Researching Actors and Actresses

Comment

Comment by Myss Story on August 14, 2009 at 3:17pm

We learn William was in Peoria Ilinois in 1909, and was in that show for two months as Young Buffalo. Excerpted from the Bandwagon page..."[1908-]The show closed there at the park and was shipped up river back to Peoria, Illinois by boat and stored in winter quarters. "Headlining the show in 1909 when it left quarters was one Cal Lavelle, a good-looking old timer with long hair, mustaches and a goatee who played the part of Young Buffalo". [snipped]...and after two months, Mr Seavers ...let him go. The job was then offered to Mr. Smith [snip]" Smith played the part of Young Buffalo for the next four years.

Comment by Myss Story on August 14, 2009 at 3:07pm

here's another source through the circus connection...a snip
"...headlining the show was one Cal Lavelle [sic]....I have seen this Cal in other searches. I wonder if it is a typo from Col., the nonorific title of old gents claiming Civil War participation. Here is Url. Not flattering, but gives location and alternate name...
http://www.circushistory.org/Bandwagon/bw-1959May.htm use control F when you get there to find the Young Buffalo explanation.

Comment by Kate Steere on August 14, 2009 at 1:53pm

Oh yes, I even have an article, which I haven't posted yet in which a Pinkerton detective compared Lavelle to Cody..it must have been a slow news day! LOL

Comment by Myss Story on August 14, 2009 at 1:48pm

Very cool! I am sure there are aficianados of the Wild West genre, either as anachronists or emphemera collectors which could contain even more William info. I have to say he certainly cultivated the resemblance to Cody.

Comment by Kate Steere on August 14, 2009 at 1:26pm

Hi-
I finally got in contact with the offices of Showmen's League, all they had in their infornation is that William was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Showmen's section. :) Someday I want to get there and take a photo of his stone if there is one. :)

I'd love to find out more on Col. Butler Lavelle, that is funny. :)

Comment by Myss Story on August 14, 2009 at 1:20pm

There is a small town/hamlet in Pennsylvania called Lavelle. It's over 200 miles from Butler, which is about 33 miles from Pittsburgh. There was a Rev war hero named Col Butler Lavelle. Just some tantalizing info, LOL!

Comment by Myss Story on August 14, 2009 at 1:15pm

A valuable tidbit...he was a member of something called "The Showmen's League". Here's an url http://www.showmensleague.org/. Perhaps they have some kind of archives.

Comment by Kate Steere on August 14, 2009 at 2:52am

Hi Myss-

Thank you for the 1879 bit. I really think if he was on a census in 1880, it would probably be in Chicago, but he could also be in NY. I'm guessing he lived in a Hotel or boarding house, I'm not sure if they indexed hotels or not?

Comment by Kate Steere on August 14, 2009 at 2:50am

Welcome, Gene! :)
I'm going to slowly add the instances where I find William(or who(m?) I believe to be William) some you've already seen, some you haven't. I have William records saved all over my computer, so I have to add as I find them. :)

Comment by Kate Steere on August 14, 2009 at 12:46am

hi-
I think William actually gave the information at the hospital where he died, Henrietta had died a few years earlier. The informant listed was 'hopital records' so I'm thinking it was from the hors's mouth, so to speak. I'm adding the death record to the discussion forum. :)

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