The life of Samuel Franklin Cody began in mystery, and it was a mystery of his own creation. Perhaps “lie” rather than “mystery” is more accurate. For about a century, Cody was believed to have been born in Birdville, Texas, rather than his actual hometown of Davenport, Iowa. His actual birth year was 1867, instead of his purported 1861. He did not escape an Indian raid in which his parents were killed, and he was not, in fact, Buffalo Bill Cody.
Lastly, his name wasn’t even Samuel Franklin Cody. He was born Franklin Samuel Cowdery.
Becoming a Showman
Cody didn’t grow up in the shadow of Buffalo Bill Cody, the famous soldier, hunter, and Western showman. Rather, he purposely walked into his shadow. What is true about Cody’s early years was that by 1881, he made his way to Montana (possibly on a cattle drive from Texas) and developed a talent for breaking horses. These horses were sold to ranchers and cattlemen. His time on the plains established him as a prolific rider, and, as it was the Wild West, he became handy with a pistol.
From America to England
A few months later, Cody married Maud Lee, and they partnered with several sharpshooting acts. In 1890, Forepaugh’s death forced Cody to come up with a plan for himself and his new wife. He decided to sail for England. The two arrived separately and joined Albert Ridgeley’s Olympia show. The Cody and Lee act was billed (probably at Cody’s urging) as the “Wild West Burlesque,” which almost immediately brought about legal action from the Buffalo Bill, since “Wild West” was the name of his show. The couple then joined Frank Albert and were rather haphazardly billed as “Captain Cody and Miss Cody: Buffalo Bill’s Son and Daughter.” Buffalo Bill sued again, and Cody and Lee disappeared.Shortly thereafter, the marriage fell apart and Lee moved back to the United States. It appears she suffered from schizophrenia and possibly a morphine addiction. Most of the rest of her life was spent in Pennsylvania’s Norristown State Hospital.
By 1892, however, Cody reemerged with a new show and a new family. He married Lela King, who was a mother of four and 15 years his senior. They were billed as the “SF Cody and Family, Champion Shooters of America,” even though Cody was the only American. Nonetheless, the people of England and the rest of Europe were more intrigued by the idea of the Wild West than those back home, so crowds were rarely a problem. Cody expanded the show to compete against a new invention: the bicycle.
Building Kites
Cody had long suggested that his affinity for kites originated with a Chinese cook he had befriended during his time on the Chisholm Trail. These two details, much like many things in his life, can’t be confirmed. Regardless of where the passion derived, Cody was a stellar kite-maker.These kites were not the small, store-bought versions common today. These were massive flying contraptions, sometimes large enough to lift a man high into the air. Cody spent time and money building these complex kites. A financial boost came when his play, “The Klondyke Nugget,” became a rousing success. He wrote two other plays, “Calamity Jane” and “Wild Alaska,” but it was the Klondike drama that garnered the crowds and the revenue.
His name was already known by most circles because of his showmanship (even though some thought him the original Buffalo Bill Cody, a mistake easily made since S.F. Cody dressed exactly like him), but as his kites became more famous and reached new heights, as high as 14,000 feet, his name became associated with more prominent circles: the Royal Meteorological Society (he became a fellow in 1902) and the British War Office.
While the British were embroiled in the Boer War (1899–1902) in South Africa, Cody suggested that his kites could be useful for reconnaissance. After conducting his Naval Kite Trials in 1903, the Admiralty was impressed enough to purchase four of his man-lifting kites. Cody became a kite instructor for the British army and eventually signed a two-year contract as an instructor for the army’s Balloon Factory (the precursor to the Royal Aircraft Factory) in Farnborough, where he would soon make an even greater name for himself.
The American showman had proved his mettle in more than riding horses and performing circus shots. His work was becoming less about talent and more about genius. That genius led him to the acquaintance of King George V, who called Cody “Colonel”—a moniker he quickly adopted. As his success with kites grew, he became less and less engaged with performances.
From Kites to Planes
The British army soon lost interest in kites, but by then, Cody had already pivoted to the next form of aviation: airplanes. The American Wright brothers made the first successful sustained flight with a heavier-than-air aircraft on Dec. 17, 1903. Great Britain was obviously behind on aviation innovation. In 1907, Cody began work on his first airplane, adjusting and readjusting the seating, wings, wheels, and material. By Oct. 16, 1908, Cody was ready to attempt a public trial at Farnborough with his British Army Aeroplane No. 1A.After flying 1,390 feet at a rate of about 25 miles per hour for about 30 seconds, Cody crash-landed into history, becoming the first person in the UK to accomplish a sustained flight with a heavier-than-air aircraft.
Becoming a Brit
On Aug. 12, 1909, Cody made the first public flight of the Flying Cathedral with Capper as a passenger. A few months later, in October, a year almost to the date after his first successful flight, Cody pledged his Oath of Allegiance to the Union Jack, becoming a British subject. The new Brit continued working on his planes, succeeding, crashing, and readjusting to perfect his craft. On the final day of 1910, his Cody II won the Michelin Cup Trophy after setting a British record for distance and duration, covering more than 185 miles in 4 hours and 47 minutes.
In many ways, Cody, who had so long wished to be like Buffalo Bill Cody, had become his own man, and through his accomplishments and daring, the ultimate showman.
The former showman turned aviation pioneer built more Cathedral planes―the Cody III, Cody No. IV, Cody No. V A, Cody No. V B―the last two being Military Trials Biplanes. Cody No. V B crashed and was later delivered to The Science Museum.
In the summer of 1913, Cody had completed his largest airplane yet, the Cody VI (or Cathedral VI). The four-bladed propeller with a single rear rudder and 100 horsepower Green engine had a wingspan of nearly 60 feet. It was built to compete in the “Daily Mail’s Aeroplane Race around Britain.”
On Aug. 7, 1913, with a passenger by the name of W.H.B. Evans, the plane took flight. Witnesses differed in their recollections of what took place, suggesting that the plane had reached an elevation of 100 feet to as much as 400 feet, and also that different parts of the plane’s body came apart. What all witnesses could agree on was that the flight of Cody VI ended with a tragic crash. Both Cody and Evans were killed.
Cody’s death shocked the aviation world, especially in the UK. His funeral was attended by royalty and about 50,000 to 100,000 Brits, as his body was marched through the streets of London with full honors. Cody, who was buried in the Aldershot Military Cemetery southwest of London, is known as one of the great pioneers of British aviation.
