Dodge City, Kansas
Encyclopedia
Dodge City is a city in, and the county seat
of, Ford County
, Kansas
, United States
. Named after nearby Fort Dodge
, the city is famous in American culture
for its history as a wild frontier town of the Old West
. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,340.
The first settlement of non-indigenous people in the area that became Dodge City was Fort Mann. Built by civilians in 1847, Fort Mann was intended to provide protection for travelers on the Santa Fe Trail
. Fort Mann collapsed in 1848 after an Indian attack
. In 1850, the U.S. Army arrived to provide protection in the region and constructed Fort Atkinson on the old Fort Mann site. The army abandoned Fort Atkinson in 1853. Military forces on the Santa Fe Trail were reestablished farther north and east at Fort Larned
in 1859, but the area around what would become Dodge City remained vacant until after the Civil War
. In 1865, as the Indian Wars
in the West began heating up, the army constructed Fort Dodge to assist Fort Larned in providing protection on the Santa Fe Trail. Fort Dodge remained in operation until 1882.
The town of Dodge City can trace its origins to 1871 when rancher Henry J. Sitler built a sod house
west of Fort Dodge to oversee his cattle operations in the region. Conveniently located near the Santa Fe Trail
and Arkansas River
, Sitler's house quickly became a stopping point for travelers. With the Santa Fe Railroad
rapidly approaching from the east, others saw the commercial potential of the region. In 1872, just five miles (8 km) west of Fort Dodge, settlers platted out and founded the town of Dodge City. George M. Hoover established the first bar in a tent to service thirsty soldiers from Fort Dodge. The railroad arrived in September to find a town ready and waiting for business. The early settlers in Dodge City traded in buffalo
bones and hides and provided a civilian community for Fort Dodge. However, with the arrival of the railroad, Dodge City soon became involved in the cattle trade.
The idea of driving Texas longhorn
cattle from Texas to railheads in Kansas originated in the late 1850s but was cut short by the Civil War. In 1866, the first Texas cattle started arriving in Baxter Springs
in southeastern Kansas by way of the Shawnee Trail
. However, Texas longhorn cattle carried a tick
that spread splenic fever
, known locally as Texas Fever, among other breeds of cattle. Alarmed Kansas farmers persuaded the Kansas State Legislature
to establish a quarantine line in central Kansas. The quarantine prohibited Texas longhorns from the heavily settled, eastern portion of the state.
With the cattle trade forced west, Texas longhorns began moving north along the Chisholm Trail
. In 1867, the main Cow Town was Abilene, Kansas
. Profits were high, and other towns quickly joined in the cattle boom. Newton
in 1871; Ellsworth
in 1872; and Wichita
in 1872. However, in 1876 the Kansas State Legislature responded to pressure from farmers settling in central Kansas and once again shifted the quarantine line westward, which essentially eliminated Abilene and the other Cow Towns from the cattle trade. With no place else to go, Dodge City suddenly became Queen of the Cow Towns.
A new route, known as the Great Western Cattle Trail
, or Western Trail, branched off from the Chisholm Trail to lead cattle into Dodge City. Dodge City became a boomtown, with thousands of cattle passing annually through its stockyards. The peak years of the cattle trade in Dodge City were from 1883 to 1884, and during that time the town grew tremendously. In 1880, Dodge City got a new competitor for the cattle trade from the border town of Caldwell
. For a few years the competition between the towns was fierce, but there were enough cattle for both towns to prosper. Nevertheless, it was Dodge City that became famous, and rightly so because no town could match Dodge City's reputation as a true frontier settlement of the Old West
. Dodge City had more famous (and infamous) gunfighters working at one time or another than any other town in the West, many of whom participated in the Dodge City War
of 1883. It also boasted the usual array of saloons, gambling halls, and brothels established to separate a lonely cowboy from his hard-earned cash, including the famous Long Branch Saloon
and China Doll brothel. For a time in 1884, Dodge City even had a bullfighting
ring where Mexican bullfighters
imported from Mexico
would put on a show with specially chosen longhorn bulls.
As more agricultural settlers moved into western Kansas, pressure on the Kansas State Legislature to do something about splenic fever increased. Consequently, in 1885 the quarantine line was extended across the state and the Western Trail was all but shut down. By 1886, the cowboys, saloon keepers, gamblers, and brothel owners moved west to greener pastures, and Dodge City became a sleepy little town much like other communities in western Kansas.
Dodge City is located at 37°45′35"N 100°1′6"W (37.759671, -100.018212) at an elevation of 2,493 feet (760 m). It lies on the Arkansas River
in the High Plains
region of the Great Plains
. The city sits above one of the world’s largest underground water systems, the Ogallala Aquifer
, and is only 25 miles (40.2 km) from the eastern edge of the Hugoton Natural Gas Area
. Located at the intersection of U.S. Route 50
, U.S. Route 56
, and U.S. Route 283
in southwestern Kansas, Dodge City is 151 miles (243 km) west of Wichita
, 199 miles (320.3 km) northeast of Amarillo
, and 301 miles (484.4 km) southeast of Denver.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 12.7 square miles (32.9 km²), of which 12.6 square miles (32.6 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) (0.86%) is water.
s in the winter, even when snowfall is light. Severe weather, including tornado
es, is common in the area, especially in the spring months. On average, January is the coldest month, July is the hottest month, and June is the wettest month. The hottest temperature recorded in Dodge City was 110 °F (43 °C) in 1998; the coldest temperature recorded was -26 °F (-32 °C) in 1899.
was 2,152.8 people per square mile (831.2/km²). There were 9,378 housing units at an average density of 744.3 per square mile (287.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 72.5% White
, 2.5% African American
, 1.6% Asian
, 1.1% American Indian
, 0.2% Pacific Islander
, 19.3% from some other race, and 2.9% from two or more races. 57.5% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 8,777 households out of which 45.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a male householder with no wife present, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.05, and the average family size was 3.60.
In the city, the population was spread out with 31.8% under the age of 18, 11.9% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.5 males age 18 and over.
The median income for a household in the city was $46,734, and the median income for a family was $52,654. Males had a median income of $31,587 versus $27,506 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $19,240. About 14.5% of families and 17.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.6% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.
is the primary industry in Dodge City. Cargill Meat Solutions
and National Beef are the two largest employers with roughly 2,700 employees each. The city also hosts farm implement manufacturing and serves as a supply center for area agriculture. Livestock
-raising is a major activity while wheat
and sorghum
are the area's main crops. In addition, a local tourism industry, including a casino
resort, has developed to capitalize on Dodge City's history as an Old West cowtown. The service sector accounts for much of the rest of the local economy with local government, schools, retail stores, and health care providers as the city's other major employers.
form of government. The city commission consists of five members who serve either two-year or four-year terms depending on the number of votes they receive. Every year, the commission selects one commissioner to serve as mayor
and another to serve as vice-mayor. The commission meets on the first and third Monday of each month. Appointed by the commission, the city manager
leads the city administration, executes the commission's policies, and develops operational programs to meet the city's needs.
(USD
443) serves over 6,000 students and operates 14 schools in the city, including one early childhood center, eight elementary schools, two intermediate centers, one middle school, one high school, and one alternative school.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodge City
oversees one Catholic school
in the city: Sacred Heart Cathedral School (Pre-K-8).
, a two-year public college
with approximately 2,000 students, is located in the northwestern part of the city. From 1952 to 1993, Dodge City was also home to St. Mary of the Plains College
, a private, four-year Catholic
liberal arts college
. Newman University
, a Catholic university based in Wichita
, now operates a branch campus on St. Mary of the Plains' former grounds.
, located north of downtown, is the city's main library. A member of the Southwest Kansas Library System, it has a collection of approximately 123,000 volumes, and it circulates more than 189,000 items annually. It was founded as a Carnegie library
in 1905 and moved to its current facility in 1981. The library offers several services to the public, including computer classes, public internet access, and programs for children and adults. Other libraries in the city include the DCCC Library, which holds more than 30,000 volumes and serves as a federal depository library
, and the Kansas Heritage Center, a non-profit resource center and research library operated by Dodge City Public Schools dedicated to the history of Kansas, the Great Plains, and the Old West.
, Dodge City was later located on the National Old Trails Road, also known as the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway, which followed the trail's path in western Kansas upon its establishment in 1912. Currently, four U.S. Highways
meet in Dodge City: U.S. Route 50
, U.S. Route 56
, U.S. Route 283
, and U.S. Route 400
. U.S. 50, an east-west route, runs through the northern part of the city. U.S. 400, which also runs east-west, runs through the southern part of the city. U.S. 56, an east-west route, and U.S. 283, a north-south route, run concurrently around the city's southern and eastern fringe. A U.S. 50 business route
runs concurrently with U.S. 56, U.S. 283, and U.S. 400 at different points through the southern part and around the eastern part of the city.
Greyhound Lines
provides intercity bus service with a stop in Dodge City.
Dodge City Regional Airport
is located approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) east of the city. Used primarily for general aviation
, it hosts one commercial airline with daily flights to Denver.
Three railroads serve Dodge City: the La Junta Subdivision of the BNSF Railway
which runs east-west, the main line of the Cimarron Valley Railroad
of which Dodge City is the northeastern terminus, and the Boot Hill and Western Railway
of which the city is the northwestern terminus. Using the BNSF trackage, Amtrak
provides passenger rail service on its Southwest Chief
line between Chicago
and Los Angeles
. Amtrak's Dodge City station
is located downtown.
is the city's daily newspaper with a circulation of approximately 7,000. In addition, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodge City
publishes a weekly newspaper, The Southwest Kansas Register. The High Plains Journal
, a weekly trade journal covering regional agricultural news, is also published in the city.
Along with Garden City
, Dodge City is a center of broadcast media for southwestern Kansas. Two AM
radio stations, seven FM
radio stations, and three television stations are licensed
to and/or broadcast from the city. Dodge City is located in the Wichita
-Hutchinson, Kansas
television market
. The three stations that broadcast from the city include one CBS
and one FOX
network affiliate
, both of which are satellite stations of their respective affiliates in Wichita. The third station is a satellite station of Smoky Hills Public Television
, the PBS
member network covering western Kansas.
There are two golf courses in the city, one public and one private. Mariah Hills Municipal Golf Course, the public course, is an 18-hole course built in 1974 and redesigned in 1990. It includes a full-service pro shop, driving range, and putting green. Dodge City Country Club, the private course, is an 18-hole course built in 1916 and expanded in 1982.
The Depot Theater Company, based in the former Santa Fe Railroad Depot, puts on theatrical productions throughout the year. Founded in 1984, the group performs in both the old depot and the Occident Theater.
community celebrates Cinco de Mayo
in Wright Park with live music, folk dance performances, and traditional Mexican cuisine
. To celebrate Independence Day
, the city holds its Old-Fashioned Fourth of July which includes a fireworks display and children's activities at Boot Hill. Christmas in Old Dodge City, the city's winter holiday festival, starts in late November and lasts until Christmas
. It begins with a formal Christmas tree lighting downtown, a chili cook-off, and the Parade of Lights, a parade of floats decorated with Christmas lights.
Two other annual events reflect the central role of agriculture in the local economy. The Ford County Fair is held in July and includes 4-H
and FFA exhibits, competitions, and shows as well as other activities. Also in July, the Western Kansas Manufacturers Association (WKMA) holds the 3i Show, an agri-business expo of agricultural products, technology, and services.
and the Long Branch Variety Show
; the Saratoga Saloon; the Hardesty House, a period-typical home built in 1879; the city’s original Boot Hill
Cemetery; and the Kansas Cowboy Hall of Fame
. The Santa Fe Trail Remains
, located nine miles west of the city, are preserved wagon tracks from a section of the Santa Fe Trail
. The Ford County Historical Society maintains the Mueller-Schmidt House, called the “Home of Stone.” Built from area limestone in 1881, it is the oldest building in the city still standing at its original site. Other historical landmarks include: El Capitan, a life-sized bronze sculpture of a Texas Longhorn
steer built to commemorate the cattle drives that once ended in the city; a bronze statue of famous Dodge City lawman Wyatt Earp; and the Santa Fe Depot, the largest extant train depot in Kansas.
To capitalize on this heritage, the city promotes its downtown business district as historic Old Dodge City complete with Western-themed tourist attractions, shops, and restaurants. Visitors can tour the district by trolley or by taking the Dodge City Trail of Fame walking tour. The state of Kansas
owns and operates the similarly themed Boot Hill Casino & Resort on the west side of the city.
Dodge City Civic Center
and United Wireless Arena are the city's two main indoor event venues. The Civic Center, built in 1954, is a 2,800-seat multipurpose facility that has hosted a variety of events, including concerts and sporting events. United Wireless Arena, opened in 2011, is a 5,500-seat multipurpose arena located next to the Boot Hill Casino on the west side of the city. Owned by the City of Dodge City and Ford County, the arena complex includes the 10,000 square-foot Magouirk Conference Center.
Other sites of interest in the city include the Dodge City Zoo and the Kansas Teachers' Hall of Fame. The Zoo is located in Wright Park and is home to more than 45 animals. Located downtown, the Kansas Teachers' Hall of Fame hosts exhibits on education in Kansas and claims to be the first of its kind in the United States.
churches in and around Dodge City. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodge City
is based in the city. Established in 1951, it comprises 28 Kansas counties, roughly the southwestern quarter of the state. The city is home to both the diocese's current and former cathedrals, Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe
and Sacred Heart Cathedral
, respectively. Also headquartered in the city is the Dodge City District of the United Methodist Church
which consists of 22 counties in southwestern Kansas.
.
Beyond DCCC sports, Dodge City also hosts amateur baseball and professional motorsports. The Dodge City Athletics, nicknamed the "A's", are a collegiate summer baseball team in the Jayhawk Collegiate League
of the National Baseball Congress
. Both the A's and the DCCC Conquistadors baseball team use Cavalier Field, located on the former St. Mary of the Plains College campus, as their home field. Dodge City Raceway Park, located immediately south of the city, is a 3/8-mile dirt track that hosts midget
and sprint car racing
from April through October. Past events at the park have included National Sprint Tour
and World of Outlaws
races. The Western Kansas Dirt Riders, a motocross
team, race at Tumbleweed Raceway adjacent to the Raceway Park.
In the past, Dodge City hosted college football and professional basketball as well. From 1970 to 1980, the annual Boot Hill Bowl
post-season college football
game was played in Dodge City. The bowl was sanctioned by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
and featured schools such as Washburn University
and Emporia State University
. The last game was played on November 21, 1980. From 2000 to 2007, the city was home to a minor league professional basketball team, the Dodge City Legend
of the United States Basketball League
.
fueled public perceptions of frontier turmoil and established Dodge City as the “Sodom of the West” in the public consciousness. Gunfighters and lawmen such as Earp became celebrities, and sensationalized versions of their activities entered period popular culture as the subject of dime novel
s. Over time, the level and scale of the violence in early Dodge City were significantly embellished, becoming the stuff of legend. This trend continued into the 20th century, particularly after the 1931 publication of Stuart N. Lake
’s book Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal. Regarded in American folklore
as the quintessential rough and rowdy Old West frontier town, Dodge City served as the setting for numerous works of Western
-themed media, including films and television series.
Perhaps most famously, Dodge City was the setting of the long-running radio and television series Gunsmoke
. The series followed the adventures of fictional U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon
as he dealt with gunfighters, cattle rustlers, and other criminals while enforcing the law in the city. The radio series lasted from 1952 to 1961 while the television series ran from 1955 to 1975, the longest-running prime-time TV drama in American history. The show proved culturally influential, promoting the legend of Dodge City’s Old West era and serving as the source of the popular phrase “get out of Dodge” meaning to leave a dangerous area. In honor of the series, the city government changed the name of Walnut Street, one of its downtown streets, to Gunsmoke Street in 1959.
The city has also been a setting for a number of films and television series dramatizing the career of Wyatt Earp. These include several seasons of the 1950s series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
and the films Winchester '73 (1950), Masterson of Kansas (1954), Cheyenne Autumn
(1964), and the 1994 biopic Wyatt Earp
. The character of lawman Wade Hatton, played by Errol Flynn
, in the 1939 film Dodge City
was based on Earp.
More recently, Dodge City served as a setting for the 2005 multi-platform video game Gun.
lived in Dodge City during its period as a frontier cowtown. These included, most notably, lawmen Wyatt Earp
and Bat Masterson
as well as gunfighter Doc Holliday
. Other notable natives and residents have included Vaudeville
actor and comedian Eddie Foy, Sr., wrestler Sputnik Monroe
, and actor Dennis Hopper
.
Kansas
Schools
Historical
Maps
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of, Ford County
Ford County, Kansas
Ford County is a county located in southwest Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 33,848. The Dodge City Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Ford County. Its county seat and most populous city is Dodge City. The county is named in...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Named after nearby Fort Dodge
Fort Dodge (US Army Post)
The site of Fort Dodge in the US state of Kansas was originally an old campground for wagons traveling along the Santa Fe Trail. A military camp was established on the site in 1864, but was abandoned....
, the city is famous in American culture
Culture of the United States
The Culture of the United States is a Western culture originally influenced by European cultures. It has been developing since long before the United States became a country with its own unique social and cultural characteristics such as dialect, music, arts, social habits, cuisine, and folklore...
for its history as a wild frontier town of the Old West
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,340.
History
Santa Fe Trail
The Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century transportation route through central North America that connected Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico. Pioneered in 1822 by William Becknell, it served as a vital commercial and military highway until the introduction of the railroad to Santa Fe in 1880...
. Fort Mann collapsed in 1848 after an Indian attack
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
. In 1850, the U.S. Army arrived to provide protection in the region and constructed Fort Atkinson on the old Fort Mann site. The army abandoned Fort Atkinson in 1853. Military forces on the Santa Fe Trail were reestablished farther north and east at Fort Larned
Fort Larned National Historic Site
Fort Larned National Historic Site, located six miles west of Larned, Kansas, United States, preserves Fort Larned, which operated from 1859 to 1878...
in 1859, but the area around what would become Dodge City remained vacant until after the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. In 1865, as the Indian Wars
Indian Wars
American Indian Wars is the name used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between American settlers or the federal government and the native peoples of North America before and after the American Revolutionary War. The wars resulted from the arrival of European colonizers who...
in the West began heating up, the army constructed Fort Dodge to assist Fort Larned in providing protection on the Santa Fe Trail. Fort Dodge remained in operation until 1882.
The town of Dodge City can trace its origins to 1871 when rancher Henry J. Sitler built a sod house
Sod house
The sod house or "soddy" was a corollary to the log cabin during frontier settlement of Canada and the United States. The prairie lacked standard building materials such as wood or stone; however, sod from thickly-rooted prairie grass was abundant...
west of Fort Dodge to oversee his cattle operations in the region. Conveniently located near the Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe Trail
The Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century transportation route through central North America that connected Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico. Pioneered in 1822 by William Becknell, it served as a vital commercial and military highway until the introduction of the railroad to Santa Fe in 1880...
and Arkansas River
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
, Sitler's house quickly became a stopping point for travelers. With the Santa Fe Railroad
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
rapidly approaching from the east, others saw the commercial potential of the region. In 1872, just five miles (8 km) west of Fort Dodge, settlers platted out and founded the town of Dodge City. George M. Hoover established the first bar in a tent to service thirsty soldiers from Fort Dodge. The railroad arrived in September to find a town ready and waiting for business. The early settlers in Dodge City traded in buffalo
American Bison
The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
bones and hides and provided a civilian community for Fort Dodge. However, with the arrival of the railroad, Dodge City soon became involved in the cattle trade.
The idea of driving Texas longhorn
Texas longhorn (cattle)
The Texas Longhorn is a breed of cattle known for its characteristic horns, which can extend to tip to tip for steers and exceptional cows, and tip to tip for bulls. Horns can have a slight upward turn at their tips or even triple twist. Texas Longhorns are known for their diverse coloring...
cattle from Texas to railheads in Kansas originated in the late 1850s but was cut short by the Civil War. In 1866, the first Texas cattle started arriving in Baxter Springs
Baxter Springs, Kansas
Baxter Springs is a town situated along the Spring River in the extreme southeastern part of Cherokee County, located in southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 4,238...
in southeastern Kansas by way of the Shawnee Trail
Texas Road
The Texas Road, also known as the Shawnee Trail, was a major trade and emigrant route across Texas, Indian Territory Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. It was the first Texas North South Cattle Drive...
. However, Texas longhorn cattle carried a tick
Tick
Ticks are small arachnids in the order Ixodida, along with mites, constitute the subclass Acarina. Ticks are ectoparasites , living by hematophagy on the blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles and amphibians...
that spread splenic fever
Anthrax
Anthrax is an acute disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Most forms of the disease are lethal, and it affects both humans and other animals...
, known locally as Texas Fever, among other breeds of cattle. Alarmed Kansas farmers persuaded the Kansas State Legislature
Kansas Legislature
The Kansas Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kansas. It is a bicameral assembly, composed of the lower Kansas House of Representatives, composed of 125 Representatives, and the upper Kansas Senate, with 40 Senators...
to establish a quarantine line in central Kansas. The quarantine prohibited Texas longhorns from the heavily settled, eastern portion of the state.
With the cattle trade forced west, Texas longhorns began moving north along the Chisholm Trail
Chisholm Trail
The Chisholm Trail was a trail used in the late 19th century to drive cattle overland from ranches in Texas to Kansas railheads. The portion of the trail marked by Jesse Chisholm went from his southern trading post near the Red River, to his northern trading post near Kansas City, Kansas...
. In 1867, the main Cow Town was Abilene, Kansas
Abilene, Kansas
Abilene is a city in and the county seat of Dickinson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 6,844.-History:...
. Profits were high, and other towns quickly joined in the cattle boom. Newton
Newton, Kansas
Newton is a city in and the county seat of Harvey County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 19,132. Newton is located north of Wichita and is included in the Wichita metropolitan statistical area...
in 1871; Ellsworth
Ellsworth, Kansas
Ellsworth is a city in and the county seat of Ellsworth County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,120.-19th century:...
in 1872; and Wichita
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
in 1872. However, in 1876 the Kansas State Legislature responded to pressure from farmers settling in central Kansas and once again shifted the quarantine line westward, which essentially eliminated Abilene and the other Cow Towns from the cattle trade. With no place else to go, Dodge City suddenly became Queen of the Cow Towns.
A new route, known as the Great Western Cattle Trail
Great Western Cattle Trail
The Great Western Cattle Trail was used in the 19th century for movement of cattle to markets in the East. It ran west of and roughly parallel to the Chisholm Trail. The Great Western Trail began at Bandera west of San Antonio and passed near Buffalo Gap and Abilene in West Texas...
, or Western Trail, branched off from the Chisholm Trail to lead cattle into Dodge City. Dodge City became a boomtown, with thousands of cattle passing annually through its stockyards. The peak years of the cattle trade in Dodge City were from 1883 to 1884, and during that time the town grew tremendously. In 1880, Dodge City got a new competitor for the cattle trade from the border town of Caldwell
Caldwell, Kansas
Caldwell is a city in Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,068.-19th century:In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a branch line north-south from Herington to Caldwell...
. For a few years the competition between the towns was fierce, but there were enough cattle for both towns to prosper. Nevertheless, it was Dodge City that became famous, and rightly so because no town could match Dodge City's reputation as a true frontier settlement of the Old West
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
. Dodge City had more famous (and infamous) gunfighters working at one time or another than any other town in the West, many of whom participated in the Dodge City War
Dodge City War
The Dodge City War was a bloodless conflict that took place in 1883 in Dodge City, Kansas. It came at the close of the first 10 years of the city's history at a time when whiskey and saloons were fading as a dominant force in the city's politics....
of 1883. It also boasted the usual array of saloons, gambling halls, and brothels established to separate a lonely cowboy from his hard-earned cash, including the famous Long Branch Saloon
Long Branch Saloon
The Long Branch Saloon is a famous saloon that existed during the Old West days of Dodge City, Kansas. It had numerous owners, most notably Chalk Beeson and gunfighter Luke Short...
and China Doll brothel. For a time in 1884, Dodge City even had a bullfighting
Bullfighting
Bullfighting is a traditional spectacle of Spain, Portugal, southern France and some Latin American countries , in which one or more bulls are baited in a bullring for sport and entertainment...
ring where Mexican bullfighters
Matador
A torero or toureiro is a bullfighter and the main performer in bullfighting, practised in Spain, Colombia, Portugal, Mexico, France and various other countries influenced by Spanish culture. In Spanish, the word torero describes any of the performers who actively participate in the bullfight...
imported from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
would put on a show with specially chosen longhorn bulls.
As more agricultural settlers moved into western Kansas, pressure on the Kansas State Legislature to do something about splenic fever increased. Consequently, in 1885 the quarantine line was extended across the state and the Western Trail was all but shut down. By 1886, the cowboys, saloon keepers, gamblers, and brothel owners moved west to greener pastures, and Dodge City became a sleepy little town much like other communities in western Kansas.
Geography
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
in the High Plains
High Plains (United States)
The High Plains are a subregion of the Great Plains mostly in the Western United States, but also partly in the Midwest states of Nebraska, Kansas, and South Dakota, generally encompassing the western part of the Great Plains before the region reaches the Rocky Mountains...
region of the Great Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
. The city sits above one of the world’s largest underground water systems, the Ogallala Aquifer
Ogallala Aquifer
The Ogallala Aquifer, also known as the High Plains Aquifer, is a vast yet shallow underground water table aquifer located beneath the Great Plains in the United States...
, and is only 25 miles (40.2 km) from the eastern edge of the Hugoton Natural Gas Area
Hugoton Natural Gas Area
Hugoton Natural Gas Area is a combination of large natural gas fields in the U.S. state of Kansas, the largest of which is the Hugoton Field. Its name is derived from the town of Hugoton, Kansas, near which the Hugoton Field was first discovered.-History:...
. Located at the intersection of U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 50 is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching just over from Ocean City, Maryland on the Atlantic Ocean to West Sacramento, California. Until 1972, when it was replaced by Interstate Highways west of the Sacramento area, it extended to San Francisco, near...
, U.S. Route 56
U.S. Route 56
U.S. Route 56 is an east–west United States highway that runs for in the Midwestern United States. The highway's eastern terminus is at U.S. Route 71 in Kansas City, Missouri. Its western terminus is at Interstate 25 Business in Springer, New Mexico. Much of it follows the Santa Fe...
, and U.S. Route 283
U.S. Route 283
U.S. Route 283 is a spur of U.S. Route 83. It currently runs for 731 miles from Brady, Texas at U.S. Route 87 to Lexington, Nebraska at U.S. Route 30. It passes through the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska.-Texas:...
in southwestern Kansas, Dodge City is 151 miles (243 km) west of Wichita
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
, 199 miles (320.3 km) northeast of Amarillo
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
, and 301 miles (484.4 km) southeast of Denver.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 12.7 square miles (32.9 km²), of which 12.6 square miles (32.6 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) (0.86%) is water.
Climate
Dodge City lies in North America's temperate semi-arid climate zone (Köppen BSk) with hot summers, highly variable winters with both warm and very cold periods, and low to moderate humidity and precipitation throughout the year. The average temperature in Dodge City is 55 °F (12.8 °C). Over the course of a year, temperatures range from an average low of 20 °F (-6.7 °C) in January to an average high of 93 °F (33.9 °C) in July. The high temperature reaches or exceeds 90 °F (32.2 °C) an average of 67 days a year and reaches or exceeds 100 °F (37.8 °C) an average of 13 days a year. The minimum temperature falls below the freezing point 32 °F (0 °C) an average of 125 days a year. Typically, the first fall freeze occurs by the third week of October, and the last spring freeze occurs by the third week of April. Dodge City receives 22 inches (558.8 mm) of precipitation during an average year with the largest share being received from May through August. There are, on average, 77 days of measurable precipitation each year. Annual snowfall averages 21 inches (53.3 cm). Measurable snowfall occurs an average of 14 days a year with at least an inch of snow being received on six of those days. Snow depth of at least an inch occurs an average of 19 days a year. Dodge City is often cited as the windiest city in the United States with an average speed of 13.9 mi/h, which results in occasional blizzardBlizzard
A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong winds. By definition, the difference between blizzard and a snowstorm is the strength of the wind. To be a blizzard, a snow storm must have winds in excess of with blowing or drifting snow which reduces visibility to 400 meters or ¼ mile or...
s in the winter, even when snowfall is light. Severe weather, including tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
es, is common in the area, especially in the spring months. On average, January is the coldest month, July is the hottest month, and June is the wettest month. The hottest temperature recorded in Dodge City was 110 °F (43 °C) in 1998; the coldest temperature recorded was -26 °F (-32 °C) in 1899.
Demographics
As of the 2010 census, there were 27,340 people, 8,777 households, and 6,241 families residing in the city. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,152.8 people per square mile (831.2/km²). There were 9,378 housing units at an average density of 744.3 per square mile (287.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 72.5% White
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
, 2.5% African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 1.6% Asian
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
, 1.1% American Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, 0.2% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander , is a geographic term to describe the indigenous inhabitants of any of the three major sub-regions of Oceania: Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia.According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, these three regions, together with their islands consist of:Polynesia:...
, 19.3% from some other race, and 2.9% from two or more races. 57.5% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 8,777 households out of which 45.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a male householder with no wife present, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.05, and the average family size was 3.60.
In the city, the population was spread out with 31.8% under the age of 18, 11.9% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.5 males age 18 and over.
The median income for a household in the city was $46,734, and the median income for a family was $52,654. Males had a median income of $31,587 versus $27,506 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $19,240. About 14.5% of families and 17.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.6% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Meat packingMeat packing industry
The meat packing industry handles the slaughtering, processing, packaging, and distribution of animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep and other livestock...
is the primary industry in Dodge City. Cargill Meat Solutions
Cargill Meat Solutions
Cargill Meat Solutions is one of the numerous platforms of Cargill Incorporated. The corporate office is located in Wichita, Kansas. The meat products included in operation are pork, turkey, beef, further processing and case ready....
and National Beef are the two largest employers with roughly 2,700 employees each. The city also hosts farm implement manufacturing and serves as a supply center for area agriculture. Livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
-raising is a major activity while wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
and sorghum
Sorghum
Sorghum is a genus of numerous species of grasses, one of which is raised for grain and many of which are used as fodder plants either cultivated or as part of pasture. The plants are cultivated in warmer climates worldwide. Species are native to tropical and subtropical regions of all continents...
are the area's main crops. In addition, a local tourism industry, including a casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
resort, has developed to capitalize on Dodge City's history as an Old West cowtown. The service sector accounts for much of the rest of the local economy with local government, schools, retail stores, and health care providers as the city's other major employers.
Government
Dodge City is a city of the first class with a commission-managerCouncil-manager government
The council–manager government form is one of two predominant forms of municipal government in the United States; the other common form of local government is the mayor-council government form, which characteristically occurs in large cities...
form of government. The city commission consists of five members who serve either two-year or four-year terms depending on the number of votes they receive. Every year, the commission selects one commissioner to serve as mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
and another to serve as vice-mayor. The commission meets on the first and third Monday of each month. Appointed by the commission, the city manager
City manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...
leads the city administration, executes the commission's policies, and develops operational programs to meet the city's needs.
Primary and secondary education
Dodge City Public SchoolsDodge City Public Schools
Dodge City Public Schools, also known as Unified School District 443, is a school district in Dodge City, Kansas, United States.It operates the following schools:*Bright Beginnings Early Childhood Center *Beeson Elementary School...
(USD
Unified school district
A unified school district or unit school district is a school district which includes both primary school and high school under the same district control....
443) serves over 6,000 students and operates 14 schools in the city, including one early childhood center, eight elementary schools, two intermediate centers, one middle school, one high school, and one alternative school.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodge City
Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodge City
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodge City is a Roman Catholic diocese covering twenty-eight counties in Kansas. Pope Pius XII created the diocese on May 19, 1951.John B...
oversees one Catholic school
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
in the city: Sacred Heart Cathedral School (Pre-K-8).
Colleges and universities
Dodge City Community College (DCCC)Dodge City Community College
Dodge City Community College is located on the Central High Plains in Ford County, southwest Kansas.-Campus:For 22 years, the College was located on the third floor of the Senior High School Building at 1601 First Avenue. By 1957, it had grown large enough to require a move to a different...
, a two-year public college
Community colleges in the United States
In the United States, community colleges are primarily two-year public institutions of higher education and were once commonly called junior colleges....
with approximately 2,000 students, is located in the northwestern part of the city. From 1952 to 1993, Dodge City was also home to St. Mary of the Plains College
St. Mary of the Plains College
St. Mary of the Plains College was a four-year liberal arts college located in Dodge City, Kansas.-Soule College:The roots of St. Mary of the Plains can be found in Soule College, which opened in 1888 to a gala celebration. Hopes for higher education in western Kansas were dashed by the economic...
, a private, four-year Catholic
Catholic University
A Catholic University is a private university run by the Catholic Church or by Catholic organizations like religious institutes. Those with closer ties to the Holy See are called pontifical universities....
liberal arts college
Liberal arts college
A liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
. Newman University
Newman University
Newman University is a coeducational Catholic liberal arts university in Wichita, Kansas, United States. The university offers both undergraduate and masters level programs.-History:...
, a Catholic university based in Wichita
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
, now operates a branch campus on St. Mary of the Plains' former grounds.
Libraries
Dodge City Public LibraryDodge City Public Library
-External links:* - official site...
, located north of downtown, is the city's main library. A member of the Southwest Kansas Library System, it has a collection of approximately 123,000 volumes, and it circulates more than 189,000 items annually. It was founded as a Carnegie library
Carnegie library
A Carnegie library is a library built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. 2,509 Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929, including some belonging to public and university library systems...
in 1905 and moved to its current facility in 1981. The library offers several services to the public, including computer classes, public internet access, and programs for children and adults. Other libraries in the city include the DCCC Library, which holds more than 30,000 volumes and serves as a federal depository library
Federal depository library
The Federal Depository Library Program is a United States program created to make U.S. federal government publications available to the public at no cost. As of June 2008, there are 1,252 depository libraries in the United States and its territories. A "government publication" is defined in the U.S...
, and the Kansas Heritage Center, a non-profit resource center and research library operated by Dodge City Public Schools dedicated to the history of Kansas, the Great Plains, and the Old West.
Transportation
Originally a stop on the Santa Fe TrailSanta Fe Trail
The Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century transportation route through central North America that connected Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico. Pioneered in 1822 by William Becknell, it served as a vital commercial and military highway until the introduction of the railroad to Santa Fe in 1880...
, Dodge City was later located on the National Old Trails Road, also known as the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway, which followed the trail's path in western Kansas upon its establishment in 1912. Currently, four U.S. Highways
United States Numbered Highways
The system of United States Numbered Highways is an integrated system of roads and highways in the United States numbered within a nationwide grid...
meet in Dodge City: U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 50 is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching just over from Ocean City, Maryland on the Atlantic Ocean to West Sacramento, California. Until 1972, when it was replaced by Interstate Highways west of the Sacramento area, it extended to San Francisco, near...
, U.S. Route 56
U.S. Route 56
U.S. Route 56 is an east–west United States highway that runs for in the Midwestern United States. The highway's eastern terminus is at U.S. Route 71 in Kansas City, Missouri. Its western terminus is at Interstate 25 Business in Springer, New Mexico. Much of it follows the Santa Fe...
, U.S. Route 283
U.S. Route 283
U.S. Route 283 is a spur of U.S. Route 83. It currently runs for 731 miles from Brady, Texas at U.S. Route 87 to Lexington, Nebraska at U.S. Route 30. It passes through the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska.-Texas:...
, and U.S. Route 400
U.S. Route 400
U.S. Route 400 is a mostly east–west U.S. Highway, commissioned in 1994. Its route number is a "violation" of the usual AASHTO numbering scheme, as there is no US 0 or US 100....
. U.S. 50, an east-west route, runs through the northern part of the city. U.S. 400, which also runs east-west, runs through the southern part of the city. U.S. 56, an east-west route, and U.S. 283, a north-south route, run concurrently around the city's southern and eastern fringe. A U.S. 50 business route
Business route
A business route in the United States and Canada is a short special route connected to a parent numbered highway at its beginning, then routed through the central business district of a nearby city or town, and finally reconnecting with the same parent numbered highway again at its...
runs concurrently with U.S. 56, U.S. 283, and U.S. 400 at different points through the southern part and around the eastern part of the city.
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
provides intercity bus service with a stop in Dodge City.
Dodge City Regional Airport
Dodge City Regional Airport
Dodge City Regional Airport is a public airport located three miles east of the central business district of Dodge City, in Ford County, Kansas, USA. The airport covers and has two runways. It is mostly used for general aviation, but is also served by one commercial airline. Service is...
is located approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) east of the city. Used primarily for general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
, it hosts one commercial airline with daily flights to Denver.
Three railroads serve Dodge City: the La Junta Subdivision of the BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
which runs east-west, the main line of the Cimarron Valley Railroad
Cimarron Valley Railroad
The Cimarron Valley Railroad was built circa 1912 and purchased from Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad in February 1996. It runs over former C.V. and Manter Subdivisions of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad tracks in Oklahoma, Colorado and Kansas. One line runs from Dodge City, KS...
of which Dodge City is the northeastern terminus, and the Boot Hill and Western Railway
Boot Hill and Western Railway
The Boot Hill and Western Railway , is a railway between Dodge City and Wilroads in Kansas owned by the Boot Hill and Western Railway Company. It consists of a single track section, about 42 kilometers long. It mainly transported agricultural products and had two interchanges, one with the BNSF...
of which the city is the northwestern terminus. Using the BNSF trackage, Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
provides passenger rail service on its Southwest Chief
Southwest Chief
The Southwest Chief is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on a 2256-mile BNSF route through the Midwestern and Southwestern United States. It runs from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California, passing through Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California...
line between Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Amtrak's Dodge City station
Dodge City (Amtrak station)
The Dodge City Amtrak station is a train station in Dodge City, Kansas, United States served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. The station was built by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in 1896, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the year 2000...
is located downtown.
Utilities
The Utilities Division of the city government's Public Works Department operates and maintains the city's water and waste water distribution systems. The department's Sanitation Division provides trash pickup. Operations Management International, Inc. (OMI), a private contractor, provides waste water treatment, pumping the city's waste water to treatment holding ponds 12 miles south of the city. The Victory Electric Cooperative Association, Inc., part of the Mid-Kansas Electric Company, delivers electricity to the city. Local residents primarily use natural gas for heating fuel; natural gas service is provided by Black Hills Energy.Health care
The Western Plains Medical Complex is the sole hospital in Dodge City. A 99-bed hospital accredited by the Joint Commission, it serves as a referral center for southwestern Kansas.Media
The Dodge City Daily GlobeDodge City Daily Globe
The Dodge City Daily Globe is a daily newspaper based in Dodge City, Kansas, United States, and owned since 2007 by GateHouse Media.-History:...
is the city's daily newspaper with a circulation of approximately 7,000. In addition, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodge City
Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodge City
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodge City is a Roman Catholic diocese covering twenty-eight counties in Kansas. Pope Pius XII created the diocese on May 19, 1951.John B...
publishes a weekly newspaper, The Southwest Kansas Register. The High Plains Journal
High Plains Journal
The High Plains Journal is a regional weekly agricultural news magazine published in Dodge City, Kansas with a circulation reaching ten states in the Great Plains region. It covers farming and ranching topics, including wheat, corn soybeans, sorghum, hay, cotton, as well as cattle and hogs...
, a weekly trade journal covering regional agricultural news, is also published in the city.
Along with Garden City
Garden City, Kansas
Garden City is a city in and the county seat of Finney County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 26,658. The city is home to Garden City Community College and the Lee Richardson Zoo, the largest zoological park in western Kansas.-History:In February 1878, James...
, Dodge City is a center of broadcast media for southwestern Kansas. Two AM
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
radio stations, seven FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
radio stations, and three television stations are licensed
City of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
to and/or broadcast from the city. Dodge City is located in the Wichita
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
-Hutchinson, Kansas
Hutchinson, Kansas
Hutchinson is the largest city in and the county seat of Reno County, Kansas, United States, northwest of Wichita, on the Arkansas River. It has been home to salt mines since 1887, thus its nickname of "Salt City", but locals call it "Hutch"...
television market
Media market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...
. The three stations that broadcast from the city include one CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
and one FOX
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
network affiliate
Network affiliate
In the broadcasting industry , a network affiliate is a local broadcaster which carries some or all of the television program or radio program line-up of a television or radio network, but is owned by a company other than the owner of the network...
, both of which are satellite stations of their respective affiliates in Wichita. The third station is a satellite station of Smoky Hills Public Television
Smoky Hills Public Television
Smoky Hills Public Television is the Public Broadcasting Service member network for 71 counties in central and western Kansas. It is headquartered in a historic native stone building in Bunker Hill, just east of Russell....
, the PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
member network covering western Kansas.
Parks and recreation
The city's Parks and Recreation Department maintains 21 parks in the city. The largest is Wright Park, located immediately south of downtown and home to the Dodge City Zoo. Legends Park, in the northern part of the city, is a four-diamond, tournament-level baseball and softball complex that hosts both youth and adult league games. The city also maintains the St. Mary Soccer Complex, which includes six full-size game pads and three junior-sized fields, and the municipal pool.There are two golf courses in the city, one public and one private. Mariah Hills Municipal Golf Course, the public course, is an 18-hole course built in 1974 and redesigned in 1990. It includes a full-service pro shop, driving range, and putting green. Dodge City Country Club, the private course, is an 18-hole course built in 1916 and expanded in 1982.
Arts and music
Two galleries support an arts community in the city. Located in the original public library building, The Carnegie Center for the Arts provides gallery space to local artists and houses the Dodge City Arts Council. The second gallery, the Second Avenue Art Guild, exhibits the work of regional artists in ceramics, photography, and other media.The Depot Theater Company, based in the former Santa Fe Railroad Depot, puts on theatrical productions throughout the year. Founded in 1984, the group performs in both the old depot and the Occident Theater.
Events
Each summer, the Dodge City Chamber of Commerce holds Dodge City Days, the city's annual community festival. Lasting ten days, it includes the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo, a parade, a beauty pageant, music concerts, a golf tournament, arts and craft shows, and other activities. Several other community events are held throughout the year. In early May, the city's sizable MexicanMexican American
Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...
community celebrates Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo is a holiday held on May 5. It is celebrated nationwide in the United States and regionally in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla, where the holiday is called El Dia de la Batalla de Puebla...
in Wright Park with live music, folk dance performances, and traditional Mexican cuisine
Mexican cuisine
Mexican cuisine, a style of food that originates in Mexico, is known for its varied flavors, colourful decoration and variety of spices and ingredients, most of which are native to the country. The cuisine of Mexico has evolved through thousands of years of blending indigenous cultures, with later...
. To celebrate Independence Day
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
, the city holds its Old-Fashioned Fourth of July which includes a fireworks display and children's activities at Boot Hill. Christmas in Old Dodge City, the city's winter holiday festival, starts in late November and lasts until Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
. It begins with a formal Christmas tree lighting downtown, a chili cook-off, and the Parade of Lights, a parade of floats decorated with Christmas lights.
Two other annual events reflect the central role of agriculture in the local economy. The Ford County Fair is held in July and includes 4-H
4-H
4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture , with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." The name represents...
and FFA exhibits, competitions, and shows as well as other activities. Also in July, the Western Kansas Manufacturers Association (WKMA) holds the 3i Show, an agri-business expo of agricultural products, technology, and services.
Points of interest
Located in and around the city are a number of historical sites, museums, and landmarks dedicated to Dodge City’s Old West heritage. The Boot Hill Museum, located downtown, contains thousands of artifacts and a variety of exhibits portraying the culture of the city’s early years. The museum’s larger exhibits include: Front Street, a partial reconstruction of downtown Dodge City as it existed in 1876; the Long Branch SaloonLong Branch Saloon
The Long Branch Saloon is a famous saloon that existed during the Old West days of Dodge City, Kansas. It had numerous owners, most notably Chalk Beeson and gunfighter Luke Short...
and the Long Branch Variety Show
Long Branch Variety Show
The Long Branch Variety Show is a western saloon show presented in the Long Branch Saloon located at Boot Hill Museum in Dodge City, Kansas. It features Miss Kitty, the "Queen of Dodge City" and Chalkley Beeson, the owner of the saloon...
; the Saratoga Saloon; the Hardesty House, a period-typical home built in 1879; the city’s original Boot Hill
Boot Hill
Boot Hill is the name for any number of cemeteries, chiefly in the American West. During the 19th century it was a common name for the burial grounds of gunfighters, or those who "died with their boots on" ....
Cemetery; and the Kansas Cowboy Hall of Fame
Kansas Cowboy Hall of Fame
The Kansas Cowboy Hall of Fame, is located at the Boot Hill Museum in Dodge City, Kansas. The first inductees were selected in 2002.-External links:* website...
. The Santa Fe Trail Remains
Santa Fe Trail Remains
Sante Fe Trail Remains, also known as Santa Fe Trail Ruts, is a two mile section of the former long Santa Fe Trail that is the "longest continuous stretch of clearly defined Santa Fe Trail rut remains in Kansas."...
, located nine miles west of the city, are preserved wagon tracks from a section of the Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe Trail
The Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century transportation route through central North America that connected Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico. Pioneered in 1822 by William Becknell, it served as a vital commercial and military highway until the introduction of the railroad to Santa Fe in 1880...
. The Ford County Historical Society maintains the Mueller-Schmidt House, called the “Home of Stone.” Built from area limestone in 1881, it is the oldest building in the city still standing at its original site. Other historical landmarks include: El Capitan, a life-sized bronze sculpture of a Texas Longhorn
Texas longhorn (cattle)
The Texas Longhorn is a breed of cattle known for its characteristic horns, which can extend to tip to tip for steers and exceptional cows, and tip to tip for bulls. Horns can have a slight upward turn at their tips or even triple twist. Texas Longhorns are known for their diverse coloring...
steer built to commemorate the cattle drives that once ended in the city; a bronze statue of famous Dodge City lawman Wyatt Earp; and the Santa Fe Depot, the largest extant train depot in Kansas.
To capitalize on this heritage, the city promotes its downtown business district as historic Old Dodge City complete with Western-themed tourist attractions, shops, and restaurants. Visitors can tour the district by trolley or by taking the Dodge City Trail of Fame walking tour. The state of Kansas
Government of Kansas
The government of the US state of Kansas, established by the Kansas Constitution, is a republican democracy modeled after the Federal government of the United States. The state government has three branches: the executive, legislative, and judicial...
owns and operates the similarly themed Boot Hill Casino & Resort on the west side of the city.
Dodge City Civic Center
Dodge City Civic Center
The Dodge City Civic Center is a 2,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Dodge City, Kansas. It was home to the Dodge City Legend basketball team. The arena has all spectator seating on one side as a stage for community theatre is located on the other side...
and United Wireless Arena are the city's two main indoor event venues. The Civic Center, built in 1954, is a 2,800-seat multipurpose facility that has hosted a variety of events, including concerts and sporting events. United Wireless Arena, opened in 2011, is a 5,500-seat multipurpose arena located next to the Boot Hill Casino on the west side of the city. Owned by the City of Dodge City and Ford County, the arena complex includes the 10,000 square-foot Magouirk Conference Center.
Other sites of interest in the city include the Dodge City Zoo and the Kansas Teachers' Hall of Fame. The Zoo is located in Wright Park and is home to more than 45 animals. Located downtown, the Kansas Teachers' Hall of Fame hosts exhibits on education in Kansas and claims to be the first of its kind in the United States.
Religion
There are 33 ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
churches in and around Dodge City. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodge City
Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodge City
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodge City is a Roman Catholic diocese covering twenty-eight counties in Kansas. Pope Pius XII created the diocese on May 19, 1951.John B...
is based in the city. Established in 1951, it comprises 28 Kansas counties, roughly the southwestern quarter of the state. The city is home to both the diocese's current and former cathedrals, Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Dodge City, Kansas)
The Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a Catholic cathedral in Dodge City, Kansas, United States. It is the seat of the Diocese of Dodge City.-History:...
and Sacred Heart Cathedral
Sacred Heart Cathedral, Dodge City
Sacred Heart Cathedral is the former cathedral church for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodge City located in Dodge City, Kansas, United States.-History:...
, respectively. Also headquartered in the city is the Dodge City District of the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
which consists of 22 counties in southwestern Kansas.
Sports
Dodge City Community College's athletic teams, the Dodge City Conquistadors (or "Conqs" for short), compete in several sports in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC)Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference
The Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference is a college athletic conference that is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association...
.
Beyond DCCC sports, Dodge City also hosts amateur baseball and professional motorsports. The Dodge City Athletics, nicknamed the "A's", are a collegiate summer baseball team in the Jayhawk Collegiate League
Jayhawk Collegiate League
The Jayhawk Collegiate League is a collegiate summer baseball league consisting of five teams from five Kansas towns. The league was formed in 1976 and is a "Premier League" within the National Baseball Congress.-Teams:...
of the National Baseball Congress
National Baseball Congress
The National Baseball Congress of Wichita, Kansas is an organization of 15 amateur and semi-professional baseball leagues operating in the United States and Canada...
. Both the A's and the DCCC Conquistadors baseball team use Cavalier Field, located on the former St. Mary of the Plains College campus, as their home field. Dodge City Raceway Park, located immediately south of the city, is a 3/8-mile dirt track that hosts midget
Midget car racing
Midget cars, also Speedcars in Australia, are very small race cars with a very high power-to-weight ratio and typically use four-cylinder engines.-Cars:Typically, these cars have 300 to 400 horsepower and weigh...
and sprint car racing
Sprint car racing
Sprint cars are high-powered race cars designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks. Sprint car racing is popular in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa....
from April through October. Past events at the park have included National Sprint Tour
National Sprint Tour
The National Sprint Tour was a United States sprint car racing league. It formed in 2005 as a rival to the World of Outlaws. The series folded after one season. The series was started by Brownfield Promotions, Inc. of Snohomish, Washington. The series featured 410 winged sprint cars...
and World of Outlaws
World of Outlaws
The World of Outlaws is an American motorsports sanctioning body. The body sanctions two major national touring series. It is best known for sanctioning a national tour of sprint cars. It later purchased a national tour of late model stockcars called the World of Outlaws Late Model Series...
races. The Western Kansas Dirt Riders, a motocross
Motocross
Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
team, race at Tumbleweed Raceway adjacent to the Raceway Park.
In the past, Dodge City hosted college football and professional basketball as well. From 1970 to 1980, the annual Boot Hill Bowl
Boot Hill Bowl
The Boot Hill Bowl was a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics post-season college football bowl game played in Dodge City, Kansas from 1970 to 1980.-Game results:-1971 game:...
post-season college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
game was played in Dodge City. The bowl was sanctioned by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
and featured schools such as Washburn University
Washburn University
Washburn University is a co-educational, public institution of higher learning in Topeka, Kansas, USA. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and business. Washburn has 550 faculty members, who teach more than 6,400 undergraduate students and...
and Emporia State University
Emporia State University
Emporia State University is a university in the city of Emporia in Lyon County, Kansas, just east of the Flint Hills.- History :...
. The last game was played on November 21, 1980. From 2000 to 2007, the city was home to a minor league professional basketball team, the Dodge City Legend
Dodge City Legend
The Dodge City Legend was a professional basketball franchise in the United States Basketball League, a minor league that played in the spring. The Legend won three USBL titles, in 2000, its first season, 2003 and in 2005....
of the United States Basketball League
United States Basketball League
The United States Basketball League , often abbreviated to the USBL, was a professional men's spring basketball league. The league was formed in 1985. The final champions are the Kansas Cagerz, who won the title game on July 1, 2007.-History:...
.
In popular culture and the arts
Starting in the 1870s, the violent episodes of early Dodge City history, particularly the exploits of Wyatt Earp, attracted national media attention. News coverage of the 1883 Dodge City WarDodge City War
The Dodge City War was a bloodless conflict that took place in 1883 in Dodge City, Kansas. It came at the close of the first 10 years of the city's history at a time when whiskey and saloons were fading as a dominant force in the city's politics....
fueled public perceptions of frontier turmoil and established Dodge City as the “Sodom of the West” in the public consciousness. Gunfighters and lawmen such as Earp became celebrities, and sensationalized versions of their activities entered period popular culture as the subject of dime novel
Dime novel
Dime novel, though it has a specific meaning, has also become a catch-all term for several different forms of late 19th-century and early 20th-century U.S...
s. Over time, the level and scale of the violence in early Dodge City were significantly embellished, becoming the stuff of legend. This trend continued into the 20th century, particularly after the 1931 publication of Stuart N. Lake
Stuart N. Lake
Stuart N. Lake was a writer whose material dealt largely with the American Old West...
’s book Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal. Regarded in American folklore
Folklore of the United States
The folklore of the United States, or American folklore, is one of the folk traditions which has evolved on the North American continent since Europeans arrived in the 16th century. While it contains much in the way of Native American tradition, it should not be confused with the tribal beliefs of...
as the quintessential rough and rowdy Old West frontier town, Dodge City served as the setting for numerous works of Western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
-themed media, including films and television series.
Perhaps most famously, Dodge City was the setting of the long-running radio and television series Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
. The series followed the adventures of fictional U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon
Marshal Matt Dillon
Marshal Matt Dillon is a fictional character featured on both the radio and television versions of Gunsmoke. He serves as the U.S. Marshal of Dodge City, Kansas who works to preserve law and order in the western frontier of the 1870s. The character was created by writer John Meston, who...
as he dealt with gunfighters, cattle rustlers, and other criminals while enforcing the law in the city. The radio series lasted from 1952 to 1961 while the television series ran from 1955 to 1975, the longest-running prime-time TV drama in American history. The show proved culturally influential, promoting the legend of Dodge City’s Old West era and serving as the source of the popular phrase “get out of Dodge” meaning to leave a dangerous area. In honor of the series, the city government changed the name of Walnut Street, one of its downtown streets, to Gunsmoke Street in 1959.
The city has also been a setting for a number of films and television series dramatizing the career of Wyatt Earp. These include several seasons of the 1950s series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp is a Western television series loosely based on the adventures of frontier marshal Wyatt Earp. The half-hour black and white series ran on ABC-TV from 1955 to 1961 and featured Hugh O'Brian as Earp. An off-camera barbershop quartet sang the theme song and hummed...
and the films Winchester '73 (1950), Masterson of Kansas (1954), Cheyenne Autumn
Cheyenne Autumn
Cheyenne Autumn is a 1964 western starring Richard Widmark, Carroll Baker, James Stewart, and Edward G. Robinson. Regarded as an epic film it tells the story of a factual event, the Northern Cheyenne Exodus of 1878-9, although it is told in 'Hollywood style' using a great degree of artistic license...
(1964), and the 1994 biopic Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Earp (film)
Wyatt Earp is a 1994 American semi-biographical Western film, written by Dan Gordon and Lawrence Kasdan and directed by Kasdan. It stars Kevin Costner in the title role as lawman Wyatt Earp, and features an ensemble cast that includes Dennis Quaid, Gene Hackman, Isabella Rossellini, Mark Harmon,...
. The character of lawman Wade Hatton, played by Errol Flynn
Errol Flynn
Errol Leslie Flynn was an Australian-born actor. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles in Hollywood films, being a legend and his flamboyant lifestyle.-Early life:...
, in the 1939 film Dodge City
Dodge City (1939 film)
Dodge City is a 1939 American Western film starring Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland and Bruce Cabot. Directed by Hungarian-turned-Hollywood filmmaker Michael Curtiz and based on a story by Robert Buckner, it was filmed in early Technicolor...
was based on Earp.
More recently, Dodge City served as a setting for the 2005 multi-platform video game Gun.
Notable people
Numerous figures of the American Old WestAmerican Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
lived in Dodge City during its period as a frontier cowtown. These included, most notably, lawmen Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was an American gambler, investor, and law enforcement officer who served in several Western frontier towns. He was also at different times a farmer, teamster, bouncer, saloon-keeper, miner and boxing referee. However, he was never a drover or cowboy. He is most well known...
and Bat Masterson
Bat Masterson
William Barclay "Bat" Masterson was a figure of the American Old West known as a buffalo hunter, U.S. Marshal and Army scout, avid fisherman, gambler, frontier lawman, and sports editor and columnist for the New York Morning Telegraph...
as well as gunfighter Doc Holliday
Doc Holliday
John Henry "Doc" Holliday was an American gambler, gunfighter and dentist of the American Old West, who is usually remembered for his friendship with Wyatt Earp and his involvement in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral...
. Other notable natives and residents have included Vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
actor and comedian Eddie Foy, Sr., wrestler Sputnik Monroe
Sputnik Monroe (wrestler)
Sputnik Monroe was a professional wrestler from the mid 1940s through the early 1970s. Monroe was a headliner in many territories, and was best known in Memphis, where he and Billy Wicks set an attendance record that lasted until the Monday Night Wars boom period.-Life:Sputnik was born Rosco...
, and actor Dennis Hopper
Dennis Hopper
Dennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1954 and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant...
.
Gallery
- Historic Images of Dodge City, Special Photo Collections at Wichita State UniversityWichita State UniversityWichita State University is a NCAA Division I public university in Wichita, Kansas with selective admissions. WSU is one of six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The current president is Dr. Donald Beggs....
Library - Historic Images of Fort Dodge, Special Photo Collections at Wichita State UniversityWichita State UniversityWichita State University is a NCAA Division I public university in Wichita, Kansas with selective admissions. WSU is one of six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The current president is Dr. Donald Beggs....
Library
Further reading
- Dykstra, Robert R. The Cattle Towns. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1968. ISBN 0-8032-6561-1
- Miner, Craig. West of Wichita: Settling the High Plains of Kansas, 1865-1890. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1988. ISBN 0-7006-0364-6
- Vestal, Stanley. Dodge City: Queen of Cowtowns: "the Wickedest Little City in America" 1872-1886. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1998. ISBN 0-8032-9617-7
Kansas
- The Story of the Marking of the Santa Fe Trail by the Daughters of the American Revolution in Kansas and the State of Kansas; Almira Cordry; Crane Co; 164 pages; 1915.
- History of the State of Kansas; William G. Cutler; A.T. Andreas Publisher; 1883. (Online HTML eBook)
- Kansas : A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc; 3 Volumes; Frank W. Blackmar; Standard Publishing Co; 944 / 955 / 824 pages; 1912. (Volume1 - Download 54MB PDF eBook),(Volume2 - Download 53MB PDF eBook), (Volume3 - Download 33MB PDF eBook)
External links
CitySchools
- USD 443, local school district
Historical
- General Grenville Dodge History
- Dodge City History
- Ft. Dodge History Ford County Historical Society
- Santa Fe Trail Research
- Boot Hill Museum
- Coronado Cross
- Fort Larned Historic Site
- Dodge City video-YouTube
Maps
- Dodge City Map, KDOT
- Ford County Map, KDOT