Feb 26 2009
It’s Buffalo Bill Day.
Today is Buffalo Bill Day.
So what? Who’s that?
No, we’re not talking about the serial murderer from Silence of the Lambs.
We’re taking a look at a man of the late 19th Century. Buffalo Bill (Col. William F. Cody) was the symbol of the American Wild West. Although much of what the public saw was purely showmanship, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show gave the world a thrilling view of the American frontier.
Cody was born on this day in 1846.
With the help of a good press agent, Buffalo Bill parlayed his experiences as a Pony Express rider and a frontier scout into a lucrative show business career that romanticized the Wild West. He introduced thousands throughout the eastern United States and Europe to a gussied up, fantastic picture of the old frontier.
In these politically correct times many have demonized Cody as a heartless Indian killer and an environmental terrorist who wiped out the North American buffalo herds single handedly. They condemn the man because they have bought into the legendary image he manufactured for the stage.
The real Buffalo Bill respected the aboriginal inhabitants of the plains. He may have killed upwards of 4200 bison in his lifetime, but he didn’t massacre them wholesale and leave them to rot. Like the Native Americans whom he often accompanied on their hunts, he killed only enough to provide the food that was required.
Cody was fair in his business dealings with Native Americans. When he launched his show he hired Chief Sitting Bull and a band twenty braves to add even more dash to the already colorful performances. He paid them pretty well too. Sitting Bull earned about $50 a week for riding once around the arena, where he was a popular attraction. On top of that he earned a small fortune by charging for his autograph and picture, although he often gave away his money to the homeless and beggars he met while the show toured the country.
The reality of Col. William F. Cody differed from the legend of Buffalo Bill.
A good lesson to take away from today’s story might be:
Look Beyond the Stage Image
Check out at the actions of the real man or woman and base your judgments on fact rather than fancy.
Is there a relationship between Buffalo Bill and Cody, Wyoming? Thanks for the great trivia! Awesome blog.
Yes, Connie, the two have a very intimate relationship. In fact it was love at first sight.
Col. Cody made his initial aquaintance with Big Horn Basin of Wyoming in the 1870’s and was promptly smitten by the the grandeur of the scenery and the abundance of fish and game. He had to leave almost as soon as he arrived, but in 1895 he returned to build a community- lured by his fond memories, the rich soil, tremendous possibilities for land development through irrigation, and the proximity of Yellowstone National Park.
At the insistence of Colonel Cody’s fellow developers, the site was named Cody in 1895. Streets were laid out and named for General Phil Sheridan and the originators of the community. By 1902, the town was incorporated and Colonel Cody opened his famous “Hotel in the Rockies”