Queen of the Cowtowns - Dodge City

in #history6 years ago (edited)

howdy folks and greetings from our warm oasis in North Texas!

I've been talking about the Wild West and Cowboys and nothing
speaks to that subject better than Dodge City! It's like my hometown,
it's where we got groceries and supplies even though we lived about
25 miles outside of town.

We used to go into Dodge and "drag Earp" which was the thing to
do in those days, driving up and down Wyatt Earp Blvd until early
in the morning. Did any of you see "American Grafitti"? The movie
about a night of cruising main street all night long..that's what it
was like.

Anyway Boot Hill is at the center of Dodge and it's main drag , we
used to joke around about it and make fun of the tourists that
came but it really is an interesting place and I appreciated it alot
more later in life when I toured it again.

My previous post told how Dodge City started out, it was the very
center of the buffalo hunting trade and Fort Dodge was the main
supply depot for several outposts, forts and protection from
Indian attacks during the Indian Wars.

So it was already a busy location when the railroad got there in
1872 and it exploded in growth from that point on. For years
it was the main shipping point for the buffalo hides from the
merciless slaughter of the herds which used to thunder across
the Great Plains with that part of Kansas being the epicenter.

3806161-american-bison-wallpapers.jpgsource: legendsofamerica.net

They estimate that 1,500,000 buffalo hides were shipped out
of Dodge during that time. A good hunter could make $100
per day killing these noble animals. I don't know what that
would be in todays dollars but I'm guessing a couple grand?

This is one of the ways that money poured into Dodge and
helped to turn it into a bustling city. In the first year that
Dodge was formed there were 70 buildings built, most of
them saloons! lol. no not really but there were 19 saloons and
who knows how many "houses of ill repute."

One of the things which I find interesting is that even though
it was a crazy, action-packed place with things happening all
night long there were still certain actions which were un-
acceptable. Remember the Cowboy Code from a couple days
ago?

Dodge-City-Boothill-Cemetery.jpg
source: Boot Hill Museum

Well, that was in full effect. Here is a quote taken from a book
written about Dodge City in it's wild years. The book is called
"Dodge City, The Cowboy Capital" and was written by a former
town president in the 1870's.

"Often have I seen chivalry extended to ladies on the streets, from
these rough men, that would have done credit to the knights of old.
When some man a little drunk, and perhaps unintentionally, would
jostle a lady in a crowd, he was soon brought to his senses by being
knocked down by one of his companions, who remarked, "Never let
me see you insult a lady again."

I kinda like that..it's not warning someone to watch himself, it's
knocking them down first, THEN warning them! lol. It was a
different world back then, even with all the craziness going on there
was a respect and reverence for women.

The cattle drives ended in the late 1800s and the buffalo herds were
all killed and that ended the wildness of Dodge and by 1900 it was
no longer the Wild West. The main street called Front Street had a
collection of businesses including the most famous saloon, the
Longbranch.
TWT_Lead_Dodge-City_scaled.jpg

dodgecity-1874.jpg

7779175.jpg
source: kansashistory.us

Did any of you ever watch the Western TV show Gunsmoke? Well
that saloon was based on the real thing. Marshall Dillon was made
up but Doc Holiday was real.

Anyway Front Street and those buildings all burnt down near the
end of the century but the city rebuilt them in 1947 using old photos
and records. And that's what's there today including the Longbranch
Saloon where you can still get a beer or Sarsaparilla and watch the
dance hall girls dance. Here's what it looks like today:
Boot-Hill-Museum-Street-Front-1024x360.jpgsource: kansashistory.us

Here's a shot of the Longbranch bar:
dodgecitytop52.jpg
source: legendsofamerica.net

They did a great job of matching the historical accuracy of the
buildings and have an excellent museum with a world class
gun collection among other things of course, I was just darn
impressed with the guns. One of my friends, an old Mexican
gunsmith supplied most of those guns from his collection.

The Front Street replica is located on the original Boot Hill
cemetery and there is an original part of the cemetery which
is still there as the photo near the top shows. If you're ever
in the area or going through that part of Kansas you gotta go
check it out.

I still have to get to the part of Dodge's history involving the
Lawmen and how they cleaned the place up and that story
is coming. They did hire some really tough people to stop the
violence and roudiness but that wasn't a long-term fix and I'll
explain why. Those men looked like these guys..in fact they
might have BEEN these guys:
aug08_classic_gunfights_250.jpg
source: westernhistory.org

thanks for reading folks!
-jonboy Texas
the gentleman redneck

ps- ya know, you might just be a redneck if...

this is your new motor home!
wow.jpgsource unknown/somewhere online/facebook

God bless you all!

texas-facts.jpg

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Congratulations! You were featured by @coinsandchains in the #payitforward contest. That is how I found you. All the best. PS - If you are interested in writing about history, I am always looking for good writers. I'm the editor for the magazine/website - warhistoryonline.com and we have several other sites such as thevintagenews.com. We pay $50 dollars for good original content. Contact me on Discord if it sounds interesting for you. EnergyAddict22 #9726

howdy this fine Sunday @energyaddict22! well sir, I have saved this information in another folder for future reference. I am limited in time at the moment and would want to do more indepth research for the type of articles that you seek.

I went to your blog and read the post about this offer and the response is amazing! also, congratulations on your new post!

an American in Russia putting out a magazine for mostly American readers, it's so interesting.
Hey I worked as a BBQ smoke master for about a year here in Texas in a little BBQ joint out in the country, some of our customers were even on horseback. We specialized in Pork Ribs, Brisket and all the sausages, Brisket was the leader though, only used Mesquite wood in a rotisserie smoker.
thank you sir for the offer, I will keep it in mind and also put this out to a couple of friends here on steemit.

I absolutely love the motor home!!!!!! I see it's insulated. Winterized and everything. It just needs a little paint is all.

I so want to go to Dodge City. I'm going to show him your photos when he gets home. Thanks so much! You are broadening my horizons.

howdy again @squirrelbait! well Dodge is so far away from anything that most people only go there if they are traveling through to Colorado or Texas because there isn't any major attractions there. But if you like Old West history then it's a very interesting stop.
we always made fun of Dodge's ..what do you call it, the phrase under the name, in Dodge's case it's "The Cowboy Capital of the World" and you go there and can't find a single cowboy! lol.

Actually there are lots of them but you have to go out to the cattle auctions to find them.
the motor home thing was a joke right?

Good thing I like the middle of nowhere. I will find a way one of these days to go there. If we vacation in Southern Colorado I'm stopping there. When I travel like my Dad, I'm stopping there. Speaking of Dad, I'm gonna tell him about it too when he's back on the grid. He can go there on his travels. I think he would be mighty interested.

I do think the RV would be fine painted. Just don't get it wet. I think some of that is cardboard. It's unique and unique is always valuable. Not sure if I'm joking. I would take a ride in it just once for fun for sure though.

hahaha! don't know if you're joking..well lets call it a diamond in the rough!
your dad..how do you contact him? you said offgrid but that means he doesn't keep his cellphone with him?

There's no cell service when he's deep in the middle of nowhere. I usually email with him on and off as he checks in and lets me know where he is. When he can catch a signal that is. He can get email on his phone. He's is northern Minnesota right now. Beautiful lakes and woods.

I just posted a redneck joke I got from my husband. Do you have one of those wood furnaces like his aunt has? It's in her yard and burns wood heating her house and water. Wood stove or fireplace?

well ..I thought these days that there was coverage everywhere, that's what those maps look like from Verizon.
yes I saw that post and the joke, that was classic redneck cleverness!
I didn't comment or vote because my vote is down to 48% so I'm recharging. we have a fireplace is all. everything here at our place is electric.yikes.

No worries about the voting. I thought of you when I posted it. I knew you'd like it. It's the sharing and laughing that matters.

You need some solar panels out there then! I hear they are very expensive.

yes Ma'am we do need them but they are, haven't priced them for a couple of years but the last i saw they cost a fortune!

Lived most of my adult life in KS and through Dodge many times. I remember eating the best rib eye steak I have ever had at some place on the outskirts of Dodge City on one of those trips. And yes when I was a kid we did the tourist thing on boot hill (which seemed pretty underwhelming at the time) and Front Street. Thanks for the good read @janton

howdy @armadilloman! thanks for commenting. where abouts did you live in Kansas? they got some great steak places in Dodge and some of the best beef in the world right there.

25 years in Lawrence.

yes sir I know Lawrence. what brought you through Dodge, going to Colorado?

It looks like the entertainment in Dodge City just keeps going @janton. Tourists must like visiting.

yes Ma'am it's a great tourist trap!

That's cool they were able to rebuilt it based on the photos they had. It's just a way of preserving a bit of history.

Still not a redneck. ;)

ha! somehow I figured I would be foiled again. what about the one with the wide rear tires from a couple days ago? that had to be at least close.

I thought I responded to that one. Hmmm. Nope, I have the same-sized tires all around. Standard issue from the tire store.

yeah..yes sir I missed that one from earlier today, sorry. plus I was going to your site and got side tracked, shoot! plus i am down to 45% on my voting power so I am trying to recharge.

No worries, man. Recharge that voting power. And enjoy the side tracks if you can. There are some fun things that can happen there. :)

manwithnoname..what are "the side tracks"?

I don't get it, side tracks are the jokes? lol
I'm laughing but I don't get it.

Hi Janton. I have been enjoying your history lessons. I like true stories and real life. Thanks again.

howdy tonight @cryptoandcoffee! thanks so much, I'm enjoying your posts also!

The woodwork in that saloon is extraordinary. Think of the craftsmanship that went into the carving.
That camper is pretty much a work of art as well.

hahaha! very funny @headchange, caught me off guard and made me laugh out loud. The replacement bar is amazing, it was built close to the original, it was built in 1881 out of Cherry wood. The original was also ornate and hand carved but the replacement is even better.
thanks for commenting!

Didn't know anybody could catch you off guard. You must be slacking today.

you're the only one who can do that.
ya know, that was pretty observant of you, studying that bar. either you're a fan of old bars, an artist, a craftsman, or antiquer. or maybe just love quality.
Long_Branch_Saloon_interior.jpg

Is that the original? Looks nicer without the paint don't you think.

yes Ma'am the paint is shocking, first one I've ever seen painted. and believe me, I've seen alot of Old West bars. never been in one personally you understand, well except the Longbranch for some sasparilla! lol. I'm so corny.

headchange you still up?
got something important again.

What now? You get picked up by curie or something?

holy cow what time do you get up and start working girl?
4 am? no I was running low on people to talk to and I was getting a little sleepy so I needed fresh blood. you know, for stimulation of the brain cells. and you have that effect on me so I thought I'd take advantage of you for my own selfish mind-power needs. But alas to no avail.

I don't know how to get picked up by her. everyone I know except you,has been. even a guy who only posts one or twice a week if that. no one knows how. I went to her discord group and asked a question but nobody answered so I don't know if I'm in her system or not. others have done that and gotten upvoted by her the next day. lol.
did you find out anything about the mysterious Curie?
how's your father-in-law doing?
how are you doing?
hows your husband doing?
hows those dogs doing?
I suppose it's not hot there?

Looks like I need to stay up later. I keep missing the good stuff.

oh what did you miss? I didn't know there was good stuff happening. no you kids need your sleep, at least 10 hours!

Pretty cool rebuild but they didn't leave the dirt and mud! I think everyone should have a camper like that parked in their drive! Can you imagine the conversations with the neighbours? LOL

hahaha! most neighbors would call the cops within a couple of minutes!

Would be a fun place to visit and see some history. Call me old fashioned, but I like the fact that they protected women back then. I like being protected and cared for by my husband. He's the head of the home and is responsible for the family. Life sure has changed.

howdy back @thefarmerswife! I see ya'll finally got outta the POOL!
well I guess you could be on the floater thing using a tablet or laptop.
anyway, yes Ma'am that's pretty much how it is in this part of Texas, if you're in public and you insult a female you're in big trouble.

but what's amazing is that back then, even in a lawless situation there was still a moral code, the Cowboy Code, that they didn't break, in regards to women. I think pretty much everything else was fair game!

So, I looked it up, and based on the inflation calculator (there appears to be only one), $100 back in 1850 would have been worth $3,030.30 in 2015. It's probably come up a few dollars since then. :)

Since there's supposed to be a code among pirates and thieves, I guess it's no surprise that even Dodge City had its moments of chivalry. If not, I shutter to think what it would have been like otherwise, since it was pretty lawless by the sounds of it.

ha! the Man! I love number cruncher guys! I will probably put this in my post, is it okay if I give you credit for finding this out?
that was a fortune back then, my gosh! well at $3 per head and .25 per tongue, that adds up. the carasses were left to rot but for years afterwards the farmers would go and collect the bones and sell them for something like 6 or 7 dollars a ton and factories back East would buy them to make China and fertilizer. I'm guessing those were two different types of factories.

The place was totally lawless and wild but there was still the Cowboy Code man! there was a morality instilled in people back then that even the lawless followed. at least concerning females.

there were so many people getting killed in fights that they named the cemetery Boot Hill because they died with their boots on. shoot I forgot to put that in the post, I am too rushed on these things, like I told you about before. I didn't even read it because I figured i was so rushed I wouldn't like it.

well after years of fighting the feminists have made sure there ain't none of that in the general population.

Oh, go ahead and put it in without attribution. They aren't really my numbers. I just located a site that does it and threw in a $100 for 1850. Not that big of deal, but I agree, you should totally use the amount.

Wiping all the buffalo out was a tragedy of immense proportions. Letting perfectly good meat rot was another. I know refrigeration wasn't around quite yet, but I do hope that someone got some of it at least.

I actually wondered about the name, though it didn't cross my mind that it came from all the killing. I would think though, that most deaths would occur with the wearer's boots on if they weren't dying in their sleep, or taking a shower or something like that. Kind of funny how some things become important enough to name hills after them.

re: feminists

Not sure if you're referring to chivalry here or not, but that's kind of the odd thing about feminism. It depends on the woman. That movement is fractured and headed in so many different directions it's really hard to get a handle on it completely.

Seems to me the Golden Rule still applies. If I want to be treated in a polite, fair, friendly manner, then I probably should do the same, regardless of who it is. Period. :)

howdy again Glen.. yes sir, the buffalo slaughter was shameful and the meat just fed the buzzards and coyotes. I've seen photos of hundreds of carcasses
lying in the sun rotting. That meat could have all been hung up and dried like the Indians processed it.

Boot Hill..yeah well unless it was an accident most people died of some kind of sickness just like today and it was alarming how many were being killed by others. almost all shot.
yes sir, The Golden Rule still applies for Believers but the problem is of course that half the world ain't Believers. the Mormons been slackin.
lol, just teasing of course. everybodies been slackin.

the problem is of course that half the world ain't Believers.

I wonder about that. I keep hearing how people are moving away from formal religion, but yet there seems to be plenty of people believing in something. The Golden Rule in and of itself, while based on words spoken by Christ, is still pretty much common sense. If you don't want someone yelling at you, don't yell at them. If you want people to treat you in a certain way, then treat them that way.

While I do belong to a formal religion that is based in Christ, I know there are billions around the world who believe in similar concepts, but involving different beings, concepts or names for concepts. While I don't think that all religions are one (kind of hard if they're all different), I can see people trying to seek for something more than themselves.

I am in agreement that we're all slackin' to some degree. Some more, some less. My thought, though, is that the bad apples and the troublemakers are truly less than half, and while some of it might be unbelief, a lot of it is confusion and not knowing where to find light and truth. A lot of those folks are still following some kind of moral code until they actually do find something more fulfilling.

well well well..Mr. Glass is Half full! lol. mr. optimism.
howdy today Glen... well sir, I don't disagree with any thing you said and I SO hope that you are right about people looking for the truth.

My idea is NOT that half the world are bad apples, I agree that they are a small percentage. I was just saying that half the world don't even believe in our God.

My thinking is that humans are naturally selfish and act in their own interests. We who are truly born again struggle with this but those who aren't saved don't, for the most part, they just do whatever it takes to get themselves ahead in life.

but I so hope that half the world is seeking the light and the truth. I believe there will be a great End Times Revival and I hope it starts in D.C.!

True, half the world has a different belief than any flavor of Christianity. And some of it, the farther East you go, gets more into philosophies or concepts that fashion experience and behavior than focusing in on a being to emulate or follow. It's a little less structured and lot more free form, but in reality, a lot of what's being taught is good, it's just more ethereal and not flowing through anyone, like Christ.

As for the Middle East and many other parts of the world, those folks are generally practicing what seems like to us a very harsh version of an Old Testament religion. More don'ts than dos and a lot more immediate corporal and capital punishment.

In those cases, I wonder just how much of it is belief versus fear of trying anything else.

I know what you're going for with the end times starting in D.C., and that's as good a group as any to start with. Unfortunately, I think we're talking about a lot of death, destruction and suffering everywhere before Christ comes to clean up, and then we're talking the Middle East again. At least first. :)

I'd like to think there's some optimism to it, but it's more of a perspective that things could always be worse, as well as better, and that while things are progressively getting worse, it's more because the majority are allowing the minority to get away with it, because of whatever. Time, their own needs, they're own confusion over the matter, fear, etc.

I could be wrong, but I don't think we're quite at Sodom and Gomorrah with Abraham asking the Lord if he would spare the cities if there's only so many good people left. Then basically whittling it down to the point where Abraham knows he's got to move in and get Lot and his family out of there because there really aren't enough good people there to stay the Lord's wrath.

I can see it coming. That's the direction were headed. As of this moment, though, we're still not there yet.

yes sir...sir Glen..I think, and I know it seems like most people on this platform disagree, but I think we are a long way from the destruction of the country. so many people on here think we are and maybe they're right.
I used to think so but after ..lets see I was in college in 1974 so for 44 years I've heard this talk of the destruction and utter Mad Max situation type talk and I just don't see it as being imminent.

I agree that we should be some type or degree of preppers but I'm not convinced we'll need to be in our lifetimes.
I think we'll have a major revival way before the collapse comes though, I think there is going to be another great period of prosperity and peace for this country ushered in by this coming revival. I really do.

One reason is the tremendous growth of Spirit-filled churches with increased manifestations of works of the Spirit like healings and miracles of all kinds. but that also is one of the signs we have been expecting as part of the End Times scenario.

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