Buffalo Bill Cody History

Buffalo Bill Cody History

Young Guns Circa 1870 Poster
Charley Utter, Wild Bill Hickok, Buffalo Bill Cody, Texas Jack Omohundro, Elisha Green

Buffalo Bill Cody History

A story of the real west from the last best west

Buffalo Bill Cody Cowboy HatBuffalo Bill Cody’s show business career began at the age of 26, on December 17, 1872 in Chicago. Ned Buntline (The man that immortalized Cody, Hickok, and scores of other Wild West personalities in his dime novels) had written a play called “The Scouts of the Prairie“.

Buffalo Bill appeared in it, as did Buntline, and another well-known scout – Texas Jack Omohundro. Reviews of Cody’s acting was mixed but he had a easy-going charm which the audience loved and Buffalo Bill was a natural showman.

Buffalo Bill’s Wild West and Congress of Roughriders” used real cow-boys and cow-girls, recruited from ranches in the West. When the show first started few people shared Cody’s admiration of the cow-boys. The public regarded them as coarse cattle drivers and used the term “cow-boy” as an insult. Because of Buffalo Bill by the end of the 19th century, the cow-boy became the much more popular “cowboy.”

Buffalo Bill’s Wild West shows demonstrated bronco riding, roping, and other skills that later cowboy’s would compete against each other at rodeos. Today professional cowboys compete all over North America for prize money totalling in excess of a million dollars.

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Old West Character Hat

Longfellow posing with Spokane Cody at the End of Trails festival in Cody Wyoming, 2006

The Real West

The real wild west started in about 1866 after the American Civil War and coincided with the begin of the big Texas cattle drives.

Cattle had been running wild and multiplying all over Texas during the Civil War. So when the soldiers returned to being cowboys they rounded up all they could lasso, and headed north and east to the rail heads. The East was clamouring for fresh beef and the Texas ranches and cowboys were glad to oblige.

The raw western frontier with Cowboys, and Gamblers, Shootist’s and Marshal’s, Buffalo and Indians; barely lasted fifty years.

Yet the legend continues to grow; Cowboy Hats and Boots are part of the World’s wardrobe, and the western mystic is embraced by million’s of enthusiasts around the globe.

All of this could not have happened without Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show, and the man who started Cody off on his career as an entertainer – Ned Buntline and his dime novels of the majestic and mysterious west.

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  • Augustus Custom Handmade Hat

    $355.00$770.00
    augustus custom handmade hat style from the classic mini-series, Lonesome Dove (1989) Loveable old Ranger Augustus McCrae is the scalawag that keeps the Hat Creek Cattle Company loose and is a great counter balance to the salty Woodrow Call.  This style of old west crown with it's 3 pinch cavalry creasing was first called the "Tom Mix" after the early movie star, and then became known as "The Gus" crease because of  Lonesome Dove. This is a great look for both men and women! 250_white_filials
    • CROWN: 6 inches
    • BRIM: 4"
    • Crown: Modified 3 pinch cavalry
    • Brim: Hand worked and rolled
    • Hatband: Custom 1/2" leather twist
    • Color shown: Sand
    • hats ship in 12-14 weeks
    • Personalized with your name inside the crown
  • Captain Call Handmade Hat

    $355.00$770.00
    A custom cowboy movie hat from Lonesome Dove (1989) Our take on the hat style worn by Tommy Lee Jones The Tommy Lee Jones cowboy hat from Lonesome Dove. The Captain Call Handmade Hat is like the character simple, unrefined, and basic. A classic Boss of the Plains with a heavy dip front and back on the bound brim.
    • Crown: 6 inches
    • Brim: 4"
    • Crown: Open - uncreased
    • Brim: Bound Hand shaped dipped front and back.
    • Hatband: 1" grosgrain ribbon with bow
    • Color shown: Black in 20X fur-felt
    • hats ship in 6-8 weeks.
    • Personalized with your name inside the crown
    • Hatband not sold separately
  • Samuel Jones Movie Hat

    $380.00$770.00
    Our version of the Samuel Jones Movie Hat - from The Missing The Samuel Jones Hat is the one worn by Tommy Lee Jones, as Samuel Jones, a  white man turned Apache, who returns to his estranged daughter in time to try and rescue his grand-daughter from slave traders. Like the character there is nothing fancy about this hat, a simple open crowned cowboy hat with a bit of a pencil roll.
    • CROWN HEIGHT: 5" INCHES Open
    • BRIM: 4" 1/2" Pencil roll, with a gentle hand roll - Bound.
    • Color: Pecan
    • Hatband: Satin Ribbon with bow, with matching bound edge.
    • Personalized with your name inside the crown
  • Sundance Kid Cowboy Hat

    $390.00$770.00
    Sundance Kid Cowboy Hat - Our take on a classic western movie hat the hat worn by Robert Redford in 1969s, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.  This hat is pretty nondescript and is a good representation of the type of hat that would have been seen in the later half of the 19th century on many of the cowboys riding through the west.
    • Crown: 4 1/4" inches Telescope
    • Brim: 3 1/4 inches open with a gentle hand-roll
    • Color: Chocolate with light trail dust
    • Hatband: 1/2" distressed brown leather
    • Personalized with your name inside the crown
  • Hickok Old West Hat

    $380.00$810.00

    a historical reproduction of Wild Bill Hickok's hat 

    Hickok Old West Cowboy Hat. We start with an over sized hat body to make this classic western hat, with a short crown and wide pencil rolled brim. Brims worked different - but essentially the same hat worn by Wild Bill on HBOs Deadwood.
    • Crown: 4 1/2 inches Texas flat
    • Brim 4" Pencil rolled and Bound
    • Color: Black
    • Hatband: 1" inch Satin with Bow
    • Personalized with your name inside the crown

  •   Masterson Single Action Holster 

    Classic Cross Draw Holster - Simple, elegant and functional

    Masterson Belt if you order the Rig is 1 1/2" - to accommodate belt loops on today's britches. We made sure it fits Levi's jeans, and when worn with a sport coat or longer coat, is the perfect holster for people with the conceal & carry permit. Holster works equally well as either a cross draw or strong hand draw style. If you'd like the cut out star concho on the holster, please request it in the production notes below. 250_white_filials
  • Johnny Ringo leather holster hand made by the last best west A classic Hollywood holster and gun belt- from Tombstone. {1993} This closed toe design is made for quick draws with it's trigger guard fully exposed from the holster. We're showing our Johnny Ringo in our classic old mahogany color .  Movie rig is black.
  • Curly Bill Movie Holster - a hand made leather holster from Tombstone. {1993} COLOR SHOWN: Deadwood Brown This close toed holster is a little fancier variation of our traditional 19th century Teddy Blue Holster. The Curly Bill Movie Holster has a fancier border and the look is toughened up with 10 spots per holster. The 2 rig set that Boothe wears as Curly Bill Brocius, in Tombstone, was patterned after the rig that the historical Curly Bill wore. 2 Cartridge belts, one worn backwards and two strong hand draw holsters.   To order the complete Curly Bill Movie Rig, with 2 holsters and 2 fully looped cartridge belts, add all 3 options below where it asks, Add a Matching Belt and/or Holster? This will save you 35 dollars for the complete 2 rig set. Total will be 905.00 plus shipping. Choose your Buckle Set, Leather Color and Belt Style

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