Buffalo Bill large character jug produced by Byron Molds of the Netherlands circa 1974. Born in Scottia, Iowa, William Frederick Cody (1846-1917) learned to ride at an early age and when only eleven worked as a mounted messenger for a wagon freight firm. He earned the name Buffalo Bill for killing over 4,280 buffalos in eight months to provide meat for laborers working on the railroads. His knowledge of the plains and Indian ways put him in great demand as a scout and he is renowned for killing single-handedly the Cheyenne Chief, Yellowhand. Transformed into a Western hero, he organized the first of his famous Wild West Shows in 1883. The performance at Madison Square Garden in 1887 boasted Annie Oakley and Sitting Bull in the cast, and when the show toured England it met with such approval that Queen Victoria saw it three times. Despite this success, Buffalo Bill lost the fortune he made in show business through mismanagement. A large buffalo forms the handle of the jug.
Maker:
Byron Molds
Netherlands
circa 1974
Model #:
character jug
Size:
large
Height:
4 1/2"
