Twenty-Five Years among the Indians and Buffalo: A Frontier Memoir

William D. Street (1851–1911) wrote a memoir of frontier life in western Kansas, including his experiences as a teamster, cavalryman, town developer, trapper, buffalo hunter, military scout, and cowboy. His tales of life on the plains reveal the everyday life of many who went out to the western frontier and give insight into his evolving understanding of his multi-decade relationship with the Lakota. Street's story is as rich in history as it is in character, providing a sense of what it was to be a witness to and a player in the drama of the plains in the late nineteenth century.

Format: Unspecified
Length: 560 pages
Publication date: 30 November 2023
Publisher: University Press of Kansas

William D. Street, a prominent figure in Kansas history, embarked on the task of writing his memoir at the age of nearly 60. The early years of his life on the plains of western Kansas were a blend of ordinary and extraordinary experiences. On the one hand, they shed light on the daily lives of countless individuals who ventured to the western frontier, providing a glimpse into the hardships and challenges they faced. On the other hand, these years were remarkable for their vast scope and profound impact on history.

Street's memoir vividly portrays his diverse roles as a teamster, cavalryman, town developer, trapper, buffalo hunter, military scout, and cowboy. Through his tales, readers are transported to pivotal events such as Sheridans 1868–1869 winter campaign on the southern Plains and the Cheyenne Exodus of 1878. These accounts detail his experiences in trapping beaver, hunting buffalo for their hides and meat, and driving cattle along the Great Western Cattle Trail. They also offer insights into his evolving understanding of his multi-decade relationship with the Lakota people.

Furthermore, Street's memoir provides a front-row seat to the founding and development of Jewell and Gaylord, Kansas. It offers a firsthand account of the formation of Jewell's "Buffalo Militia," a group of vigilantes who played a significant role in maintaining law and order in the region.

In later life, Street achieved prominence as a newspaper publisher, state legislator, and regent of the Kansas State Agricultural College. His dedication to his craft extended until his passing, as he was still working on his memoir at the time of his death, which was noted in the New York Times. Over the past century, Streets's story has been passed down through his family and meticulously recorded in this memoir. Edited by his great-grandson with an introduction by Richard Etulain, a renowned scholar of the West, this memoir presents history as it was lived, recalled with remarkable detail, and recounted in engaging prose. It serves as a testament to the experiences and contributions of those who shaped the history of the American West.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780700636167