Buffalo Bill

William Frederick Cody, known to history as Buffalo Bill, was born on February 26, 1846, in the rough, uncertain landscape of the American frontier. From an early age, he was swept up in the tides of American expansion, hardship, and adventure, becoming one of the most enduring symbols of the Old West. His life was a testament to the restless energy and ambition that characterized the era, shaping the mythology of the American cowboy, the scout, and the showman. Cody was many things—a Pony Express rider, a Civil War soldier, a buffalo hunter, an Army scout, an entertainer, and an advocate for women’s rights. He was a man who knew how to command an audience, whether in the wilderness or under the bright lights of a Wild West spectacle. His influence stretched beyond the frontier; he was instrumental in shaping how America—and the world—would come to understand the West. His life, filled with legendary exploits, larger-than-life encounters, and unparalleled showmanship, cemented him as one of the most iconic figures of his time.

Buffalo Bill Cody was born in Scott County, Iowa, but his family moved to Kansas Territory when he was still a boy. His father, Isaac Cody, was a strong abolitionist, a stance that placed the family in peril in the years leading up to the Civil War. Isaac was stabbed during a political dispute, an injury that led to his death in 1857, leaving young William the man of the household at just eleven years old. It was a role he took seriously. To support his family, Cody worked for the freighting company Russell, Majors, and Waddell, eventually becoming involved in one of the most romanticized aspects of the frontier: the Pony Express. Though official records are murky on the details, Cody claimed to have been a rider, and considering the remarkable endurance and resilience he displayed throughout his life, it would not be surprising if the story were true. The Pony Express, an enterprise that relied on young, fearless riders to deliver mail across vast, dangerous distances, was emblematic of the grit and risk-taking that defined the American West.

My own great-grandfather rode for the Pony Express, adding a personal layer to my appreciation of Cody. It’s one thing to read about a young man galloping through hostile territory with a mochila full of letters, but it’s another to know that someone in your own bloodline might have shared the same experiences. It gives one a deeper sense of connection to history, the kind of connection that Buffalo Bill Cody spent his life cultivating through his performances and persona.

During the Civil War, Cody served as a scout and later joined the Seventh Kansas Cavalry, seeing action in Missouri and Tennessee. But his military career did not end with the war. He continued working as an Army scout, particularly during the conflicts between the U.S. government and Native American tribes in the late 1860s and 1870s. He became a key figure in the so-called Indian Wars, earning the respect of officers and soldiers alike for his uncanny ability to navigate and survive in the untamed frontier. It was during this period that he was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1872 for gallantry in battle—an honor later revoked (along with many other civilian awards) but posthumously reinstated in 1989. Cody’s exploits as a scout, including his daring encounters with hostile forces, only added to his growing legend.

Cody’s reputation was not just built on combat and survival; he was also a provider. In the late 1860s, he earned the moniker “Buffalo Bill” while working as a buffalo hunter for the Kansas Pacific Railroad. Over the course of eight months, he reportedly killed 4,280 buffalo to provide meat for railroad workers. The scale of the hunt was staggering, and while Cody was undeniably a skilled marksman, the mass slaughter of buffalo foreshadowed the near-extermination of the species that would occur in the coming decades. His nickname stuck, and in 1869, his exploits were further popularized with the publication of Edward Zane Carroll Judson’s dime novel, Buffalo Bill, King of the Bordermen. Like many dime novels of the era, it exaggerated and mythologized its subject, turning Cody into a larger-than-life character even in his own lifetime.

But it was show business that truly made Buffalo Bill a household name. In 1872, he was persuaded by the writer Ned Buntline to take the stage in a theatrical production dramatizing his adventures. Though initially stiff as an actor, Cody had a natural charisma that audiences loved. He soon realized that there was money to be made in presenting the West to those who had never set foot on the frontier. In 1883, he created Buffalo Bill’s Wild West, a traveling show that combined cowboy skills, historical reenactments, and performances by real-life frontiersmen and Native Americans. The show became a sensation, featuring iconic figures like Wild Bill Hickok, Annie Oakley, and Sitting Bull. It traveled across the United States and even to Europe, where Cody performed for the crowned heads of Europe, including Queen Victoria and Kaiser Wilhelm II. His show helped define the imagery of the American West, blending history, myth, and spectacle into a powerful narrative that shaped popular culture for generations.

Even as he entertained millions, Cody had progressive views for his time. He was a supporter of women’s rights, paying female performers like Annie Oakley equal wages and advocating for their recognition. He also believed in fair treatment for Native Americans, despite his role in conflicts with them. He hired Native performers for his Wild West show and argued that they should be treated with dignity and given opportunities to integrate into American society on their own terms.

In his later years, Cody settled in Wyoming, founding the town of Cody in 1895. He continued touring but faced financial difficulties as the show business landscape changed. He was forced to sell many of his assets and saw his empire dwindle. He died in Denver on January 10, 1917, leaving behind a legacy that loomed as large as the western sky.

Buffalo Bill Cody was more than just a showman—he was a bridge between the untamed frontier and the modern world, a man who lived through the transformation of the West and ensured that its stories would not be forgotten. As a child growing up in Denver, I often visited his final resting place on Lookout Mountain, where he overlooks the land he once roamed. He was my hero, a towering figure of the American West, and those visits only deepened my admiration for him. Though I have not lived in Denver since the late 1970s, my childhood memories of standing at his grave, reflecting on his incredible life, remain vivid. He was, and remains, one of America’s great frontier figures, a man who embodied the spirit of adventure, resilience, and reinvention that defined the West.