This Kansas Cow Town Used to Be “The Wickedest Little City in America” During Its Wild West Heyday

Dodge City, Kansas

Dodge City wasn’t born wild. It became that way one cattle drive at a time.

When the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway reached this Kansas prairie town in 1872, it sparked a decade of pure frontier madness.

Cowboys, cash, and conflict turned it into the stuff of legend, and here’s a peek at what happened.

When The Santa Fe Trail Shaped The Frontier

William Becknell established the Santa Fe Trail in 1821, linking Franklin, Missouri to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Merchants transported goods along this route until 1880, building commerce throughout the frontier.

The Mountain Branch ran through future Dodge City, following the Arkansas River into Colorado. Francisco Vasquez de Coronado crossed the river in 1541 while searching for the Seven Cities of Gold.

Fort Dodge opened in 1865 to shield travelers from attacks. Soldiers stationed there protected mail service and supplied troops fighting in conflicts with Native Americans.

The First Building On The Future Townsite

Henry Sitler built a three-room sod house in 1871 at the foot of a hill on the Santa Fe Trail. Buffalo hunters stopped at his home during their hunts, using it as a waypoint in the otherwise empty landscape.

Businessmen from Forts Dodge, Riley, and Leavenworth formed the Dodge City Town Company in 1872. George Hoover saw opportunity and opened the first business—a saloon constructed of boards and canvas.

Founders initially named the settlement Buffalo City but learned Kansas already had such a town. They selected Dodge City instead, honoring the nearby fort where soldiers protected the region.

The Railroad That Built A Boomtown

The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad tracks reached the settlement in September 1872. Passenger and freight service transformed the outpost into a shipping center overnight.

Trains began running to Dodge City on October 7, 1872. The Newton Kansan reported conductors traveled from Topeka through Wichita before arriving at the new stop.

Businesses multiplied as the railroad brought people and goods to town. The tracks cut through Dodge City, creating a north-south division that influenced how people lived and worked.

Buffalo Capital Of The World

Hunters shipped 1.5 million buffalo hides from Dodge City between 1872 and 1878. This hunting diminished herds that once blackened the prairie for miles.

Game surrounded Dodge in numbers unseen elsewhere in North America. Buffalo, antelope, deer, elk, wolves, and coyotes roamed the grasslands in vast herds.

Hunters earned $100 daily during peak seasons when a quarter bought most goods in town. Colonel Pond, a resident, claimed to kill 1,500 buffalo in seven days.

Farmers collected buffalo bones from the prairie after hunters finished their work. They sold these bones for $6-8 per ton to factories making china and fertilizer.

Queen Of The Cowtowns

Texas drovers brought the first cattle herd to Dodge City in 1874. This cattle business replaced buffalo hunting as the main economic driver.

Workers shipped over 75,000 head of cattle annually from 1875 to 1885. The volume of livestock earned Dodge City the title “Queen of the Cowtowns.”

Cattle numbers peaked at 500,000 in a single year. Cowboys pushed herds north from Texas along the Western Trail and Chisholm Trail through Indian Territory.

The cattle trade reached maximum activity in 1883-1884. Dodge City thrived as the primary shipping point, connecting Texas ranchers with eastern markets.

The Wickedest Little City In America

A Kansas newspaper called Dodge City “Hell on the Plains” in the 1870s. Cowboys, gamblers, and saloon workers created a reputation that spread across the country.

The Hays City Sentinel described Dodge as a gathering place for troublemakers from seven states.

The editor wrote that vice flourished without restraint within city limits. Law officers created a “Deadline” at the railroad tracks through town.

South of this line, gambling, fighting, and brothels operated without interference from authorities. Visitors who followed rules received hospitality despite the dangerous reputation.

Residents welcomed strangers but responded harshly to those who caused problems.

Famous Lawmen Who Tamed The Town

Wyatt Earp accepted the assistant marshal position on May 17, 1876, and the town paid him ten times the standard rate to establish order.

Bill “Bully” Brooks served as the first marshal and shot twelve men in his first month. Ed Masterson became city marshal on December 4, 1877, before a drunken cowboy killed him on April 9, 1878,

Bat Masterson won election as Ford County sheriff in November 1877. He worked with Bill Tilghman and Charlie Bassett to control what many considered the most dangerous town in America.

The Dodge City War

The Dodge City War started in 1883 when officials forced Luke Short to leave town. Short owned the Long Branch Saloon and broke rules against having prostitutes work there.

Short contacted friends with gunfighting reputations to help him challenge the town government. Bat Masterson, Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp, “Dynamite Sam,” and “Dark Alley Jim” responded to his call.

The sheriff asked Governor George Glick for help as gunmen gathered in town. Glick sent Adjutant General Moonlight to prevent bloodshed.

Town officials backed down when they saw the opposition. Short returned to his saloon, and the conflict ended without violence.

End Of An Era

Texas Fever spread by ticks on longhorn cattle shut down the drives to Dodge City. This disease killed non-Texas cattle and led to strict quarantine laws.

A blizzard in January 1886 killed cattle across the plains. This storm combined with quarantine laws ended the Texas cattle drives permanently.

Kansas continued as a cattle state despite the end of trail drives. By 1890, Kansas ranked third nationally in cattle production through local ranching.

Dodge City continues its cattle industry connection through Cargill Meat Solutions. This processing plant handles thousands of cattle daily, maintaining the town’s beef production tradition.

Cultural Legacy Beyond The Frontier

“Gunsmoke” brought Dodge City to television viewers from 1955 to 1975. The show followed Marshal Matt Dillon as he maintained order in the frontier town.

“Get out of Dodge” entered everyday language, meaning to leave dangerous situations quickly. This phrase originated from the town’s reputation and spread through popular culture.

American Cowboy Magazine recognized Dodge City in 2009 as a top Western town. True West Magazine also named it among the top authentic Western communities.

These honors acknowledged how Dodge City preserves its frontier heritage. The town balances its historical past with modern development.

Visiting Dodge City

Dodge City sits on US Highways 50, 56, and 283 in southwest Kansas, 150 miles west of Wichita. Most visitors arrive by car as the town has no passenger rail or commercial flights.

Boot Hill Museum opens year-round at 500 West Wyatt Earp Boulevard. Tickets cost $12 for adults and $9 for children ages 5-11. The museum includes historic Front Street buildings, exhibits, and cemetery grounds.

Hotels cluster along Wyatt Earp Boulevard with rates from $75-$150 per night. Summer brings daily gunfight reenactments at noon and the Long Branch Variety Show at 7pm.

Read More from This Brand:

• How to Have a Grand Ol’ Time at Leavenworth, the Oldest City in Kansas
• The Only Place Where Dorothy’s Famous Journey Ends Rather Than Begins Attracts Thousands to Rural Kansas
• Why Thousands of Wizard of Oz Fans Make an Annual Pilgrimage to This Tiny Kansas Prairie Town