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

James Arness

— Dodge City Trail of Fame —

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 18, 2022

1. James Arness Marker

Inscription. Starred for 20 years as Dodge City Marshal Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke
TV’s longest running series

Erected 2005 by Dodge City Trail of Fame, Inc.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment. In addition, it is included in the Kansas, Dodge City Trail of Fame series list.

Location. 37° 45.21′ N, 100° 1.14′ W. Marker is in Dodge City, Kansas, in Ford County. It is on Gunsmoke Street just east of North 2nd Avenue, on the left when traveling west. The marker is embedded in the sidewalk near the southeast corner of the intersection. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 510 North 2nd Avenue, Dodge City KS 67801, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest,

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

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

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: Milburn Stone (within shouting distance of this marker); Gene Barry (within shouting distance of this marker); Amanda Blake (within shouting distance of this marker); Charles Rath (within shouting distance of this marker); Hugh O'Brian (within shouting distance of this marker); Dennis Weaver (within shouting distance of this marker); James Nusser (within shouting distance of this marker); Dodge City, full of excitement (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dodge City.

Also see . . .
1. James King Arness (né Aurness; 1923–2011) (Wikipedia).

Excerpt: American actor, best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon for 20 years in the series Gunsmoke. He has the distinction of having played the role of Dillon in five decades: 1955 to 1975 in the weekly series, then in Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge (1987) and four more made-for-television Gunsmoke films in the 1990s. In Europe, Arness reached
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 18, 2022

2. James Arness Marker - 2005 Dedication
cult status for his role as Zeb Macahan in the Western series How the West Was Won. He was the older brother of actor Peter Graves.
For his contributions to the television industry, Arness has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1751 Vine Street. In 1981, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. Arness was inducted into the Santa Clarita Walk of Western Stars in 2006.

(Submitted on August 6, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Gunsmoke (Wikipedia).

Excerpt: Gunsmoke is a media franchise centered around the American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character is lawman Marshal Matt Dillon, played by William Conrad on radio and James Arness on television.
In 1955, the series was adapted for television and ran for 20 seasons. It ran for half-hour episodes from 1955 to 1961, and one-hour episodes from 1961 to 1975. A total of 635 episodes were aired over its 20-year run, making it the longest-running scripted American primetime television series until being surpassed in episodes by The Simpsons. Five made-for-TV movies were produced after its 20-year run. The show won 15 Primetime Emmy Awards as well as other accolades. It was frequently well received, holding a top 10 spot in the Nielsen ratings for several seasons.

(Submitted on August 6, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

3. Dodge City Trail of Fame (Visit Dodge City).

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 18, 2022

3. James Arness Marker

Gunsmoke Street sidewalk; the north wall of Fidelity State Bank & Trust Company is in the background.

Excerpt: The Dodge City Trail of Fame, Inc. is part of the Historic Dodge City Walking Tour. This portion of the trail is marked with sidewalk medallions and statuaries to commemorate the many famous and infamous denizens of historic Dodge City. Additionally, many medallions are dedicated to notable movie and television stars that have portrayed famous Dodge Citians.

(Submitted on August 6, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on August 6, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 6, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 7 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 6, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.