Dodge City, a frontier cow town is famous for its connection to the Santa Fe Trail during the continental westward expansion era from the early 1800s forward throughout the rest of the century.

Built in 1865, Fort Dodge is the oldest settlement along the Arkansas river in Kansas and served as an outpost on the Santa Fe Trail to provide both a place to rest as well as a resupply stop for the numerous buffalo hunters and traders that would find their way into the this southeastern area of Kansas.

This fort was originally established by Captain Hernry Pierce by the order of Major General Grenville Dodge, for the purpose of protecting the wagon trains on the Santa Fe Trail.

The original structures were sod dugouts along the north bank of the Arkansas river, but because of poor sanitation, spring flooding and other maladies, Fort Dodge was relocated in 1867 and rebuilt as stone buildings.

In 1868, the Comanche and Kiowa indigenous people attacked Fort Dodge, which resulted in the death of four soldiers and another 17 wounded. This resulted in several Army Generals arriving at the fort during the same year, who would begin outfitting and preparations for a campaign against the Plains Indians. When preparations were done and the army ready to march, General George Custer took charge and carried on the campaign.

As the threat of Indian attack was reduced, so was the number of soldiers who occupied Fort Dodge, until June of 1882, when the fort was closed. From this facility, the remaining soldiers marched south to Fort Supply, Oklahoma.

When the flag was finally lowered on 2 October, 1882, Fort Dodge, the Guardian of the Frontier, had fulfilled it purpose.

However, its use as a place for soldiers did not stop then, but in 1889, a federal law was enacted authorizing the use of the post as a Home for Soldiers by the State of Kansas. The Kansas Soldiers′ Home was opened in early 1890. When rebuilding and repairing began on the Soldiers′ Home, the character of the famous old post was sustained.

About the year 1871, Henry L. Sitler constructed a sod house 5 miles west of Fort Dodge on the Santa Fe Trail. Within one year this site grew into a town with a general store, three dance halls, and six saloons.

Many of the early settlers of Dodge City were gamblers, gunslingers, and cattlemen. The next year, the Santa Fe Railroad arrived in Dodge City, about which time, the Texas cattle drovers began to use a shortcut from the Chisholm Trail to Dodge City called the Texas Trail. Thousands of longhorn cattle were driven over the Texas Trail into Dodge City for loading on the railroad.

With the influx of the cattle also came more cowboys, gamblers, buffalo hunters, and soldiers. Dodge City became a rowdy town famous for its saloons, outlaws, and Boot Hill Cemetery.

It was during these years that Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp and Matt Dillon earned their fame as lawmen.

Today, they say that there are authentic replica of Front Street with the Long Branch Saloon, however, it is $40.00 for one adult to enter. I, however will absolutely not go there because it looks like a flow blown turkey shoot to me. Instead, I will check out the downtown area for more things to my liking.