Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show

Ordinance Survey Map 1881, showing Mr Dare's field in pink

Map of the route taken around Britain

An Indian Congress at one of Buffalo Bill's shows

Advert for the show which appeared in local newspapers. See also Mr Alsop's advert beneath

Poster advertising one of Buffalo Bill's shows. There are no posters or photographs of Buffalo Bill in Horfield

Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show came to Horfield in September 1891 and caused quite a stir. The show was held in Mr Dare's field, shown in pink on the map opposite, which is the present site of the Bristol Rovers Memorial Stadium. The field later became known locally as Buffalo Bill's field. Between the 28 September and 3 October two, 2 hour shows were held daily at 3pm and 8pm, and general admission cost 1 shilling (12 pence in today's money). It was estimated that over 100,000 people paid a visit to the show ground over the course of the week.

Following the success of the shows trip to London in 1877, where Buffalo Bill performed in front of Queen Victoria, the show had returned for a larger tour of England. The tour which came to Bristol also went to Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Stoke-on-Trent, Nottingham, Birmingham, Cardiff, Portsmouth, Brighton, Croydon and Glasgow. Since 1877 the show had also travelled the principal cities of Europe, including Paris, Barcelona, Rome and throughout Italy and Germany.

Visitors were guaranteed to see Buffalo Bill himself at every show, as well as famous acts like Annie Oakley 'the famous female shot', Johnny Baker the 'Cowboy Kid', and marksman Mr Claude L Daly, as well as Indian Chiefs No Neck, Short Bull, Kicking Bear and Lone Bull. Visitors to the show were treated to a range of performances, all designed to give an accurate portrayal of Indian and frontier life. Details of the program were given in a review of the opening night in the Bristol Evening News, 29 September 1891. This shows that the program ran along the following lines:

• Processional review of all those involved in the show - introduction
• Race between a cowboy, Mexican and Indian
• Miss Annie Oakley’s display of rifle shooting
• Illustration of Colonel Cody’s famous single combat with ‘Yellow Hand’ at War Bonnet Creek, Dakota, 17th July 1875.
• Example of pony express riding from a cowboy showing how letters and telegrams were delivered
• Attack on an emigrant train by Indians
• Johnny Baker marksman
• Mr Claude L Daly rifle and pistol shooting exhibition
• Representation of the capture of the Deadwood mail coach by Indians
• Illustrations of cowboy amusements (picking hats and handkerchief off of ground at speed, lassoing horses) “Cowboy Fun”
• Buck-jumpers
• Buffalo Hunt
• Exhibition of Indian life and customs
• Colonel Cody’s display of marksmanship
• Races between backwoods women and Indian boys
• Performance concludes with the National Anthem

The most popular of these exhibitions were the buck-jumpers and the representation of the capture of the Deadwood mail coach - the show received rave reviews in the local newspapers.

Thousands of country neighbours flocked to Bristol to see the show, and special trains were put on to get them all there and home again. It was noted in the Bristol Mercury that the official traffic returns for the Taff Vale Railway showed that passenger receipts had increased by £3000 in the week Bill visited. It also impacted the Bristol stock market and benefited local businesses. Indeed, some local businesses used the show to attract customers, such as Mr Alsop, a cabinet maker who invited visitors of the exhibition to his shop, placing his advert directly beneath that for the show!