Legendary Dodge City is located in southwest Kansas, on the banks of the Arkansas River and atop the world’s largest groundwater aquifer, the Ogallala Aquifer. The surrounding Red Hills are a source of abundant wildlife.Fort Dodge was built in 1865 to protect U.S. wagons and mail, and to supply troops for the Indian Wars.
History of Dodge – City
“The most vicious little town in the West” was officially born in 1872 and grew up around the sod home of a local cattleman.Dodge City was a major stop on the historic Santa Fe route, a large trade route between Franklin, Missouri, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, which was used until 1880. This prairie town was also the buffalo capital of the United States for three years until massacres decimated the herds. During the decade ending in the mid-1880s, the town was a major cattle ranching site. With so many vagrants, buffalo hunters, ex-soldiers and gunfighters flocking to town. Dodge City became legendary for its lawlessness. In 1876, Dodge’s population was only 1,200 and it boasted 19 establishments that served liquor! Famous peacemakers from Kansas eventually made their way to town, including Bath Masterson and Wyatt Earp, bringing with them the long arm of the law and much fodder for old West glory stories. Today, Dodge City thrives on tourism based on cowboy mystique and Old West legends. For those intrigued by the life of the gunslinger, this is a must stop during your Kansas vacation.
Dodge City is the windiest city in the United States with an average daily wind speed of over 22 miles per hour. In Dodge City, Kansas, spitting on the sidewalk is illegal. It is still recorded in the law books that all businesses must provide a horse drinker in that city. In the three years 1872-1874 about 850,000 buffalo hides were shipped out of Dodge City.
This Kansas City is rich in landmarks, including the 38-foot cross of Coronado, which marks the spot where this famous Spanish explorer crossed the Arkansas River in 1541 in search of his “Golden Cities.”
Attractions
Dodge City Raceway Park
Dodge City Raceway Park is an exciting place for avid race fans. The 3/8 mile dirt track attracts thousands of spectators each summer. The National Sprint Car Tour is held here. Hornet, Stock, Modified, Sport Modified and NAPA Thunder class cars compete at the racetrack.Every year, Dodge City Raceway hosts a Rock and Race Festival, combining rousing musical entertainment with the noise and excitement of production car racing. There are special raffle prizes and themed events at the race track, including a Harley Davidson night.
Gunfighter’s Wax Museum
This unique Kansas City landmark is adorned with life-size wax figures of Wild West heroes. Meet Sitting Bull, Buffalo Bill, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and Davy Crockett. There is also an exhibit of members of the television series “Gunsmoke,” as well as other fictional characters from the western. The Gunfighter Wax Museum is located above the Kansas Teachers Hall of Fame, the first of its kind in the United States and another great stop during your Dodge City vacation. It’s open seven days a week from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Boothill Museum
Reenactments of gunfights, saloon shows and chuck wagon dinners are part of the appeal of the Boothill Museum. This attraction includes historic Front Street and the Kansas Cowboys Hall of Fame. The museum recreates “The Most Vicious Little Town in the West” of the late 1800s. Along Front Street are the Long Branch Saloon, Booth Hill Cemetery (where many Kansas natives, heroes and outlaws now rest), the Bank, the Funeral Home and many other Dodge City establishments. Excellent exhibits and films focus on the Native American peoples of the plains, the American buffalo saga, the Santa Fe Trail, and the history of railroads in Kansas. The Boot Hill Museum depicts the brutal reality of lawlessness that was Dodge City before the city turned.
