Dodge City in Ford County, Kansas — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

The Mueller-Schmidt House, 1881

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, June 29, 2023

1. The Mueller-Schmidt House, 1881 Marker

Inscription. In an 1882 bird's eye view of Dodge City, the Mueller-Schmidt House is proudly perched atop a bill northeast of town, alone in its new splendor and surrounded by a yard planted with trees. Built to be one of the most splendid homes in Dodge City, Ford County's “Home of Stone” lives up to this standard, even today. It remains the lone nineteenth century limestone house in Dodge City, elegant in its simplicity of line. It can also claim the distinction of being the oldest building in Dodge City that is still on its original site. The home's longevity is no doubt due in part to its sturdy construction: the stone walls are twenty-two inches thick and the floors are supported by two-by-fourteen inch joists spaced on eighteen-inch centers.

After German immigrant John Mueller and his wife Karoline came to Dodge City in 1875 from St. Louis, his boot shop on Front Street did well enough that he was able to invest in a saloon and three cattle ranches. In 1879, he began building his home. The Ford County Globe, April 29, 1879, reported that John Mueller was having “rock hauled from the Sawlog for his new residence.” The home took

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eighteen months to build and was completed in 1881, with a housewarming party held that October 30.

John Mueller's magnificent stone residence has undergone the finishing touches, and is now ready for occupancy. The building is the finest residence in the west, and its substantial character is a credit to the town and a monument to the enterprise of the owner. -Dodge City Times, September 1881

William Hessman, a fellow German, was hired as the stonemason and quarried color-selected limestone from Sawlog Creek, northeast of Dodge City. This same quarry supplied the limestone for nearby Fort Dodge. Another German craftsman, William Strubel, did the woodwork. Using walnut, he crafted the home's outstanding feature—a spiral staircase that is visible from the foyer as it winds upward. The newel post is inset with bird’s-eye maple.

From the foyer, the Muellers’ bedroom was to the left. It now houses the Ford County Historical Society’s Pioneer Mothers collection. The parlor to the right features original furnishings, including matching walnut chairs, a horsehair tapestry chair, and a walnut love seat. There are also pieces donated

Home of Stone image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, June 29, 2023

2. Home of Stone

The Mueller-Schmidt House, or Home of Stone, was completed in 1881.

to the Society, including the desk where Dodge City founder and Town Company President Robert M. Wright wrote Dodge City; The Cowboy Capital, published in 1913. Emelia and Henry Mueller's bedrooms are upstairs. The kitchen is in the basement.

After John Mueller lost 75,000 head of cattle in the great blizzard of January 1886, he returned to boot-making. Following two disastrous Front Street fires, he returned to St. Louis in 1890 with his wife and son. His daughter remained in Dodge City with her husband, John Chambliss. They were married June 12, 1889, in the Mueller-Schmidt House parlor with 50 guests for dinner.

On March 4, 1890, the home and furnishings were sold to Adam and Elizabeth Schmidt for $5,000. (The deed lists Karoline Mueller as seller; Elizabeth Schmidt as buyer.) Adam was a blacksmith in Dodge; Elizabeth “Betty” was the daughter of Fred Berg, the first baker in Dodge City. Karoline Mueller and Elizabeth Schmidt remained friends and Karoline often visited Elizabeth when she came from St. Louis to see her daughter. Henry Mueller would spend hours in the house, visiting it through the 1940s.

Adam died in 1911, and

Bat Masterson image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, June 29, 2023

3. Bat Masterson

This statue of Bat Masterson, the notorious Dodge City lawman and gunslinger, is located on the grounds of the Home of Stone.

the family continued to live in the Mueller-Schmidt House, with Elizabeth passing away in 1938.The Schmidt children Heinrich “Heinie,” Elma, and Louis “Lew” grew up in the house. Heinie and Elma never married and lived there until 1960, selling the home and its furnishings to Ford County in 1965. The Fort County Historical Society curates the structure for the county. Only two families have lived in the Home of Stone. You can still see the parlor, kitchen, bedrooms, and the exterior of the Mueller-Schmidt House as it was in 1881. Walk back into history and stand where the pioneers of the Old West and Dodge City once lived.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Architecture. A significant historical date for this entry is October 30, 1881.

Location. 37° 45.325′ N, 100° 0.935′ W. Marker is in Dodge City, Kansas, in Ford County. It is at the intersection of East Vine Street and Avenue A, on the right when traveling west on East Vine Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 711 Avenue A, Dodge City KS 67801, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest,

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in the Corn Belt,

on the prairies,

on the Great Plains,

on the Southern Plains,

on the High Plains,

and on the Santa Fe Trail Corridor.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Comanchería,

the Dust Bowl,

the Louisiana Purchase,

and the Republic of Texas.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: T. L. McCarty (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Hinkle House (about 700 feet away); Gospel Hill (about 700 feet away); Brig. General George Armstrong Custer (approx. 0.2 miles away); St. Cornelius' Episcopal Church History (approx. 0.2 miles away); Premier City of the Region (approx. 0.2 miles away); World Premier “Dodge City” Starring Errol Flynn (approx. 0.2 miles away); Dodge Theater Building (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dodge City.

Credits. This page was last revised on April 23, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 27, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 130 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 27, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.