Cuba Crutchfield

Entertainer. He was one of the great trick ropers of all time, like his cousin and contemporary, Will Rogers. In 1912, Buffalo Bill Cody saw him perform and invited him to join his Wild West show. He performed with Annie Oakley, among others, as the troupe toured Philadelphia, New York and other cities of the east. He was a Vaudeville star in the first quarter of the 1900s, appearing on Broadway, the Ziegfield Theater, the New York Hippodrome Theater and the Boardwalk in Atlantic City with the likes of Harry Houdini, Enrico Caruso, Eddie Cantor, Mae West, Fred Stone and Will Rogers. Shows in which he performed often ended with him spinning a 100-foot lasso around the entire cast of performers. He toured Europe and dabbled in Hollywood, starring in three silent films.