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Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill, and a Buffalo Hunt at Niagara Falls · Nebraska History Podcast

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The following episode features a historic article from the
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Nebraska History magazine. This article may reflect the
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language and attitudes of its time and while it offers
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valuable insight into the past, may contend expressions or
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viewpoints that are outdated or offensive by today's standards.
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Any outdated terms do not reflect the current views or
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perspectives of the Nebraska State Historical Society.
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Welcome to the Nebraska History podcast.
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I'm your host, Chris Goforth. Each episode we explore articles
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written and published in Nebraska History Magazine.
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In 1872, Wild Bill Hickok, Buffalo Bill Cody, and others
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attempted to organize a grand Buffalo hunt.
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The event came with various challenges and ultimately was
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deemed a failure. Today we look back at that story
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and the correspondence between the men organizing the event
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through the 2005 Nebraska History Magazine article Wild
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Bill Hickok, Buffalo Bill Cody and the Grand Buffalo Hunt at
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Niagara Falls, written by Joseph G Rosa in 1873 and 74 James
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Butler, Wild Bill Hickok appeared briefly as himself in
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William F Cody's Wild West show Buffalo Bills Combination.
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It is often regarded as his earliest public performance, but
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in fact it was not his first appearance before a live
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audience. A year earlier, in 1872, he had
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acted as master of ceremonies for a grand Buffalo hunt on the
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Canadian side of Niagara Falls. Hickok's involvement in the
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event was not generally publicized until 1882, when JW
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Buell wrote that Wild Bill had hit upon a novel idea that would
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make him a fortune, taking Buffalo to Niagara to entertain
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the tourists. Accompanied by a number of
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Comanche Indians, the Buffalo were to be shipped via Omaha
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through to Niagara Falls. But Buell's account of the
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chaotic outcome suggests that he relied more upon hearsay and a
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fertile imagination than fact. The Niagara Falls hunt was not a
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novel idea. In 1843, Phineas T Barnum had
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purchased 15 half starved in weary year old Buffalo calves
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and the services of one CD French, a noted rider and lasso
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expert, and exhibited them at Hoboken, NJ, describing the
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event as a grand Buffalo hunt. An esteemed 24,000 people were
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attracted to the show, but there was panic when the Buffalo
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escaped. A number of people were injured
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and one died. In 1860, Barnum, in partnership
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with James Capone, Grizzly Adams, produced a similar
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venture that met with a limited success.
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In 1868, Joseph G McCoy, the father of the Texas cattle
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trade, organized a grand excursion to the Far West, a
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wild and exciting chase after Buffalo on his native plains, in
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an effort to persuade Texas cattlemen to drive their herds
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to Abilene, KS McCoy supplied the horses and equipment, but
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each man was expected to provide his own firearms.
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A year later, in 1869, Sidney Barnett, the son of Thomas
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Barnett, began planning a hunt similar to Barnum's, the event
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that eventually included Hickok. The Barnett's owned a museum on
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the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, devoted to exhibits and
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relics obtained worldwide. Opened in 1827, the museum was
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popular with tourists, and to attract custom, the Barnett's
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kept their admission prices low and admitted school children
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free. Sydney Barnett, sometimes called
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Colonel because of a connection with the local militia, believed
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that an event featuring live Buffalo would be a major
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attraction at the falls, although it seems doubtful that
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he knew much about the problems associated with the capture and
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control of them, and his attention was drawn to North
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Platte, NE. A cache of letters to Barnett on
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the subject, some written by Buffalo Bill Cody and Texas Jack
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Omojandro, helps explain how Hickok became involved.
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Early in 1869, Barnett received the following from Cody.
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Dear Sir, I have just met Mr. Omojandro and am now on my way
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to Spotted Tales. Indian Village with horses and
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rations for his people. Will return as soon as I deliver
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them to him. Mr. Omojandro and myself will
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catch you the Buffalo and put them in the cars in good
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condition for you at this place or some other station close if
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you will pay enough for the trouble.
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It is a big job, but it can be done.
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Money will do anything. He will write you and we'll get
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them for you, and he will come on with them if he is well paid.
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I am in government employee and cannot leave.
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Let him know immediately. It will take a wagon for each
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Buffalo to haul him to the road, and we have to send a good ways
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for more good ropes. You make the arrangements with
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him, you will have to forward money.
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It will look more like business if we, of course, are both
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strangers, the same as when Professor Ward and I commenced
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business. But I think we can do it on the
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square. If anything should happen that
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we could not get the Buffalo, although if we commence to do
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the thing it will be done. But should such a thing happen
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as we could not get them, I assure you the money will be
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returned if sent to our order. Yours respectfully.
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Buffalo Bill Cody. The outcome of that
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correspondence is uncertain, but Barnett continued his efforts to
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secure the animals more than 50 years later.
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William F Doc Carver, the self styled evil spirit of the
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Plains, claimed that he actually captured the buffaloes and that
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Hickok was among his helpers. Doc claimed to have signed a
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contract with someone not identified, quote, to deliver
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100 live Buffalo to the railroad yard in Kansas City.
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They were to be shipped to Niagara Falls, NY, for a Great
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Exhibition and Buffalo hunt to be held there the following
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year. End Quote.
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Besides Hickok, Doc said he had hired Hank and Monty Clifford,
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Old John Nelson and others, among them some quote Oglala
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Sioux Braves who were visiting their white kinsman Nelson.
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End Quote. Unfortunately, Carver added no
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further information. Early in 1872, Barnett
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approached the railroad for advice and received the
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following response. Dear Sir, yours of the 24th
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February at hand. I think the enterprise you
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propose not only hazardous but very expensive.
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There are plenty of buffaloes in this section, say from 30 to 40
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miles from this town. I have mentioned to the
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commander of the post here the matter of capturing full grown
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Buffalo bulls. He is a skilled Buffalo hunter,
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but he thinks it next to impossible to capture them
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alive. However, I'll give you his
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figures. He agrees to corral them here
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for $1000 per head. Transportation would cost you
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near $300 the car load. The Indians would not be allowed
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to go unless it was by an order from Washington.
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The Indian tents or teepees would cost from $75 to $100.
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The tent. We'll take pleasure in giving
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information or rendering you any assistance in my power in
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carrying out proposed Buffalo hunt.
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Respectfully. Joe Bell.
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On March 13th, Barnett wrote to the post commander at the North
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Platte Station. The post was garrisoned by
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Company K of the Second US Cavalry under the command of
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Captain James Egan, who held that position from November 1871
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until April of 1872. Although he was probably
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experienced in the ways of the Buffalo, he may well have
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decided to pass Barnett's inquiry on to Major Frank N,
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whose Pawnee Battalion of scouts was famous on the frontier.
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N was at that time on detachment at Fort DA Russell in Wyoming
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Territory, which led to a delay in his response.
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In the meantime, exactly 3 years to the day since Barnett
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received Buffalo Bills letter on March 29th, 1869, Texas Jack
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wrote to Barnett. Dear Sir, I've received your
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dispatch several days ago. Should have given you an answer
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but did not know positively what to say as my partner WF Cody was
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not here. He returned yesterday just as I
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read your letter, and we had a talk together and decided we
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could capture those Buffalo and deliver them here or some
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station near for the sum of $500 per head, and that you would
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take whatever number we get from 2:00 to 6:00 head.
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All we ask is that you deposit $1000 in the First National Bank
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Omaha, subject to our order. This might not be necessary,
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only that we need aid from parties.
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That would not work unless on a certainty.
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You can have what reference you wish in regards to your deposit.
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We will expect the balance of the pay as soon as the Buffaloes
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are safely delivered on board the train.
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If you accept this offer, which I think is as well as you can
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do, let us know at once by Telegraph and we will proceed to
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business. You can prepare your part, give
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out your advertisements and make all other necessary
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arrangements. The Buffalo will be between the
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1st and 15th. I would much have preferred your
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offer as a partner in this project, as I am sure it will be
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a perfect success only for the objection of certain parties
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which I could not possibly perform the capture without.
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I would expect your offer, however, as you have given me
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some inducements as I made-up my mind to come through with the
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buffaloes, to take care of them over the road, and to play any
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part in the hunt that you may wish me After we are once
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together. Perhaps I will join you in the
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exhibition that you spoke of. I will send you a sketch of my
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life in a few days that you may use in your publications if
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necessary. We have written to the Indian
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Reservation to know if we can get the Indians required.
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We'll let you know as soon as we get an answer.
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I have a good rig here of bows and arrows that I have captured
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from the Indians. Also nice lassos that I will
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bring along as I can play Indian or white man as you may wish.
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I have always intended to go into something of this kind, but
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I've never had the capital to commence with.
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You know it requires money to do anything out here.
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I was speaking to my old friend Professor Ward about it last
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winter and he recommends the idea.
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I am sure that you and whatever parties you may have with you
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will make big money out of what you have undertaking.
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What business we transact from this point on must be through
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Telegraph as our time will be limited.
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You may feel perfectly safe in regards to our success and make
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your arrangements accordingly, as we seldom undertake a thing
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that we do not carry out no more at present.
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From your most JB Omajandro Texas Jack.
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There appears to also be a postscript to his letter
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following the signature, but it is very faint and unreadable.
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A week later Barnett received a significant reply to his letter
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written in early March to Major N.
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Dear Sir, yours of 13th March is received and I hasten an answer.
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I am sorry to say that the chances for getting the Buffalo
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you require are very slim, as there are no Buffalo now near
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the Union Pacific Railroad, they all having gone SI think your
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chances would be better on the Kansas Pacific.
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I would refer you to Bill Hickok or better known as Wild Bill,
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Sheriff of Direct to Abilene, KS.
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It would be possible at some seasons of the year to fill your
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bill here, but not now. I can get the Indians and a
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small expense aside from transportation.
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Write me when you hear from H Frank N.
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No correspondence between Hickok and Barnett has been found so
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far, but N's letter establishes a link between them earlier than
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the reported meeting at Kansas City a few months later.
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Barnett reached Fort McPherson late in May, from where on June
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1st he wrote to his wife that he hoped to conduct his business
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and be back home in 2 days, but wished he had been better
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informed. Progress.
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On June 12th, the Omaha Weekly Herald published a letter from
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the correspondent at Fort McPherson, dated June 3rd.
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Quote. A novel undertaking is on foot
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here and is of gigantic proportions.
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Colonel Sidney Barnett, of Niagara Falls, is getting up a
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grand Buffalo hunt at Niagara Falls from the 1st to the 4th of
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July. He is now here for the purpose
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of completing arrangements and superintending the starting of
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the enterprise and shipping the Buffaloes.
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E. He has secured the services of
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celebrated scout and hunter, Mr. JB Omahandro, better known as
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Texas Jack, the hero of the Loop Fork.
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Texas Jack is a partner of Buffalo Bill, and nothing that
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skill and foresight can accomplish will be spared to
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make this hunt a perfect success.
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Through the kindness of Major N, the commander of the Pawnee
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Scouts, arrangements are being made for a party of Pawnee
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Indians, the deadly and bitter enemies of the Sioux, to go to
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Niagara with their fleet ponies and lodges, and full war and
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hunting equipment. The Buffalo will pass through
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Omaha the latter part of this or early part of next month.
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We think this is a grand affair and believe there can be no
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question of success from the reputation of the parties
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engaged in it. The spectacle that will present
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itself to the scores of thousands who will be spectators
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at Niagara will be the most novel and thrilling ever seen
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east of the Great Plains. And we'll give our eastern
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friends an idea of what Buffalo hunting is in Nebraska.
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End Quote. This was followed up on July 2nd
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by the Lincoln Daily State Journal with a report from its
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correspondent WD Wildman, who described Texas Jacks attempts
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to capture the Buffalo alive. They wrote.
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Quote. I will relate an incident
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heretoforeth unheard of in Buffalo hunting.
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A gentleman from Saratoga, NY came to Fort McPherson and hired
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3 of the western scouts to capture 8 fully grown Buffalo to
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astonish the town of Saratoga on the 4th of July and a grand
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celebration on that day. And I understand a party of
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Pawnee Indians were to be taken along to shoo the uninitiated.
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How low Indians could do the Buffalo on a hunt. 3 gentlemen
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well known to Western men for daring were chosen as its
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leaders, Dashing, Charlie, Texas, Jack, and a man by the
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name of Barrett. His initials I did not know as
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my informant did not know them. They started from Red Willow
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early Sunday morning, 9th of June, crossed the Republican and
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proceeded to Beaver Creek, 15 miles away, and before noon the
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8 bulls were prisoners and loaded onto wagons.
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The mode of capture was as follows.
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One would throw a lasso over the animal's neck and follow with a
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slack rope until another could lasso the foot.
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Then they proceeded to down the beast.
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Once down, he was quickly tied and ready for loading onto the
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wagons. And so the fun went on with one
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variation. After Texas, Jack had lassoed an
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uncommonly large, ugly old bull, and before anyone could secure
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his leg, he turned short and charged, caught the horse and
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pitched both into a gully. Here the grit and action of a
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true Western hunter came apparent.
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His well trained horse waited for its rider, and my informant
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stated that the rope was not even dropped, but man and horse
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were together again, following the Buffalo until he was finally
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captured. To read such things is all very
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well, but to do them is quite a different thing.
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For my part, I believe rather than be 1 to capture one of
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those fellows, I had rather go through the Battle of
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Chickamauga again. End Quote.
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Texas Jack, in his capacity as trail agent for the Pawnees,
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wrote to Jacob M Troth, the Pawnee Indian agent at Genoa,
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requesting that he be allowed to take some of the Indians to
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Niagara Falls to appear in Barnett's hunt.
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Troth contacted his own superior, Barclay White,
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Superintendent of Indian affairs stationed at Omaha, on June
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13th. Troth advised Texas Jack quote.
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Your letter was received and I have had an interview with the
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Superintendent on the subject, and we unite in our view in
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reference to our Indians going off on an expedition of the kind
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you propose. It is also prohibited by the
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department. End Quote.
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Barnett, meantime, was growing impatient with bureaucratic
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delays. On June 20th he telegraphed FA
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Walker, the Commissioner on Indian Affairs in Washington,
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writing. I made arrangements with Major
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north of Columbus, NE for 5 Pawnee Indians to come here for
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a Buffalo hunt expedition, 1st July.
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Their tickets were bought and great expense incurred by
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advertisements. The agent on reserve now refused
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to let them come. Will you direct that they be
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allowed to come? Can refer you to any person
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here. Will be most serious loss to me
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and disappoint thousands of Indians if not allowed to come.
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Sydney Barnett on the 21st. Barnett sent another telegram to
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the Commissioner. I have incurred expenditure of
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$5000. This disappointment will utterly
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ruin me. Can refer you as to my character
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to Colonel Parker, to Mr. Chilton or any person at
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Niagara. Will give any amount of
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security. Please reconsider.
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Sydney Barnett, please answer quickly.
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Commissioner Walker's response was brief and to the point.
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Quote Matter cannot be reconsidered and quote, Barnett
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was furious. But he now had another problem.
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Once his Pawnees had been refused permission to travel to
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Canada, Texas, Jack backed out and Buffalo Bill was otherwise
18:54
engaged with his scouting duties for the 5th Calvary.
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Worse, many of the Buffalo that had been captured had died.
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As so many of them did in captivity.
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Agent Barnett wrote to Major N, who was back at Fort DA Russell,
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and who replied on July 2nd, 1872.
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My dear Mr. Barnett, your letter of June 28th is received, and I
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must feeling, as I do, answer at once.
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I heartily sympathize with you and we're in my power.
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I should offer help and amends in some way, but I see nothing I
19:29
could do to help this lost 'cause there was 1 blunder made
19:33
in regard to the Indians and that was by Matthews, yet he was
19:36
perfectly innocent in the matter.
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When I left Columbus I was very poorly, not hardly able to get
19:43
around and my instructions to Matthews were limited.
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But on my arrival here I immediately wrote him and told
19:50
him to take my team and go at once to the reserve and select
19:53
his men and get the agent's permission for them to go.
19:57
But he thought, as you and I do, that the trip would be
20:00
beneficial and that the agent would have no objections to
20:04
their going, as they are roaming around the country all the time,
20:07
and some of them he has not seen for one year that I know of.
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I can find Pawnees in Omaha that will testify that they have not
20:15
been on the reserve for six months and perhaps a year.
20:19
The sticking point is this, the Quaker agent wants to show his
20:22
authority and make out that their policy is the only safe
20:26
one with Indians, and so help me God, as never as long as I have
20:30
known those Indians. I never knew so corrupt a set of
20:34
officers over them as now. I think their race is nearly run
20:38
if Greeley is elected. I know it is anything I can do
20:42
for you command, and I will obey with great respect.
20:45
Break N. PS What have I wrote is between
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you and me as I am in the service.
20:51
I wish this kept. Major N's reference to Matthews
20:55
offers a possible explanation for what had led to the official
20:59
intervention of the Commissioner for Indian Affairs.
21:02
Matthews was Lieutenant Fred Matthews, a Canadian and former
21:06
Stagecoach driver who served with the Pawnee Scouts and later
21:10
joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West, where his skill with a six in
21:14
hand was put to use on the Deadwood stage.
21:17
Matthews, as an act of courtesy, took it upon himself to inform
21:21
the Indian agent of their intent in the belief that there would
21:25
be no objection. Clearly, N was annoyed with the
21:28
agent, but because of his official status, he had to
21:31
divorce himself from the situation.
21:34
During Barnett's exchanges with Commissioner Walker, A A Porter
21:38
of the legal firm Griffith and Porter at Niagara Falls, NY,
21:42
also wrote on Barnett's behalf to Walker.
21:46
In his letter of July 3rd, Porter asked if there was some
21:49
way quote existing laws and treaty regulations, End Quote,
21:54
could resolve the matter since Barnett had incurred a great
21:57
deal of expense and would provide whatever security was
22:00
necessary. On July 18th, Barnett himself
22:03
wrote directly to President Grant's Secretary General Horace
22:07
Porter, outlining the efforts and expense involved and the
22:12
part played by Major North and Captain Matthews.
22:15
He said he was unaware of any US laws that prevented the Indians
22:18
from visiting civilized countries.
22:21
Such travel would be beneficial. President Grant agreed that the
22:25
Indians should be allowed to go, but the Office of Indian Affairs
22:29
thought otherwise, with no hope of producing a hunt for the 4th
22:33
of July celebrations. Bennett determined.
22:36
On a later date it was reported that one of his agents had
22:40
reached Wichita, where the Weekly Eagle of August 9th, 1872
22:45
noted quote. One of the parties connected
22:47
with the promised big Buffalo hunt at Niagara Falls was in
22:51
Wichita last week, hiring Mexican greasers and buying
22:54
Indian ponies and Texas cattle for the great sell.
22:57
End Quote. Barnett had probably given up
23:00
any hope of procuring Buffalo or Indians from within the United
23:04
States, but an obscure account published in 1895 claimed that
23:09
he, quote, went to the Indian Territory in present day
23:12
Oklahoma, where he engaged some sack and fox Indians and Mexican
23:17
Cowboys and secured a fresh lot of buffaloes for his show.
23:21
It was in Kansas City that he met Bill Hickok, one of the most
23:24
daring and dashing scouts in the West, and he engaged him to go
23:28
east and manage the Niagara Falls Buffalo hunt.
23:31
End Quote. By the summer of 1872, Hickok
23:35
was a living legend, thanks to his real exploits and to such
23:39
publications as Harper's New Monthly magazine.
23:42
His reputation had been further enhanced when, for eight months,
23:46
from April to December of 1871, he served as the Marshall, or
23:51
chief of police, in Abilene, the premier cow town in Kansas.
23:56
In Abilene, he was involved in only one gunfight.
24:00
It was on October 5th, when, in the glare of kerosene lamps
24:04
outside a saloon, he confronted A drunken mob of about 50 armed
24:09
Texans. One of them fired at him, but
24:11
missed. Hickok fired back, hitting him
24:14
twice in the stomach, and he died.
24:16
Three days later, another man, brandishing a pistol ran into
24:20
the line of fire and was also shot by Hickok, who did not
24:24
recognize him in the glare. It was his friend Mike Williams,
24:27
the former city jailer. It was generally agreed that the
24:31
shooting was a tragic accident. Hickok had Williams's body
24:35
shipped back to his family at Kansas City, paid for the
24:38
funeral, and later visited Williams's wife to explain what
24:42
had happened. By mid-december, the City
24:45
Council decided to ban the next season's cattle drive because of
24:49
the evils of the trade, leaving Hickok out of a job.
24:54
But he was publicly commended for his efforts to preserve life
24:57
and property in Abilene. He then moved to Kansas City,
25:01
where he was living when Barnett arrived back at Niagara Falls.
25:05
It was late in August before Barnett was ready to stage his
25:08
hunt. Although he had prepared and
25:11
distributed broadsides or handbills advertising the event,
25:15
only one of them is known. In describing the fame of Mr.
25:20
William Hickok, better known as Wild Bill, Barnett's use of
25:23
William instead of James is understandable.
25:26
He publicized his dispute with Washington.
25:29
Quote, Notwithstanding the refusal of the Commissioner of
25:32
Indian Affairs at Washington to allow the Pawnee Indians engaged
25:36
by me to leave their reservation, and which caused
25:39
the postponement of the hunt on the former occasion, he had now
25:42
secured Indians of the best hunting band of the SAC and Fox
25:46
tribes. End Quote.
25:47
And over 50 Indians of different tribes would appear in full war
25:51
dress and take part in the hunt. On August 28th, the following
25:56
advertisement appeared in the Niagara Falls, NY Gazette.
26:00
Quote. This novel and most exciting
26:02
affair will positively take place on the days mentioned and
26:06
will be under the management and direction of Wild Bill William
26:10
Hickok, the most celebrated scout and hunter of the Plains.
26:14
No expense has been spared to make it the most interesting,
26:17
the most exciting, and the most thrilling spectacle ever
26:21
witnessed east of the Missouri River.
26:23
End Quote. In a preview of the same issue,
26:26
the paper added the following news item.
26:28
Quote The Grand Buffalo Hunt Over the River opens today at
26:32
3:00 PM. Sydney Barnett has spared
26:35
neither pains nor expense to make the undertaking a perfect
26:40
success, and the most novel and exciting time may confidently be
26:44
expected. Seats have been prepared to
26:47
accommodate 50,000 spectators. The hunt will be under the
26:51
direction of the celebrated William Hickok, or Wild Bill as
26:54
he's familiarly called. A number of sacks and fox tribes
26:58
of Indians will appear in full war costume, mounted on fleet
27:02
ponies brought from the plains. A Mexican Vacuero troupe will
27:06
also participate. Altogether there will be over 50
27:09
Indians and mounted men taking part in the chase.
27:12
The second day of the hunt will be equally interesting and
27:15
exciting. Excursion trains are being run
27:18
on all the principal railroads, and it is expected that a large
27:22
concourse of people will witness the hunt.
27:24
End Quote. On September 4th, however, The
27:28
Gazette carried this review of the show.
27:31
Quote. The great Buffalo hunt over the
27:34
river came off last week. According to the program, the
27:37
managers of the enterprise used every endeavor to make the
27:41
exhibition one of interest and amusement to the spectators and
27:44
to meet the expectations of all concerned.
27:47
No doubt some were disappointed and not seen a herd of wild
27:52
buffaloes instead of 3. Some 3000 people were present
27:57
the first day in a large number. On Friday Wild Bill was on hand
28:02
with several Indians and Mexicans accustomed to the
28:05
western plains, and exhibited what they knew about lassoing
28:08
wild cattle and buffaloes. The large racecourse gave ample
28:12
room for an exciting chase, and the whole field was traversed.
28:17
The skill of these men in riding and lassoing is remarkable.
28:20
A large number of Indians played a game of lacrosse which was
28:24
novel to a good many and quite exciting.
28:27
In fact, the whole show was such as every person would like to
28:31
see. End Quote.
28:33
Others did not share that view. On August 29th, the Toronto
28:38
Globe was quite scathing in its comments writing quote.
28:42
The Buffalo hunt today was a failure.
28:45
The animals turned out, had been caged up for some years past,
28:49
and did not appear to manifest any disposition to run wild.
28:54
Bill, mounted on a low sized Mustang, careered about after a
28:58
small sized ox, and finally, by the aid of some of his
29:02
satellites, managed to secure a cow which required to be goaded
29:07
to desperation before it would run at all.
29:10
The throwing of the lasso was a mere sham in as much as many of
29:14
the Indian chiefs had de facto to take the bull by the horns to
29:18
make him run. The chase after the Texan cattle
29:21
was also a farce, as the Indians, disguised in their
29:25
traditional war paint, wandered about on ponies after a cow that
29:29
had eventually been roaming about for the last two years in
29:32
the pastures of some peaceful agriculturist in the
29:35
neighborhood of the Falls. The whole affair is to be
29:38
repeated on Friday next, and if no better fun is to be offered
29:42
to those who patronized the entertainment, the exhibition
29:45
will but be poorly attended. The proceeding was somewhat
29:49
enlivened by a band of the 44th Battalion.
29:52
End Quote. The Lincoln County, Nebraska
29:55
Advertiser on September 4th, also remarked quote.
29:59
We hear that the late Buffalo hunt at Niagara commenced with a
30:02
Sundance by the Indians. 4 buffaloes were then chased
30:06
around the park. The Indians pitched in with
30:08
their arrows, some of which landed among the spectators.
30:12
A number of roughs broke down the enclosure and the buffaloes
30:16
went for some of the crowd. There was a general Stampede all
30:20
around for a time and quote. The rider added that the animals
30:24
were then rounded up and ready for another exhibition. 60 years
30:28
later. A Canadian rider further
30:30
described the hunt and its outcome, writing Quote.
30:34
The performance actually took place on August 28th and 30th,
30:38
1872, in an enclosure of possibly 80 acres or more, in
30:43
which the Hydro transformer building and the Falls View
30:47
School now stand. The attendance fell far short of
30:51
expectations. Many were delighted and
30:53
considered the event highly satisfactory and entertaining.
30:57
The program consisted of lassoing wild Texas steers by
31:01
Cowboys and Indians. Wild Bill William Hickok, the
31:04
famous Western Scout, had charge of the ceremonies.
31:08
Buffaloes were loosed and attacked by the Indians, who
31:12
charged on fleet Mustangs, shooting with blunt arrows and
31:15
finally capturing them by lassos.
31:17
There were some war dances and the final event was an
31:21
interesting, exciting and well contested game of lacrosse
31:24
between 2 Indian tribes for the championship.
31:27
The band of the 44th Regiment from Saint Catherine's provided
31:31
the music. Steven Pier of Lundy's Lane gave
31:34
exhibitions on rope walking on ropes stretched across the
31:38
street. There were spectators, however,
31:40
who were disappointed, claiming the show was too tame and the
31:44
animals were too disposed to be docile and inactive and showed
31:47
very little fight and spirit. Nevertheless, Mr. Barnett had
31:51
spared no expense The traveling expenses engaging the Indians
31:55
and Cowboys, capturing and transporting the buffaloes and
31:58
steers, constructing the high board fences and grandstands,
32:01
all cost an enormous sum of money, with very little prospect
32:05
of corresponding returns. The result of which was a heavy
32:08
financial loss to the Barnett's and was one of the contributing
32:11
causes leading to their relinquishment of the museum
32:14
business at the Falls. The two postponements had a
32:17
tendency to blight the prospects and dampen the confidence and
32:21
enthusiasm of the public. End Quote.
32:24
The grand Buffalo hunt had indeed been a disaster for the
32:27
Barnett's. They never recovered financially
32:30
and in 1877 sold the museum. One writer had suggested that
32:35
they lost $20,000 and that Sydney, who died in 1925, had
32:40
been reduced to selling Bibles in South America and other
32:44
demeaning tasks during his last years.
32:47
The same writer blamed it all on Buffalo Bill, who, having let
32:51
Barnett down, later cashed in on the idea and made himself a name
32:56
and fortune worldwide. Hickok, however, proved to be
33:00
more reliable. Cody may have been guilty of
33:03
many things, but there is no evidence to suggest that he let
33:07
Barnett down. Rather, we are faced with an
33:10
undertaking that was ill prepared, mismanaged, and
33:13
suffered from bureaucratic interference.
33:16
In fact, Cody himself became a victim of the bureaucrats in
33:19
December of 1872, shortly before he and Texas Jack resigned from
33:25
military service and departed for Chicago to join Ned Butline
33:29
and become stage actors. At the request of the Earl of
33:33
Dunraven and several others, Cody telegraphed Barclay White
33:37
for permission to take 6 Pawnees on an all expenses paid 6 week
33:41
trip. E Again White refused, claiming
33:45
that such a venture quote will encourage the Indians to
33:48
continue or practice any of their savage customs, or of
33:52
placing them under the care of any persons who will not be to
33:55
them Christian examples in every respect.
33:58
I have every case of application to take them from their reserves
34:02
for any such purpose given a positive refusal, and did so in
34:07
the present instance, stating my reasons, therefore.
34:10
End Quote. He added that only a positive
34:13
order from his superior officer Walker would, quote, induce me
34:17
to allow the Indians to go. End Quote.
34:20
That narrow minded view was common among those involved with
34:23
Indian affairs and resulted in a contempt for quote ignoble
34:27
savages, End Quote by some and a desire by others to encourage
34:32
the Indians to keep their culture but adapt to the white
34:35
man's ways. Wild Bill, however, had fared
34:38
much better. His reported antics in the
34:41
arena, chasing Buffalo or steers in his futile attempts to rope
34:45
them, something he probably rarely tried on the planes,
34:48
amused the audiences, who may have believed it was
34:51
intentional. But the hunt had introduced
34:54
Hickok to a live audience, a point noted by another later
34:59
writer who declared, quote. The Buffalo hunt and rodeo may
35:03
not have been a happy event in the lives of the Barnett family,
35:06
but it gave many a local lad his first glimpse of a real Wild
35:11
West show and the chance to see that hero of the Old West, Wild
35:15
Bill Hickok. Clifton and Drummondville had
35:18
witnessed something that was to be the very talk of the town for
35:22
many days to come, the like of which is still yet to be seen by
35:25
today's generation. End Quote.
35:28
Curiously, having got Hickok to Niagara Falls, Barnett failed to
35:33
publicize the fact, and despite rumors to the contrary, no
35:37
photographs have been found of the principles involved in the
35:40
grand Buffalo hunt. Neither have any interviews with
35:43
Hickok or any mention of his arrival and departure been noted
35:48
in several newspapers on either side of the falls.
35:51
Instead, we have imagined recollections written years
35:55
later. One writer noted that while
35:58
there, Hickok wore, quote, the picturesque sombrero of the
36:01
cowboy buckskin suit, leggings and all, carrying a pair of
36:06
Derringer pistols in his pockets on the streets for emergencies.
36:09
End Quote. The search of the museum's
36:12
surviving visitors registers, which might have confirmed
36:16
Hickok's arrival and departure dates, was fruitless.
36:19
Sometime between 1872 and the present, someone had cut out
36:24
Hickok's signature and others considered collectible.
36:28
Despite his problems, Barnett had brought before the public a
36:32
live action spectacle and hired a living legend to host it.
36:36
Ten years later. In 1882, after years of
36:39
presenting Western dramas on stage, Buffalo Bill produced an
36:43
Old Glory blowout at Omaha featuring live action Cowboys,
36:47
Indians, and other frontier types, which in 1883 was
36:51
transformed into his Wild West, Rocky Mountain, and Prairie
36:55
Exhibition. His initial partnership with Doc
36:58
Carver proved to be a disaster, but he eventually achieved
37:02
worldwide fame and more than anyone else, is credited with
37:06
publicizing the American West. It is doubtful that Wild Bill
37:11
was aware of all of Barnett's problems.
37:14
Having kept his side of the bargain and having been paid, he
37:17
returned to Kansas City before moving on to Springfield, MO.
37:21
His subsequent appearance in Cody's stage dramas, beginning
37:24
late in 1873, was short lived, for despite his tremendous draw,
37:29
press reports indicated that his presence, rather than his acting
37:33
skills boosted attendance. He hated the sham, the public
37:36
attention and living out of a suitcase.
37:40
He left the company in March of 1874 and returned to the West.
37:45
Two years later, on August 2nd, 1876, he was murdered at
37:49
Deadwood, Dakota Territory as he sat playing cards in saloon #10.
37:55
Ironically, only five months before, on March 5th, he had
37:59
married Agnes Lake Thatcher, herself a circus performer of
38:02
some merit and fame who, unlike her husband, loved the
38:06
limelight. Thank you for listening to the
38:09
Nebraska History Podcast. To learn more about Nebraska
38:12
History Magazine, to listen to more podcasts, or to support our
38:15
podcast by becoming a member of the Nebraska State Historical
38:18
Society, go to history.nebraska.gov/podcast.
38:22
And don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and get notified
38:25
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38:28
every other week. Until next time, I'm Chris
38:31
Goforth.