Pawnee Bill
Encyclopedia
Pawnee Bill born Gordon William Lillie, was a Wild West showman and performer.
Best known for his short partnership with Buffalo Bill
, Pawnee Bill was born February 14, 1860, in Bloomington, Illinois.
Pawnee Bill and his show made several false starts during the latter part of the nineteenth century. In one of his original shows, Pawnee Bill listed C. W. Lillie as the exclusive manager of the Pawnee Bill Historic Wild West Show Extravaganza. During that period, Pawnee Bill used Chester, Pennsylvania
as his winter headquarters. At the time there was easy access to the rail ways there (now abandoned) through Delaware County, Pennsylvania. That rail way line had been running for over twenty years by the time Pawnee Bill took advantage of its location and low rates to connect him and his ever-changing cast to larger railroads and larger cities. No doubt, Pawnee Bill had observed that circus people had been riding the rails since the late 1860s. He was a quick-witted man who generally chose not to reinvent the wheel, but rather to pursue success along tried and true pathways. The US Transcontinental railroad
had been a military necessity during the US Civil War. During the Victorian Era in the United States, those same railways were used to transport Wild West Shows, buffalo and other wild animal displays, trick riders, and spectacular reenactments of military might from around the globe. Eventually, Pawnee Bill was invited to collaborate with Buffalo Bill, whose reputation and shows had expanded not only across the North American continent but also to other countries via the railroads.
Lillie married young and petite May Manning
in 1886. In 1888 the Lillies launched their own Wild West show: "Pawnee Bill’s Historic Wild West". May starred in the show as the “Champion Girl Horseback Shot of the West.” Their first season was a financial disaster. They re-organized as a smaller operation called “Pawnee Bill’s Historical Wild West Indian Museum and Encampment Show.” The show was popular but not lucrative. Gordon Lillie added Jose Barrera to the cast; he was widely popular performing as "Mexican Joe
". In 1907 Lillie hired performers from a variety of backgrounds. The show included Mexican cowboys, Pawnee, Japanese performers, and Arab jugglers. The ensemble debuted as “Pawnee Bill’s Great Far East Show.” In 1908 Pawnee Bill and Buffalo Bill
joined forces and created the "Two Bills' show. That show was foreclosed on when it was playing in Denver, Colorado
.
While Gordon Lillie had been on tour, May supervised the buffalo ranch. The Lillies completed work on their Arts-and-Crafts style home on Blue Hawk Peak in 1910. Pawnee Bill invested in banking, real estate, and oil. He operated various business interests and dabbled in film making at his ranch. In 1930 May and Pawnee Bill opened Pawnee Bill’s Old Town near the ranch. They sold Indian and Mexican crafts, and featured annual rodeos. That enterprise burned to the ground in the 1930s and was never rebuilt.
In 1936 the couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in Taos, New Mexico
. In September of that year they attended a local celebration in Tulsa, Oklahoma
. While driving back to their ranch that night, Pawnee Bill lost control of their vehicle. May died as a result of her injuries and Pawnee Bill never fully recovered. He died in his sleep in 1942.
Best known for his short partnership with Buffalo Bill
Buffalo Bill
William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a United States soldier, bison hunter and showman. He was born in the Iowa Territory , in LeClaire but lived several years in Canada before his family moved to the Kansas Territory. Buffalo Bill received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for service to the US...
, Pawnee Bill was born February 14, 1860, in Bloomington, Illinois.
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
Pawnee Bill and his show made several false starts during the latter part of the nineteenth century. In one of his original shows, Pawnee Bill listed C. W. Lillie as the exclusive manager of the Pawnee Bill Historic Wild West Show Extravaganza. During that period, Pawnee Bill used Chester, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
as his winter headquarters. At the time there was easy access to the rail ways there (now abandoned) through Delaware County, Pennsylvania. That rail way line had been running for over twenty years by the time Pawnee Bill took advantage of its location and low rates to connect him and his ever-changing cast to larger railroads and larger cities. No doubt, Pawnee Bill had observed that circus people had been riding the rails since the late 1860s. He was a quick-witted man who generally chose not to reinvent the wheel, but rather to pursue success along tried and true pathways. The US Transcontinental railroad
Transcontinental railroad
A transcontinental railroad is a contiguous network of railroad trackage that crosses a continental land mass with terminals at different oceans or continental borders. Such networks can be via the tracks of either a single railroad, or over those owned or controlled by multiple railway companies...
had been a military necessity during the US Civil War. During the Victorian Era in the United States, those same railways were used to transport Wild West Shows, buffalo and other wild animal displays, trick riders, and spectacular reenactments of military might from around the globe. Eventually, Pawnee Bill was invited to collaborate with Buffalo Bill, whose reputation and shows had expanded not only across the North American continent but also to other countries via the railroads.
Lillie married young and petite May Manning
May Lillie
Mary E. "May" Manning Mary Manning was born on March 12, 1869 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her parents were William R. and Mary Manning. May had two sisters, Elmira and Elizabeth Manning and a younger brother, William B. Manning. May also had three half brothers, Samuel, Edward and Albert Eager...
in 1886. In 1888 the Lillies launched their own Wild West show: "Pawnee Bill’s Historic Wild West". May starred in the show as the “Champion Girl Horseback Shot of the West.” Their first season was a financial disaster. They re-organized as a smaller operation called “Pawnee Bill’s Historical Wild West Indian Museum and Encampment Show.” The show was popular but not lucrative. Gordon Lillie added Jose Barrera to the cast; he was widely popular performing as "Mexican Joe
Mexican Joe
José Barrera became famous as Wild West showman, Mexican Joe.Barrera was reportedly born in Juarez, Mexico in 1882. In 1897, Pawnee Bill’s Wild West Show was the first to hire Barrera as a performer. Only fifteen years old at the time, Barrera was already an expert equestrian and roper...
". In 1907 Lillie hired performers from a variety of backgrounds. The show included Mexican cowboys, Pawnee, Japanese performers, and Arab jugglers. The ensemble debuted as “Pawnee Bill’s Great Far East Show.” In 1908 Pawnee Bill and Buffalo Bill
Buffalo Bill
William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a United States soldier, bison hunter and showman. He was born in the Iowa Territory , in LeClaire but lived several years in Canada before his family moved to the Kansas Territory. Buffalo Bill received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for service to the US...
joined forces and created the "Two Bills' show. That show was foreclosed on when it was playing in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
.
While Gordon Lillie had been on tour, May supervised the buffalo ranch. The Lillies completed work on their Arts-and-Crafts style home on Blue Hawk Peak in 1910. Pawnee Bill invested in banking, real estate, and oil. He operated various business interests and dabbled in film making at his ranch. In 1930 May and Pawnee Bill opened Pawnee Bill’s Old Town near the ranch. They sold Indian and Mexican crafts, and featured annual rodeos. That enterprise burned to the ground in the 1930s and was never rebuilt.
In 1936 the couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in Taos, New Mexico
Taos, New Mexico
Taos is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico, incorporated in 1934. As of the 2000 census, its population was 4,700. Other nearby communities include Ranchos de Taos, Cañon, Taos Canyon, Ranchitos, and El Prado. The town is close to Taos Pueblo, the Native American...
. In September of that year they attended a local celebration in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
. While driving back to their ranch that night, Pawnee Bill lost control of their vehicle. May died as a result of her injuries and Pawnee Bill never fully recovered. He died in his sleep in 1942.
External links
- Circus World Museum http://circusworld.wisconsinhistory.org/
- National Cowboy & Western Heritage http://www.nationalcowboymuseum.org
- Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum http://www.okhistory.org/outreach/homes/pawneebill.html