Who Was He
WHO WAS BUFFALO BILL?
The
story of this man is told by various people in various ways and for various
reasons. Here is a sample of those on the Web:
HOW OTHERS SEE HIM Top
- Amazing American - Good writeup on Buffalo Bill in the "American Stories" site of the Library of Congress. Includes still photos and many old movies of the Wild West Show and other related Cody topics.
- People in THE WEST - William F. Cody - A biography of Cody contained on the site for the PBS series on "The West."
- William Frederick Cody - A summary of Cody's contributions to the State of Nebraska where he lived for awhile.
- Buffalo Bill - An article from The American West with some good anecdotes about Cody.
- Buffalo
Bill Cody - Trader, Trapper and American Frontiersman - From
the Legends of America site.
- The Life and Show of Buffalo Bill - A not always positive view of Cody's life.
- The Frontier in American Culture - Features an exhibit which shows the different views of the west as portrayed by Cody and Frederick Jackson Tunney.
- Chronology
- Recounts events in Cody's life by years.
Cody as an inventor - An article from the Casper Star-Tribune about a patent filed by Cody. - Cody's last day - Zane Grey's account of his visit with Buffalo Bill on the day he died.
HIS DEATH Top
- Debate of Buffalo Bill burial won't die - Article in the Billings, MT Gazette about where Cody wanted to be buried.
HIS OWN STORY Top
Some of these biographies might differ somewhat from how Cody and his family members saw his life. Thanks to achievers, you can read his entire autobiography online.
- William F. Cody's Autobiography - A complete copy of Cody's autobiography.
- Last of the Great Scouts - You can read online the book written by sister Helen Cody Wetmore's about her famous brother.
MEMOIRS OF OTHERS Top
An even different picture might be gained from the stories told by people who actually knew him. The following links go to the Library of Congress and interviews conducted with early settlers who mention some connection with Cody.
- George S. Stiers - Excerpt from the memoirs of a former Pony Express rider and member of the Wild West Show in which he tells about his experiences with Buffalo Bill.
THE MYTH OF BUFFALO BILL Top
The
story of Buffalo Bill was, obviously, a product of what today would be called
image management. 
- How the myth was maintained - An article explaining how the myth of Buffalo Bill came into being and was perpetuated. This was part of a course at the University of Virginia.
- Buffalo Bill as Reported in the Newspapers - An article by Melvin Schulte which recaps how the life of Cody was reported in the newspapers of the time.
- Buffalo Bill and the Dime Novel - A look at one of the media formats that made his name a household word.
- True Comics - A copy of a True Comics book about Cody in the Michigan State University Library.
- "Adventures of Buffalo Bill from Boyhood to Manhood" by Colonel Prentiss Ingraham. The complete book written by the man who helped create the myth.
- The Showman of the Plains. An article from Range magazine detailing Cody's long career as a showman.
- There's Never Been An Actor Like Buffalo Bill. An article from Points West magazine telling how Cody popularized the west.
IMAGES OF BUFFALO BILL Top
Many
of Cody's exploits, in line with his newspaper coverage perhaps, were captured
in photographs or in drawings. Many of those images were used recently in
an excellent PBS series on The West.
- "Buffalo Bill" Cody posing for a publicity photo
- "The Death of Custer" at the Battle of the Little Bighorn as reenacted in Buffalo Bill's Wild West
- Cody and Brigadier General Nelson A. Miles scouting an Indian camp near Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota, soon after the massacre at nearby Wounded Knee
- Cody meeting with Indians and government officials following the massacre at Wounded Knee, 1890.
- Sitting Bull and Cody in a publicity photograph taken when Sitting Bull was a performer in Buffalo Bill's Wild West, 1884.
- Close-up of Cody leading an excursion at the Grand Canyon.
- Formal Photo, 1887 - A formal photo from the Smithsonian collection.
- Buffalo Bill with Indians - This is a reproduction of a poster for the movie "The Life of Buffalo Bill".
- Theatrical Images - A collection of Cody photos included in the Philip H. Ward Collection of Theatrical Images at the University of Pennsylvania Library. (3/19/01)
- An early photo - An early photo of Cody in the Northern Arizona University Library.
CODY'S EFFECT ON THE COUNTRY Top
Role in Country's Culture - A scholarly article from an artist's viewpoint on how Cody shaped culture.
STRANGE CONNECTIONS Top
Buffalo Bill and Count Dracula - Article in the Casper Star-Tribune about a scholar talks about Buffalo Bill's influence on Bram Stoker and his novel "Dracula".
DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY COLLECTION
The Denver Public Library has an extensive collection of images of Buffalo Bill which are viewable online.
Go to this location and type in "Buffalo Bill" in the search box. This will bring up over 300 photos.
Be prepared to spend some time with this wonderful collection.
Maintained
by Richard
Grosenbaugh - Updated
