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Gerald Grant's Tales of Seaside

Buffalo Bill’s Lane and Wild Bill Hickok

In the early days of the 19th century immigrants from all over the world began to turn to America for a new life and national leaders predicted that it would take 500 years to populate the vast West. However, by the 1890s, rail lines criss-crossed the American continent and farms and towns flourished where the native Indians had once hunted for buffalo. The Old West became a memory as new technology and advances in agricultural techniques enabled farmers to make a living on land that had previously been deserted, and unprofitable. Connected by, roads, motor vehicles, railway and telephone lines, isolated Western rural communities became more accessible, making the cowboy on horseback a thing of the past.

The changes meant that buffalo hunters and rough riders were no longer in demand and were forced to look for alternative employment. So it was in 1883 that frontier scout, Buffalo Bill (William Cody) took to the road with his first Wild West Show.

Travelling east, his show was heralded by a splash of gaudy show bills, and the publicity soon engulfed the country. Buffalo Bill presented his audiences with three hours of action-packed extravaganza, including marksmanship and

horsemanship that brought the Wild West frontier daring to people all over America.

In the spring of 1887 William Cody and his Wild West Show sailed on the State of

Nebraska steamship to take part in celebrations to mark Queen Victoria’s Golden

Jubilee. When the State of Nebraska reached the Royal Albert Dock at Gravesend,

18 buffalo, 180 horses, 4 donkeys, 2 deer, 5 wild Texan steers and 10 elk,

disembarked with the theatrical troupe which included 97 Indians.

Wild Bill Hickok and his Wild West Show thrilled audiences all over the World

and during 1903 his spectacular arrived at Llanelli. Known as Buffalo Bill to his

fans, his acts included cowboys, Indians, horses, stagecoaches, rifles, bows and

arrows, all depicting life as people imagined it would have been in the Old Wild

West. Logistics must have been a nightmare for the showman, trying to transport

his menagerie by road, horse and cart, rail and sea.

In 1903, preparations were made for the show to come to Llanelli and it was

proposed to hold the spectacular on Stradey lands. Unfortunately there was a

problem because the existing entrance to the proposed show ground was not suitable.

This setback was solved by making a gap in the fencing in a lane at the back of

Beach Road. The entrance to the show field behind the houses in Beach Road led

to the lane being called Buffalo Bill’s Lane from that time on.