Buffalo Bill's Circus.

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Has anyone family memories of Buffalo Bill's circus when he came to Sheffield. My Grandmother who was born in 1883 used to tell me she saw the parade through town when she was a girl. Can anyone put some flesh on this distant memory.

[alex3659]

10th - 15th august 1891 was the dates for the sheffield shows .

[hillsbro]

Yes - Buffalo Bill's "Wild West Show" came to Sheffield in 1891. An Internet source http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/STAFFORDSHIRE/2004-04/1080837678 quotes this contemporary newspaper report:

 

In August 1891 Buffalo Bill's circus arrived in Sheffield with its 200 strong company including 90 Sioux Indians. You could not miss "Buffalo Bill". He was a larger than life character, 6ft-2in tall with long hair down to his shoulders, a goatee beard and wearing buckskins and big boots. Colonel William "Buffalo Bill" Cody's Wild West Show was a huge hit with the Victorians and helped to create the legend of the Wild West on both sides of the Atlantic. The circus pulled up at the railway station in three trains totalling 72 passenger and freight carriages. Within hours they had built their own arena, and set up the field kitchen cooking chops and steaks for breakfast, at a site on Penistone Road where they stayed for a week. The arena was a third of a mile in circumference. Major John Burke arrived in advance of Buffalo Bill's circus, an early public relations man. He initiated this country into American marketing techniques. He called at the local newspaper office and told them that he had a story. He then said that there was no need to write it, as he had already done that himself and handed the editor a Press kit, probably Britain's first Press release. When the circus left they were one Indian short, Paul Eagle Star. The 25-year-old brave lost his foot when his horse stumbled and fell on the afternoon of the first performance. He was rushed to the Sheffield Infirmary but gangrene set in. Although the surgeons operated he died after the circus left town. News of his untimely death cast a deep gloom over the encampment.

 

There was a long-running belief that Paul Eagle Star was buried in Wardsend Cemetery but this apparently isn't true.

[Purplecat21]

I worked at The Burton Street project in Hillsborough and an old American coin was found in the old school yard once, I think its date tallied with this event.

[Corn2]

Has anyone family memories of Buffalo Bill's circus when he came to Sheffield. My Grandmother who was born in 1883 used to tell me she saw the parade through town when she was a girl. Can anyone put some flesh on this distant memory.

Strangely enough I was discussing this topic with someone a few nights ago!

 

From what I can gather he staged a 'Wild West' show somewhere in the Langsett Road/Hillsborough area around the 1890's and I think there was a true Red Indian who used to perform a rain dance and was part of his 'Circus'!

 

Purplecat21, I wouldn't be at all surprised at the find as they apparently did visit that area.

[HughW]

According to the Sheffield Local Register, Buffalo Bill's Show was also in Sheffield in 1903, starting on October 12th.

 

Hugh

[iamwoody]

my grandad went to see the wild west show , i think he said it was somewhere in attercliffe but he,s been dead now for a number of years so i can,t help any further but apparently it was a spectacular show and lived long in his memory .

[Zilly]

As a child I was fascinated by the fact Sheffield had its own Red Indian as told me by my mother.

 

In 2001 I had 3 weeks touring the USA and incorporated a trip to Montana with a view to visiting the Beuchal Museum to find out more. Unfortunately, my trip meant me arriving on a Sunday but at least I got to see the Rosebud Indian Reservation where Paul Eagle Star was buried after being exhumed from Brompton cemetery.

 

Paul Eagle Star was injured when his horse fell from under him on 14 August 1891 - a compound dislocation of the ankle. He was taken to the Infirmary but after 8 days lockjaw set in. His leg was amputated on Saturday night 22 August. Although considered to be a successful operation Paul Eagle Star died in agony in the early hours of Monday 24 August 1891.

 

An inquest was held early morning Tuesday 25 August and death by accident was recorded. The body was put into a coffin and taken to Sheffield station and loaded on a train to London. A stop was made in Nottingham where the show was performing and several Indians were elected to attend the funeral in the care of Major Johnny Burke, general manager of the show.

 

A carriage with 4 black plumed horses met the train at St Pancras station, London and the body was taken to Brompton cemetery. It was the last internment of the day and being a common grave without a marker his final resting place was forgotten.

 

Staff at Sheffield Libraries in 1977 were an invaluable spur to discoveries and providing links to finding Paul’s family.

 

Philip James (a Sheffielder I think) felt strongly that Paul should be returned to his family so in August 1977 contact was made with the Eagle Star family (remaining grandchildren Moses Eagle Star and Lucy Eagle Star).

 

It took a year and a half to get the permissions and do documentation that is required for exhumation and reburial. Finally Paul’s remains were exhumed end of March 1999 from Brompton Cemetary. 108 years had passed since his death and Paul’s skeleton was virtually complete. They were prepared for a traditional reburial by the grave side in Brompton. The coffin was transported to Dakota accompanied by Philip James.

 

The reburial took plance on 31 May 1999 on what is now the Rosebud Reservation. There were prayers and singers. The honorary title of Chief was used as his pedigree and name were recalled.

 

Phillip James was honoured by the Eagle Star family by the presentation of the Star Quilt which had been wrapped around Paul’s coffin on its journey to the grave site.

Many names were called during the honouring ceremonies of those who had provided assistance to brining home Paul’s body and Sheffielders were remembered once again through their attachment to ‘Sheffield’s own Indian’.

(taken from Sheffield’s Own Indian by Phillip James)

[HughW]

Fascinating! I didn't know that the impetus to return his body to the States came from Sheffield.

 

Zilly, is the source you are quoting from a book or a pamphlet and is it a recent publication? I can't seem to find a reference to it.

 

Hugh

[crookesey]

Yes - Buffalo Bill's "Wild West Show" came to Sheffield in 1891. An Internet source http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/STAFFORDSHIRE/2004-04/1080837678 quotes this contemporary newspaper report:

 

In August 1891 Buffalo Bill's circus arrived in Sheffield with its 200 strong company including 90 Sioux Indians. You could not miss "Buffalo Bill". He was a larger than life character, 6ft-2in tall with long hair down to his shoulders, a goatee beard and wearing buckskins and big boots. Colonel William "Buffalo Bill" Cody's Wild West Show was a huge hit with the Victorians and helped to create the legend of the Wild West on both sides of the Atlantic. The circus pulled up at the railway station in three trains totalling 72 passenger and freight carriages. Within hours they had built their own arena, and set up the field kitchen cooking chops and steaks for breakfast, at a site on Penistone Road where they stayed for a week. The arena was a third of a mile in circumference. Major John Burke arrived in advance of Buffalo Bill's circus, an early public relations man. He initiated this country into American marketing techniques. He called at the local newspaper office and told them that he had a story. He then said that there was no need to write it, as he had already done that himself and handed the editor a Press kit, probably Britain's first Press release. When the circus left they were one Indian short, Paul Eagle Star. The 25-year-old brave lost his foot when his horse stumbled and fell on the afternoon of the first performance. He was rushed to the Sheffield Infirmary but gangrene set in. Although the surgeons operated he died after the circus left town. News of his untimely death cast a deep gloom over the encampment.

 

There was a long-running belief that Paul Eagle Star was buried in Wardsend Cemetery but this apparently isn't true.

 

My late grandfather assured me that he was buried in the cemetery in Attercliffe, near to where the Arena now stands.