Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the Buffalo Bill Center of the West
THE LEGEND OF BUFFALO BILL
When it comes to Buffalo Bill Cody, born William F. Cody, it can be difficult to dis-
cern fact from fiction. The man was legendary in every sense of the word, and for
the most part he earned the reputation that still follows his name. Born in Iowa in
1846, Cody made his way out west in 1857 with his father. Cody's father died en
route, leaving the boy to fend for himself, finding work as a cowboy and Pony Ex-
press rider. He became an Army scout at the end of the Civil War and even earned the
Congressional Medal of Honor in 1872 for valor in action during the Indian Wars.
He reportedly earned his nickname after the Civil War when he shot 4,280 bison in
the span of 18 months on behalf of the Kansas Pacific Railroad.
Cody was a natural hunter and was frequently asked by the Army to guide visiting
dignitaries. The hunts were greatly publicized, and an eager public greedily con-
sumed tales of Cody's adventuresome pursuits. In 1873, with a string of dime-store
