Clarence "Kit" Buell (far right) is pictured here on the back lot of the Buffalo Bill's Wild West.  Clarence accompanied Buffalo Bill's Wild West show in 1887.

Steamboats, Buffalo Bill & the Opera House Lights

Standing before you are four family members whose lives brought music, theater, and frontier showmanship to the riverfront: Captain Frank Burnett, his wife Martha, their daughter Augusta—affectionately known as Gussie—and her husband, Colonel Clarence Buell.

Captain Frank Burnett was a true Mississippi Riverman. Born in 1829, his deep mastery of river currents and steam vessels earned national acclaim. In 1870, President Ulysses S. Grant appointed Burnett as the Supervising Inspector of Steam Vessels for the vast 4th District—overseeing river safety all the way from Cairo to Keokuk, up the Illinois River, and out to Yankton in the Dakota Territory. Burnett was so respected that five successive U.S. Presidents kept him in that vital post.

Back home in Louisiana, the community was hungry for culture. In the fall of 1882, local citizens rallied to form the Opera House Company. Captain Burnett struck a brilliant deal: he built the sturdy ground floor to house a tobacco warehouse, while the company completed the second floor as a grand auditorium. Opening in the autumn of 1883, the Burnett Opera House instantly became the cultural heartbeat of Louisiana—hosting traveling stage troupes, public lectures, orchestra concerts, and masquerades.

The family's flair for show business grew even brighter when Captain Burnett's daughter Gussie married Clarence Buell in 1896.

As a young man, Clarence had headed west to Cheyenne, Wyoming, to live the life of a cowboy. There, he befriended none other than Colonel William F. Cody—the legendary Buffalo Bill. Clarence joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, touring the capitals of Europe, performing before royal courts, and building lifelong friendships with America's greatest circus and theatrical titans.

Clarence brought that world-class showman’s energy back home to Louisiana. In 1914, he erected the modern Burnett–Buell Theatre, keeping the silver screen and stage alive for the next generation.

When you visit downtown Louisiana, make your way to 121 North Main Street. Stand on the sidewalk and imagine an evening over a century ago: gas lamps glowing, steamboat whistles echoing from the levee, and townsfolk dressed in their Sunday best heading upstairs for an unforgettable night at the Burnett-Buell Theatre."