Buffalo Bill Cody: The Showman Who Shaped the Wild West

[Pull quote forward] 

[INTRO MUSIC]

Howdy y’all, I’m Chip Schweiger, the cowboy accountant, and welcome to another edition of Way Out West with The Cowboy Accountant. 

The podcast that takes you on a journey through the stories of the American West, brings you the very best cowboy wisdom, and celebrates the cowboys and cowgirls who are feeding a nation. 

Picture this: a vast open plain, the golden sun dipping below the horizon as a cavalcade of horses thunder past. 

At the helm, a figure sits tall and proud—a man whose very name echoes the wildness and adventure of a bygone era. 

This is Buffalo Bill Cody.

With his signature fringed buckskin jacket and a steely gaze that could pierce through the dust of a thousand cattle drives, Cody was more than just a cowboy. 

He was the embodiment of the untamed West, a living legend who bridged the gap between reality and myth. 

His Wild West Shows were a spectacle of daring feats, a whirlwind of trick riders, sharpshooters, and painted wagons that rolled into town like a stampede, leaving awe-struck audiences in their wake. 

Under the canvas of the big top, he conjured a world where the frontier still beckoned the brave and the bold. 

So today on the show, we’re saddling up to explore one of the West’s most iconic figures, a man who brought the spirit of the frontier to life for millions across the globe.  We’ll cover his early life, how he became the personification of the wild west, and the global impact he had.

After the episode check out the show notes at our new website at podcast.CowboyAccountant.com. 

[MUSIC]

Hi there, and welcome back. 

Today let’s do something fun. And that’s unravel the life of a man who became one of the most iconic figures of the Old West: William F. Cody, better known as Buffalo Bill.

Buffalo Bill Cody—even his name evokes images of the Wild West: the thrill of the open plains, the drama of the frontier, and a cast of characters that seem larger than life. 

But who was the man behind the myth, and how did he shape the way we perceive the American West today?

Well, let’s travel back in time to a world of adventure, showmanship, and legend.

Born in 1846 in Iowa Territory, William Frederick Cody grew up at a time when America was expanding westward. 

His family moved to Kansas, a frontier land fraught with danger and opportunity. 

And It was here that young William learned the skills that would shape his future: horseback riding, marksmanship, and a knack for adventure.

But life wasn’t easy for the Cody family. William’s father, Isaac Cody, was an outspoken abolitionist in a territory deeply divided over the issue of slavery. 

In fact in 1854, Isaac was stabbed while giving an anti-slavery speech. 

This event thrust young William into the role of provider for his family at the tender age of 11. 

He took up various jobs, including as a messenger, a cattle herder, and eventually, a rider for the famed Pony Express.

And it was during these formative years that William Cody earned the nickname "Buffalo Bill." 

As a scout for the U.S. Army and a buffalo hunter, he was said to have killed over 4,000 buffalo in an 18-month span to supply meat to railroad workers. This feat was sensationalized in dime novels, making Buffalo Bill a household name even before he stepped into the spotlight as a showman.

But it wasn’t the hunting or the scouting that cemented Buffalo Bill’s place in history—it was his genius for showmanship. 

In 1883, Buffalo Bill's Wild West show was born. Part circus, part rodeo, and part theater, this traveling extravaganza brought the drama of the frontier to audiences around the world.

So picture this: The arena is a bustling spectacle, with cowboys and Native Americans galloping across the stage in daring reenactments of frontier battles, buffalo hunts, and stagecoach robberies. 

And there, at the center of it all, is Buffalo Bill himself, dressed in his fringed buckskins, guiding the audience through the stories of the West with a flourish and a smile.

And The show wasn’t just a spectacle; it was a masterclass in mythmaking. 

It featured real-life figures like sharpshooter Annie Oakley and Chief Sitting Bull, blurring the lines between reality and performance. 

For many spectators, this was their first introduction to the West, and it was a romanticized vision—full of adventure, danger, and heroism.

But as thrilling as the shows were, they raised questions about authenticity and representation. 

Were these performances a true reflection of frontier life, or were they carefully crafted narratives meant to entertain and captivate?

The truth, as always, lies somewhere in between. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show was, in many ways, a product of its time. 

It played into the popular perceptions of the West, capitalizing on the public's fascination with the "wild" frontier. 

However, it also perpetuated stereotypes and simplified the complex realities of Western expansion.

Take, for instance, the portrayal of Native Americans in the show. 

Buffalo Bill employed Native Americans as performers, giving them a platform to showcase their culture. 

Yet, these performances were often framed within the narrative of conflict between settlers and "savages," a narrative that oversimplified and, at times, vilified Native American experiences.

And if you’re interested in diving into this topic more, that being the true relationship between cowboys and Indians, check out episode 11 after we finish here. And I’ll put a link in the show notes.

But back to Buffalo Bill. 

Now despite all of this, some historians argue that Cody had a level of respect for the Native Americans he employed. 

He paid them fair wages and allowed them to set up encampments, living according to their customs while on tour. 

Chief Sitting Bull, who toured with the show for a season, even referred to Cody as a friend.

The Wild West show also dramatized events like the Pony Express and buffalo hunts, often embellishing or outright inventing elements for the sake of entertainment. 

For example, Cody’s depiction of the Pony Express suggested a level of danger and adventure that, while present, was not as constant or dramatic as he portrayed.

What’s perhaps most remarkable about Buffalo Bill, though, is the reach of his influence. 

His Wild West show toured not only the United States but also Europe. In fact Queen Victoria herself attended a performance in 1887, and the show traveled to Paris, Rome, and beyond. 

Through these performances, Buffalo Bill exported a particular vision of the American West to the world—one that was thrilling, romantic, and larger than life.

And that global reach helped solidify the mythology of the American frontier

In his later years, Buffalo Bill Cody found himself battling against the currents of change that swept across the American landscape. 

The frontier he once knew was fading, replaced by modernity and progress. 

Yet, Cody remained a larger-than-life figure, touring tirelessly with his Wild West Shows, even as their popularity began to wane. 

Financial troubles and a shifting public interest in the mythology of the West cast a shadow over his final days. In 1917, at the age of 70, the legendary showman took his final bow. 

He passed away in Denver, Colorado, leaving behind a legacy as vast and complex as the frontier he had come to symbolize. 

His death marked the end of an era, but his name would forever be etched into the annals of the American West, a symbol of the rugged, adventurous spirit that defined a nation.

Well, that about wraps up another edition of Way Out West with the Cowboy Accountant, but before we’ve got we’ve got one more thing.

[BULL SOUND]

Yep, that distinctive call from Buster the Bull means it’s time for the cowboy glossary term of the week. 

And this week’s term is HAZING. And, no I’m not talking your college fraternity days. 

In the Rodeo world, and specifically in bulldogging, hazing is a really useful helper.  

So the bulldogger rides his horse on the left side of the steer. The hazer rides on the right. When the steer is released from the box, the hazer attempts to keep the steer between his horse and the bulldogger’s horse so that the bulldogger has a better chance to get off on the steer and throw it down. 

And we call it hazing as the word “haze” is used to mean push or herd. 

So, there ya go. Now you know about the term hazing.

[OUTRO MUSIC]

And with that y’all, that’s all for this week’s show. And I truly, truly appreciate you riding with me. 

If you’ve enjoyed today’s discussion, please consider rating us on Spotify or reviewing us on Apple. Both are easy to do and take just a minute but have a big impact in getting this show to more fans of the American west. I really appreciate it,

And, be sure to check out our new website at Podcast.CowboyAccountant.com, where you can find the show notes, an archive of our past episodes and other cool resources for fans of the American West.

That’s Podcast.CowboyAccountant.com

Until next time, mi amigo, we’ll see ya down the road.