Buffalo Bill - Helen Cody Wetmore

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Résumé :
Helen Cody Wetmore's classic account of the life of Buffalo Bill is action-packed and informative, doing full justice to the legend that was William Frederick Buffalo Bill Cody. As Buffalo Bill's younger sister, Helen Cody Wetmore was in a great position to comment on her brother's adventures in the Old West, and his personality. Beginning as a contracted hunter, it was only when Cody's prowess in buffalo shooting was chronicled by New York based author and publisher Ned Buntline that he attained great fame. Although stories Buntline published were partly fabricated and mostly exaggerated, William Cody was stunned by the attention and fame was duly lavished upon him. After proving his abilities in a series of hunting contests, he launched his show: Buffalo Bill's Wild West. Cody made an enormously successful enterprise out of performing and re-enacting dramatic events and battles of the Western frontier. The show employed Native Americans and former cavalrymen, thrilling crowds in their thousands....

Sommaire:
Helen Cody Wetmore was a writer, advocate, and business professional born on 27 June 1850 in Le Claire, Iowa, to Isaac Cody and Mary Ann Bonsell Laycock. She was the sister of William F. Cody, famously known as Buffalo Bill, and gained unique insights into frontier life through her family connections and personal experiences. For a brief period, Wetmore traveled with the Wild West show, witnessing firsthand the performances and adventures that shaped her brother's legendary reputation. Beyond her literary and familial connections, she worked as the business manager for the Duluth Press, demonstrating her organizational and professional abilities in a male-dominated field. Wetmore was also an advocate for women's suffrage, reflecting her engagement with social reform and the promotion of women's rights. Her writings include historical and biographical accounts, notably chronicling her brother's life in a manner that combined personal recollection with historical documentation. Wetmore passed away in 1911 in Pasadena, California, leaving behind a legacy of literary work, social advocacy, and contributions to preserving the story of the American frontier and its iconic figures....