EMMA RILEY SUTTON

              EMMA RILEY SUTTON'S SUGGESTED MUSEUM
                                  THE PAWNEE BILL RANCH AND MUSEUM

The Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum, located in Pawnee, is a stop visitors to Oklahoma should make. This small museum is overflowing with interesting artifacts from Oklahoma

Painting of Pawnee Bill on display in the Pawnee Bill Mansion. Staff photo.

history and a form of entertainment that too has become a part of history - the wild west show. Learn about the life of Gordon William “Pawnee Bill” Lillie, his wife, May, and the Pawnee Bill Wild West Show.

Pawnee Bill was a teacher and interpreter for the Pawnee Indian agency before he became a showman in the Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show. He traveled with this show for a few years before he and his bride, May, started their own wild west show in 1888.

He was named as leader of the Boomer Movement in 1888 as well. He and 4,000 others participated in the Land Run of April 22, 1889. This position put him in the national spotlight and his wild west show became quite successful, both in the United States and in Europe. In 1909 he partnered with Bill Cody to for form “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West and Pawnee Bill’s Great Far East,” the greatest wild west show at the time.

See the Carriage House that was used as a bunkhouse for ranch hands, including Jose "Mexican Joe" Barrera, the ranch foreman. It now serves as the manager's residence.

Walk in the Blacksmith Shop to see all sorts of tools used to create metal items needed for the ranch and to shoe the ranches horses.

Take a look at the three-story Big Barn Pawnee Bill used for his Scottish Shorthair cattle and other ranch animals. See the display of farm equipment and wagons on the main level.

The Observation Tower, shaped like a flower when viewed from above, was used for Pawnee Bill to see his ranch. Walk up the steps and see the same sites Pawnee Bill did so many years ago.

Visit the Log Cabin where Pawnee Bill and Mae lived before their home was completed. This three room cabin is complete with artifacts used by the Lillies.

Drive through the Exhibit Pasture. Draft horses, cattle and buffalo still live on the ranch and can easily be seen by visitors from their vehicles.

In 1910, the Lillies built the home that still stands today. Built with all the modernconveniences of the time such as running water and electricity, it

Guest room in the Pawnee Bill Mansion where Will Rogers stayed during his visits. Staff photo.

served as both their home and office for their wild west show. Afterthe death of Pawnee Bill in 1942, he left the ranch to the Boy Scouts of America. Unable to afford to keep the ranch in working order, they gave it to a relative of Pawnee Bill, who later sold it to Oklahoma as a state historical site. Tours of the home are available daily.

Tiffany chandeliers and other "finery" decorate the home. Beautiful artwork, including a painting of Will Rogers, a frequent guest of the ranch, can be seen. All the furniture, artwork and other decorations are original to the home and were used by Pawnee Bill and May while they lived on the ranch.