Getting out of Dodge… via the Santa Fe Trail

Summer 2013 is over… and it is time for Alice and I to be heading back South for a visit with Family in Texas.   While traveling from Hart Ranch (Rapid City, SD) to Texas we made a planned stop in Wichita, KS, to visit our Son, SSgt. Thomas LaPeer.   After a great family visit with Tom, we resumed our trip to Texas, passing thru the legendary Old West town of Dodge City, KS…where we were directed to another legendary site… the Santa Fe Trail !

Tom is a 5-year veteran of the US Air Force, a Meteorologist, with Tours of Duty in Europe and the Middle East, as well as in the Continental US.   Tom follows in his family’s footsteps with Military service to his Country… and we are very proud of our Son. 

SSgt Tom LaPeer

We spent several days in Wichita, visiting with our our Son, SSgt. Thomas LaPeer, US Air Force Meteorologist. This picture was taken one evening when Tom dropped in for a visit after work.

After leaving our Home RV Park in Wichita, we headed West on US Hwy 54, towards Dodge City.   We parked the Dolphin (our Motorhome) in Greensburg, KS, which was destroyed by an F5 Tornado back in 2007.   This small prairie town is dotted with cement slabs that formerly supported homes & businesses blown away by the tornado… a very sobering sight.   Today, Greensburg is definitely on the rebuild, with a lovely City Park, that accommodates Class A Motorhomes nicely.   From there, we drove our ‘towed vehicle’ to Dodge City…looking for the Boot Hill Museum, a well known Museum of the early West.   We found it, and boy, were we impressed!

Here is the Museum Entrance just off US Hwy 400, main thoroughfare of Dodge City.

Boot Hill Museum

Entrance into the Boot Hill Museum, from Dodge City’s main street.

Dodge City has a very informative Visitor’s Center.   Alice made it a point to cozy up to one of her most favorite Western characters… Me? I went looking for Miss Kitty… But, no luck.

Alice... at the Visitor Information Center.

Alice… with her favorite Cowboy/Sheriff … at the Visitor Information Center.

After paying the entrance fee of $9 each, we entered the Museum… and of course, we went looking for Boot Hill.   After walking up some steps, we found it.

Boot Hill

The Cemetery at Boot Hill. The only people buried here were those that had no where else to go… And no one to care.

From its founding in 1872, Dodge City steadily grew, with city expansion & development slowly surrounding the original Boot Hill Cemetery.   This next picture is the actual Cemetery location… the original graves were moved over the years to more appropriate locations, but due to poor record keeping, they think a few unknown graves may still be here… Turns out, the only people buried here were those without any means… without anyone who cared about their deaths… or generally just Loners.   They were usually buried the next morning after being ‘dispatched’… wrapped in a blanket, valuables removed and ‘reused’, with boots usually left on.

Burial plots at Boot Hill

Burial plots at Boot Hill… Most graves were exhumed years ago and relocated to other cemeteries… but officials are not sure if they got ALL of them…

Below is more information about those buried here at Boot Hill.   Local records were generally not kept, and most known records came from regional newspapers, letters, and other unofficial sources.

Some known Burials at Boot hill

Early Residents of the Cemetery at Boot Hill…

The Museum has built a replica of the original Dodge City ‘Front Street’.   This next picture is part of that, a replica of the original “Long Branch Saloon” of the 1950-60’s Gunsmoke TV series.   The Saloon replica is identical in exterior appearance to the 1870’s original.

Long Branch Saloon

Long Branch Saloon – Replica.

The Museum has done a fine job in reproducing the original Dodge City “Front Street”, and the replica stores and services here are Museum class… All buildings are used for Museum exhibit space, and some are even operational.   In the case of the Long Branch Saloon, Alice ordered a Sasparilla from the Bar Tender, Mr. Brad Smalley.   Brad was a veritable wealth of historical information about early Dodge City, and gave us directions on how to find remaining trail ruts for the old Santa Fe Trail.     I never did find Miss Kitty.

Brad Smalley... Bar Tender.

Alice is preparing to chug her Sasparilla… She had been served by Brad Smalley (in the background),  Bar Tender for the Long Branch Saloon and Western History Lover.

In the main exhibits area of the Museum were several absolutely wonderful exhibits of early Dodge City, and native American artifacts and information.   One could easily spend a full day in this part of the Museum.   This gentleman, Mr. Brent Harris, has worked to build and maintain many of the exhibits.   Brent was friendly, informative, and clearly had a passion for the History of the West.   We had a great time talking with Brent… and learned much.

Boot Hill Museum

Brent Harris, History Lover and exhibit builder at the Boot Hill Museum… His Buffalo stampede exhibit left us shaking all over… Absolutely outstanding exhibit!

The afternoon finished all too quickly… and Alice and I went in pursuit of the Santa Fe Trail, as directed by Bar Tender Brad Smalley.   We found it, 9 miles West of Dodge City, just off US Hwy 50… Easy walking.   This is the original Historical Marker from over 100 years ago.

DAR Marker - Santa Fe Trail

This Trail Marker for the Santa Fe Trail was placed by the DAR in 1906.

A few hundred yards off the Highway (US 50), Alice found a good vantage point to take this next picture.   As told to us by Bar Tender/Historian Brad, the freight wagons usually drove 2 – 4 abreast, so as to minimize dust impact, and to provide for better defense against Comanche Indians.   The Santa Fe Trail ruts in this picture show that to be the case.   As an amateur student of history of the early American West… I could not help but think… that not too far from here the legendary Jedidiah Smith, devout Christian, Mountain man, Fur trapper, Explorer, co-discoverer of the South Pass… was killed by Comanche Indians on May 27, 1831, while traveling close to this stretch of the Santa Fe Trail.

Wagon Trail Ruts... Santa Fe Trail

Wagon Trail Ruts… Santa Fe Trail, located about 9 miles West of Dodge City, along US 50.

This next picture is a Santa Fe Wagon Trail rut up close;   The walking path going down the middle leads out into the prairie, where more ruts can be seen at a better vantage point. 

Santa Fe Trail Rut... up close.

Santa Fe Trail Rut… up close. Freight Wagons generally traveled 2 – 4 abreast in order to avoid dust and to provide better protection against Indian attack.

By this time in our search for the Santa Fe Trail it was getting dark, and we had to head back towards Dodge city.   While passing thru town, we spotted this appropriate, very large, mural on the side of a multi-story building… certainly most fitting for our thoughts & emotions at this time… as we “Got out of Dodge”.

Mural... Leaving Dodge

Downtown Mural… Leaving Dodge City.

Thank you for taking the time to read and view this post… We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did doing it!   If interested, please take some time to to add your comments… and to subscribe to our travel blog for future picture posts.

Slideshow… Dodge City and the Santa Fe Trail
To view a full-screen, high resolution slideshow of our Dodge City visit, click the     ‘curved arrow’ just below the picture on the right.   To return to normal display, hit [Esc] key.  Otherwise, place cursor over the picture to display the slideshow contol buttons.     Comments are Welcomed!

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3 thoughts on “Getting out of Dodge… via the Santa Fe Trail

  1. Jim/Alice – LOVED IT; so happy for you both and the great time you’ve been having. Also. great to see the picture of Tom and glad he is doing well. Brent

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