Today it was off to Dodge City! Ever heard the saying, "Lets get the heck out of Dodge?" Well, that saying came from this little town. It also called The wickedest little town in the west. For about 10 years in the late 1800's, it was the destination city for all the cattle drives. The cowboys used to herd cattle from all over the west to Dodge City, where they were put on trains. These cowboys were paid in cash, but only after the cattle were delivered. So, Dodge City was full of wild cowboys with money to burn and ready for a good time. The most famous street was "Front Street" where one could find the saloons, bars and
scandalous can-can first performed. Most of these cowboys got drunk and caused quite a....
ruckus shall we say? It took 4
sheriffs in town to keep them under control. Among the most famous are Wyatt
Earp and Bat
Masterson. We were able to go and see the old town.
Boot hill is another well known attraction of Dodge City. This is the
cemetery where men who were killed in showdowns, brawls or gun fights were dumped. They didn't even bother to cover their boots, so they had a headstone and boots sticking up from the ground. For the sake of tourism, they have cemented the boots and you can see them in the grass.
Our next
destination was the
Santa Fe Trail. This is one of the trails taken by the pioneers on
their way across Kansas to the West. We were able to find and follow the wagon ruts that still can be seen.
This is the vast
expanse of land. Nothing except dry grass, cacti, and the endless sky to look toward. I imagine the pioneers in
their covered wagons
trudging across this land. The sun is hot, the breeze is like a wind from an oven, there is no tree for shade, the grass and cacti poke holes in our shoes, and the land seems to go on forever. We were following trails for an hour and walked maybe a mile. At the end of that time, we were ready for some shade, a cool drink and a rest. The pioneers did not have that
luxury. They must have had a dream of a better life that drove them furthur west, buryng their children along the way. They must have had such fortitude and a firm belief that this land would someday end and that there really was life beyond the
prairie.
This is a spot where the wagon train would
separate into 8 different lines to cross a little valley and up the hill. You can still see the tracks. Skeeter had a great time down there!
We then went to Fort
Larned, a military base that has been restored. This base was set up to house
solderers in the fight against the Indians. The
Santa Fe trail comes close to this base and often, pioneers would stop here to mend their wagons, rest a few days and be safe from Indian attacks.
The operating table.
The surgeon's desk.
Hospital beds. Look closely and you can see a tag on the left side of the bed frames. This was the
patient's chart- ooh for such simple days!
This is where many of the Pioneers traveling west mended their wagons and horses.
I am standing in the Lookout
tower / dungeon. I am holding a ball and chain that was used to hold prisoners of war.
A
common well on the fort.
Today was a LONG, tiring day and we saw a lot. We didn't cover much distance, but we had a good time. I'll also have you know that we spent no money to see everything we saw! Talk about a vacation missionary style!
Boot hill is another well known attraction of Dodge City. This is the cemetery where men who were killed in showdowns, brawls or gun fights were dumped. They didn't even bother to cover their boots, so they had a headstone and boots sticking up from the ground. For the sake of tourism, they have cemented the boots and you can see them in the grass.
Our next destination was the Santa Fe Trail. This is one of the trails taken by the pioneers on their way across Kansas to the West. We were able to find and follow the wagon ruts that still can be seen.
This is the vast expanse of land. Nothing except dry grass, cacti, and the endless sky to look toward. I imagine the pioneers in their covered wagons trudging across this land. The sun is hot, the breeze is like a wind from an oven, there is no tree for shade, the grass and cacti poke holes in our shoes, and the land seems to go on forever. We were following trails for an hour and walked maybe a mile. At the end of that time, we were ready for some shade, a cool drink and a rest. The pioneers did not have that luxury. They must have had a dream of a better life that drove them furthur west, buryng their children along the way. They must have had such fortitude and a firm belief that this land would someday end and that there really was life beyond the prairie.
This is a spot where the wagon train would separate into 8 different lines to cross a little valley and up the hill. You can still see the tracks. Skeeter had a great time down there!
We then went to Fort Larned, a military base that has been restored. This base was set up to house solderers in the fight against the Indians. The Santa Fe trail comes close to this base and often, pioneers would stop here to mend their wagons, rest a few days and be safe from Indian attacks.
The operating table.
The surgeon's desk.
Hospital beds. Look closely and you can see a tag on the left side of the bed frames. This was the patient's chart- ooh for such simple days!
This is where many of the Pioneers traveling west mended their wagons and horses.
I am standing in the Lookout tower / dungeon. I am holding a ball and chain that was used to hold prisoners of war.
A common well on the fort.
Today was a LONG, tiring day and we saw a lot. We didn't cover much distance, but we had a good time. I'll also have you know that we spent no money to see everything we saw! Talk about a vacation missionary style!
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