From May 18 through May 24, 1896, the most famous show of its type, the original and biggest spectacle of its age, stopped in St Louis, setting up at the corner of Compton and Manchester. The show was so large that it required 15 acres of empty ground to stage.
The reason most of us have at least heard of this wondrous relic from over a century ago is that there really was nothing like it. It kind of was what it pretended to be.
William F. Cody had been entertaining the public for nearly forty years, and running the Wild West show for 13 years by the spring of 1896. A born promoter, his show prospered to the point that he was putting in 300,000 miles per year by train, traveling with his behemoth production constantly.
A year earlier, James Bailey, of Barnum and Bailey fame, joined Cody and revolutionized the logistics of show travel. There were 500 people in the cast and on staff, including 25 cowboys, 12 cowgirls and 100 Native Americans. Each received three hot meals a day and board. They were accompanied by hundreds of show and draft horses, and 30 buffalo. The show hauled around its own grandstands, and the acres of canvas necessary to create a temporary arena capable of seating 20,000. Two trains of 50 cars were dedicated to moving it all around the country. Expenses ran about $4,000 a day.
When the show came to town, it generally kicked off with a grand parade, followed by a pair of two hour shows per day. Admission in 1896 was $0.50 for adults and $0.25 for kids. Quick ciphering indicates the show would need over 2,500 families of four every day, just to cover costs.
It ran like clockwork – the sharpshooters like Annie Oakley, the rope tricks and equestrian spectacles, the Battle of the Little Big Horn and buffalo stampede, until it no longer did. In 1913, with movies widely available, and rodeos visiting the big cities, fascination with the circus-like show ebbed, and the Wild West show went bankrupt.
Cody, Wyoming is a convenient place to stop en route to Yellowstone Park, a mere 50 miles away. There youโll find the Buffalo Bill Center of the West with its five museums. It was the source of much of the background for this article, and you can visit online at https://centerofthewest.org
Youโre now prepped for a Globe-Democrat ad supporting the appearance of Buffalo Bill and entourage in St Louis, back on May 24, 1896. Please note that the show would have pulled out of town on the 25th, and at around 3pm the following day, the biggest tornado in St Louis history touched down wickedly close to where the giant show tent had been. That clockwork precision prevented a flying circus. ย
