Dodge City, Kansas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the 1939 western movie, see Dodge City (1939 film).
Dodge City is a city and county seat of Ford County, Kansas. It was named after Grenville M. Dodge. The population was 25,176 at the 2000 census.
The city's name is well known to generations of Americans, as the long-running old-time radio and television Western drama program Gunsmoke was set in Dodge City.
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[edit] Geography
Dodge City is located at (37.759671, -100.018212)GR1. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 32.9 km² (12.7 mi²). 32.7 km² (12.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.86%) is water.
Dodge City is served by two commercial airlines at Dodge City Regional Airport.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1880 | 996 |
|
| 1890 | 1,763 | 77.0% |
| 1900 | 1,942 | 10.2% |
| 1910 | 3,214 | 65.5% |
| 1920 | 5,061 | 57.5% |
| 1930 | 10,059 | 98.8% |
| 1940 | 8,487 | -15.6% |
| 1950 | 11,262 | 32.7% |
| 1960 | 13,520 | 20.0% |
| 1970 | 14,127 | 4.5% |
| 1980 | 18,001 | 27.4% |
| 1990 | 21,129 | 17.4% |
| 2000 | 25,176 | 19.2% |
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 25,176 people, 8,395 households, and 5,968 families residing in the city. The population density was 770.9/km² (1,995.8/mi²). There were 8,976 housing units at an average density of 274.8/km² (711.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 71.43% White, 1.94% African American, 0.69% Native American, 2.37% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 20.82% from other races, and 2.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 42.87% of the population.
There were 8,395 households out of which 41.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.1% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.94 and the average family size was 3.46.
In the city the population was spread out with 31.2% under the age of 18, 12.3% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 16.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 106.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,156, and the median income for a family was $41,672. Males had a median income of $26,881 versus $22,064 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,538. About 11.1% of families and 13.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.4% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Early History
The early history of Dodge city is as colorful as any town in the American West.
[edit] Origins
The first settlement in the area that became Dodge City was Fort Mann. Built by civilians in 1847, Fort Mann was intended to provide protection for travelers on the Santa Fe Trail. Fort Mann collapsed in 1848 after an Indian attack. In 1850, the U.S. Army arrived to provide protection in the region and constructed Fort Atkinson on the old Fort Mann site. The army abandoned Fort Atkinson in 1853. Military forces on the Santa Fe Trail were reestablished further north and east at Fort Larned in 1859, but the area around what would become Dodge City remained vacant until after the Civil War. In 1865, as the Indian Wars in the West began heating up, the army constructed Fort Dodge to assist Fort Larned in providing protection on the Santa Fe Trail. Fort Dodge remained in operation until 1882.
The town of Dodge City can trace its origins to 1871 when rancher Henry J. Sitler built a sod house east of Fort Dodge to oversee his cattle operations in the region. Conveniently located near the Santa Fe Trail and Arkansas River, Sitler's house quickly became a stopping point for travelers. With the Santa Fe Railroad rapidly approaching from the east, others saw the commercial potential of the region. In 1872, just five miles west of Fort Dodge, settlers platted out and founded the town of Dodge City. George M. Hoover established the first bar in a tent to service thirsty soldiers from Fort Dodge. 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.
[edit] The Cattle Trade
The idea of driving Texas longhorn cattle from Texas to railheads in Kansas originated in the late 1850s but was cut short by the Civil War. In 1866, the first Texas cattle started arriving in Baxter Springs in southeastern Kansas by way of the Shawnee Trail. However, Texas longhorn cattle carried a tick that spread splenic fever among other breeds of cattle. Known locally as Texas Fever, alarmed Kansas farmers persuaded the Kansas State Legislature to establish a quarantine line in central Kansas. The quarantine prohibited Texas longhorns from the heavily settled, eastern portion of the state.
With the cattle trade forced west, Texas longhorns began moving north along the Chisholm Trail. In 1867, the main Cow Town was Abilene, Kansas. Profits were high, and other towns quickly joined in the cattle boom. Newton in 1871; Ellsworth in 1872; and Wichita in 1872. However, in 1876 the Kansas State Legislature responded to pressure from farmers settling in central Kansas and once again shifted the quarantine line westward, which essentiall eliminated Abilene and the other Cow Towns from the cattle trade. With no place else to go, Dodge City suddenly became Queen of the Cow Towns.
A new route, known as the Great Western Cattle Trail, or Western Trail, branched off from the Chisholm Trail to lead cattle into Dodge City. Dodge City became a boomtown, with thousands of cattle passing annually through its stockyards. The peak years of the cattle trade in Dodge City were from 1883 to 1884, and during that time the town grew tremendously. In 1880, Dodge City got a new competitor for the cattle trade from the border town of Caldwell. For a few years the competition between the towns was fierce, but there were enough cattle for both towns to prosper. Nevertheless, it was Dodge City that became famous, and rightly so because no town could match Dodge City's reputation as a true frontier settlement of the Old West. Dodge City had more famous (and infamous) gunfighters working at one time or another than any other town in the West, many of whom participated in the Dodge City War of 1883. It also boasted the usuall array of saloons, gambling halls, and brothels established to separate a lonely cowboy from his hard-earned cash, including the famous Long Branch Saloon and China Doll brothel. For a time in 1884, Dodge City even had a bullfighting ring where Mexican bullfighters imported from Mexico would put on a show with specially chosen longhorn bulls.
As more agricultural settlers moved into western Kansas, pressure on the Kansas State Legislature to do something about splenic fever increased. Consequently, in 1885 the quarantine line was extended across the state and the Western Trail was all but shut down. By 1886, the cowboys, saloon keepers, gamblers, and brothel owners moved west to greener pastures, and Dodge City became a sleepy little town much like other communities in western Kansas.
[edit] Notable Natives
- Dennis Hopper, actor and film-maker
- Lila Leeds, actress
[edit] Historical Visitors and Temporary Residents
- Clay Allison
- "Squirrel Tooth" Alice Chambers
- Jim Courtright
- James Earp
- Morgan Earp
- Virgil Earp
- Wyatt Earp
- Doc Holliday
- Nat Love
- Bat Masterson
- Dave Mather
- Dave Rudabaugh
- Luke Short
- Charles Siringo
- Bill Tilghman
- Texas Jack Vermillion
- John Joshua Webb
- Robot Man
- The Legend Bots
[edit] Fictional Visitors and Temporary Residents
- Steve Braddock from the 1936 film, Dodge City Trail.
- Lane Collier from the Randy D. Smith novel, Dodge City ISBN 0-917990-34-X
- Matt Dillon from the radio and television program, Gunsmoke.
- Wyatt Earp from the 2005 Moonstone comic book series, Wyatt Earp: Dodge City.
- Dan Ember from the Ralph Compton novel, Dodge City Trail ISBN 0-312-95380-1
- Clark W. Griswold from the 1983 film, National Lampoon's Vacation.
- Harry Gryden from the Matt Braun novel, Dodge City ISBN 0-312-93816-0
- Wade Hatton from the 1939 film, Dodge City.
- Wild Bill Hickok from the 1941 film, King of Dodge City.
- Rocky Lane from the 1948 film, Desperadoes of Dodge City.
- Bat Masterson from the 1958 film, The Gunfight at Dodge City.
- Meredith from the 1966 film, Big Hand for the Little Lady (aka, Big Deal at Dodge City).
- Steve Ramsey (The Durango Kid) from the 1947 film, West of Dodge City.
- Red Ryder from the 1944 film, Vigilantes of Dodge City.
- Colton "Cole" White from the Video Game GUN.
[edit] References
- Dykstra, Robert R. The Cattle Towns. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1968. ISBN 0-8032-6561-1
- Miner, Craig. West of Wichita: Settling the High Plains of Kansas, 1865-1890. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1988. ISBN 0-7006-0364-6
- Vestal, Stanley. Dodge City: Queen of Cowtowns: "the Wickedest Little City in America" 1872-1886. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1998. ISBN 0-8032-9617-7
[edit] External links
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
