Have a question? Need assistance? Use our online form to ask a librarian for help.
Chat with a librarian, Monday through Friday, 12-2 pm Eastern Time (except Federal Holidays).
Chronicling America is a searchable digital collection of historic newspaper pages through 1963 sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.
Follow ChronAm by subscribing to email alerts and RSS feeds.
Also, see the Directory of U.S. Newspapers in American Libraries, a searchable index to newspapers published in the United States since 1690, which helps researchers identify what titles exist for a specific place and time, and how to access them.
Launching Buffalo Bill's Wild West show in 1883, buffalo hunter and showman, William Frederick Cody romanticized the adventure and excitement of the wild western frontier through horsemanship, sharp-shooting, battles with Indians, and rodeo style events. Attracting huge crowds daily, the show traveled with 600 people and 500 horses throughout the U.S. and Europe, introducing personalities such as Annie Oakley to the thrill seeking spectators. Read more about it!
The information in this guide focuses on primary source materials found in the digitized historic newspapers from the digital collection Chronicling America.
The timeline below highlights important dates related to this topic and a section of this guide provides some suggested search strategies for further research in the collection.
| 1869 | “Buffalo Bill,” alter ego of William F. Cody, is introduced to the reading public by Ned Buntline in his dime novels and newspaper stories. |
|---|---|
| 1883 | One of the first performances of “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West” is held in Omaha, Nebraska. The show would continue to tour nationally and internationally for the next thirty years, making Buffalo Bill, and his image of “The West” famous. |
| January 10, 1917 | The Hon. William F. Cody dies in Denver, Colorado at the age of 70. Even after his death, Buffalo Bill and his image of “The West” remained popular. |
