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Buffalo Bill In West Chester

By LOUISE M. JONES

THE popularity of Buffalo Bill rivaled that of the Pied Piper. The genial giant with his long hair and goatee, broad-brimmed hat and leather trappings had admirers whenever he appeared on West Chester streets.

He was not a stranger here as noted in a quotation of the Local News 5-22-1873: "Hon. Wm. F. Cody, known to our readers as Buffalo Bill is in our borough today, the guest of Col. Guss to whom he is related. He stated that he had rented a fine brick dwelling on Washington Street between Walnut and Matlack, into which he proposes to move his family at once." In a later edition 8-9-1873: "Buffalo Bill does his own marketing."

Col. Cody was born on the frontier and spent his boyhood there. When he was ten the family moved farther west where his father lost his life in an encounter with the Indians.

During the construction of he Kansas-Pacific railroad Buffalo Bill was employed to hunt buffaloes for the meat supply of the men working there. Records shows that he shot 4280 of the animals with one gun which he called "Lucretia Borgia". On one encounter his horse fell upon him and caused an injury from which he never fully recovered. Several times he was wounded by arrows and bullets.

He was also one of the riders of the Pony Express.

In West Chester, on the stage of old Horticultural Hall, now the home of the Chester County Historical Society, his troupe rehearsed for their first stage show. Later they toured the midwest and Chicago in a tented show. While here, the Indians had an encampment in a woods east of town; later the whole troupe lived at the Turk's Head. The horses were quartered at the Sheller farm in East Bradford or on a farm near Romansville.

This ad in the local paper 9-4-1873 appeared in the Amusement column: "At Horticultural Hall. THE ORIGINAL SCOUTS OF THE PLAINS, Buffalo Bill, Texas Jack, Wild Bill and a company of wild Indians: a full Dramatic Company will perform.

Time - Sept. 9, 1873.

"Admission 50 and 75 cents."

Ah, for the good old days!

Real Indians!