The buffalo has a lot of importance historically in the United States. Once existing in vast herds, the animal was hunted into near extinction in the 1800s. Market hunting, sport hunting, and the US Army all led to this severe reduction. In mid-1883, the Dakota Territorial Legislature enacted a law to protect bison, but it wasn’t very effective. In 1884, an estimated 325 bison were left, with 25 in Yellowstone. Congress tasked the army with enforcing laws to keep these buffalo from being poached. Meanwhile, the American Bison Society was founded to protect and restore the buffalo. Teddy Roosevelt became its honorary president.
Other efforts were made to re-establish herds, some of them privately owned. Noted leaders in those efforts included Charles Goodnight, Michel Pablo and Charles Allard in Montana, and C. J. "Buffalo" Jones.
Buffalo Jones was an interesting character who lived in New Mexico. He started off hunting bison, but saw the herds disappearing and began to help in their preservation. Elbert Hubbard would later write of Jones that he was "the best man who ever put his legs over a cayuse.” He credited Jones for catching young buffalo on the plains and domesticating them. Making fine specimens available that found homes in a great number of parks and zoological gardens all over the world.
In 1912, seven of Jones' domesticated buffalo were sent to North Dakota to a local packing house for slaughter, but the plan hit a snag. Government authorities said the buffalo could not be inspected since they were not domestic beef. Without that approval to inspect, the animals couldn't be slaughtered.
So on this date, the Wahpeton Times asked exactly what a buffalo was, stating:
"The once mighty buffalo now is neither game or domestic beef. Just what he is will be determined by the government authorities."
Dakota Datebook by Sarah Walker
Sources:
https://www.fws.gov/bisonrange/timeline.htm
https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/bison.htm
The Topeka State Journal, January 18, 1913, p4
The Wahpeton Times, December 26, 1912, p1
