The Le Claire-born scout and showman whose Wild West show carried the American frontier to the world.
William Frederick Cody was born on February 26, 1846, near Le Claire, Iowa, on the Mississippi River. He worked as a young rider, U.S. Army scout, and bison hunter on the Great Plains, earning the nickname “Buffalo Bill.”
In 1883 he launched “Buffalo Bill's Wild West,” a touring spectacle of riding, shooting, and frontier drama that played across the United States and Europe and made him one of the most famous people of his age.
Cody's show turned the frontier into global entertainment and made “Buffalo Bill” a household name on two continents. His birthplace region at Le Claire, Iowa, keeps his memory along the river where he was born.
He remains one of the most recognizable figures of the American West — and he was born in Iowa.
The Le Claire-born scout and showman whose Wild West show carried the American frontier to the world.
Buffalo Bill Cody was from Le Claire, Iowa.
1846–1917.
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Portrait: Wikimedia Commons (public domain or freely licensed).