For cowboys born in the wrong time, the streets of Dodge City, the famous gateway to the wild west are a pilgrimage back in time to the wild west. Dodge City was a hub for covered wagons on their way to Colorado, Missouri, Santa Fe and New Mexico in the 19th Century. A fort was built on the busy Santa Fe Trail near the spot the city would spread out from in 1965 to protect from marauding Native American’s who also lived here taking advantage of the herds of buffalo. In the 70’s the railroad brought more people into the region and hotels, general stores, restaurants, barbers shops, saloons and dance halls sprung up. Men fought each other in the streets, railway workers took their red lanterns to visit local prostitutes and people settled their differences with bullets. Dodge City was wild and lawless because it was literally law-less - there was no local law enforcement and the nearby fort had no jurisdiction here. Later big name law enforcement officers like Wyatt Earp rode into town and sorted things out, beginning by banning the wearing of arms north of the railway tracks. As the source of Buffalo dried up and the lure of the pioneer life faded the town emptied. The romance of the wild west still lives on and thanks to cinema and TV Dodge City hasn’t totally faded into urban obscurity - though the historic buildings of the original main street were demolished in 1970 a reconstruction has been erected, the Boot Hill Museum is brim full of wild west paraphernalia and there are lots of cowboy themed activities.

Dodge City Information for Visitors.

Written by  World Reviewer Staff.

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