| For all you Old West "history buffs," students, and | | | | the not always accurate accounts of his life to |
| Western writers out there who have been at this | | | | make money when he could. He certainly never |
| longer than I, can anyone answer the question | | | | seemed to seek nor did he attain the mythical |
| I've posed in the title of this article? Did Buffalo Bill | | | | status in his lifetime that Cody and Hickok did, |
| Cody and Wyatt Earp ever meet? If so, can you | | | | probably because he never really cultivated it. |
| point me toward information about any | | | | But even if that's true, I am amazed that there |
| meeting(s) or relationship between the two? If | | | | are no accounts I could find of Cody and Earp |
| not, how or why do you think such a meeting | | | | ever meeting. When you consider that Cody went |
| would NOT take place? | | | | out of his way to recruit any "big names" he |
| Cody and Earp were close to the same age. | | | | could find for his famous Wild West in the 1880s |
| Sources put Cody's birth in Iowa in 1846 (1845 in | | | | and '90s, I'm surprised he didn't make an effort to |
| early writings, but since corrected); Earp was born | | | | locate Earp and make him an offer. Perhaps the |
| in Illinois in 1848. Cody died in Denver, Colorado, in | | | | ups and downs of "real life" as Earp found it in the |
| 1917; Earp died in Los Angeles, California, in 1929. | | | | various Kansas cowtowns and later in Arizona put |
| Both men spent time in and out of Kansas and | | | | Cody off the idea. Or, we could as easily |
| the Great Plains in general. I've seen accounts that | | | | speculate, the hard bitten, sometimes lawman |
| Earp at least met and may have spent some | | | | sometimes outlaw reputation Earp had in those |
| time with "Wild Bill" Hickok - and Cody definitely | | | | years caused him to ignore Cody's attempts to |
| can be linked clearly to Hickok, even doing some | | | | glamorize the "Wild West" and Earp simply wanted |
| abortive stage acting with Hickok in the 1870s. | | | | no part of it. |
| Given such proximity, and given Cody's and Earp's | | | | It is fun, though, to speculate how the two may |
| quick tendencies as showmen to always try to | | | | have regarded each other. I suspect they knew |
| turn a profit off their images (Cody certainly | | | | enough of the reality of life on the Plains in the |
| much more than Earp), I find it amazing that the | | | | 1860s-1890s that both understood what was real |
| two weren't somehow associated. | | | | and what was showmanship in each other. |
| It's my understanding, and I am by no means | | | | So, I ask again: Did Buffalo Bill Cody and Wyatt |
| knowledgeable about Wyatt Earp, that Earp never | | | | Earp ever meet? If you have some information |
| pushed the tall tales and showmanship or | | | | on that, and especially if you can direct me |
| reputation as strongly as Cody. Nevertheless, in | | | | toward some sources on it, I invite you to leave |
| later years I believe Wyatt took advantage of | | | | a comment on my website! |