STOP "E" ON THE TRAVEL MAP (PART 2)
Monday 4/25/16
Well, we were supposed to be heading to Wichita, Kansas this morning, but because a severe storm is going to hit there tomorrow, we have decided to head west to miss it. We really don’t want to risk having our 5th wheel or truck damaged by hail, or worse yet, a tornado. And as much as Joe wouldn’t mind seeing me twirling my way skyward and away, I think I’ll just continue to make his life worth living by hanging around a little while longer. So, we decided to spend a few days in Dodge City, which is 150 miles northwest of Wichita. We pulled into the Gunsmoke RV Park before dinnertime. Where else would we stay in Dodge City?
Just a little about Dodge City – Fort Dodge was established in 1865 to protect wagon trains on the Santa Fe Trail and to furnish supplies for soldiers fighting the Indian wars on the plains. During the early days, millions of buffalo roamed the plains. When a new tanning process was discovered in Germany, large orders were placed resulting in the boom of hunters flooding the plains. A good hunter could make more than $100 a day. Each hide went for $3.50. When the Santa Fe Railroad reached the area in 1872 Dodge City was founded. Dodge City was the buffalo capital for five years until mass slaughter destroyed the huge herds. As the buffalo hunters departed, the cattle drives from Texas began. It took about 3 months for the cattle drive and each man hired ended the drive in Dodge City with $90 in his pocket, ready to be spent on having a good time. Many famous lawmen and gunfighters lived in Dodge during the wild days. By 1885 the cattle drives ended and farming took over much of the land. By 1887 Dodge City settled down to become a normal frontier town. The 100th Meridian Marker is in Dodge City and represents where the East meets the West. Five words are said to have originated in Dodge City:
- Stinker – the smell of a buffalo hunter
- Joint – a saloon
- Cooler – described the city’s first jail; an old well 15’ deep in which drunks were lowered to cool off and sober up
- Stiff – dead bodies that had become rigid, substituting stiff for corpse
- Red light district – came from the railroaders leaving their lanterns in front of the brothels
Tuesday 4/26/16
What a fun day. We drove a couple of miles down Wyatt Earp Blvd into the historic center of Dodge City. The Boot Hill Museum was built on the original location of the infamous Boot Hill Cemetery. It became known as Boot Hill due to the fact that most of the people were buried with their boots on. The unfortunate folks that were buried consisted of lost buffalo hunters, strangers, thieves, cowboys and people with little means. Other folks with family or greater means were buried at Fort Dodge including the most famous lawman to die in Dodge City, Ed Masterson. More famous Lawmen, such as, Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson left Dodge City prior to their deaths.
The shop boardwalk is a replica of what existed just a few blocks down the road originally. During the summer months, this is a happening place with gunfights, can-can lessons, country-style dinner, Long Branch variety show, stagecoach rides, old west photo parlor, old fashion soda fountain, and much more. During our day, we were able to enjoy the museum, drink some Sarsaparilla in the Long Branch Saloon, shop in the General Store and explore a few of the buildings that were unlocked. We weren’t expecting much from the museum, but it’s very impressive. Most of the items date from Dodge City's early days in the 1870's through the 1920's, and most belonged to the original residents of Dodge City.
The Plains Indians (Comanche, Apache, Kiowa, Arapaho, and Cheyenne) were a very proud and spiritual people. Their lives depended on the great migrating herds of buffalo. They were a source of food, clothing, tipis, tools, and weapons. The basic goal of these tribes was hunting for food in order to survive. One of the most tragic events in the history of the old west was the near destruction of the American buffalo. During the 1870′s the buffalo was the center of Dodge City’s economy. The hunters pursued the buffalo to near extinction for three reasons: the newly built railroads allowed easy accessibility to eastern United States markets; tanners discovered a new process which allowed them to manufacture good leather from buffalo hides; and military leaders believed that destroying the buffalo meant destroying the Plains Indians way of life.
The railroad came through Dodge City in 1872 making it easy for the women of this new town to have the finest in fabrics and accessories shipped here from larger cities. The railroad also allowed settlers to purchase goods from mail-order companies like Sears-Roebuck and Montgomery Ward.
The “Hardesty House” is named after Colonel Richard "Jack" Hardesty and his family. It was one of the finest homes in early Dodge City. Jack had garnered his wealth from mines in Montana and Colorado as well as from his share of a ranch in Indian Territory. It originally stood just a block away.
Down a couple of blocks from the museum is the “Santa Fe Depot.” Built by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in 1898, the two story red brick Richardsonian Romanesque style structure known as the “Santa Fe Depot” was home to the Harvey House Hotel and El Vaquero Restaurant, and included a passenger depot and railroad offices. It is now the Amtrak station, local theatre, and meeting spaces.
The Santa Fe Trail - From as early as 1821, the trail served as a commercial road that connected the Mexican settlement of Santa Fe, New Mexico with the growing American trade settlements in Missouri. Traders from both countries made huge profits hauling goods both ways. The road was a major link to the southwest until the 1880 railroad came through Dodge City. If you drive 9 miles west from Dodge City, there is a historical marker. Take a short walk up the hill where you can still see some ruts left from the wear and tear of all the wagon trains. The route crossed the territory of the Comanches, who demanded compensation for granting passage to the trail. Americans routinely assaulted the Comanches along the trail, finding it unacceptable that they had to pay a fee for passage to Santa Fe, and soon, all Comanches fled the area, opening up the area to American settlement. Fascinating!
Wednesday 4/27/16
We drove back into the historic center of Dodge City for a self-guided walking tour. Along three square blocks we saw statues, historical storyboards, Trail of Fame medallions, and pole art banners. We took a few pictures to share with you.
Statues
- El Capitan – The bronze statue commemorates the 1875-1885 Texas cattle drives to Dodge City.
- Wyatt Earp – Buffalo hunter, teamster, lawman, gambler and saloon keeper he served as Assistant City Marshall 1876-1878. He was briefly a Ford County Deputy Sheriff under Bat Masterson in 1878 before leaving for New Mexico.
- Doc Holiday – Dentist, gambler and gunfighter, he arrived in Dodge City in 1878 and practiced dentistry in Room 27 of the Dodge House Hotel. He saved Wyatt Earp from a saloon shooting that September and left for New Mexico that year.
Pole Art Banners
- Building the West – Wagons along the Santa Fe Trail brought many families to Dodge City and Ford County area.
- Connectivity – Although the Pony Express did not pass through Dodge City, the banner represents the transition to the more reliable and speedy communication ability of the telegraph.
- Cornerstone of the Cattle Industry – In 1936, Karl Winter purchased the livestock auction facility in Dodge City and leased the Santa Fe Stockyards used in the heyday of the cattle drives. Winter Livestock Commission Company sold 29,886 head in the first year of operations. Winter Livestock marketed over 603,000 head in 2010, making it America’s largest independent cattle auction company.
- Kicking High – At one time Dodge City boasted 19 establishments licensed to sell liquor. Several presented floor shows that included dancers.
- Lighting the Way – The chuck wagon was the rolling café for drovers riding herd as cattle moved north from Texas. Torches supplemented moon light during the evenings.
- Steaming West – The Santa Fe Railroad came to Dodge City in 1872, the year the city was founded as it journeyed west to California.
Medallions
- Amanda Blake – 19 years on Gunsmoke, Kitty Russell owned the Long Branch Saloon.
- Bat Masterson – Buffalo hunter, gambler, lawman, sports writer and Army scout he moved to Dodge City to join his two brothers in 1877. He served as an Assistant City Marshall and in late 1877 was elected Ford County Sheriff. About 150’ from the medallion was the location of his home.
- Buck Taylor – 8 years on Gunsmoke, Newly O’Brien was the town’s gunsmith turned deputy.
- James Arness – 20 years on Gunsmoke, Matt Dillon was the town’s Marshall.
- Ken Curtis – 16 years on Gunsmoke, Festus Haggen was the town’s deputy.
- Milburn Stone – 20 years on Gunsmoke, Galen (Doc) Adams was the town’s doctor.
Thursday 4/28/16
Now, on to Wichita!
