Cody operated on local turf. He built his reputation on adventures purported to have occurred within walking distance of Kearney. He served his purpose. He lent credibility and cover, excitement and spotlight to the winds of American expansion.
And he knew what was needed to America to spread west:
His father’s anti-slavery stance led to his murder. Will wrapped his father’s cloak around his shoulders and became a Union Army spy.
The Indian population needed to be pacified, or removed when peaceful wasn’t an option. He cast himself as a fearless Indian fighter.
In order to defeat the Indian population, the buffalo herds, the source of their entire way of life, needed to be decimated. He and his favorite hunting rifle, Lucretia, signed on for the job. That’s where he got his name, Buffalo Bill. He claimed to have killed 4,282 in an 18-month period. The total number killed during that process of extermination is estimated at 60,000,000. Bill’s percentage of that would be approximately .007%. That tee shirt, .007% Buffalo Bill, might not have been a best seller at county fairs.
To assist the US Army in the extermination process, he did earn his chops as a hunter, scout, guide. Custer was one of the officers he served during that period. Bill knew the plains like few others.
Rapid communication was going to be critical if the West was to be settled. He claimed to be a Pony Express rider. Romantic image. Fair chance it was an embellishment on his resume and didn’t happen.
If immigrants were to be attracted and settled, towns needed to be built. He partnered with a Mr. William Rose, acquired a plot of land, and established Rose, Kansas. His business acumen failed to match his ambition, and the town withered in a few months when the Kansas Pacific Railroad established a competing village within sight, at Hays City, and Rose died on the vine.
Travelers crossing the prairie needed a place for a bed, a bath and a meal. He became the proprietor of the Golden Rule House Hotel.
Settlement required law and order, a trust that laws would be enacted and enforced. He became a Justice of the Peace.
Dry land required irrigation if farms and communities were to flourish. Bill was a visionary in that regard. My wife* and I were exploring the Big Horn area and came upon a historical marker that said, “Buffalo Bill Cody recognized that without irrigation systems the vast arid lands of Wyoming could not attract and support new settlers. He was instrumental in encouraging Mormon families to develop land between Shell Canyon and Cody.”
Cody’s sister, Helen Wetmore, said it best. “Bill Cody gained his strong hold on American hearts because in his own person he condenses a period of the history of this nation.”
ONLY THREE MORE EPISODES TO THE END OF THE STORY. *Buttress refers in the above episode to his wife, Dr. Jan Weber. After Steve’s death, in in accordance with his wishes, she authorized the use of this story by Kearney Creates.
Radical Winds ~ by Steve Buttress, posted by Chuck Peek