Even today, over 100,000 tourists relive the legend each year by visiting the boot hill museum and historic front street reconstruction. Ford county history bibliography kansas historical society. Jul 24, 2019 the new boot hill distillery bourbon, according to those behind it, has been aging in new 53 gallon american white oak barrels since january of 2017. As conditions improved, kansas returned largely to its allegiance to the republican party and gained a reputation as a conservative stronghold with a bent for moral reform, indicated in the states strong support of prohibition. The 1947 building has been renovated top to bottom, and you are invited to the celebration.
Boot hill museum gunfight reenactments, saloon shows and chuck wagon dinners are part of the appeal at the boot hill. For more great articles be sure to subscribe to wild west magazine today. They were mostly interested in the graves of billy clanton and frank and tom mclaury. Farmer owned and operated distillery and tasting room on the original boot hill cemetery site in dodge city, ks. See more ideas about history books, kansas and history. The 1874 view of front street, left, with frederick zimmermanns gun and hardware store, george m. Clavins book is more than the history of the earp and masterson brothers, it is also the history of kansas and mostly of dodge city. Populating boot hill in dodge city, kansas page 3 legends. Boot hill distillery, dodge city, kansas, has switched its production facility to making hand cleaner for the community.
The couple met in 1960 at fort hays state university and were married in 1963. A few years ago i was in tombstone working with a film crew from the united kingdom. Southwest of hays, the kansas historical society maintains the fort hays state historic site. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Famous for its rich history as a frontier cowtown, dodge city, kansas offers up a wide array of legends, lore and history to travelers in western kansas. How did the state boundary of missouri come to include the. Kansas distillery boot hill releases its first bourbon the. They are busy researching and writing and telling the story of dodge city through our exhibits at boot hill museum, and with. For further reading, try his book tombstones boothill, which was first published in 1971 but has since been updated several times. The areas rich history dates back to the native americans who thrived off of the land and the buffalo. Kansas in brief news the kansan newton, ks newton, ks. He has written and published many historical books about the old west. The skeletons removed from the graves on boot hill were found to be in a fine state of preservation.
American craft spirits association announced recently that boot hill distillerys vodka was the gold medal winner and best in class vodka at the 2020 american. If the history of the west has been a mother lode of entertainment riches, dodge city has been its touchstone. The rise and fall and rise again of this cemetery in a mining town typifies the cycle of a boomtown and its accompanying boot hill in the west. The gunfighters wax museum is located above the kansas teachers hall of fame, the first of its kind in the united states and another great stop on your dodge city vacation. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle.
Once called home or visited by such notables as wyatt earp, doc holliday, big nose kate, and clay allison, this old town had a reputation for being the most wicked town in the old west. The history of boot hill in dodge city, kansas by former mayor robert m. Open seven days a week from memorial day to labor day. Dodge city, kansas a wicked little town legends of america. It is the only honor for kansas books by kansans, highlighting our lively contemporary writing community and encouraging readers to enjoy some of the best writing of the authors among us. As far as i can determine, boot hill is the 12th highest named summit in kansas. However, the term is locally used to refer to the entire southeastern lowlands of missouri. Live the legend of the west at boot hill museum boot hill museum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of the history of dodge city and the old west.
Dec 19, 2009 boot hill became a major figure in the history of the cattle towna story told in one of the first books written about the city, robert wrights dodge city, the cowboy capital. Sometime around 1929 and the towns first helldorado days, people started calling the old cemetery boot hill graveyard. The missouri bootheel is the southeasternmost part of the state of missouri, extending south of 3630. Today, as a center for education, business and culture for western kansas, hays is called home to about 20,000 people, and continues to display its rich history at not only historic fort hays, but also at the ellis county historical museum, sternberg museum of natural history and the boot hill cemetery. A lot of old west towns had cemeteries called boot hill, but they stole the name from dodge city. Populating boot hill in dodge city, kansas legends of america.
During the 19th and early 20th century it was a common name for the burial grounds of gunfighters, or those who died with their boots on i. Boot hill dodge city kansas by don richards abebooks. Historical exhibits illustrate the life and times of early dodge city and its unique characters and thriving economy. The vision of boot hill museum is to be a recognized destination for our guests to experience the history and relive the legend of dodge city. At least seventynine outlaws were buried at the site. Both gary and margaret kraisinger are descendents of kansas homesteaders. The frontier cemetery as tourist attraction in tombstone, arizona, and dodge city, kansas, the journal of arizona history, vol. Souvenir of boot hill dodge city, kansas boot hill, dodge.
Other sites related to the areas frontier period include boot hill, the citys earliest cemetery, and a historical marker at the site of the illfated town of rome. Relive the legend at boot hill museum in historic downtown dodge city. Geographically dodge city had one of the best locations, and her commanding position enabled the city to maintain the commercial and industrial supremacy. Senate reopens book on legalizing sports gambling in kansas. The author tells about zebulon pike who spent some time exploring the area around what became dodge city. Boot hill cemetery history by robert wright, dodge city town president dodge city, the cowboy capital, chapter 08. Clavin provides a brief history of the discovery of the west from the spanish, french to lewis and clark. Boot hill is the name of the cemetery in dodge city in the gunsmoke radio series. Margaret whittemore kansapedia kansas historical society. Dodge city was founded in 1872 and quickly became the worlds largest shipping point for longhorn cattle. Museum curators, entertainers and volunteers are brought in to discuss various dodge city history pieces.
Apr 16, 2018 the history of dodge city kansas dodge city was founded in 1872 on the plains at the nearest point of the santa fe railroad to fort dodge. Hes a board member of the cowboy storytellers association of the western plains, a founding member of the western music association, kansas chapter, and active with the we kan conference and the former kansas sampler festival. View all hotels near boot hill museum on tripadvisor. Boot hill museum dodge city 2020 all you need to know.
Boot hill cemetery dodge city, ks history boot hill. Most of the collection is from the 1870s through the 1920s and many items. Whittemore, a professor of latin and education at washburn university, and frances davis whittemore, director of its art department. Hays, kansas may be the home of the first boot hill cemetery, where gunfighters, or those who died with their boots on were buried. Stroll down the boardwalk and peer through the windows into a time long gone by. Of those, perhaps the best known are in dodge city, kansas, and tombstone, arizona.
Boot hill, or boothill, is the name for any number of cemeteries, chiefly in the western united states. On december 4, 1971, the dakota state college football trojans helped make history as they were the first college football team from south dakota to win a postseason bowl game. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Boothill casino and resort dodge city 2020 all you. Famous for its rich history as a frontier cowtown, dodge city, kansas offers up a wide array of legends, lore and history. Boot hill museum is an american historical museum located in dodge city, kansas. The boot hill museum is located on the original location of the boot hill cemetery in dodge city, kansas. Boot hill museum is dedicated to the collection and preservation of 19th century of dodge city. Boot hill became a major figure in the history of the cattle towna story told in one of the first books written about the city, robert wrights dodge city, the cowboy capital. This reallife story of dodge city is as colorful as.
It was tombstones first city cemetery, established in 1879. In a little over 2 years, it is said, kansass hot, dry, windy climate and wild temperature swings have been particularly beneficial to the aging process. Oct 31, 2017 the boot hill museum collection includes more than 60,000 artifacts, photographs and documents relating to dodge city. Gary and margaret kraisinger cowboy historians boot hill. Dodge city ks map kansas cities, boot hill museum, dodge. Boot hill dodge city, kansas by richards, don and george henrichs and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Boot hill books is a virtual bookstore specializing in hardtofind tomes on arizona and the southwest. Boot hill dodge city, kansas paperback 1973 by editordon richards author see all 2 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. Jul 25, 2018 roger is a freelance writer, western entertainer, history buff and kansas treasure. Museum admission 8 am 6 pm world famous gunfight 12pm country style dinner 6 pm world famous gunfight 7 pm long branch saloon variety show 7. The boot hill museum collection includes more than 60,000 artifacts, photographs and documents relating to dodge city. Strictly speaking, it is composed of the counties of dunklin, new madrid, and pemiscot. Located on a hill north of the town of hays city kansas, the cemetery was the first in the west to be called boot hill.
New updated wild west stunt show at knotts berry farm 2016 duration. The summit is located in an enclosure behind a museum in dodge city, kansas. The third cemetery boothill when the second tombstone area cemetery extended its reach northward, from beyond what now is e. Naturally, one of the sites they wanted to include was the towns storied boot hill. Legends of america photo prints dodge city dodge city. Dodge city attractions tell the story of the old west. The author did an excellent job of presenting the history of the town.
Boothill graveyard tombstone arizona listing of graves. Kansas books and other sunflower state literature teaching materials are the specialty. Historically speaking, is a series of articles prepared by our curatorial and research department. The contemporary studios and suites have flatscreen tvs, desks with ergonomic chairs, and coffee makers, as well as living areas with pullout sofas, and full kitchens. They are working with community businesses to distribute the cleaner. For years tombstones boot hill has been spelled boothill on the signs posted around the graveyard and in many history books. Populating boot hill in dodge city, kansas page 2 legends. We love the kc steaks at the boot hill casino restaurant. The problem gambling and addictions grant fund is administered by the kansas department of aging and disability services formerly the kansas department of social and rehabilitation services. In 1867 the hill was a half mile north of the newly founded hays city and it was used for the earliest burials.
Boot hill museum dodge city cvb, ks visit dodge city. In 1878, all graves were moved from boot hill to the then new now defunct prairie grove cemetery. List of books and articles about kansas history online. Monday, march 12 at interabang books, 10720 preston road, dallas. The staff at boot hill has been working hard for the past two years on the original boot hill museum building and the people of the plains exhibits.
The exciting and unique story of early dodge city is told daily along front street at boot hill museum. In many episodes, the marshal matt dillon would allude. The first book in the boot hill series, a hybrid more. This website is a result of two summers at the boot hill museum in dodge city kansas and is dedicated to the work these individuals accomplish not only as gunfighters but also as cultivators of culture. In the streets of a kansas prairie town on an evening in mid1872. In partnership with rocking m media, boot hill museum began producing online history videos new connections to the old west. Boot hill museum 598 front st dodge city ks 67801 usa. The cohen center for kansas history, barton county community college, great bend major new 600 book collection for researchers history gateway at kansas, dr. It wasnt called boothill until the 1920s, probably as a result of hollywood westerns or dime novels. They are arizona, idaho, iowa, kansas, michigan, montana, nebraska, new mexico, oregon, and texas.
Boot hill distillery wins gold medaldodge city before it switched to making hand sanitizer to fight the covid19 virus, boot hill distillery made liquor as originally intended, and its work paid off. The establishment of the santa fe trail brought settlers to the area and introduced the potential of what is known as dodge city. The boundary outlined in this memorial was not adopted, but if it had been, the state of missouri would have been much larger, including parts of southern iowa, eastern kansas, and northeastern arkansas. Kansas heritage center dodge city cvb, ks visit dodge city. The areas history as a cemetery was refreshed when site excavations dug up skeletons and grave residuals. Boot hill museum people of the plains exhibit dodge city, kansas.
Boot hill cemetery defunct in dodge city, kansas find. Gunfighters wax museum see wyatt earp, belle starr, doc holliday, miss kitty and more in this lifesized wax museum, located in the kansas teachers hall of fame. The united states congress amended the memorial boundaries, but agreed to include the area known as the bootheel within the new state. Dodge city, ks a unique story of early western dodge city is told daily along front street at boot hill museum. The boot hill bowl champion trojans posted a record of nine wins and two losses that season and were ranked as high as number seven in. It consists of four of the forts original structures and a visitors center.
Hidden history of kansas by adrian zink, soldiers in the army of freedom. Enjoy everything boot hill museum has to offer with the marshal pass includes. This books good dodge city history includes clarifying details on wyatt earp. When visiting kansas be sure to check these locations off your bucket list. A culture of the old west retold as economics prospered during the shortlived cattle drives from 1872 1883.
According to the dodge city globe of february 4th, 1879. Gary was born on november 6, 1939 in hays, kansas, to alfred and christina kraisinger. Boot hill museum the museum is open 362 days a year, but plan your trip during the summer months for historical interpreters, exciting gunfights and other reenactments. Margaret, his wife, was born on july 14, 1941 in garden city, kansas to archie and livona beller.
Walker, together with several friends and a bottle of whiskey, set off to find the mens graves. Boot hill though all did not contribute directly to the population of boot hill, there were many deeds of violence committed in dodge citys first ten years of life, that paralleled any which added a subject for interment in that primitive burying ground. All told, the vigilantes hanged 24 men, most of which were buried on boot hill all but five in unmarked graves. Boot hill museum is a historical museum that provides your family with an exciting and interactive experience.
Boot hill became a major figure in the history of the cattle towna story told in one of the first books written about the city, robert wrights dodge city. She earned a degree in 1919 from washburn university, and studied graphic arts at the art institute of. The mission of boot hill museum is to preserve and interpret the old west through exhibits, education and entertainment reflective of the areas rich heritage. This black and white photograph shows the excavating site of the boot hill cemetery in hays, kansas. A nonprofit entity, the mission of the museum is to preserve the history of. Front street replica on boot hill is based on this photograph. The frontier cemetery as tourist attraction in tombstone, arizona, and dodge city, kansas. Boot hill museum is located on the original site of boot hill. Jun 07, 2019 boot hill and hangmans tree, dodge city, kansas one of the best known boot hill cemeteries you can visit today is in tombstone, arizona. Born september 7, 1897, in topeka, kansas, margaret whittemore was the daughter of luther d. The original boot hill dodge citys cowtown history is finally captured well in. Hoovers liquor and cigar store, chalk beesons long branch saloon and charles rath and robert wrights general outfitting store all at the end of the second block west of the train depot.