Dodge City, Kansas

Last Thursday (June 3) we departed Albuquerque and aimed for the Texas panhandle. We filled the gas tank in Tucumcari at the amazing low price of $2.50/gal., the lowest we’ve found, so far. We had planned to spend the night at Ute State Park near Logan, but it was such a nice day that we decided to continue on to Dalhart, Texas.

Dalhart: We were in Dalhart just one night . . . long enough to rest the RV, get some sleep, eat an outstanding dinner at a small barbeque restaurant and learn a little about the local history. We drove the old brick streets of the downtown and looked at the many vacant and deteriorating buildings that remained after newer businesses had moved to the main highway. The restored La Rita Theatre was the bright spot and pride of Dalhart.

As it turns out, Dalhart was once part of the largest fenced ranch in the world. The three million acres of the XIT Ranch covered parts of ten counties and supported 150,000 head of cattle. Dalhart became the primary shipping center for the cattle and is still a center of the cattle business. It’s now home to the world’s leading “confined animal feeding operations” (feedlots) for cattle and hogs. As we entered Dalhart from the west, we passed between two huge feedlots, each capable of handling about 85,000 head of cattle at one time. If you’ve ever encountered a fresh cow pie, multiply that odor by 100,000 and you might imagine the pungent aroma of Dalhart. Very potent!

Dodge City: We got an early start the next morning and moved in the direction of Dodge City, Kansas before the heat of the day arrived. Ron drove non-stop for about 3½ hours and we arrived at Gunsmoke RV Park before noon.

Anyone old enough to have watched the Gunsmoke TV series, might remember James Arness as Dodge City’s Marshal Dillon. The town was often visited by poker playing, whiskey drinking, rowdy cowboys who settled their differences with gunfights in the dusty street in front of the Long Branch Saloon. To some extent, that was a surprisingly accurate image. Dodge City’s most colorful era as a lawless community on the Santa Fe Trail was very brief. It began when it was founded in 1872 and continued another 14 years.  Seven miles west of town, ruts of the Santa Fe Trail remain etched into the grasslands.

Dodge City was a supply center for troops at Fort Dodge, engaged in the Indian Wars. It was also a trade center for travelers and buffalo hunters. About 850,000 buffalo hides were shipped from Dodge City in the years 1872-74 and the City became known as the Buffalo Capital of the World. That title lasted a short five years until the mass slaughter destroyed the buffalo herds and left the prairie littered with decaying carcasses.

By 1875, nearly all the buffalo were gone.  Texas longhorn cattle took their place in the local economy and the city became Queen of the Cowtowns. Millions of cattle were driven up the Western Trail from Texas to Dodge City for shipment on the railroad. Once the cattle made it to Dodge City, the cowboys were ready for a little “wine, women and song” and the city earned its reputation as the wildest town on the western frontier. Several noted lawmen were brought in to take control, including Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp.

Many gunfight victims were buried (with their boots on) on Boot Hill.  The Texas cattle drives ended by 1886 and the community became more civilized and diversified.

Today, the Boot Hill Museum sits on a portion of the original Boot Hill graveyard. It includes replicas of early Dodge City buildings, lots of history, old photos, a gun collection, the Dodge City Bank and other memorabilia.

Can-can dancers were giving dance lessons in the Long Branch Saloon as we quenched our thirst with a sarsaparilla.  It was a very hot day and we ducked into the air-conditioned museum buildings at every opportunity.

A staged gunfight was held in front of the buildings at high noon.  Most participants didn't survive and would have ended up on Boot Hill.

Dodge City today appears to be a healthy agricultural-based community. Most downtown streets were paved in red brick in the early 1920s and are still in good condition.  Many old brick buildings have been restored, including the large Santa Fe depot.

Large medallions have been placed in the sidewalk along the “Trail of Fame”, honoring those who contributed most to Dodge City’s history.

Wyatt Earp Boulevard is the main east-west arterial and reminders of the old cowboy days are everywhere.  Many feedlots are in the vicinity and a local packing plant "processes" up to 20,000 head of cattle every day.  A nice thick steak from Dodge City may be waiting in the meat department of your local supermarket.

It’s still a wild west town at heart, but the rowdiness is gone. We had a great time in Dodge City.  To avoid the heat, we spent some time in the mall and attended a movie.  We also had a buffet breakfast at the Boot Hill Casino, took a trolley tour of the city and finished it off with Ron's birthday dinner at Casa Alvarez.  His special dinner preference . . . a large pork burrito with guacamole, sour cream and lots of hot salsa.  It's a nice town and we're glad we stopped by.