Remembering Wild West legend’s visit to Stirling

A letter to the Observer in 1949 recalled a notable event in the history of Stirling – the day legendary scout, showman and bison hunter Buffalo Bill came to town between 60 and 70 years earlier.

William Frederick `Buffalo Bill’ Cody toured the United States, Britain and Europe with his circus show which displayed cowboy themes and episodes from the frontier and Indian Wars. In the letter to the Observer, correspondent `Pimpo’ told how Buffalo Bill’s show was staged in a field near McKerracher’s Farm, Drip Road.

Recalling the night he walked to the field to watch the show, Pimpo said: `It was the worst night of rain I was ever out in and many of us were soaked before we got there. Once inside, we forgot the deluge outside.`

The correspondent could remember little about the show but said at the time it was held at the height of its popularity with `Colonel’ Cody the mainspring of the action.

`It was said of him that he took 10 full tumblers of whisky every day as he required them to keep his kidneys functioning properly,’ added Pimpo.

What the correspondent was able to visualise, however, was the `awful quagmire’ through members of the audience had to trudge on their exit from the tent.

`There was never mud like it, not since,” added Pimpo. ` Many of those women folks whose shoes were not firmly fastened got stuck in the mud but were glad enough to get out, leaving their shoes behind.’’

Although Buffalo Bill died in 1917, it appears his show survived him and was due to visit Stirling’s Clifford Park later that year.