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Olde Towne in Portsmouth, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
 

In Commemoration of the Last Public Appearance of William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody

At Portsmouth, Virginia on November 11, 1916

 
 
In Commemoration of the Last Public Appearance of William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Scott Rollins, June 23, 2009
1. In Commemoration of the Last Public Appearance of William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody Marker
Inscription.
William F. Cody, asso­ci­ated with a West­ern exhi­bi­tion titled “Buf­falo Bill (Him­self) and the 101 Ranch Wild West Com­bined,” passed by this spot on a route that would take the parade to the inter­sec­tion of Washington and Lin­coln Streets, site of the “Grand Finale.”

The suc­cess enjoyed by the Fourth of July cel­e­bra­tion known as “The Old Glory Blowout” at North Platte, Nebraska, on July 4, 1882, con­vinced William F. Cody to orga­nize “Buf­falo Bill’s Wild West” and tour the United States and parts of Europe. Buf­falo Bill was and is a sym­bol of a glam­orous and col­or­ful era in United States history.

He lit­er­ally crated and shipped sam­ples of the “Wild West” to cen­ters of pop­u­la­tion around the world, giving mil­lions of Amer­i­cans and Euro­peans the opportunity to view first hand a part of Amer­i­can history that had cap­tured the pop­u­lar imagination.

Ded­i­cated to William F. Cody, an illus­tri­ous Amer­i­can, remem­bered as the “Father of Rodeo,” “The First Interna­tional Star,” and “America’s Good­will Ambassador-at-Large”
 
Erected 1987 by Backtrailing Buffalo Bill Cody and the Fletcher
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Entertainment. A significant historical year for this entry is 1882.
 
Location. 36° 50.068′ N, 76° 17.805′ W. Marker is in Portsmouth, Virginia. It is in Olde Towne. It is on Water Street south of High Street, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 High St, Portsmouth VA 23704, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Hampton Roads, specifically in Coastal Virginia, and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Tidewater, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Elizabeth River
In Commemoration of the Last Public Appearance of William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, October 18, 2025
2. In Commemoration of the Last Public Appearance of William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody Marker
In the years since it was first photographed for this site, its surroundings have changed. It was moved slightly south in 2016 to accommodate a new rear parking lot for the Seaboard Building.
(within shouting distance of this marker); First Order Fresnel Lens from the Hog Island Light (within shouting distance of this marker); Gosport Shipyard (within shouting distance of this marker); Seaboard Air Line Railroad (within shouting distance of this marker); John Luke Porter (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Home Site of William Crawford (d. 1762) Founder of Portsmouth (about 400 feet away); Portsmouth Medal of Honor Memorial (about 400 feet away); Naval Shipyard Museum (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Portsmouth.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on February 23, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 27, 2009, by Kristin Rollins of Portsmouth, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,407 times since then and 67 times this year. Last updated on February 10, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. Photos:   1. submitted on July 27, 2009, by Kristin Rollins of Portsmouth, Virginia.   2. submitted on February 10, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
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Jul. 29, 2026