Buffalo Bill

By Laia Esquerrà

William Frederick Cody, better known as Buffalo Bill, was born near Le Claire, Iowa (United States) on February 26th 1845. He was a soldier, a buffalo hunter (hence his nickname) and a showman. He provided one of the most representative images of the Far West through the many shows he performed. He died in 1917 and was buried in a mountain near Denver, in Colorado.

A hard childhood

Cody lost his older brother at the age of seven and the family had to move to Kansas. His father died in 1857, so young Bill had to start working to support the family. He started as a messenger boy and then went on to be an unofficial explorer for the US Army. At the age of 14 he became a rider for the Pony Express. He also tried to be a soldier but was not accepted until 1863 because he was under age.

Calm years

Back in the Army, he officially became an explorer. He reconnoitred the nation’s territories and started hunting buffalos. He was given a Medal of Honour by the Army, although this was revoked after his death and only restored in 1989. In 1895 he moved to Wyoming and founded a hotel in the city centre. He lived for many years in the Yellowstone National Park, close to his family.

Buffalo Bill's Wild West

During these years, when spectacular shows were very popular, he joined “Pawnee Bill's” and devised his own show. He started travelling in Europe and all over the United States. In his show he presented people from different cultures, along with their horses. Each horseman wore the distinctive costume of his ethnic group and showed off his prowess. Famous figures such as Sitting Bull and Annie Oakley also appeared in the show, and real cowboys and Indians were also involved.

Buffalo performed stories about the Pony Express, as well as Indian attacks on road convoys. By the end of the 19th century the Cody Company had become the most famous of its kind in the world and in the early years of the 20th century Buffalo Bill was reportedly the most famous person in the world.

Barcelona

Buffalo Bill came to present his show in Barcelona on December 18th 1889. Barcelona was the only city in Spain to put on the show but little information is available about his stay. He presented his show for just one peseta on the corner of Aribau and Muntaner streets for five weeks.

There are many stories about his stay but most are not true. It is said, for example, that two Indians kidnapped two little girls from Gracia to eat them, and also that two of Cody’s Indians died here and are buried in Montjuïc or Poblenou. One story that is true is that two of his Indians caught smallpox and were admitted to the Hospital de la Sta. Creu i St. Pau (both survived).

After performing the show in Barcelona, the whole company moved on to Naples.

The books

In 1998 Jordi Marill Escudé wrote a book about Buffalo Bill's show. It was called That Winter. Buffalo Bill's show in Barcelona.

In November 2010, another book was published on the subject. It was written by Jordi Solé, who presented it on November 22nd in the Bertran Barcelona bookshop. It is entitled Barcelona Far West and it is a report about Bufalo Bill’s stay in Barcelona. The opening chapter can be read here: http://www.edicionespamies.com/libros.php?libro=75.