Information Regarding Buffalo Bill Cody and the Harry Whitney Treat Family

On or about Decoration Day, 1915, Buffalo Bill came to Highland Drive to do a birthday party show for his great-niece Helen Allen and Harry Treat's daughter, Loyal. Helen's mother was a niece of Buffalo Bill. They lived on Galer St., approximately three blocks from the Treats on Highland Drive.

In the first photo, Buffalo Bill is serving cake to Helen Allen, while Loyal Treat, standing at right in the light jacket, waits.

(click on photo for larger version)

In the next photo, Harry Treat is shaking hands with Buffalo Bill. The back reads: "Harry shaking Buffalo Bill's hand B Bill did his Wild West show for Harry's daughter Loyal's 9th birthday (1915); Buffalo Bill's neice (sic) lived close to the Treat family on Queen Anne Hill. Her name was Helen Allen."

(click on photo for larger version)

It was said that the idea for a Buffalo Bill Museum was thought of at a meeting in Harry Treat's house during that visit. This seems to be borne out by a newspaper article which notes the soon-to-be-open museum. The article copy seems to actually be two articles pasted one after the other. (dates and newspapers unknown.)

(click on image for larger version)

Lastly, in 1978 Loyal Treat Nichols wrote to the museum to provide information regarding her birthday experience. A copy of her letter is posted here.

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It is not known what reply was received from the museum.

For more info on Harry Whitney Treat, click here.