Buffalo Bill is a name familiar to many. This showman and legend of the Wild, Wild West toured the entire globe with his performing troupe, but one of his most infamous engagements took place right here in Cleveland. You see, Buffalo Bill once served a lawsuit in Cleveland to settled families and some of the wealthiest landowners on Euclid Avenue… and yet his ties to Cleveland are largely forgotten today.

The name Buffalo Bill is still instantly recognizable, even over 100 years after he passed.
Royale Photographie/Wikimedia Commons
William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was born in 1846 in the Iowa Territory, though it would take about 20 years and one very big war before he grew famous. Following his service to the Union during the American Civil War, he sold buffalo meat to the workers of the Kansas Pacific Railroad workers and thus acquired his nickname.
At the age of 23, Buffalo Bill Cody recounted his tales to a writer (who took a bit of creative freedom in retelling them). He became a legend shortly thereafter.
Sarony/Wikimedia Commons
As interest grew in his tales of life in the Wild West, Buffalo Bill transformed into a showman. He formed a touring group known as Buffalo Bill's Wild West and enchanted audiences across the globe.
When Cody was a young man, his family was persecuted by those that disagreed with their abolitionist views.
Joseph E. Cole/Cleveland Press Collection Identifier: bedford002.jpg
Isaac Cody, Buffalo Bill's father, often gave speeches on the necessity of freedom. Unfortunately, he did so in places where pro-slavery groups often met, and his radical speech angered the crowd. Many threatened Isaac's life. He was stabbed twice in the chest and, though he lived, he never fully recovered from the blows.
...So the Cody family turned to Cleveland for help.
Joseph E. Cole/Cleveland Press Collection Identifier: nsxstclair004.jpg
Upon arriving in Cleveland, Isaac Cody gathered 30 families to take back home. They turned the local abolitionist population into a truly formidable foe, helping to subdue the hostility of the antislavery groups.

Related Stories

The Long-Gone Glen Allen Estate In Cleveland Heights Lives On Through Vintage Photographs

The Long-Gone Glen Allen Estate In Cleveland Heights Lives On Through Vintage Photographs

 Throughout These 13 Winter Seasons, Cleveland Accumulated Very Little Snow

Throughout These 13 Winter Seasons, Cleveland Accumulated Very Little Snow

 In 1832, Cleveland Found Itself Battling A Month-Long Cholera Epidemic

In 1832, Cleveland Found Itself Battling A Month-Long Cholera Epidemic
Of course, that wasn't the Cody family's only connection to Cleveland.
Joseph E. Cole/Cleveland Press Collection Identifier: clevhistoricalpics006.jpg
In addition to bringing his troupe to Cleveland for performances, Buffalo Bill also paid a visit to the city for a lawsuit. If you were wondering why Isaac Cody headed to Cleveland for reinforcements when the going got tough, it's because his father, Philip Cody, was settled on a 55 acre farm there. Isaac was one of Philip's 11 children, and one of the family members that should have received an inheritance when Philip passed at the age of 80.
When one of Philip Cody's children, Joseph A. Cody, was dying, he confessed to conning his siblings out of their share of the farm.
Joseph E. Cole/Cleveland Press Collection Identifier: nsxsuperiorave009.jpg
Of course, the word of this reached Buffalo Bill in 1882 via an aunt. He hired Cleveland lawyers to try to sue 104 Clevelanders for purchasing land from a fraudulent owner. These residents lived on and around Euclid Avenue, on the property that Philip Cody once operated as a farm. It was sold to these Clevelanders by none other than Joseph A. Cody.
Buffalo Bill and other descendants of Philip Cody demanded interest in the properties... but their lawsuit didn't make it to trial.
Google Maps
Exactly what made the initial petition deficient is largely unknown, but Buffalo Bill lost his chance to recover properties on his grandfather's farm. Today, some of the houses involved in the lawsuit are still standing, such as those on East 83rd Street.
Though Buffalo Bill is an enduring figure from the Old Wild West, his escapades in Cleveland are largely forgotten.
Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division/Wikimedia Commons/MOffett, Chicago

Buffalo Bill’s real life was just as adventurous as the legend surrounding this iconic figure. Did you know he was involved in a lawsuit in Cleveland?

If you were surprised to learn about this tale, just wait until you encounter these surprising moments in Cleveland history.

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Related Articles