Waiting for the Train to Bring the Entertainment

Wild West Show Returns to Sunbury
This article ran before the 2003 Reenactment.  
The Wild West Show will be in Sunbury July 6th, 2008

Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show did come to Sunbury and probably by rail as shown in the picture above. 

Little historic documentation is found of the early event.  When watching an old film of Buffalo Bill on TV, my father told us he remembered when the show came to Sunbury.  

A little boy at the time, Bill Whitney watched the tents go up on the field at the corner of Cherry and Morning Street.  He watched the parade go into town and around the square. 

Finally the time arrived for the show.  Bill had his coin to get into the big tent but his friend did not and convinced Bill to crawl under the tent.  The boys were on their hands and knees, heads under the tent when they felt a man grab them by their belts and pull them back out of the tent.  Bill was not even allowed to pay and go into the tent. 

The Hopkins House ledger has a signature for Wild Bill  between September 12 and October 11, 1911.  The name heads a page with many others from out of town.  Wild Bill Hickok, killed in 1876, would not have been traveling with the Wild West Show at that time so it may have been an actor's signature. It will not matter Saturday when you revisit the events at J. R. Smith Park.

Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show like other traveling events came into town on the railroad.  Their cars were removed to the siding near the Sunbury Manufacturing Company, 140 East Granville Street, where they would remain until the show moved on.  Granville Street had not been dug out to ease the grade under the railroad so there was only a gentle slope from the siding to the main street.  The wagons and horses were unloaded and took 
the tents, scenery, and other parts of the traveling show to the field where the morning was spent setting up the show.

A Grand Parade through town, around the square and ending in the field, gave everyone a preview of the show.  Buffalo Bill Cody was a showman and hired hundreds to portray the glorified history of the west. 

Under Suzanne Allen's leadership, the 2003 version will have scores of volunteer actors and actress presenting the feel of the early shows.   You'll see all your favorites: Buffalo Bill Cody and his family, General George Custer, General William Tecumseh Sherman, Captain Egan, Buck Taylor, Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, Annie Oakley, Frank Butler, Sitting Bull, numerous cowboys, cowgirls and Indians.  Morrow County Chapter of Ohio Horsemen, Big Walnut FFA, Pegasus 4-H Club, Sunbury United Church Women are all helping to bring this Big Walnut Area Ohio Bicentennial event to Sunbury.

"I tried to think like Buffalo Bill and make the entertainment for the entire family," commented Allen when she told of the Big Walnut FFA Petting Zoo and Bergman's Alpacas joining Willie the Bison (a buffalo from Springfield).  There will also be a booth with Ohio Bicentennial information and buckeye trees for sale.

Admission is 1911 prices of 50 cents for adults and 25 cents for children.  Parade begins at 4 p.m. Sunday, July 6th, 2008. The Show begins at 6:30. 

Like Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, this evening is meant to entertain and not necessarily be an accurate account of history.  Bring your family and enjoy!  And,  if you know more about the Sunbury July 4th Celebration shown in Flo Fairchild's picture above let me know.

(06/23/2008 )