1872 The Founding of Dodge City
Buffalo City, the town that later became known as Dodge City, was founded in 1872, 5 miles west of Fort Dodge. In the early days, it’s purpose was to provide whisky and other vices to the soldiers stationed at Fort Dodge and the buffalo hunters who fed them. After the buffalo had been hunted to extinction and it’s name was changed, Dodge City became a shipping point for Texas longhorns bound for the slaughterhouses in Chicago and other Eastern cities. Texas cowboys drank and gambled just as hard as the buffalo hunters and soldiers had before them. Dodge City became known as the wickedest city in the west.
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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?
Dodge City, from its very beginning’s was a lawless town. Many newspaper accounts during the early days proclaimed the town to be as “rough a community as ever flourished under one flag.” Some have claimed the reason for the town’s recalcitrant reputation is that the majority of the businesses at the whistle-stop catered at first to the buffalo hunter and then to the rowdy drovers. The economic growth of this makeshift community standing at the edge of the flat Arkansas River bottom depended in large part on the trail hands and their immoral conduct.
Dodge City, from its very beginning’s was a lawless town. Many newspaper accounts during the early days proclaimed the town to be as “rough a community as ever flourished under one flag.” Some have claimed the reason for the town’s recalcitrant reputation is that the majority of the businesses at the whistle-stop catered at first to the buffalo hunter and then to the rowdy drovers. The economic growth of this makeshift community standing at the edge of the flat Arkansas River bottom depended in large part on the trail hands and their immoral conduct.
Many of its citizens at the time resented the violence and disorder but were willing to subject themselves to the unrepressed exploits of these men for the sake of fortunes to be made. The city hired law enforcement officers were encouraged to overlook all but the most dangerous of men and were directed to keep the violent crimes from getting out of control. From 1872 to 1878 the town was run by the Dodge City Gang who catered to the merchants of the city who feared that if the atmosphere became too strict, the cattle owners and their drovers would take their business elsewhere.
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Founding of Dodge City: Episode 1: Gateway to the Southwest
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.
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.
Situated at the exact point that once divided Spain and France's claims in the New World, the future site of Dodge City was rich with possibilities. Watered by the mighty Arkansas River and fed by a vast grassland, the area was home to millions of Bison that provided resources to the Plains Tribes. The presentation includes photos, videos, and podcast sound bites of the following historical accounts of the Founding of Dodge City.
In Episode 1, Gateway to the Southwest, Brad Smalley provides the historical accounts of the first travelers along the Arkansas River Valley, from the Coronado Expedition of 1541 to the founding of the Santa Fe Trail in 1821 to the establishments of the first military forts (Mann 1847 and Atkinson 1850) to protect commerce along the trails at the Cimarron crossing. The presentation concludes with information concerning the preservation of Fort Dodge. The presentation is based on the book Buffalo Days written by Mike King and narrated by Brad Smalley.
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Founding of Dodge City: Episode 2: Buffalo Days
From the very first, Dodge City bid fair to become one of the leading communities of the yet, embryo west. As has been said, she was located in the very heart of one of the best sections of the...buffalo range and, because of the proximity of the fort, was frequented by nearly all the buffalo hunters of that region. Video Link Episode 2: https://youtu.be/xrnwcFXVw8s
In Episode 2, Buffalo Days, Brad Smalley and Mike King provide the historical accounts of the establishment of the buffalo trade, beginning with the wanton slaughter of the buffalo during the birth of the Industrial Age. The presentation conveys how one hide dealer named Charles Rath becomes one of the first speculators for securing hides for the development of factory belts. The presentation concludes with Richard Dodge at Pawnee Rock looking out over the valley and describing the Great Southern Buffalo Herd coming north for their summer grass. The production is based on the book Buffalo Days written by Mike King and narrated by Brad Smalley.
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Founding of Dodge City: Episode 3: A New Whiskey Business
It is early June of 1872. Richard Dodge has been appointed commander at Fort Dodge, and Robert Wright is fulfilling his appointed position as Sutler. Richard Dodge has restricted the sale of whisky at the fort, and George Hoover is on his way to Kansas City. Hoodoo Brown and Prairie Dog Morrow are hunting Buffalo, following the Southern herd south across the Arkansas River. Each of these men focuses on their daily trade, commanding a fort, selling goods, hunting Buffalo, and even having a dream of making money by selling whiskey. Each of them has no conceivable thought of their individual paths crossing, but all will have a part in creating history. Video Link Episode 3: https://youtu.be/wsMqsgmEP08
In Episode 3, A New Whiskey Business, Brad Smalley and Mike King provide the events leading up to the founding of Dodge City on June 17, 1872, to the establishment of a new township on August 15, 1872. This series of events, from the stop of whiskey sales at Fort Dodge to George Hoover setting up the first tent bar five miles west of the fort, provides a historical timeline leading up to the establishment of Dodge City. The director's cut provides additional historical information on the Santa Fe Railroads’ involvement in laying out a township on August 15, 1872, under the Township Purchase Act of 1872 to develop 320 acres.
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1865 Fort Dodge Established
Fort Dodge was established in 1865 near the present site of Dodge City. The Fort offered protection to the wagon trains from the Indians, provided mail service and served as a supply base for troops engaged in the Indian Wars to the south. Major General Greville Dodge was placed in command of the 11th and 16th Kansas Cavalry Regiments and began work during the harsh winter of 1865, to repair telegraph lines and reopen travel routes.
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1871 Henry Sitler Sod House
In 1871, a rancher by the name of Henry L. Sitler constructed a three-room sod house five miles west of Fort Dodge. At the foot of a hill along the Santa Fe Trail, Sitler's home became a frequent stopping place for buffalo hunters and traders. Of the Santa Fe Trail and its many wagon trains, Sitler would later say, "If you stood on the hill above Dodge City, there was traffic as far as you could see, 24-hours a day, seven days a week on the Santa Fe Trail." At the time, Fort Dodge sat on a much larger military reservation. The western border of the reservation was five miles from the Fort itself.
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On June 17, 1872, George M Hoover and business partner, Jack McConnell, set up a sod and wood plank bar just outside those five miles, south of the future site of the A.T. & S.F. railroad tracks.
Boot Hill Cemetery
From its founding in 1872 to 1878, the town had no established cemetery. People with money, friends or family were buried at nearby Fort Dodge. When the first victim, without money or friends was killed, it was evident there was a problem of burying people who died without means of support. That first victim laid in the street until men carted him off to a nearby hill on the outskirts of town and buried him. The people of Dodge City discovered that this hill made an ideal burying ground. Not only was it a good burial ground, but the Hill offered a great vantage point of the river’s lowlands, for observing wild game and detecting enemies. Article Referenced from Boot Hill Museum
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Wyatt Earp's, Description of Dodge City in May of 1876;
"In 1876, Dodge was mostly Front Street, a wide road running east and west just north of the Santa Fe tracks, with the principal cross-street Bridge Street, or Second Avenue, which led to the toll-bridge over the Arkansas River. For two blocks each way from Second Avenue, Front Street widened into the Plaza, with business establishments strung along the north side of the square. The depot, water-tank, and freight-house were at the east end of the Plaza, and immediately south of the tracks was the calaboose, a square, one-room building with floor, walls and ceiling of solid two-by-six timbers spiked flatsides-to, on top of which the city judge and clerk perched a light board shack they used as an office. The Dodge House, Deacon Cox’s famous hotel, was two blocks east of Second Avenue, at Railroad Avenue and Front Street—the northeast corner of the Plaza. Beebe’s Iowa Hotel was at Third Avenue and Front Street.
The post-office and Wright and Beverly’s store, then the most important commercial establishment on the plains, were at the Second Avenue four-corners. Between the store and First Avenue were the Delmonico Restaurant, the Long Branch Saloon, owned by Chalk Beeson and Bill Harris, with Luke Short running the gambling; Ab Webster’s Alamo Saloon and City Drug-Store; Beatty and Kelley’s Alhambra Saloon and Dodge Opera House, a gun store, and a couple of barber shops. That was the busiest block in town. The Wright House, another popular hotel, was on Second Avenue. South of the tracks were hotels, corrals, dancehalls, and honky-tonks, the picayune gambling-houses, and a bunch of saloons." Lake, Stuart N. Wyatt Earp, Frontier Marshal p. 143–44.
The post-office and Wright and Beverly’s store, then the most important commercial establishment on the plains, were at the Second Avenue four-corners. Between the store and First Avenue were the Delmonico Restaurant, the Long Branch Saloon, owned by Chalk Beeson and Bill Harris, with Luke Short running the gambling; Ab Webster’s Alamo Saloon and City Drug-Store; Beatty and Kelley’s Alhambra Saloon and Dodge Opera House, a gun store, and a couple of barber shops. That was the busiest block in town. The Wright House, another popular hotel, was on Second Avenue. South of the tracks were hotels, corrals, dancehalls, and honky-tonks, the picayune gambling-houses, and a bunch of saloons." Lake, Stuart N. Wyatt Earp, Frontier Marshal p. 143–44.