Cavalry Regiment and fought with them on the Union side for the rest of the Civil War. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South
While stationed at military camp in St. Louis, Bill met Louisa Frederici (1843-1921). He returned after his discharge and they married on March 6, 1866. Their marriage was not a happy one, and Bill unsuccessfully attempted to divorce Louisa. They had four children, two of whom died young: his beloved son, Kit died of scarlet fever in April, 1876, and his daughter Orra died in 1880.
His early experience as an Army scout led him again to scouting. From 1868 until 1872 Cody was employed as a scout by the United States Army. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. Part of this time he spent scouting for Indians, and the remainder was spent gathering and killing bison for them and the Kansas Pacific Railroad. The Kansas Pacific Railway ( KP) was a historic railroad company that operated in the western United States in the late 19th century
Medal of Honor
He received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for "gallantry in action" while serving as a civilian scout for the 3rd Cavalry Regiment. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. The 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment is a Regiment of the United States Army currently stationed at Fort Hood TX. This medal was revoked on February 5, 1917, 24 days after his death, because he was a civilian and therefore was ineligible for the award under new guidelines for the award in 1917. The medal was restored to him by the army in 1989.
See List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Indian Wars
Buffalo Bill's Wild West
After being a frontiersman, Buffalo Bill entered show business. This is a complete list of those people who received the Medal of Honor for their actions in the Indian Wars. A frontier is a Political and Geographical term referring to areas near or beyond a boundary, or of a different nature He formed a touring company called the Buffalo Bill Combination which put on plays (such as "Scouts of the Prairie", "Scouts of the Plain") based loosely on his Western adventures, initially with Texas Jack Omohundro, and for one season (1873) with Wild Bill Hickok. John Baker Omohundro ( July 26, 1846 &ndash June 28, 1880) also known as "Texas Jack" was a frontier scout, actor and James Butler Hickok ( May 27, 1837 &ndash August 2, 1876) better known as Wild Bill Hickok, was a figure in the American Old The troupe toured for ten years and his part typically included an 1876 incident at the Warbonnet Creek where he claimed to have scalped a Cheyenne warrior, purportedly in revenge for the death of George Armstrong Custer. The Battle of Warbonnet Creek was a skirmish characterized by a duel between legendary scout and showman "Buffalo Bill" Cody and a lone warrior he mistook for Cheyenne are a Native American nation of the Great Plains. The Cheyenne Nation is composed of two united tribes, the Só'taa'e (more commonly [4][5]
It was the age of great showmen and traveling entertainers, like the Barnum and Bailey Circus and the Vaudeville circuits. Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus was started when the Circus created by James Anthony Bailey and P Vaudeville was a Genre of variety entertainment prevalent on the stage in the United States and Canada, from the early 1880s Cody put together a new traveling show based on both of those forms of entertainment. In 1883 in the area of North Platte, Nebraska he founded "Buffalo Bill's Wild West," (despite popular misconception, the word "show" was not a part of the title) a circus-like attraction that toured annually. North Platte is a city in and the County seat of Lincoln County, Nebraska, United States. Nebraska ( is a state located on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States and The Omaha Driving Park hosted the first official performance of the Wild West on May 19, 1883. The Omaha Driving Park, later called Sunset Driving Park, was located in North Omaha, Nebraska. Events 1535 - French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships 110 men and Year 1883 ( MDCCCLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Eight thousand people attended the premiere at the Park, which was located in North Omaha. North Omaha is a community area in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. It is bordered by Cuming and Dodge Streets on the south Interstate 680 [6]
As the Wild West toured North America over the next twenty years, it became a moving extravaganza, including as many as 1200 performers. In 1893 the title was changed to "Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders of the World". The show began with a parade on horseback, with participants from horse-culture groups that included US and other military, American Indians, and performers from all over the world in their best attire. There were Turks, Gauchos, Arabs, Mongols and Cossacks, among others, each showing their own distinctive horses and colorful costumes. The Turkic peoples are Eurasian peoples residing in northern central and western Eurasia who speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family Gaucho ( gaúcho in Portuguese, "gaucho" in Spanish) is a term commonly used to describe residents of the South American Pampas The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding The Cossacks (Каза́ки́ Kazaki; Козаки́ Kozaki; Kozacy are a group of martial people living in the southern Steppe regions of Eastern Visitors to this spectacle could see main events, feats of skill, staged races, and sideshows. Many authentic western personalities were part of the show. For example Sitting Bull and a band of twenty braves appeared. Sitting Bull ( Lakota: Tȟatȟaŋka Iyotȟaŋka or Ta-Tanka I-Yotank, also nicknamed Slon-he or "Slow" Ca Cody's headline performers were well known in their own right. People like Annie Oakley and her husband Frank Butler put on shooting exhibitions along with the likes of Gabriel Dumont. Francis or Frank Butler may refer to Frank Butler (musician, jazz drummer Frank E Gabriel Dumont (December 1837 – May 19, 1906) was a leader of the Métis people of what is now western Canada. Buffalo Bill and his performers would re-enact the riding of the Pony Express, Indian attacks on wagon trains, and stagecoach robberies. The Pony Express was a fast Mail service crossing the North American continent from St The show typically ended with a melodramatic re-enactment of Custer's Last Stand in which Cody himself portrayed General Custer. The Battle of the Little Bighorn &mdashalso known as Custer's Last Stand, and in the parlance of the relevant Native Americans, the Battle of the Greasy Grass
The profits from his show enabled him to purchase a 4,000-acre (16 km²) ranch near North Platte, Nebraska in 1886. Sitting Bull ( Lakota: Tȟatȟaŋka Iyotȟaŋka or Ta-Tanka I-Yotank, also nicknamed Slon-he or "Slow" Ca North Platte is a city in and the County seat of Lincoln County, Nebraska, United States. Nebraska ( is a state located on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States and Scout's Rest Ranch included an eighteen-room mansion and a large barn for winter storage of the show's livestock. Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park, also known as Scout's Rest Ranch, is a living history park located west of North Platte, Nebraska.
In 1887 he took the show to England in celebration of the Jubilee year of Queen Victoria. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary of a monarch's reign Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901 was from 20 June 1837 the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland The show was staged in London before going on to Birmingham and then Salford near Manchester, where it stayed for five months. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um Salford lies at the heart of the City of Salford, a Metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in North West England. [7] In 1889 the show toured Europe. In 1890 he met Pope Leo XIII. Pope Leo XIII ( March 2, 1810 – July 20, 1903) born Count Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci, was the 256th Pope He set up an exhibition near the Chicago World's Fair of 1893, which greatly contributed to his popularity, and also vexed the promoters of the fair. The World's Columbian Exposition (also called The Chicago World's Fair) a World's Fair, was held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary As noted in The Devil in the White City, he had been rebuffed in his request to be part of the fair, so he set up shop just to the west of the fairgrounds, drawing many of their patrons away. The Devil in the White City Murder Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America ( Random House, ISBN 9780375725609 is a 2003 Non-fiction Since his show was not part of the fair, he was not obligated to pay the promoters any royalties, which they could have used to temper their financial problems.
Conservation activities
Larry McMurtry, along with some historians, asserts that at the turn of the 20th century Buffalo Bill Cody was the most recognizable celebrity on earth. Larry Jeff McMurtry (born June 3, 1936) is an American Novelist, Screenwriter, Essayist and Bookseller. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on And yet, despite all of the recognition and appreciation Cody's show brought for the Western and American Indian cultures, Buffalo Bill saw the American West change dramatically during his tumultuous life. The Western United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American West or simply the West &mdashtraditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost Bison herds, which had once numbered in the millions, were now threatened with extinction. Railroads crossed the plains, barbed wire, and other types of fences divided the land for farmers and ranchers, and the once-threatening Indian tribes were now almost completely confined to reservations. Barbed wire, also known as barb wire (and frequently in dialect form spelled bob or bobbed) is a type of fencing Wire constructed Wyoming's resources of coal, oil and natural gas were beginning to be exploited towards the end of his life. The State of Wyoming ( is a sparsely populated state in the western region of the United States. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Natural gas is a Gaseous Fossil fuel consisting primarily of Methane but including significant quantities of Ethane, Propane,
Even the Shoshone River was dammed for hydroelectric power as well as for irrigation. Hydroelectricity is electricity generated by Hydropower, ie the production of power through use of the gravitational force of falling water Irrigation is an artificial application of water to the soil usually for assisting in growing crops In 1897 and 1899 Cody and his associates acquired from the State of Wyoming the right to take water from the Shoshone River to irrigate about 169,000 acres (680 km²) of land in the Big Horn Basin. They began developing a canal to carry water diverted from the river, but their plans did not include a water storage reservoir. Cody and his associates were unable to raise sufficient capital to complete their plan. Early in 1903 they joined with the Wyoming Board of Land Commissioners in urging the federal government to step in and help with irrigation development in the valley.
The Shoshone Project became one of the first federal water development projects undertaken by the newly formed Reclamation Service, later to become known as the Bureau of Reclamation. After Reclamation took over the project in 1903, investigating engineers recommended constructing a dam on the Shoshone River in the canyon west of Cody.
Construction of the Shoshone Dam started in 1905, a year after the Shoshone Project was authorized. Almost three decades after its construction, the name of the dam and reservoir was changed to Buffalo Bill Dam by an act of Congress to honor Cody.
Life in Cody, Wyoming
In 1895, William Cody was instrumental in founding Cody, Wyoming. Cody is a city in Park County, Wyoming, United States. It is named after William Frederick Cody primarily known as Buffalo Bill, from William Cody passed through the region in the 1870s. He was so impressed by the development possibilities from irrigation, rich soil, grand scenery, hunting, and proximity to Yellowstone Park that he returned in the mid-1890s to start a town. He brought with him men whose names are still on street signs in Cody’s downtown area – Beck, Alger, Rumsey, Bleistein and Salsbury. The town was incorporated in 1901.
In November 1902 Cody opened the Irma Hotel in downtown Cody, a hotel named after his daughter. The Irma Hotel is a landmark in Cody Wyoming. It was built by William F He envisioned a growing number of tourists coming to the town via the recently opened Burlington rail line. He expected that they would spend money at local business including the Irma Hotel. Cody also expected that they would proceed up the Cody Road along the of the North Fork of the Shoshone River to visit Yellowstone Park. To accommodate travelers along the Cody Road he built the Wapiti Inn and Pahaska Tepee. Pahaska Tepee is William " Buffalo Bill " Cody’s old hunting lodge and hotel in the U In 1905 Cody completed construction of the Wapiti Inn and Pahaska Tepee and opened both to guests. [8]
Cody also established the TE Ranch, which was located on the South Fork of the Shoshone River about 35 miles from Cody. When he acquired the TE property, he ordered the movement of Nebraska and South Dakota cattle to Wyoming. This new herd carried the TE brand. The late 1890s were relatively prosperous years for Buffalo Bill's Wild West and he used some of the profits to accumulate lands which were added to the TE holdings. Eventually Cody held around eight thousand acres (32 km²) of private land for grazing operations and ran about a thousand head of cattle. He also operated a dude ranch, pack horse camping trips, and big game hunting business at and from the TE Ranch. In his spacious and comfortable ranch house he entertained notable guests from Europe and America.
Death
Cody died of kidney failure on January 10, 1917, surrounded by family and friends at his sister's house in Denver. Lookout Mountain is one of the larger foothills which overlooks Golden Colorado. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signaling the start of civil war. The City and County of Denver (pronounced /ˈdɛnvɚ/ is the Capital and the most populous city of Colorado, in the United States On his death bed William F. Cody was baptized into the Roman Catholic Church the day before his death January 9, 1917, by Father Christopher Walsh of the Denver Cathedral. Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. Upon the news of his death he received tributes from the King George V of the United Kingdom, the German Kaiser, and President Woodrow Wilson. Kaiser is the German title meaning " Emperor " with Kaiserin being the female equivalent " Empress " Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28 1856—February 3 1924 was the twenty-eighth President of the United States. [9] His funeral was in Denver at the Elks Lodge Hall. Wyoming Governor John B. Kendrick, a friend of Cody's, led the funeral procession to the Elks Lodge. John B Kendrick ( September 6, 1857 November 3, 1933) was an American politician who served as a United States Senator
Contrary to popular belief Cody was not destitute, but his once great fortune had dwindled to under $100,000. Despite his request in an early will to be buried in Cody, Wyoming, a later will left his burial arrangements up to his wife Louisa. To this day there is controversy as to where Cody should have been buried. According to the writer Larry McMurtry, Harry Tammen and Frederick Gilmer Bonfils of the Denver Post, who had strong-armed Cody into appearing in their Sells-Floto Circus, either "bullied or bamboozled the grieving Louisa" and had Cody buried in Colorado. Larry Jeff McMurtry (born June 3, 1936) is an American Novelist, Screenwriter, Essayist and Bookseller. Frederick Gilmer Bonfils ( December 21 1860 – February 2 1933) U The Denver Post is a daily Newspaper and online website published in Denver Colorado. The Sells Floto Circus was a combination of the Floto Dog & Pony Show and the Sells Brothers Circus that toured with sideshow acts in the United States during [10] This is consistent with an account by Gene Fowler, who wrote Cody's obituary for the Post under direction from Tammen and Bonfils. Gene Fowler (born Eugene Devlan ( March 8, 1890 – July 2, 1960) was an American journalist author and dramatist
On June 3, 1917, Cody was buried on Colorado's Lookout Mountain, in Golden, Colorado, west of the city of Denver, on the edge of the Rocky Mountains and overlooking the Great Plains. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman Emperor, entering Lookout Mountain is one of the larger foothills which overlooks Golden Colorado. The historic City of Golden is a Home Rule Municipality that is the County seat of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a Mountain range in western North America. The Great Plains are the broad expanse of Prairie and Steppe which lie east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada His exact burial site was selected by his sister, Mrs. Mary Decker, while looking over the area accompanied by W. F. R. Mills, manager of the Denver Mountain Parks. The Denver Mountain Parks system contains 14000 acres (57 km² of parklands in the mountains and foothills of Jefferson, Clear Creek, Douglas,and [11] In 1948 the Cody branch of the American Legion offered a reward for the 'return' of the body, so the Denver branch mounted a guard over the grave until a deeper shaft could be blasted into the rock. For other uses of American Legion see American Legion (disambiguation The American Legion was chartered by the U [12]
Legacy
In contrast to his image and stereotype as a rough-hewn outdoorsman, Buffalo Bill pushed for the rights of American Indians and women. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States In addition, despite his history of killing bison, he supported their conservation by speaking out against hide-hunting and pushing for a hunting season. The conservation movement also known as nature conservation is a political social and to some extent scientific movement that seeks to protect natural resources including
Buffalo Bill became so well known and his exploits so well entrenched in American culture that his character has appeared in many literary works, as well as television shows and movies, and on two U. S. postage stamps. Westerns were very popular in the 1950s and 60s, and Buffalo Bill would make an appearance in many of them. As a character, he is in the very popular Broadway musical Annie Get Your Gun, which was very successful both with Ethel Merman and more recently with Bernadette Peters in the lead role. Annie Get Your Gun is a musical with lyrics and music written by Irving Berlin and a book by Herbert Fields and his sister Dorothy Ethel Merman ( January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was an American Actress and Singer for Musical Bernadette Peters (born February 28 1948 is an American Actress and Singer from New York City.
Having been a frontier scout who respected the natives, he was a staunch supporter of their rights. He employed many more natives than just Sitting Bull, feeling his show offered them a better life, calling them "the former foe, present friend, the American", and once said,
- "Every Indian outbreak that I have ever known has resulted from broken promises and broken treaties by the government. "
While in his shows the Indians were usually the "bad guys", attacking stagecoaches and wagon trains in order to be driven off by "heroic" cowboys and soldiers, Bill also had the wives and children of his Indian performers set up camp as they would in the homelands as part of the show, so that the paying public could see the human side of the "fierce warriors", that they were families like any other, just part of a different culture.
The city of Cody, Wyoming was founded in 1896 by Cody and some investors, and is named for him. It is the home of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is a complex of museums displaying artifacts and art of the American West located in Cody Wyoming. Fifty miles from Yellowstone National Park, it became a tourist magnet with many dignitaries and political leaders coming to hunt. Bill did indeed spend a great amount of time in Wyoming at his home in Cody. However, he also had a house in the town of North Platte, Nebraska and later built the Scout's Rest Ranch there where he came to be with his family between shows. North Platte is a city in and the County seat of Lincoln County, Nebraska, United States. This western Nebraska town is still home to "Nebraskaland Days," an annual festival including concerts and a large rodeo. Nebraska ( is a state located on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States and The Scout's Rest Ranch in North Platte is both a museum, and a tourist destination for thousands of people every year.
Buffalo Bill became a hero of the Bills, a Congolese youth subculture of the late 1950s who idolized Western movies. The Bills were a youth subculture that thrived in Léopoldville (modern-day Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo) in the late The Democratic Republic of the Congo (République démocratique du Congo often referred to as DR Congo, DRC or RDC, and formerly known or referred to
The nickname of the K.A.A. Gent football club in Ghent, Belgium is De Buffalo's (The Buffalos), which was adopted after the Wild West Show visited the area in the early 1900s. KAA Gent is a Belgian football, athletics and hockey club based in the Belgian city of Ghent. Ghent (ˈɡɛnt Gent ʝɛnt in Dutch, Gand in French, and formerly Gaunt in English) is a City and a
In film and television
On television, his character has appeared on shows such as Bat Masterson and even Bonanza. Bat Masterson is an American Western Television series which showed a fictionalized account of the life of real-life marshal/gambler/dandy Bonanza is an American television series that ran on NBC from September 12 1959 to January 16 1973 His persona has been portrayed as anything from an elder statesman to a flamboyant, self-serving exhibitionist. Buffalo Bill has been portrayed in the movies by:
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The false Italian pedigree
Italy was among many countries where stories recounting various adventures attributed to Buffalo Bill were highly popular. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest In the 1930s and 1940's, the Nerbini Publishing House of Florence monthly published such brochures, sold at 60 Centimi each. Florence ( Italian: Firenze Florentia and Fiorenza) is the Capital City of the Italian region of Tuscany
In 1942, when Fascist Italy found itself at war with the United States, the publisher added a note purporting to reveal that Buffalo Bill had actually been an Italian immigrant named Domenico Tombini, orignially from Romagna, Mussolini's own native province - a pedigree for which no shred of historical evidence exists. Romagna is an Italian historical region that approximately corresponds to the south-eastern portion of present-day Emilia-Romagna. In this way, the adventures could continue publication in wartime Italy, under the title "Buffalo Bill, the Italian Hero of the Plains" [13].
Buffalo Bill's / defunct
A free verse poem on mortality by E. E. Cummings uses Buffalo Bill as an image of life and vibrancy. Free verse is a term describing various styles of Poetry that are written without using strict meter or Rhyme, but that still are recognizable as poetry Death is the termination of the biological functions that define living Organisms It refers both to a specific Edward Estlin Cummings (October 14 1894 &ndash September 3 1962 popularly known as E The poem is generally untitled, and commonly known by its first two lines: "Buffalo Bill's / defunct", however some books such as Poetry edited by J. Hunter uses the name "portrait". The poem uses expressive phrases to describe Buffalo Bill's showmanship, referring to his "watersmooth-silver / stallion", and using a staccato beat to describe his rapid shooting of a series of clay pigeons. Clay pigeon shooting, formally known as Inanimate Bird Shooting is the art of shooting at special flying targets known as clay pigeons or clay targets with a Shotgun or any The poem which featured this character caused great controversy. Buffalo Bill was actually in debt at the time of his death which is why the word "defunct" used in the second verse is so effective. The fusion of words such as "onetwothreefour" interprets the impression which Buffalo Bill left on his audiences.
Other Buffalo Bills
- Buffalo Bill was the first song written by Australian country music singer, Sara Storer. Australian country music is a vibrant part of the Music of Australia. Sara Storer is an Australian Country music singer She won seven Golden Guitars in the Tamworth Country Music Festival 2004 awards in Tamworth Living in Camooweal, north of Melbourne, she met a retired water buffalo shooter whose stories inspired her to write Buffalo Bill, her first song. Camooweal ( is a small town in north-western Queensland, Australia, located 188 km north-west of the city of Mount Isa and 12 km east of the Northern Buffalo Bill won a Golden Guitar at the Tammworth Country Music Festival in 2001 for New Talent of the Year and appears on her first album, Chasing Buffalos
- Buffalo Bill is also the name of a fictional character from Thomas Harris's The Silence of the Lambs, who was also parodied in the movie Joe Dirt under the name Buffalo Bob. The Golden Guitar is one of the many "big" attractions that can be found around Australia. Thomas Harris (born April 11, 1940) is an American Author of crime Novels most notably The Silence The Silence of the Lambs is a horror / Crime Novel by Thomas Harris, starring his popular villain Dr Joe Dirt is a 2001 Comedy film starring David Spade, Dennis Miller, Christopher Walken, Brittany Daniel
- Two television series, Buffalo Bill, Jr. A television program (US television programme (UK or television show (U (1955–6) starring Dickie Jones and Buffalo Bill (1983–4) starring Dabney Coleman, had nothing to do with the historic person. Dick Jones (born February 25, 1927)is an American actor who achieved some success as a child and as a young adult especially in Dabney Wharton Coleman (born January 3, 1932) is an American Actor.
- The Buffalo Bills, an NFL team based in Buffalo, New York, were named after Buffalo Bill. The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo New York Metropolitan area, playing seven of their home games in the suburb The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. Buffalo (ˈbʌfəloʊ is the second largest city in New York State. Prior to that team's existence, other early football teams (such as Buffalo Bills (AAFC)) used the nickname, solely due to name recognition, as Bill Cody had no special connection with the city. The Buffalo Bills was an American Football team based in Buffalo NY, that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949
- The Buffalo Bills are a barbershop-quartet singing group consisting of Vern Reed, Al Shea, Bill Spangenberg, and Wayne Ward. The Buffalo Bills were a barbershop quartet formed in Buffalo, New York. They appeared in the original Broadway cast of The Music Man (opened 1957) and in the 1962 motion-picture version of that play.
- Buffalo Bill is the title of a song by the jam band Phish. Phish is an American Jam band noted for their Musical improvisation, extended Jam sessions and cult following
- Buffalo Bill is the name of a bluegrass band in Wisconsin
- Samuel Cowdery, buffalo hunter, "wild west" showman and aviation pioneer changed his surname to "Cody" and was often taken for the original "Buffalo Bill" in his touring show Captain Cody King of the Cowboys. Samuel Franklin Cowdery (later known as Samuel Franklin Cody) ( 6 March, 1867 – 7 August, 1913) was an early pioneer of manned flight
- William Wilson "Buffalo Bill" Quinn: Retired Lieutenant General and Silver Star recipient. He served in World War II as a colonel and became a full colonel in Korea; and at the end of Korea became a Brigadier General.
See also
- Annie Oakley
- Annie Get Your Gun
- List of Medal of Honor recipients
- List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Indian Wars
- Ned Buntline: Contemporary of Buffalo Bill and author of successful dime novel series "Buffalo Bill Cody - King of the Border Men"
- William "Doc" Carver
References
- ^ Cody, Col. Annie Get Your Gun is a musical with lyrics and music written by Irving Berlin and a book by Herbert Fields and his sister Dorothy The Medal of Honor is the highest military award in the US military. This is a complete list of those people who received the Medal of Honor for their actions in the Indian Wars. Ned Buntline ( March 20, c 1821 – July 16, 1886) was a Pseudonym of Edward Zane Carroll Judson ( E "Doc" William Frank Carver (1840&ndash1927 was a Sharpshooter and creator of a popular circus attraction from 1890's on William F: "The Adventures of Buffalo Bill Cody", 1st ed. page viii. New York and London: Harper & Brother, 1904
- ^ Cody, Col. William F: "The Adventures of Buffalo Bill Cody", 1st ed. page viii. New York and London: Harper & Brother, 1904
- ^ Cody, Col. William F: "The Adventures of Buffalo Bill Cody", 1st ed. page viii. New York and London: Harper & Brother, 1904
- ^ http://www.buffalobill.org/history.htm Retrived on 2008-06-07
- ^ http://www.historybuff.com/library/refbuffalo.html Retrieved on 2008-06-07
- ^ "Buffalo Bill at the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition and Indian Congress of 1898", Nebraska State Historical Society. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1099 - The First Crusade: The Siege of Jerusalem begins 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1099 - The First Crusade: The Siege of Jerusalem begins The Nebraska State Historical Society is a Nebraska state agency originally founded in 1878 to "encourage historical research and inquiry spread historical information Retrieved 4/19/08.
- ^ Could Building Site be burial ground of the lost warrior from Buffalo Bill's show? Retrieved on 2008-04-25
- ^ Kensel, W. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1607 - Eighty Years' War: The Dutch fleet destroys the anchored Spanish fleet at Gibraltar. Hudson. Pahaska Tepee, Buffalo Bill's Old Hunting Lodge and Hotel, A History, 1901-1946. Buffalo Bill Historical Center, 1987.
- ^ Lloyd, J & Mitchinson, J: "The Book of General Ignorance". John Hardress Wilfred Lloyd (born 30 September 1951) is a British comedy writer and television producer For the English tenor see John Mitchinson (tenor. For the Bishop see John Mitchinson (bishop. The Book of General Ignorance is the first in a series of books based on the final round in the intellectual British Panel game QI Faber & Faber, 2006.
- ^ Larry McMurtry: "Sacagawea's Nickname". Larry Jeff McMurtry (born June 3, 1936) is an American Novelist, Screenwriter, Essayist and Bookseller. Sacagawea's Nickname Essays on the American West is a collection of essays by the American writer Larry McMurtry. New York Review of Books, 2001.
- ^ Colorado Transcript, May 17, 1917. The Golden Transcript is the third oldest Newspaper in Colorado, behind the Rocky Mountain News and Central City Register-Call
- ^ Lloyd, J & Mitchinson, J: "The Book of General Ignorance". John Hardress Wilfred Lloyd (born 30 September 1951) is a British comedy writer and television producer For the English tenor see John Mitchinson (tenor. For the Bishop see John Mitchinson (bishop. The Book of General Ignorance is the first in a series of books based on the final round in the intellectual British Panel game QI Faber & Faber, 2006.
- ^ The false Italian pedigree of Buffalo Bill is one of the many items unearthed by Umberto Eco during his extensive reaserch into the pulp literature and popular culture of Fascist Italy, undetaken for writing "The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana"
Further reading
- Buffalo Bill Days (June 22-24, 2007). Umberto Eco (born 5 January 1932 is an Italian Medievalist, semiotician, Philosopher, literary critic and Novelist, best La Misteriosa Fiamma della Regina Loana ("The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana" is a Novel by Italian writer Umberto Eco. A 20-page special section of The Sheridan Press, published in June 2007 by Sheridan Newspapers, Inc. , 144 Grinnell Avenue, Post Office Box 2006, Sheridan, Wyoming, 82801, USA. (Includes extensive information about Buffalo Bill, as well as the schedule of the annual three-day event held in Sheridan, Wyoming. )
External links
- buffalobill.org
- Buffalo Bill at Who's Who of Victorian Cinema
- Works by Buffalo Bill at Project Gutenberg
- Buffalo Bill Historical Center
- Buffalo Bill at Find A Grave
- Americanwest.com on Buffalo Bill
- The Life of Hon. William F. Cody (1879) and An Autobiography of Buffalo Bill (1920) from Project Gutenberg. Who's Who of Victorian Cinema is a reference work on film pioneers by Stephen Herbert and Luke McKernan Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to Digitize, archive and distribute Cultural works Find A Grave is a Website allowing its users to access maintain and expand an online Database of Burial records Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to Digitize, archive and distribute Cultural works
- The life of Hon. William F. Cody, known as Buffalo Bill, the famous hunter, scout and guide. An autobiography. (1879); Digitized page images & text from the Library of Congress.
- Free mp3 files of the Autobiography of Buffalo Bill
- The Scottish National Buffalo Bill Archive
- Northern Scot and Moray & Nairn Express, 27 August 1904 - Buffalo Bill's Show: Next Week's Visit to Elgin
- Advert and press report about Buffalo Bill's Wild West in Horsham, West Sussex, June 15, 1904
- Scottish-American History Club Newsletter - Buffalo Bill Cody and Harry Lauder
- Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park
- Video presentation of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming
- Children's presentation of the historic Wild West Show
- PBS piece on Buffalo Bill Cody
- Database and Cover Gallery of Buffalo Bills comic book appearances
- Buffalo Bill Cody Homestead in Scott County, Iowa
- article on Buffalo Bill's change toward the end of his life
- House of Deception article on Buffalo Bill's handwriting & signature
- Buffalo Bill Online Archive from the Buffalo Bill Historical Center's McCracken Research Library
- Project Gutenberg's Last of the Great Scouts, by Helen Cody Wetmore
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | William Frederick Cody |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | frontiersman, showman |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 26, 1846 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | near Le Claire, Iowa, United States |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 10, 1917 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Denver, Colorado, United States |
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