T. L. McCarty

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Dodge City Trail of Fame

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Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 18, 2022

1. T. L. McCarty Marker

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Excerpt:  Doctor McCarty began practice in March 1870 at St. Louis, Missouri, and after two years of experience there started West. He traveled by way of Dodge City, which was then the terminus of the Santa Fe Railroad. His arrival there was in November 1872. He stopped at Dodge City to see his brother-in-law, who was then in the

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 18, 2022

2. T. L. McCarty Marker

The marker is embedded in the walkway at the northwest corner of the intersection.

Indian country south of Dodge. The relative did not return to Dodge City for some time, and while waiting Doctor McCarty became attracted by the climate and the interests of the frontier and decided to locate.

Doctor McCarty established his first office in H. G. Springer's drug store. Subsequently he formed an association with the post surgeon at Fort Dodge, Doctor Tremain, and the two practiced together for seven years. Much of their business was supplied by the buffalo hunters, who with the range cattle men made up the bulk of population in this region. Through his personal work Doctor McCarty also came into close contact with such noted frontiersman characters at Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Chalk Beeson, the Wright brothers, Buffalo Bill and the Grand Duke Alexis of Russia, in whose honor a great buffalo hunt was staged in Western Kansas. Through the dangers incident to frontier existence and the personal feuds and shooting affairs a large part of Doctor McCarty's early practice was surgery.

Transcribed from A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans, written and compiled by William E. Connelley, Secretary of the Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka.

Excerpt:  Affectionately known as "T.L.," Dr. Thomas L. McCarty served Dodge City for almost 58 years becoming the oldest and most noted surgeon and physician in the old west. He was a chemist, or pharmacist, as well. Dr. McCarty first practiced medicine in a store owned by Herman Fringer and later opened the City Drug Store. Besides prescription drugs, the store sold a variety of patent medicines, perfumes, paints, sponges and Coca-Cola. When a prescription was needed, Dr. McCarty prepared the remedy using the contents of the bottles that lined the shelves of his store. The substances were ground and then rolled into pills or made into an elixir.

As a medical doctor Thomas McCarty was among the most important persons in Dodge City. Much of Dr. McCarty's time was spent tending to buffalo hunters, soldiers and gunshot victims. In emergencies, he traveled by horse and buggy, often many miles over rough terrain, to reach his patient. There were no nurses to help in treating the more complicated cases. Surgeries were often performed in a makeshift operating room, such as a kitchen table under the light of a kerosene lamp.

Maple Grove Cemetery, Dodge City, Ford County, Kansas, USA

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.