Cowgirl Chocolates

Born a physician's daughter in Philadelphia in the late 1800's, May Manning left society life in Philadelphia at age 14 to marry Major Gordon "Pawnee Bill" Lillie.

It all came about when in 1883 Gordon Lillie was assigned by the Indian Commissioner to take charge of the Pawnees who had been hired to appear in The Buffalo Bill Cody Wild West Show. The show was a sell-out success all across the country with its cowboys, Indians, trick riders, marksmen, wild steers, buffalo, and stagecoach pursuit. When the show hit Philadelphia, love hit Gordon Lillie in the form of a city bred, Smith College girl named May Manning. At the end of the show season, Gordon returned to the cattle ranch he now owned in Medicine Lodge Kansas, while he and May kept a steady flow of letters going between them...”

“The next season Gordon/Pawnee Bill took his Pawnee Indians back on Buffalo Bill’s Wild West tour and when the show hit Philadelphia again, he proposed to May. Against her socially prominent mother’s wishes, May agreed to be his bride...”

Major Lillie took her to Kansas where the Pawnees taught her to ride and shoot. In time, the Lillies created Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show and May Lillie toured with the show, billed as "Miss May Lillie, Champion Lady Horse-back Shot of the World." A year later their six week old son died and complications prevented May from having any more children. From that day on, she threw herself into learning how to ride, rope, and shoot like a real cowgirl. Riding side saddle on a running horse, she became a sensational marksman...when Pawnee Bill’s Wild West show hit the road in the spring of 1888. It starred May Lillie, Trapper Tom, brother Al Lillie, Indians from five different tribes, 165 people, 165 animals, and Pawnee Bill himself...”

“In 1908 Pawnee Bill unexpectedly bought out the James Bailey interest in the Buffalo Bill Wild West. From that point on May Lillie refused to ever appear with ‘Buffalo Bill’s Wild West and Pawnee Bill’s Great...