Dodge City in Ford County, Kansas — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Dodge City: Cowboy Capital
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 19, 2022
1. Dodge City: Cowboy Capital Marker
"If you stood on the hill above Dodge City, there was traffic as far as you could see, 24-hours a day; seven days a week on the Santa Fe Trail."
—Henry L. Sitler, early settler
Fort Dodge was established on the Santa Fe Trail in 1859 to protect wagon trains and as a supply base for U.S. troops. Six years later Sitler built a sod house near here, and Dodge City was born.
With the arrival of the railroad in 1872, the steady stream of hunters and cowboys increased. They found stores, a blacksmith, a dance hall, and a saloon. The railroads shipped 1.5 million buffalo hides to buyers in the east over the next six years. When the buffalo were gone — due to the over hunting of herds for hides — Texas longhorns driven to Dodge supplied the demand for meat in the eastern U.S.
Dodge City had little law enforcement until 1876 when W. B. "Bat" Masterson and Wyatt Earp became lawmen. These famous personalities led to the legendary appeal of this "Wild West" town, which continues today. The Dodge City Downtown Historic District Is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Erected by State of Kansas. (Marker Number 363.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles
this page online
Location. 37° 45.246′ N, 100° 2.987′ W. Marker is in Dodge City, Kansas, in Ford County. Marker is on Wyatt Earp Boulevard (Business U.S. 50) 0.1 miles east of Matt Down Road, on the right when traveling east. Marker is located in a pull-out on the south side of the highway. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Dodge City KS 67801, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Santa Fe Trail (here, next to this marker); Veterans Memorial (approx. one mile away); The Boot Hill Special (approx. 1˝ miles away); Boot Hill (approx. 1˝ miles away); H.B. (Ham) Bell (approx. 1˝ miles away); My Trails Have Become Your Highways (approx. 1˝ miles away); On the Ashes of My Campfire This City is Built (approx. 1˝ miles away); Wyatt Earp (approx. 1˝ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dodge City.
Also see . . . Dodge City.
The town of Dodge City(Submitted on August 20, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)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, and Sitler's house quickly became a stopping point for travelers. Others saw the commercial potential of the region with the Santa Fe Railroad rapidly approaching from the east. In 1872, Dodge City was staked out on the 100th meridian and the legal western boundary of the Fort Dodge reservation. 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.Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 19, 20222. Dodge City: Cowboy Capital Marker(looking south from Wyatt Earp Boulevard/US Hwy 50)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 20, 2022. It was originally submitted on August 20, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 186 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 20, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
