About This Website: Founding of Dodge City
This Website is dedicated to provide accurate accounts of the early Kansas and Dodge City history as it is thrilling, interesting: and wonderful. The name of Dodge City, Kansas, is known far and wide, and her reputation was not enviable. No city in the United States of the same size has been so thoroughly advertised. To say that one has never heard of Dodge City is to say that he/she does not read. No reader of books, newspapers and magazines can make such an admission. No town of its size in this country has occupied so much time of literary men and writers of books and periodicals.
NEW: Cattle Drives, Cowboys & Cattle Towns
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In the fall of 2022, Wild West Podcast will proudly present an all-new series entitled Trails, Cattle Drives, Cowboys, and Cattle Towns. This new series will explore the early cattle trade, relive the challenges of a trail drive, describe the character of the cowboy, and retell the stories of individuals who endured the hardships of the cattle trails of the 1800s. The podcast series will provide Interesting Sketches of Early Cowboys and their Experiences on the Range and on the Trail during the Days that Tried Men's Souls. In addition, the podcast provides True Narratives Related by Real Cow-Punchers and the Men who fathered the cattle industry.
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So make sure you subscribe to our podcast listed at the end of the description text of this podcast to receive notification on all new episodes. You can also join us on Facebook at to review excerpts and historical accounts of this new series entitled Trails, Cattle Drives, Cowboys, and Cattle Towns. Subscribe to Wild West Podcast at https://apple.co/3r3jEhr
The Cheyenne Exodus 1878
On June 25, 1876, the Northern Cheyenne were present at the Battle of the Little Big Horn and had contributed to the defeat of General Armstrong Custer's troops. As a result, they were pursued by the U.S. military until they surrendered. One of the conditions of their surrender was that they joined their southern brethren in the Indian Nation at the Darlington Indian Agency.
During the summer of 1877, a large band of approximately one thousand Northern Cheyennes moved southward in the direction of Fort Dodge on their way to Indian Territory. The Cheyennes were being transferred from the Red Cloud Agency of the Dakotas under government supervision. They had participated in the Battle of the Little Big Horn the preceding year. Several braves still wore clothing taken while counting coup against the men of General Custer's United States Seventh Cavalry.
When the Indians camped near Fort Dodge in late July on their way to Camp Supply, many residents of Dodge City turned out to view the red man in his natural state. To complement the residents of Dodge City's visits to Fort Dodge, many of the Cheyennes spent several days in town going door-to-door, begging and periodically performing native dances for the gratification of their curious hosts. Unknown to the Dodge citizens, they would later have a second opportunity to behold many of these same Indians, but under considerably less amicable circumstances.
During the summer of 1877, a large band of approximately one thousand Northern Cheyennes moved southward in the direction of Fort Dodge on their way to Indian Territory. The Cheyennes were being transferred from the Red Cloud Agency of the Dakotas under government supervision. They had participated in the Battle of the Little Big Horn the preceding year. Several braves still wore clothing taken while counting coup against the men of General Custer's United States Seventh Cavalry.
When the Indians camped near Fort Dodge in late July on their way to Camp Supply, many residents of Dodge City turned out to view the red man in his natural state. To complement the residents of Dodge City's visits to Fort Dodge, many of the Cheyennes spent several days in town going door-to-door, begging and periodically performing native dances for the gratification of their curious hosts. Unknown to the Dodge citizens, they would later have a second opportunity to behold many of these same Indians, but under considerably less amicable circumstances.
Preservation of Fort Dodge Project
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The Ford County Historical Society is the group spearheading the Preserve Fort Dodge movement and the Society has been in existence since 1931. For the last 50-plus years, they have maintained and managed the Mueller-Schmidt House (Home of Stone) as a period home in Dodge City. Built and occupied in 1881, the Home of Stone remains a beautiful example of craftsmanship in Ford County and the Society has regularly applied for and received grant funds to maintain this historic structure.
History of Fort Dodge |
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The history of Fort Dodge is closely espoused to both the frontier experience of Kansas and the growing commercial roads which crossed that state to serve the entire nation. The commercial frontier stretched and spanned the prairies of Kansas by 1821, approximately three decades before the arrival of the settler's frontier.
New Read Along Royalty Free Western Novel
The producers of Wild West Podcast will present a special reading of Robert E Howard’s public domain novel Boot Hill Payoff. The production is for all of those stay at home western novel lovers who need a little entertainment to break the boredom. So join us in April of 2020 as we take you on a ride in the slumbering heat to San Leon as five brothers enter the doors of the Cattlemen's Bank. This eBook is made available at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg. CLICK HERE FOR BOOT HILL PAYOFF
The History of Dodge City Kansas
Dodge City was founded in 1872 on the plains at the nearest point of the Santa Fe railroad to Fort Dodge. Geographically Dodge City had one of the best locations, and her commanding position enabled the city to maintain the commercial and industrial supremacy. Located on the 100th meridian and fifty miles from the Oklahoma line, about 120 miles east of the Colorado line and on the most southern point on the main line of the Topeka & Santa Fe railroad.
The town grew almost in a night into a tented little city every man was a law unto himself. In a few days 'Boot Hill" graveyard was started. At the approach of night the dance hall, saloons and gambling halls were a blaze of light and activity. The sharp report of the six-shooter became a nightly occurrence, and in the morning the usual question was: how many were killed last night?
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In the beginning Dodge was in the very heart of the buffalo country. Hardly had the railroad reached there, long before a depot could be built (they had an office in a box car), business began; and such a business! Dozens of cars a day were loaded with hides and meat, and dozens of carloads of grain, flour and provisions arrived each day. A good hunter would make $100 a day. Every one had money to throw at the birds. There was no article less than a quarter—a drink was a quarter, a shave was a quarter, a paper of pins a quarter, and needles the same. In fact, that was the smallest change.
In the late 1870’ the first years of the cattle trade, the city’s businessmen divided into three factions: the Gang – which fully supported the cattle trade, represented the liquor interests, and wanted Dodge City to be a wide-open town; businessmen who wanted to keep the cattle trade but wanted some restrictions on the saloons and brothels; and German businessmen and farmers who wanted to promote farming in Ford County. |
The Man in a Black Derby Hat: The Story of Bat Masterson
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The Wild West podcast on April 16, 2018 will present the Man in a Black Derby Hat the retelling of the gunfight between Bat Masterson, A.J.Peacock and Al Updegraff. The story begins on April 15, 1881 after Bat Masterson living in Arizona is telegraphed by an unknown informer notifying Bat that his brother Jim was about to be assassinated by the co-owner of the Lady Gay, Jim Masterson's partner. Bat takes a train to Dodge City and arrives on the April 16 noon train but decides to get off early suspecting he might encounter resistance at the train depot. The story of the Man in the Black Derby Hat written and produced by Mike King takes the listener deep into the conflict surrounding the Battle of the Plaza. The story narrated by Brad Smalley gives a first person account as the gunfight begins to unfold the night before in the Long Branch Saloon when George a local cowboy inquires about the ongoing conflict between Jim Masterson and A.J. Peacock.
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During the thirty minute podcast many legends of the old west are revealed to include the characterization of Bat Masterson, A.B. Webster, Tom Nixon, Pat Sughrue, Fred Singer, and Jim Masterson.
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A Man in a Black Derby Hat: Book
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These stories are told from the first-person perspective of the character, Bat Masterson, transitioning from a buffalo hunter to gambler and lawman while undergoing many occurrences of life threatening encounters. These are the experiences that offer to impact changes in knowing and overcoming fear. A Man in A Black Derby Hat is delivered with such precision that the effect is exquisite; a life-moment for the reader, as each chapter unfolds into a never-to-be-repeated event in history – through the creation of a legend. Order today at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1730883001
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The Battle of Cimarron
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On January 12, 2018 the battle of the Cimarron will be presented in a 25 minute special Wild West podcast on iTunes and Buzzsprout. This is the story of an attempt to remove the remaining records from the Cimarron county clerks office on the morning of January 12, 1889. Join narrater Brad Smalley and writer/producer Mike King as they take you back in history to 1889 to relive the Gray County Seat War. A time where the citizens of Cimarron bound together to defend and raise havoc on those would be intruders who came to take what was rightfully theirs.
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Join Us on Wild West Podcast: Learn About Early Kansas History
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Welcome to the “Wild West” podcast. These podcasts represent the stories of Dodge City Kansas between the years of 1872 to 1889. A seventeen-year history of a fledgling town born out of the prairie from the buffalo hunters to the Texas cattle drives all eager for a good time. A town built out of the hunger for money, regulated by the fast guns - men who walked on both sides of the law, patrolling, investing and regulating the brothels, saloons and gambling houses. This is their story one by one, as these men moved in and out of history, bringing with them the birth of legends, brought to order by a six-gun, and laid to rest on a hill with their boots on.
The Wild West Podcast presents the true accounts of individuals, who settled in a town built out of hunger for money, regulated by fast guns, who walked on both sides of the law, patrolling, investing in and regulating the brothels, saloons and gambling houses. Get the latest news, videos, premieres and upcoming events on our new Facebook Page.
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