Crow participants of a Wild West Show in 1884

[dormannelson]

Howdy,

I am looking for those that might know of, have family from, old photos, or memories....of a wild west show in which the Crow were featured. Thomas LeForge and his wife Cherry and
various relatives were part of the group. Old Crow, Stringfellow, and others were part of the group. The show originated out of Billings, Montana. Liver Eating Johnston, Tom Hardwick, Calamity
Jane and various cowboys were there. Also Vic Smith and his brother, a Deadwood Stage, and various animals supplied locally.

The show toured through the Dakotas to Minnesota to Wisconsin to Chicago. It was backed by businessmen from Chicago who thought they would make money as they had seen the
results of the Cody show the year before. At the time there were about 50 shows about the country.

This show was known as Hardwick's Show, the Crow Indian Show, the Crow and Liver Eating Johnson Troupe.....

The show disbanded in August of 1884 in Chicago with no pay for the participants. Some of the Crow ended up with Broncho John in Valparaiso, Indiana with his shows, a few went back
further east.

Thank you for any help on this.

Dorman Nelson
biographer
www.johnlivereatingjohnston.com

[grahamew]

Sorry, I don't but wasn't this also The Rocky Mountain Show and wasn't Curley a member? In fact, wasn't his re-telling of the events on the Little Bughorn meant to be central to the show?

[dT]

there were Crows traveling with Liver Eating Johnson???
that seems like a contradiction in terms :-)

I have seen it stated in different ways. Some people say that Johnson fought the Crows.
Some say that Johnson mostly fought the Lakotas. I don't know for sure.
But Johnson was seriously messed up. His father was an alcoholic who beat him.
That's why he fled to the mountains to find peace. There were other reasons too.
Johnson was very tall, had a temper, and was very violent. Not a man that anyone could live with.
I feel sorry for the Crows, if they traveled with him.

dT

[dormannelson]

Howdy,

I am still researching the Wild West Show of 1884. Curley was a member. Johnston was friends of the Crow. Tom LeForge was married into the Crow, Cherry was her name. Some of the
other White Scouts were also married into the Crow. Johnston hung out and went to the agency slaughters when they were held.

So....I am still looking for any information. An Englishman named F. R. N. Rogers made the arrangement with the Crow and the Government to let the Crow perform and go on this event.

In Billings a firm called Brown and Davis helped organize it.

There were many names of the snow, depending where it played.

Started in May of 1884 and ended in August of 1884.

Some of the Crow went to Valparaiso and joined up with Bronco John's show.

Thank you,

Dorman Nelson
Biographer www.johnlivereatingJohnston.com

Lebanon, Nebraska

[Dietmar]

I found this article:

An Indian Show.
F. R. N. Rogers, an enterprising
Englishman of Custer, was in Fargo
the other day in advance of a number
of other gentlemen, including former
United States scouts, who have formed
a combination for the purpose of
exhibiting in the principal cities of
America and Europe a party of Crow
Indians. Forty Indians, thirty men
and ten squaws, have been selected for
the purpose, and all have agreed to ac-
company them. Among those selected
are Old Crow, Curley, Liver Eating
Johnson, and other fine specimens of
this savage tribe. They will be ar-
rayed in feather costumes and will
carry with them their ponies, tepees
and everything necessary to furnish a
true picture of savage life and cus-
toms. Among the horses will be
Icheg, a survivor of the Custer massa-
cre, Whitehead's famous "bucking"
pony, which, it is said no man has
ever been able to ride except its
owner, and several trained roping
horses. The exhibitions will consist
of scalp dances, sun dances, feats with
the lariats, sham battles on horseback
and other performances, which will
constitute a novel and financially suc-
cessful attraction.—Fargo Republican.
The Daily Enterprise (Livingston, Montana), May 03, 1884


There are so many photographs of the various "Buffalo Bill" tours, but I don´t think I´ve seen one of the 1884 tour... I mean one which shows the Crow performers.

[Dietmar]

Here´s another article:

The following from the Pioneer
Press refers to some of the Crows
who lately went east with the Junc-
tion City frontier show: Old Crow,
String Leg, and one who couldn't give
his English name called at the Pio-
neer Press office yesterday to have it
understood that his people were in
demand by the men on Tongue river
for herdsmen. Old Crow says he is
here to see owners of ranches who
want them to take care of cattle.
Crow and his mates came east with a
show party and are stranded. They
want work to earn their way back to
Fort Custer, Montana, their home.
The Daily Enterprise, June 25, 1884


So we now have three Crow names: Curley, Old Crow and String Leg.