| See also: W.F. Cody's Possessions |
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February 26, 1846: William Frederick Cody born in Scott County, Iowa.
1848: Cody family moves to nearby Le Claire, Iowa.
1853-4: Cody family moves to Missouri then Salt Creek Valley, Kansas near Leavenworth.
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1857-59: Cody, age 12, works as mounted messenger for Majors & Russell Co. in Kansas, who later start Pony Express.
1858: Cody works as bullwhacker on wagon train bound for Fort Laramie.
1858: Cody traps beaver over winter.
1860: Cody joins gold rush to Pike's Peak.
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1860-61: Cody rides for Pony Express setting record of 322 miles in a day when next rider fails to show up. Cody later makes Pony Express an act in Wild West Show, spreading the legend.
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1862-4: Cody fights aside Kansas freebooters (horse thieves) during Civil War.
1864-Sept. 1865: Cody formally enlists in Seventh Kansas Volunteer Cavalry.
1865: Cody works as a scout & dispatch bearer for General William Tecumseh Sherman in Kansas.
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March 6, 1866: Cody marries Louisa Maud Fredirici, then retires to run a hotel.
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1867: Cody scouts for Colonel George Armstrong Custer at Fort Hays & for William B. Hazen & Philip H. Sheridan out of Forts Larned, Hays & Dodge.
1867-68: Cody contracted to shoot buffalo meat for Kansas Pacific Railroad workers & gains nickname "Buffalo Bill".
Winter 1868: Cody guides relief train to General Sheridan's troops guided by Wild Bill Hickock.
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1869-72: Cody moves to Nebraska to become a scout for the Fifth Cavalry at Fort McPherson. Cody becomes chief of scouts.
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1869: Ned Buntline (Edward Z.C. Judson) writes first of 550 dime novels* featuring Buffalo Bill.
Buffalo Bill becomes subject of many publications over the years; many printed to promote his shows.
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1870: Cody works as Justice of the Peace.
1870: Cody son, Kit Carson Cody, born at Fort McPherson but dies 1876.
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May 22, 1872: Cody awarded Congressional Medal of Honor for bravery in battle against an Indian tribe at Birdwood Creek but Congress revokes award June 16, 1916, because he was a scout & not officially a soldier. His award is finally reinstated by Congress, July 1989.
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1872: Cody & General Custer guide buffalo hunting party & stage "Indian" show for Grand Duke Alexis, son of Czar of Russia, a visit arranged by General Sheridan. Event makes Cody & Custer international celebrities.
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1872: Cody starts 11-season acting career playing himself in a melodramas of frontier life.
1873: Cody forms "Buffalo Bill Combination" show with Buntline, Texas Jack Omohundro & Wild Bill Hickock. First show written by Buntline is "Scouts of the Prairie". Cody cuts back his scouting to summers.
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1876: Cody scouts for General George Crook's Yellowstone expedition.
July 17, 1876: Cody kills Cheyenne war leader Yellow Hair (aka Yellow Hand) in a gunfight at Hat Creek, Nebraska. Cody takes scalp in revenge for death of Custer 22 days earlier. Fight becomes legend in dime novels & stage tableaus.
1878: Cody starts using reservation Indians as actors.
1879: Cody begins speaking for Indian rights.
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July 4, 1882: As local festival, Cody organizes "Old Glory Blowout" in North Platte, NE, which inspires his Wild West show.
May 19, 1883: Buffalo Bill opens first Wild West show in Omaha, Nebraska.
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1884: Annie Oakley joins show as "Little Sure Shot".
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1885-86: Sitting Bull joins the show for a season & becomes Cody's friend. Sitting Bull is killed in 1890 while being arrested.
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1886: Cody builds his home, Scout's Rest, in North Platte, Nebraska as a place to rest between shows.
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1887: Cody appointed Colonel in Nebraska National Guard.
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1887: Cody's Wild West Co. incorporated with President Cody & Treasurer Salsbury each having 35/100 shares & Frank C. Maeder, Milton E. Milner & William D. Guthrie the other shareholders.
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1887: Cody's Wild West show goes to London as part of American Exhibition at Queen Victoria's Jubilee.
Ocean crossing uses 14 chartered steam ships.
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1889: Cody's show plays at Exposition Universal in Paris & performs before French president & cabinet.
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1890: Cody's show tours Italy & Cody meets Pope & King Humbert.
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1891: Cody's show tours Belgium & Germany playing before Kings & Kaiser.
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1892: Cody show plays before Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle.
1892: Cody creates Wild West, Congress of Rough Riders of the World show.
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1893: Snubbed by not being invited by World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Cody's partner Salsbury rents land around expo's entrance for Cody's shows, creating a captive audience of those passing to attend fair.
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1894: Cody awarded Masonic life membership.
1894: Cody speaks out for women's suffrage & conservation.
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1895 on: Cody develops town of Cody, Wyoming, including, his TE Ranch, his Hotel Irma (1902) & takes tourists to Yellowstone Park along a road he built. Cody also creates a dam, canal & railroad, but town's investment does not pay off in his lifetime.
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1896: Cody show grows to hundreds performers, horses, wagons & buffalo requiring dozens of rail cars & hundreds of tents. Cody poster claims largest arena exhibition in history.
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1890s: Wild West, Congress of Rough Riders of the World show creates ever more elaborate posters.
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1902: Cody business partner Nate Salsbury dies.
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1903: Cody show returns to Europe.
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1908: Facing bankruptcy due to lack of Salsbury's business talent, Cody is forced to be subsumed by Pawnee Bill's Great Far East show. Pawnee Bill (Gordon William Lillie 1860-1942) worked for Cody as scout translator & actor before Lillie started own show in 1888.
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1910: Cody begins series of farewell appearances.
1913: Pawnee Bill's show folds.
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1914: Cody makes unhappy tour with Sells-Floto Circus.
1916: Cody makes his final appearance with Miller Brothers' 101 Ranch Wild West show.
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January 10, 1917: Cody dies in Denver, Colorado, & is buried on Lookout Mountain.
1921: Louisa Maud Cody dies & is buried next to Buffalo Bill.
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Notes:
* Dime novel refers to printing format, not price.
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