Day 168 Dodge City Kansas - Woodward Oklahoma
Trip Start
May 07, 2008
1
179
205
Trip End
Nov 22, 2008
Woodward,
Oklahoma,
United States
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Today was Dodge City day! With a little research we left the Gunsmoke Rv towards the West taking us towards the Wagon Wheel Ruts.
Passing the Rock outcrop that served as a site marker for the travellers those many years ago, we came across the historic site of the Wheel ruts.
The Wheel ruts are the ruts left in the ground and still visible after the years of non use, despite the rain and winds. They are a little fainter depressions but still visible considering the Santa Fe Trail was discontinued being used in around 1877.
The Santa Fe Trail was the trail used for transportation of goods and supplies as well as fortune seekers from the East to the west and reverse. The trail was in heavy use from around 1822 - 1877. The number of wagons using this trail and crossing this area of the plains sometimes travelled four abreast (to prevent following each other's dust as well as enable them to circle the wagons quickly, if required through the Indian territory)) The trip took up to 8 weeks by wagon train travelling at a pace of around 15 to 20 miles per day. (gee we do that now in 20 -25 mins)
The wheel ruts are more visible in the setting sun, apparently, but The Three travellers were looking at them in a windy cold, early morning with rain attempting to fall. Yet it was possible to discern the difference in the vegetation and the hollows of the pathways, as well as a view of an early attempt to put an irrigation channel through the area in the early 1900's.
We travelled the few miles back into the Famous city to head to Boot Hill. This is a replica town rebuilt in 1958 around the site of the actual Boot Hill cemetery.
The wooden shop fronts have been built as close as possible to the photos of the old original town photos available.
An introductory movie of around 15 mins gave a brief outline of the history of Dodge city and how it came to be the Cowboy capitol of the world.
With the Santa Fe Trail firstly as the pathway through to the West and California gold fields, followed by the trail herds of Texas Long horned cattle that followed the trail up to feed and populate the settlers and Eastern states for Beef.
The Texas Long horned cattle were a breed that had arrived from Mexico and into States from the Spanish influence. Originally only a few thousand head, they grew wild in numbers to an estimated 6 million head down in Texas and New Mexico. So were a great source of cattle and food for the growing number of settlers as well as the Eastern seaboard hunger for meat.
The land around this area was "given to the Native Americans" and when the White people flooded into what was deemed to be their territory, they fought back. Hence a series of Forts was created along the route to protect the travellers. Fort Dodge was one of these Forts. It was also a centre where the buffalo Hunters and cowhands meet after the long drives and hunting episodes. The Fort had been abandoned by the Calvary as the town sprang up and the Indians were moved to reservations.
The Town became quite a lawless place with the mixture of the buffalo hunters, Cowboys, woman and alcohol available.
So explosive was the mixture, most of the disputes were settled with gunfights or bullets flying. In one year there were 30 deaths in violent circumstances, from a population base of 500, this was rather high!
A lot of those killed had no person to take care of the body, some without names or surnames, these unfortunate souls were buried in the Hill in shallow graves that became known as boot hill, because most were buried with their boots on.
Some others buried there, were five bodies of Buffalo hunters, (no names known) frozen to death on the plains.
After the site of the actual cemetery (the bodies [as many as could be recovered]) have been relocated, but the site has some board head stones and markers to give some of the known names buried.
Beside at the Gravesites is a building housing some museum artefact, including details and background of the Plains Dwelling North Americans including details of simple things, such as Tepee etiquette.
A full grown Buffalo with a constant video running explain the huge numbers that were part of the landscape, and the importance to the native dwellers, living with the land. This was until the White settlers and Government chose a policy to slaughter the bison, to take away the normal existence and sustenance for the Aboriginal people. The Video also simulated the thunder of the hooves and the floor shook as if 100,000 buffalo were going past.
Other exhibits' within the museum were well presented and showed a lot of past times within the Area.
Leaving the museum, we walked back down Boot Hill into the Replica Front Street.
The first building we entered was the Saloon (Naturally) set up in time period with actors in Time period costume. A piano player tinkled out a tune while we were in the saloon and we fronted up to the bar as all good cowboys would.
We sauntered down the street and into the next store and this was linked by interior walkways through the rest of the towns buildings.
Each store was set out with aspects of goods in a time period. We enjoyed a great browse around in and out amongst the artefacts, including the jail and school house.
Another feature was a two story house been relocated upon the site with some original pieces, set out extremely well.
This was a to City that the infamous Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson to name a couple of well known names, were real people and had a hand in taming the out lawlessness in the town. Earp was known as one of the first (if not the first) lawmen to take the attitude; "shoot first, and ask questions after"
It took these peace keepers around 5 years to tame this town, from 1872 to 1877, thus making themselves redundant, and the City moved into a stable peaceful environment, also this coincided with the end of the trail herding of the Texas long horned Cattle along the Santa Fe Trail. The cattle were stoped from travelling because they were found to be spreading "Texas fever" into other cattle now being bred in the northern states; these cattle were not immune to the Texas Fever as were the Long Horn cattle.
From this time warped street we walked the real shop front street of Dodge to find very little of interest, with more shops closed than opened.
We piled back into the Castle and set sail back towards Oklahoma and south east towards a town called Duncan. This is the main area of interest for the Chisholm trail. We figured we had covered the famous Santa Fe trail and Dodge City in our quest to relive the well documented cowboy days, so it was time to gather the information about the Chisholm trail back in Oklahoma.
We drove South East for about 3 hours to a small place called Woodward, the only RV parks available are in State Parks, so we trekked our way to this one in Boiling Springs.
Out campsite is close to facilities ( they require some attention, but are adequate) the wonderful feature of the park, would have to be, within about half an hour of settling in, we spotted some deer enter the area and begin to graze around the campsite.
We were treated to this until after dusk with upwards of 12 or more of the beautiful creatures, yes a little skittish) but certainly they appeared happy to eat the pickings around the campsite.
