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Rockbridge Regional Library will host author John Flood Tuesday, Feb. 20, at 2 p.m. to talk about his book, “Buffalo Bill in the Limelight Across Virginia.”
According to Flood, internationally famous scout and showman William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody (1846- 1917) was born in Iowa and raised in Kansas. At age 11 he worked for frontiersmen on a wagon train headed west to support his mother and sisters after the death of his father. He set records on horseback working for the Pony Express at about age 14. While still in his early 20s, Cody became a scout on the frontier for the U.S. Army and was involved in numerous Indian fights and other perilous missions.
In 1872 he appeared on stage as himself in a play in Chicago. That evening of entertaining an audience set off an unprecedented 44-year career as a showman. More than 30 years of that span were spent touring the U.S. and Europe as Buffalo Bill’s Wild West. Those outdoor shows, featuring cowboys, Native Americans, stampeding buffalo, sharp-shooting Annie Oakley, and amazingly skilled horsemen from the world over, thrilled millions of spectators.
After learning that his greatgreat grandfather had been in an encampment with Buffalo Bill Cody, Flood was inspired to learn all he could about the famous performer and frontiersman. He discovered that Cody’s entourage had visited his own hometown of Winchester, as well as towns and cities throughout Virginia, Lexington being one of them: The thundering herd of horses and buffalo, the crack of the whip, and the smell of gunpowder filled the air as Buffalo Bill Cody, along with Annie Oakley, and countless tribal warriors descended upon towns across Virginia over a century ago.
Flood will share details about the show in Lexington in October 1916, billed as “Military Pageant ‘Preparedness,” how the concept of cowboys was forever altered, and details about Cody’s popularity.
The book is available for check-out or hold at the library and signed copies will be available for sale at the program.
