Paducah had a lot of entertainment in the old days; and one was Buckskin Bill's Wild West Show!  At the turn of the last century, Fletcher Terrell of Paducah (1866-1944) operated the Wild West Show, which was second only to Buffalo Bill's version. In the off season, the equipment was stored on the Terrell farm in Ballard County, Kentucky. The company experienced numerous setbacks during its existance. Four members of the show were arrested in 1900 on charges of complicity in the killing of a Mr Wheeler at Marion, Kentucky.The show continued on, playing to large crowds. The last show was in Knoxville, where a surprised roster of emploees found out that the show was bust...throwing over 150 performers and support crew into a penniless state, dependent upon charity for food and shelter. Some had not been paid their salaries for five weeks. Others were left stranded in Knoxville. Upon their return to Paducah, suspicious fires followed. The barn of E C Terrell was followed two days later by Morton's Opera House, LB Ogilvie and Company, and Van Culen's Bookstore.  Word got out; the newspaper printed a story whereby a plot was discovered. It seems that the disgruntled and stranded employees of the circus had planned to fire the property of Fletcher Terrell and then kill him while he was returning from a performance at the Opera House.Luckily he evaded their clutches! The show was sold in 1902 to Allott, O'Brien, and Herman of Chicago, who invested $200,000 in the endeavor. There were twenty two new railroad cars, highly ornamented and decorated with the advertising of the show, painted by Paducah artist Robert McCune. The show also featured a 'steam calliope' played by Colonel Bud Horn of Nashville. But the bad luck followed; and the show finally died an ambiguous death.