“Buffalo Bill” Cody born near LeClaire, Iowa

On this day in 1846, William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody was born near LeClaire, Iowa. Cody came to symbolize “Wild West” culture in America with his famous Wild West Show, featuring figures like Annie Oakley and Sitting Bull.

He was not just well-known in the U.S., but arguably one of the most famous Americans in the world for his time.

Cody’s nickname came from his stint hunting buffalo for the Kansas Pacific Railroad – he reportedly killed over 4,000. This overhunting tragically contributed to buffaloes’ near extinction.

Did you know? Cody supported women’s suffrage, an unusual position for such a prominent figure of the time: “Set that down in great big black type that Buffalo Bill favors woman suffrage… These fellows who prate about the women taking their places make me laugh… If a woman can do the same work that a man can do and do it just as well, she should have the same pay.”