10 Pivotal Events in the Life of Buffalo Bill
1. Cody Family Moves to Kansas Will was born in Iowa Territory in 1846. In 1854 father Isaac moved the family to Kansas Territory in search of a better life.…
Historical Figures
The One and Only ‘Booger’ Was Among History’s Best Rodeo Performers
The horse was once as essential to Western life as the six-gun, and breaking horses was once a necessary skill, even a business for a few tough, enterprising souls. Eventually…
This Victorian-Era Performer Learned that the Stage Life in the American West Wasn’t All Applause and Bouquets
The California Gold Rush. The very words evoked the strong reaction of an American populace driven by adventure and a lust for easy riches. Drawn inexorably west in the wake…
Oscar Wilde Bothered and Bewildered Westerners While Touring to Promote Gilbert and Sullivan
Of all the city slickers ever to venture into the 19th century American West, Oscar Wilde towered above the rest, preening like a peacock with his ostentatious wardrobe, his philosophy…
The Poignant Tale Behind a Celebrated Civil War Sketch
Odds are there isn’t a Civil War buff living who hasn’t seen a copy of this remarkable pencil sketch (above) by special artist Edwin Forbes, which Forbes labeled as “William…
For Southern Antagonists in the Civil War, a Kindred Desire for Peace Goes Awry
On December 18, 1860, John J. Crittenden of Kentucky introduced a compromise plan to the U.S. Senate. Just two days later, South Carolina would become the first state to secede…
Buffalo Bill Delighted Italian Fans by Bringing His Wild West Across the Ocean Blue at the Turn of the Century
To this day virtually everyone in the United States has heard of William Frederick “Buffalo Bill” Cody. Even those not expert or passionate about the Western frontier era recognize him…
This British Colonel Traveled with Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg. He’d Already Had His Share of Surprises
Arthur James Lyon Fremantle left Great Britain aboard a ship on March 2, 1863, headed for the northern border of Mexico. After a long voyage, the young British army officer…
She Was Romantically Linked to the ‘Sundance Kid’ — But Much About Her Remains a Mystery
Who was Etta Place? She was the lover and perhaps wife of Pennsylvania-born Harry Alonzo Longabaugh, aka the “Sundance Kid,” and a peripheral associate of the Wild Bunch, the outlaw…
Postponed Pawnee Honors
Adding insult to injury, a Pawnee scout for the U.S. Army shot in 1869 by a member of his own command was for decades denied a marker reflecting his Medal…