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William "Buffalo Bill" Cody (1846)close

Born in LeClaire, Iowa, William Cody grew up on the Iowa prairie, and came to embody the spirit of the West. More than anyone else, he shaped popular concepts of the "Wild West" through his extravagant theatrical shows. He served with the Union Army during the Civil War, and after the war continued as a scout and dispatch carrier in Kansas. It wasn't until 1867 that he became a buffalo hunter and earned his famous nickname. His famous "Buffalo Bill's Wild West" show featured a buffalo hunt with real buffalo, a staged Indian attack and sharp shooters like Annie Oakley. For one season, Chief Sitting Bull traveled with the show.

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