Name: Two Documents From The William F. Cody (Buffalo Bill) Estate.
SKU: JM26-68
Price: 160.00 USD
Availability: InStock

Two Documents From The William F. Cody (Buffalo Bill) Estate.

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$160.00

Two documents From The William F. Cody (Buffalo Bill) Estate. The first one is a Western Union telegram dated April 3, 1911. It is from Cody to L.W. Getchell, at Tucson, Arizona, instructing Getchell to pay certain individuals. This was sent from the Waldorf Astoria in New York, where Cody would be staying until April 10th, then at Trenton, N.J., etc…. A small personal calling card from Cody’s grand daughter, Jane Cody Carlow is attached by means of clear plastic corner mounts.

At this time “Buffalo Bill” was spending time in the east, and would begin his Wild West Show on April 21 at Lancaster, Pa. after leaving the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Colonel L.W. Getchell, was a wealthy New York mining engineer and promoter who became Cody’s core business partner in his disastrous Arizona mining ventures.

He was the man who ultimately convinced “Buffalo Bill” to invest his life savings into the Oracle, Arizona region.

How They Were Involved

The Pitch: Around 1902, Getchell showed Cody rich gold samples from southeastern Arizona. He convinced Cody that the area was a guaranteed financial winner.
The Corporation: In 1910, Getchell, Cody, and a prospector named John Burgess pooled their claims. They formed the Campo Bonito Mining and Milling Company, a massive $600,000 corporation. Getchell served as the company’s consulting manager.
The Edison Connection: Getchell helped manage the mines that produced tungsten. This tungsten was famously shipped to Thomas Edison for use in his early incandescent lightbulb experiments. (True West Magazine and Arizona Daily Star).

Jane Cody Carlow was William Cody’s granddaughter. She was born on June 30, 1909, at Buffalo Bill’s Scout Rest Ranch in North Plate, Nebraska. Her mother Irma is the namesake for the Irma Hotel, built by Cody, in Cody, Wyoming. Irma and her father Fred Carlow died during the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic when Jane was only 9 years old. After that, she was raised by Cody’s wife Louisa, along with her 2 brothers. Irma was Cody’s youngest daughter.

The 2nd document, written on the letterhead of John R. Russell, Attn. at Law, Deadwood, South Dakota, is a note to “Col. W.F.C. and to friends Major Burke, Major Lillie and Johnny Baker, Your Old Friend, Mike.” on the reverse is written, “Read this one next.”

Judge John R. Russell was a prominent attorney, Lawrence County judge, and early pioneer in Deadwood, South Dakota, who is historically linked to William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody through early 20th-century-recollections and visits to Wild Bill Hickok’s grave in Deadwood. With AI’s help, this is what turned up:

“Even without a typed date, we can narrow down exactly when and why this note was written using the clues on the paper.

1. Why it is on John R. Russell’s Letterhead.

John R. Russell was a prominent Lawrence County judge and attorney based in Deadwood. He was also Mike Russell’s brother.

Mike Russell owned the bustling Buffalo Bar (Bodaga) down the street, which was often loud, crowded, and lacked professional typing equipment.
When Mike wanted to type a clean, formal note to Buffalo Bill’s management team (Burke, Lillie, and Baker), he likely walked over to his brother John’s law office to use his desk and typewriter.

2. Finding the Timeline (The Window of Clues)

Because the note addresses Major Burke, Major Lillie, and Johnny Baker all together, we can pinpoint a very specific window of time for when this note was typed:

The Earliest Possible Date (1908):Major Gordon Lillie (“Pawnee Bill”) did not officially partner with Buffalo Bill until 1908, when they merged their shows. Before 1908, Burke and Baker would not be working jointly with Major Lillie.
The Latest Possible Date (1916): The combined show went bankrupt and suffered forced foreclosure sales by late 1913, but the team remained tightly associated until Buffalo Bill’s health failed and Major Burke passed away in 1916–1917.

3. The Most Likely Event: The 1910 Deadwood Reunion

Historically, the absolute best fit for this undated note is late August 1910.

During this time, “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West and Pawnee Bill’s Great Far East“ touring show officially traveled through South Dakota. Buffalo Bill Cody made a highly publicized visit back to Deadwood to visit his old friend Mike Russell.

It is highly probable that while Cody was visiting Mike at the Buffalo Bar, Mike typed this note at his brother John’s law office. He then handed it directly to Buffalo Bill to carry back to the train cars as a warm greeting to the rest of the executive “Old Guard” (Burke, Lillie, and Baker) waiting at the rail yard.

Two nice association documents, and card to William F. Cody, otherwise known as “Buffalo Bill.”

Very good condition.