A collection of fifty-six letters from the family of James Butler ("Wild Bill") Hickok. The letters describe the adventures of the Hickok children (including Wild Bill) in California, Kansas, Missouri and elsewhere, and their parents and family in Troy Grove, Illinois. After Wild Bill's death in Deadwood, Dakota Territory, in 1876, the letters mostly concern his burial, the maintenance of his grave, and his reputation. Correspondents also include Agnes Hickok (Wild Bill's wife), William "Buffalo Bill" Cody, and Charlie H. Utter ("Colorado Charlie"). Ethel Ann Hickok, the last surviving niece of Wild Bill, donated fifty-four letters to the Kansas Historical Society and two letters to historian Joseph G. Rosa in the 1980s. The two Rosa letters (June 6, 1861; March 23, 1880) are included here by permission. The William F. Cody letter to Horace Hickok dated March 23, 1880 originally owned by Joe Rosa was donated to the Kansas State Historical Society on January 9, 2017. Ethel Hickok passed away in 1985 eight months before her 100th birthday. Ethel's niece Edith Harmon and historian Joseph G. Rosa assisted with the donations.
Kansas Memory
Kansas Historical Society
James Butler (Wild Bill) Hickok family collection - May 25, 1904, p1
