8/25/2010:
On this date in 1910, Buffalo Bill Cody, on a farewell tour, bought his "Wild West" show to North Dakota. The Fargo audience saw attractions such as the World's Smallest Cowboy, The King of Cowboys, and the Rough Rider Congress of the World, which brought together the world's finest cavalrymen in an exhibition of their skills. The crowd was especially captivated by the daring horsemen, one of whom straddled four of the steeds at once.
In addition to Buffalo Bill and his Western attractions, the spectators also had the chance to see Pawnee Bill, Buffalo Bill's protégé, present his very own "Far East Show." The Far East show brought together acrobats, dancers, exotic animals, and other performers from across Asia. Young women even did back flips on top of elephants!
The twin programs combined for about three hours of breathtaking stunts and dazzling feats. At the conclusion of the program, Buffalo Bill graciously saluted the adoring audience while his cowboy band performed Auld Lang Sine. Never again would Buffalo Bill and his troupe return to the city.
Cody would succumb to kidney failure just a few years later in 1917. The man who had for years ranked among the top celebrities in the world had lost a good deal of his fortune to misplaced investments in irrigation, lumber, town building, and other endeavors. Even the Wild West show had been lost to Cody's creditors. Over the years, Cody has been portrayed extensively in film, television, and fiction; as both selfish exhibitionist and genteel American hero. What may not be known to most, however, is that Cody outspokenly defended Native American rights and was an advocate for women's suffrage long before the passage of the 19th Amendment. On this day, let us remember North Dakota's last visit from an American icon.
Dakota Datebook written by Ben Lundquist
Works Consulted
"Buffalo Bill's Big Wild West Show Here." The Fargo Forum. Thursday Evening August 25th 1910.
Carter, Robert A. (2002). "Buffalo Bill Cody: The Man Behind the Legend." Wiley. pp. 512.
Hall, Roger A. "Performing the American Frontier, 1870-1906," Cambridge University Press, 2001, p.54,
ISBN 0521793203, 9780521793209.