The Pink Flamingo :: The Pink Flamingo's 82nd Edition Thursday Thirteen

One of my complaints about education today and people in general is the abject of historical ignorance of the average person. Kids are no longer taught history. When they are it is a politically correct, white-washed version that downplays the role of American history. There is nothing wrong with teaching a broad spectrum of American history that includes all genders and races. That’s not the real problem. The real problem is not enough time is designated to the study of American History. It is not considered as important as math and science. Unfortunately it is more important than math or science. The fool who doesn’t know history is doomed to repeat it like Bill Murry in Groundhog Day, an unending loop of stupidity.

Dodge City, Kansas has retained a place in myth, lore, legend, and the history of the American people. There are a number of very good reasons for this. For one thing, “they” did things right in Dodge City.

If you are interested in more information about Dodge City, I suggest my novel, The 2nd Mrs Earp.
If you are interested in Wyatt Earp's role in Dodge City, I suggest my book TRAVESTY: Frank Waters' Earp Agenda Exposed.

1. DIVERSITY AMONG DROVERS
Dodge City is dripping in the history of the Wild West. It was the wildest of the west, the most “deadly” cowtown in the Wild West. It was untamed. Cowtowns were wild and crazy places. Their danger was due more to the constant uproar of the cowboy jollification than actual criminal activity.

Drovers coming off the long, dirty, and very dangerous trail were tired. They had a lot of money in their pockets. They’d not had access to booze, baths, or women for weeks. When a herd would reach the holding pens on the outside of town the drovers would wait around to be paid. Then they would head into town for a bath and new clothes. They may or may not have checked into a hotel before the process. They might have just thrown their old clothes away, and bought all knew, from the inside out. After the shave and haircut, they would find a place to crash. Then they were off “to see the elephant”.

Some would blow everything they earned on gambling. Some would attach themselves to a pretty little thing (prostitute) and she would talk them out of money for something to put on her back. Others would drink themselves into oblivion.

Cowboys, were called drovers. They were not the object of romance. That came out of Hollywood. Cowboys were men doing their job. Nearly half of all drovers were former slaves. The best scouts and top bosses at the big cattle ranches were former Buffalo Soldiers. They were in great demand and were paid more than their un-educated white counterparts.

Brokeback drovers were not uncommon. The credo of the Wild West was don’t ask, don’t tell. There were a heck of a lot of gay cowboys. There were saloons in the cowtowns of the Wild West that catered to them. No one cared. What one did on one’s own time was one’s own business, as long as one did one’s job.

The big problem – regardless of race or gender preference a drunken drover was a dangerous drover. The average ‘cowboy’ couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. They would get drunk and go out into the street to shoot out windows and howl at the moon. People died that way.

2. EXCELLENT COPS
The town leaders had two choices. Either they did what the leaders in Ellsworth did and no longer welcome the cattle trade and the money, or they went out and hired the best cops money could buy, and pay them – well. Dodge City chose the latter. The Chief of Police was paid $100 a month. His Chief Deputy was paid $75 a month. Members of the force received $50 a month. All would be paid $2.50 a head for each arrest. The Presbyterian minister was paid $35 a month.

The roster of Dodge City lawmen is a map of the history of the taming of the west:

Wyatt Earp
Bat Masterson
Ed Masterson
Bill Tilghman
Charlie Bassett
Dave Mather

3. LAWS WERE ENFORCED
As soon as the legendary lawmen arrived in Dodge, several laws were put in effect. The first was that no one could wear a fire-arm within the city limits. They did not ban guns. They did not prohibit the ownership of guns. But – no one was to wear or have a gun out in public, unless they were cops. If someone was riding out of town and was carrying a gun, fine. If someone was in town and carrying a gun, they could be subjected to fine and arrest.

On April 9, 1878, Ed Masterson was trying to disarm a drunken cowboy. He was shot in the process and died not long afterward.

A “Deadline” was established along Front Street. If you wanted to enjoy vice, you went on that side of the “Deadline”. It basically established a “class” structure in the town, and kept the drovers, prostitutes, and hurdy gurdys on their own side of the street. If they wanted to patronize a business on the other side of the “Deadline” proper behavior was required because “ladies” were allowed to walk unescorted on the other side of the street.

4. EDUCATION WAS IMPORTANT
The residents of Dodge City took their education seriously. By 1879 plans were already underway to build a two story school where the grades would be separated. They had a principal. Teachers were well paid, but there was an enforced code of behavior for all teachers.

5. CHURCHES PLAYED A ROLL IN THE COMMUNITY
Residents of the community were expected to attend church. There is some indication that even Wyatt Earp served as a deacon at the Presbyterian church at one time. I have even held Wyatt Earp’s inscribed Bible, stating that he was involved in the church.

Contrary to popular opinion, all sectors of society were welcome in the churches, even the drovers and the hurdy-gurdys were welcome at church services.

6. BUFFALO HUNTING
Dodge City was originally called “Buffalo City” but there were so many references to “buffalo” in the region that the post office and railroad told the community to come up with another name. The area was a base for the legendary buffalo hunters who heralded the taming of the west. The former buffalo hunters in Dodge City were some of the first people to warn of over-hunting and requested laws to prevent the killing of buffalo.

7. MEDICAL SERVICES
For some strange reason doctors in the Wild West were far superior to their eastern counterparts and were light-years ahead of their European associates. When you compare the practices of doctors in the west to those of Europe it is like comparing space age medicine with barbaric superstition. The x-ray was invented in Dodge City. By the age of Wyatt Earp, physicians in the west were discovering the value of some of the homeopathic practices of the Native Americans and were starting to integrate certain non-traditional medicines into their bag of ‘tricks’. Many of these items would become standard medications we use today. A person suffering a catastrophic injury in a town like Dodge City or Tombstone had a far better chance of survival than someone injured in the east.

Doctors in these western towns were far more likely to be young, just out of medical school, and far more likely to modernize than those in the east.

8. VICE PUT INTO PERSPECTIVE
Because the community was based on “vice” for the cattle trade, many of the leading citizens made their living in the saloon business. The prime example is Chalk Beeson, who owned the legendary Long Branch Saloon. He and his wife were the leading citizens of Dodge. Their son, Merritt was allowed to play in the saloon. There is a story Merritt told about Wyatt Earp.

Wyatt loved children and had none of his own. He was always giving money to kids for candy. When he was a cop in Wichita he would have a dish of strawberry ice cream every day, at the same time. He would buy a ‘round’ for any kid who just happened to be in the ice cream parlor when he was there. I’ve been told that the kids would wait for him so he would purchase ice cream for them. Legend has it that he and Josie met in an ice cream parlor in Tombstone.

In May of 1883, while in Dodge City as part of the legendary Dodge City Police Commission, Wyatt gave Merritt, who was about 10 years old at the time, enough money for Merritt to go purchase a huge bag of candy. True to form, he took the candy back to the Long Branch and dumped the bag out on one of the pool tables. It was hot and humid. The candy stuck to the felt.

Wyatt Earp was a late sleeper. Chalk storms over to the hotel where Wyatt was staying and hauls him out of bed, then forces him across the street to go help Merritt clean off the pool table. Merritt said it was one of the most wonderful days of his life, working along side Wyatt Earp who was being castigated by his father.

Dodge City was the last city in the country to recognize Prohibition, not doing so until 1929, just months before the end of the 'experiment'.

9. THE ARTS WERE IMPORTANT
Chalk Beeson helped to form the Dodge City Cowboy Band. They became famous throughout the country, and were much sought-after performers, even at the White House. The women in the community, anxious to prove they were just as civilized as their eastern counterparts became even more prime and proper and became ‘socialites’ promoting music and theater.

10. POLITICS MATTERED
The small towns of the Wild West were political animals. Your political identification – Democrat or Republican, was very important. They took their voting seriously. Political conventions were taken seriously. There is even an article in one of the Ford County newspapers about Wyatt Earp representing the Ford County Republican Party at the Kansas state GOP convention. Local elections could often become brawls. Wars were fought between county towns over where the county seat would be.

Local residents were expected to be well informed. They (the men, women were not allowed to vote) were expected to play a role in the community and were expected to vote. Those who did not were castigated. They were forced to be “good citizens”.

11. THE LATEST FASHIONS
Both men and women who lived in the Wild West were interested in the latest “European” fashions. (I’m doing a book on the subject). They bought and wore the “latest” thing. Clothes were important. Being well dressed, even on a limited budget, was very important. Being properly dressed was important. Proper behavior, even for hurdy-gurdys and prostitutes, was important. They did not go around dressed like you see in the movies today. They were properly attired in public.

The rule of thumb for new clothing was as follows: If you could only afford one new outfit every year or so, make sure you choose the very best fabric you could afford, in a lighter shade. Make sure you choose the very latest pattern. You can wear the outfit for years and not be completely out of style. As the dress gets older, you dye it darker colors, finally dying it black.

12. ORGANIZED CRIME
Modern organized crime began in Kansas with Quantrill during the Civil War. The August 21, 1863 raid on Lawrence, Kansas was the single biggest act of domestic terrorism until the Oklahoma City bombing. From Quantrill’s Raiders came the James Gang, the Younger Gang, and modern crime was born. Johnny Ringo, who was part of the Cowboys in Tombstone was related to the Youngers. I am trying to prove that Old Man Clanton rode with Quantrill for a time.

To counter the change in the criminal mind, a new breed of lawman was needed: Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Bill Tilghman became legends.

13. HISTORY & LEGEND
Dodge City was founded in 1872. It did not begin to truly grow until the cowtowns of Ellsworth, Abilene, and Wichita decided the cattle trade was no longer welcome, then the Kansas state legislature passed a law pushing the cattle trade farther west. The ‘city fathers’ of Dodge began to advertise that large herds of cattle would be welcome. By 1876 a half million head of cattle was coming through the town every year. Cognizant of their place in “history” the leaders of Dodge City, such as Chalk Beeson, made sure they could preserve as much as possible. They cherished their history. Today much of it can be seen in the Front Street Museum.

By 1878 Dodge City was a legend. People from the east were taking the train to Dodge City for their vacation. Travel guides were promoting Dodge City as a tourism destination, where, on certain nights, Wyatt Earp or Bat Masterson could be seen playing poker at the Long Branch Saloon. The Queen of the Cowtowns was a perfect fit for Hollywood, and became the location for the world premier of the movie, Frontier Marshal, in 1934. That was all it took. From then on, Hollywood came calling.

Dodge City Trail - 1939
Dodge City – 1939
King of Dodge City – 1939
Vigilantes of Dodge City - 1944
West of Dodge City - 1947
Desperadoes of Dodge City - 1948
Masterson of Kansas – 1954
Gunfight at Dodge City - 1958
Cheyenne Autumn – 1964
Wyatt Earp - 1994
TELEVISION
Wyatt Earp
Gunsmoke