Kansas Heritage Center

Wagonways were created in the mid-to-late 1500s in Germany. These were horse-drawn wagons on wooden rails which made it easier to pull them through mud. As the years moved on, the wooden rails became iron in the late 1700s, and by the early 1800s, steam-powered trains came into existence. This made hauling resources, personal belongings, and traveling more convenient.

Locomotives were first introduced in Great Britain in the early 1800s, and by 1825, England had its first passenger train. This was the Stockton and Darlington Railway which ran for twenty-six miles and was used until 1863.

Steam-powered engines made their way to America around the same time. While there had been some form of a train or train track, the first passenger train was opened in 1830 with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. It was established in Baltimore, Maryland and had thirteen miles of track that ended in Ellicott City. But it continued to expand. By 1852, it reached West Virginia (379 miles of track at the time), and it extended into Cleveland, Ohio by 1901.

Throughout the early and mid-1800s, more trains began construction and stretched across more regions in North America. This included the Atchison and Topeka Railway which began in 1860. The Civil War began the next year and continued until 1865, so this delayed its completion. It wasn't until afterward where it finally began picking back up. It started on the east side of Kansas, making its way westward, following the Santa Fe Trail all the way to Santa Fe, New Mexico. It reached Dodge City in September of 1872, and was fully completed by March of 1873.

By the 1990s, the company merged with Burlington Northern, changing the name to Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (or BNSF), and this expanded the track further. Now, the BNSF track extends from Chicago, Illinois to Los Angeles, California, and they've added additional track across the country. In total, they have a rail network of 32,000 miles that operates in twenty-eight states and three Canadian territories.

But BNSF isn't the only railroad out there as there's several others across all North America.

Pictured is of the first depot in 1872 in Dodge City, which was a basic platform that expanded into a boxcar. The second photo is of the train in 1898 with a few soldiers who enlisted in the army to fight in the Spanish-American War. The third shown is of a newer terminal in the foreground, and behind it is the Harvey House (Santa Fe Depot). The last two are of some ticket counter employees and patrons in 1949.

It's amazing how much the trains and our very own Depot have evolved over time, along with all those who were a part of the journey.

Sponsored by Humanities Kansas, City of Dodge City Cultural Relations Advisory Board, Main Street Dodge City, Dodge City Community College, and Boot Hill Museum... the Kansas Heritage Center is excited to host a showing of the documentary Five Flags for you to come enjoy!

Five Flags recounts the history of how Dodge City was governed by the countries of Spain, the Republic of Texas, France, Mexico, and the United States. Professor Lukas Gunderson from Dodge City Community College will join us to discuss more of the film and history.

Snacks and drinks will be provided for free! 🍪🥤

All are welcome to attend this free program at the Dodge City Public Library! It'll be held in the Lower Level Meeting Room on Friday, August 23rd starting at 4pm!

Frederick Boyd was born in 1844 in Vermont. He was one of several children to Hannah Colegrove and Nelson Boyd. The family had moved to Illinois when he was still young, and grew up in Will County. By the age of nineteen, he followed in his father's footsteps in joining the army. His great-grandfather fought in the Revolutionary War, his grandfather fought in the War of 1812, and his father, his brother Albert, and himself fought in the Civil War.

A few years after the war, he married Martha Rowland and had three children. Two of the children and Martha had passed, leaving Fred a widowed father.

Albert made it to Fort Dodge in 1866, moving to Dodge City in 1873 where he opened the Dodge House with George B. Cox. Fred followed suit with his daughter, Pearl, and officially made his way to Dodge City by 1875, working for the Santa Fe Railroad. He had also helped manage the Dodge House alongside George and his brother.

By 1879, he married Mary Lehn and they had five children. Fred and his family had owned the lot along Railroad Avenue and Military Avenue, before the O'Neal family took over. But this had helped the Boyd family with the management of the Dodge House Hotel because it had been located on Front Street, on the corner of Railroad Avenue (Central), with the back of the building stretching all the way across to Chestnut Street.

It had thirty-eight rooms, a restaurant, bar, and a billiard hall with a 90-person capacity.

George Cox had completely bought out Albert's share of the hotel by 1883, although Fred continued to manage the hotel until the early 1900s.

There were various other owners for Dodge House, and by around 1905, the hotel was moved from the corner of Railroad Avenue and Front Street to a little further on the right side of Front Street. According to a 1905 Sanborn Fire Insurance map, it seemed to have been about two buildings away from First Avenue. If it were still there today, it'd be located at 210 East Wyatt Earp Boulevard.

It'd been at this location well up into the 1960s where in 1969, it was torn down as part of the Urban Renewal Program. But in 1973, it was rebuilt at its current location, 2408 West Wyatt Earp Boulevard, where it gave more rooms, amenities and a modern look than the previous properties. The current hotel has 105 rooms, a pool and hot tub, small arcade, restaurant, bar, and a convention center.

Despite not owning the Dodge House, the Boyd family owned various other hotels in multiple towns across Kansas. Fred moved to Kingsdown, which is about six miles away from Bucklin, to get into a carpentry business with his son-in-law around 1910. But by 1916, he moved again to Fort Dodge until he passed away in 1918.

The first photo is of Fred and his family. Those standing are: Hattie Shenk, Dora Fretzlin, and Elizabeth Shenk. And those sitting are: Fred Boyd, Mattie Boyd, and Mattie (Mary?). The three girls in the back are Fred's daughters, along with the little one in the front.

The next few photos are of the Dodge House in its original place and appearance. The third photo with a look down Front Street was taken in 1879.

The final photo is of the second address before it was torn down from the Urban Renewal Program. This was taken between 1956-1957.

Even though the Dodge House Hotel didn't start with Frederick, he played a part in its life from the beginning. And if it hadn't been for Albert moving down here to set up shop with a hotel business, its history might've been completely different.

The serenade of her voice lulled a crowd into a calming atmosphere. Each ballad filled every last cowboy who could hear her song with sentimental warmth and adulation. In fact, you couldn't mistake her for anyone else besides the one and only Dora Hand.

Dora was one of the greatest additions to Dodge City's nightlife in the 1870s, though her life was tragically cut short just a few months after her arrival.

No one truly knew her past besides the swarm of whispers trailing her skirts, but the word on the street was that she was from Boston and became an opera singer before she made it out west. There'd been many other rumors and guesses, but none completely confirmed. Something we do know is that she came to Dodge City from St. Louis, Missouri in the summer of 1878, and that she was part of an entertainment company that traveled around Kansas. A lot is up to speculation, but some believe she had been smitten with mayor James Kelley, a reason why she'd been staying at his residence.

Through all of this and her stay in Dodge, she had been a well-respected young woman. Dora had been known to be generous, ready to aid anyone should they need help, and singing for the Lord during the high and bright sun. But under a blanket of stars, she'd be singing to the rowdy cowboys, some wanting more than just to hear angelic voice.

During that same summer Dora had been in Dodge, a man by the name of James Kennedy made his presence known in Dodge City. There is mostly conjecture out there, but at the end of the day, mayor Kelley and Mr. Kennedy had bad blood. There'd been a time when James Kennedy said he'd seek his revenge and left Dodge City, not having heard from since. It wasn't until the night of October 3rd when he showed back up.

Dora Hand and her friend, Fannie Garrettson, had been staying at mayor Kelley's house. That night, the mayor left to Fort Dodge to seek medical attention, and the two young women took off for bed. Close to 4:30 in the morning, shots echoed through the night. Accompanied by screams, the mystery shooter sat on his horse and galloped away from Dodge City, trails of dust following behind them. It was soon discovered that Dora Hand had been killed.

Not long after the murder, a group of lawmen - including Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp - went out to look for the culprit. One witness gave the description of none other than James Kennedy. It's to be believed that his true intended victim was mayor Kelley, and before Kennedy's capture, had thought that was who the bullet found a home in. Only, he'd been shocked to learn it'd been Dora.

It's unknown what had happened to Dora's remains as some say she was the last person buried at Boot Hill while others said she was buried at Prairie Grove Cemetery, with her remains lost during the removal for Maple Grove. But her story lives on, and she will never be forgotten. ❤

We want to give a huge thank you to the Friends of the Library and Bill Nicks for coming out on July 26th to portray and talk about such a beloved president, Dwight Eisenhower! IKE had such an amazing and interesting life story! ❤

Be on the look out for more incredible programs the Kansas Heritage Center is planning to host! 👀

Dodge City's downtown area had a few businesses during its early stages of expansion. Its main shopping and entertainment storefront was alongside Front Street, and a good portion of them, as seen in this second photo, were well known.

From left to right, we've got: G. M. Hoover and John McDonald Wholesale Liquor and Saloon, Frederick C. Zimmermann Hardware and Gunsmith, Dr. McCarty's drug store, the O. K. Clothing Store (Morris Collar's), and a Billiard Hall and Saloon (A. J. Peacock's).

Although the majority of this group were men, there was one woman among them. This was Mollie Whitecamp, also known as Dutch Jake. She's seen in front of the Hoover and McDonald's saloon, sitting on a beer keg. The picture has her looking in full white.

Once people started moving over here to establish their own stores and saloons, she created a brothel business along Central and Chestnut Streets. And she, along with her B***y House, eventually became very well known. Not only because of her line of work, but because of who she was.

She was often seen smoking ci**rs, swearing like a bullwhacker, loved fishing, and sometimes described as "wearing men's clothing." It'd been said that "everyone knew her," and this could've been because her personality wasn't "normal" compared to societies standards of women. Though this didn't mean everyone liked her.

Mollie had moved her business behind the Zimmermann Hardware store in 1883. It's been said that during the 1885 fires, the firefighters placed 150 tons of gun powder in her House, hoping it'd burst into fragments. But their plan didn't succeed. While the building did explode, the furniture was saved, and it was said that the blast "didn't blow the roof off."

And while yes, she had been convicted and put on trial multiple times, she'd get free one way or another. It proved to be difficult to destroy her business despite the infamous reputation it had.

The group photo was taken in 1873, and the first photo is of Mollie.

Unless you lived it or saw photos of it, you wouldn't have ever known how Trail Street used to look. Many of these buildings were replaced with car dealerships, parking lots, or a completely new buildings. Sometimes it's hard to recognize. This section of Dodge not only looked different, but if you would've stepped into these photos to go back in time, the life on the other side would've been much different, too. When you cross the train tracks nowadays, it doesn't feel quite the same, like the extension of Front Street that it used to be.

This first scene is a look down Second Avenue from the train tracks. On the far right we have the Kansas Gas Company which is now Lopp Motors, and on the far left is the Flour Mills.

The second scene is a close up of further down Second Avenue, showing what's on the right side if you're driving down this way. Closest to the right side of the photo is a gas station which would've been located on the corner of Trail and Second Avenue, where Lopp Motors currently is. On the opposite side of the street is an Auto Parts store. There's a sign that says Oldsmobile Viking. The current location is a parking lot for Panadaria Madero Tortilleria.

This third scene is a look down Trail Street from Second Avenue, right across the way from those in the second photo. On the far left side of the photo is the vehicle filling station right behind the Kansas Gas Company. This would be, again, Lopp Motors and across from it is the Dodge City Flour Mills, which burnt down in 1949.

As you move west on Trail, you'll come to the next scene which is the John Deere building. Most of this is still here and looks the same... except for that building that cuts off on the right side of the picture. It's currently a parking lot for Lopp Motors.

Our tour ends on the corners of Trail and Third Avenue, looking west toward Fourth Avenue. The building in the foreground is the Swift and Company Cream Station, which is occupying the same area as Trail Street Laundry today. And the building across is pretty identifiable as the Guymon-Petro building, or what used to be called the Wholesale Grocery Company. Today, it's Cowboy Capital.

Many of these buildings and former businesses are now distant memories from a time that many won't ever get to encounter. But these are proof that Dodge City has gone through a lot of difficult changes, and will continue to morph as the years go on.

These don't have a date on them, but the cars suggest around 1930.

Stop by the Dodge City Public Library today at 2pm to meet Dwight Eisenhower, a re-enactment character portrayed by Bill Nicks!

Through this re-enactment, you will learn about Dwight's upbringing, family, military background; his association with Columbia University, Vietnam, and the Korean War; his difficulty in winning the presidential election, and so much more!

For more information, please go to https://dcpl.info/event-calendar/

Dwight Eisenhower was born in 1890 in Denison, Texas. A few years after he was born, his family moved to Abilene, Kansas and grew up there along with his several other brothers.

Through adolescence and young adulthood, he hungered for advanced education, something he couldn't quite gain access to on tight funds. However, he sought out various opportunities and attended West Point Academy in New York, which is a military preparation college. Upon graduation in 1915, he was sent to Texas, and from there, he met Mary Doud - otherwise known as Mamie. They married in 1916.

But while Dwight was newly married, he was heavily devoted to the army, and couldn't wait to get on the front lines of battle or dealing with more hands-on excitement.

Throughout his service, they brought two sons into the world - Doud, who was born in 1917, but passed away in 1921 - and John, born in 1922.

By the late 1920s, he and his family flew to France where he studied the World War I battlefields and geography, along with the country's transportation systems. Around this time, the hostility boiled over with Germany which resulted in the breakout of World War II in 1939.

It took two years before the United States got in the middle of it, and when America did, Eisenhower became involved with the campaign against the Axis Powers. Sometime around then, he took command of the Allied Forces. In late 1942, Eisenhower commanded the Allied invasion of attack on the French colonies in northern Africa. This was known as Operation Torch. Around this time, he was promoted to Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces.

With the war ending in 1945, he became a household name in the United States, only he took a step back from the military when we came back home to become the president of Columbia University in New York.

This civilian kind of lifestyle didn't last long for Dwight when he was approached by President Truman to take over the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Around this time, he was persuaded into running for president, and that was what he did. By 1953, he won the election and became the 34th president of the United States.

He served two terms of presidency, ending his time at the White House in 1961. But during his time in office, he kept his main priority on world peace. He did whatever he could to keep conflicts civilized, even took amicable alternatives during any major military or otherwise dispute. Dwight's name continued to live on even after he passed in 1969.

If you're interested in more history on Eisenhower himself or anything about his family or time in service, you can come to the Kansas Heritage Center and check out our books! We have quite the abundance of books about him and his life. 📚

Also, don't forget to stop by the Dodge City Public Library tomorrow at 2pm to meet Eisenhower, a re-enactment actor portrayed by Bill Nicks, and learn more about the President of the United States!

Come join the Friends of the Library and the Kansas Heritage Center to meet Dwight Eisenhower, portrayed by Bill Nicks!

Through this re-enactment, you will learn about Dwight's upbringing, family, military background; his association with Columbia University, Vietnam, and the Korean War; his difficulty in winning the presidential election, and so much more!

Stop on by the Dodge City Public Library this Friday (July 26th) at 2pm to meet the 34th president from the 34th state!

For more information, please go to https://dcpl.info/event-calendar/

We present to you the Gluck Opera House! 🎭

Though the history is a bit more complex than Adolphus Gluck building a theater. 🧐

It started with the 1885 fire. The Beatty and Kelley restaurant in town had burned to the ground, and in 1886, James Kelley, a former mayor of Dodge City and part owner of the Beatty and Kelley restaurant, decided to replace it with another form of entertainment. An opera house.

This was located on the corner of Front Street and First Avenue (its entrance being on Chestnut Street). It had five store rooms and a basement for extra office space. But you might be wondering, "If this was an opera house, where was its auditorium?" Ah. Truth be told... it was on the second floor.

It sounds kind of odd to have the second floor be the main opera house, but 'twas true. The ceiling had been eighteen feet high, even being dome-like, and the room could hold up to 1,000 patrons. The building had cost 20,000 dollars to build, or roughly 650,000 dollars based on todays inflation. The structure had been pretty massive to say the least.

It was sold in 1898 to W. J. Fitzgerald, but his purchase didn't last long when - finally - Adolphus Gluck came into the picture. He paid 4,000 (12,000 today) for the building.

In 1912, he had wanted to redesign some things, but an explosion happened and well... the building burst into flames. Therefore, he was back at the drawing board. When he finally did have an outline for the new building, specific codes and laws came into play which forced him to go back to the drawing board yet again because an opera house couldn't be held on a second floor like he had wanted. He ultimately decided to make this new building commercialized, holding multiple stores and offices for many various entrepreneurs.

In this early 1900s photo, there's multiple men posing for a picture. 📸

Who would've known that a single sod house on the prairie would turn into this? 😱

These are views from South Dodge, looking north from the Second Avenue bridge (which used to be called Bridge Street). In the first picture, the small building in the foreground has a sign that says "Farmers Lunch and Coffee." There isn't much information on this establishment, unfortunately.

Beyond the bridge, the first building on the right is the Island Store. It was established at some point in the late 1870s or early 1880s, but it was eventually bought by a Christian group in 1893 who had then moved it further north. It served as the First Christian Church building on North Second Avenue until 1954. This was when they had established a permanent building on the top of Boot Hill after the building burned down. The building here now is Car Quest Auto Parts.

You can also see H.B Bell's Elephant Livery Stables on the right side of the road. According to an 1887 Sanborn map, this massive structure sat on the corner of Locust (currently Trail Street) and Third Avenue.

In the second photo, you can see more and much clearer details of northern Dodge from the river. Some notable mentions would be beautiful Front Street and the Third Ward school on Boot Hill on the left side of the picture. In addition, the buildings on the left corner had been removed at one point as this whole section became Wright Park.

Both photographs were taken in 1887.

It's time for our big event reveal!

DRUM ROLL PLEASE... 🥁

COME MEET DWIGHT EISENHOWER!

The Friends of the Library are helping us bring Bill Nicks, a re-enactment actor, to Dodge City for everyone to meet and learn about a beloved president!

Through this re-enactment, you will learn about Eisenhower's upbringing, family, military background; his association with Columbia University, Vietnam, and the Korean War; his difficulty in winning the Republican presidential election, and so much more!

Stop on by the Dodge City Public Library on Friday, July 26th at 2pm to meet the 34th president from the 34th state!

For more information, please go to https://dcpl.info/event-calendar/

Here's another blast from the past that'll knock your socks off! 🧦

This photo was taken on West Chestnut Street (currently Front Street/Wyatt Earp), looking East, toward the Santa Fe Depot.

What gave it away? The building on the left! We previously posted a photo of this same street that was taken sometime in the early 1900s. The look of the street in that picture is somewhat different to this one, as it seems like Dodge City was still in the midst of developing the downtown region here. But one thing was consistent between these two photos... the large building here on the left.

According to the 1911, 1918, and 1926 Sanborn maps, the building had various businesses multiple times. Some included a confectionery and a lunch hall. But much like the other photo, those on the right side (such as Globe Clothing in the far back) are no longer standing as they were torn down from the Urban Renewal program. This side is currently the parking lot and Wyatt Earp Boulevard.

Those on the left, however, are still with us today. In fact, if you walk down Second Avenue toward Wyatt Earp, make a right on Front Street and heading for Third Avenue, stop as you get in-between All State and Los Sombreros. Then, look up and see that it's the same building without the embellishments.

One of the notable businesses that's a part of the building is Snow Station. 🍨

There isn't a date on this picture, but the carriages and the Buick(?) suggests very early 1900s. 🎩

There's hundreds of small towns in Kansas. If you've traveled anywhere outside Dodge, you've probably passed by so many of them as there's dozens within our vicinity. Whether you've actually explored them or passed through, each of these towns have their own unique history. Some of them are rather small, some nearly non-existent. You may not even realize how deep the roots go as you drive through them.

You'll hit up a couple of these towns if you drive northwest on US-50. One of them being Lewis.

Some time in the early 1880s, Jane W. Lewis and Colonel James M. Lewis bought land. They had been from Massachusetts; how or why they made it out here or to buy land is a bit of a mystery. But at some point, their names were written on documentation and others followed, getting ready to build a new home. The Lewis family had lived within the area, but for how long is uncertain.

There were many early settlers, such as John Cox who opened a restaurant and hotel and Frank P. Smith who opened a general store. There'd also been many other names who added to the history books, like Fay Hardy who had been four years old when his family moved to the Lewis area in 1880. He grew up here on his parents' farm, and by 1899, he married Katherine McClaren. He spent some time working in his father's hardware store while also farming. By the early 1900s, he went into real estate and insurance, but eventually changed careers completely again by owning a local grocery store.

Lewis is also home of the Cross Manufacturing Company. The Cross family had been part of the Lewis community since the beginning, and when James H. Cross and his brother, Charles, developed a hydraulic cylinder for farm use in 1949, it changed everything. They opened a small shop, eventually moving it to Main Street, but it became so popular that their business expanded. The Cross Manufacturing Company has seen decades worth of changes, but most of all, success. They have three main plants in Kansas - in Lewis, Hays, and Pratt; and they distribute their products all across the country, including various regions in Canada. Their hydraulic systems have not only been used for farming equipment, but have been used for draw-bridges, amusement parks, garbage trucks, even being used for major airlines!

From a community to a small town, Lewis once had a population of 600, though now it's about 400.

Pictures shown are of the town in various eras.

The first is of Main Street sometime in the late 1800s. The cart being pulled by the horses in the foreground have a "Hardy and Sons" logo on it.

The second is the high school, which had closed in the early 2000s when the elementary school had unified with the high school. The building is still here and being used for the current school. The third is of a high school football game.

The fourth is of the depot as the BNSF railroad goes through the town. However, it is no longer there.

The next two are of a few houses on a street, with the seventh being a view of Main Street, looking north. You can see the corner of Avenue A in this photo.

The eighth is of a school house that was there, with the next picture being of the Christian Church. This had been in the front of the school house - the buildings were back to back - on Main Street. These buildings, though, are no longer there.

The tenth photo is of the First Baptist Church. It was first founded in 1902 with eleven members meeting in homes for Bible study, and by 1909, a building had been erected. By the 1940s, the age of the building wasn't matching its admiration, so the building had been torn down while it had been replaced by its current establishment. What you see today was a grade school building, taken from Fellsburg. It's currently located at 208 South Edwards Street.

The rest are of various photos of Main Street, with the last being some books in our collection.

The town of Lewis may be over 130 years old, but there've been so much change as many of these buildings are no longer standing, as well as the history of most of them and most of the people are lost from the town. It's a perfect example of why we need to preserve history, so the stories of our ancestors and those before us can be shared.

You are more than welcome to check out a few books we do have on Edwards County, including the town of Lewis, Kansas. Stop by the Kansas Heritage Center to pick up a copy! We also encourage you to come on by and share some materials or photos that tell your history. Whether about yourself, your family, your business, or even your home. We can also offer aid for our resources to help you piece together your own history. ❤

The Friends of the Library are being so generous in helping the Kansas Heritage Center with our next event! Be on the look out for more details! 👀

The people of Dodge City has always found some kind of entertainment outlet or a way to pass the time. Activities might've included going out dancing at the McCarty Rink, conversing with friends and neighbors at a Soda Fountain in town, watching a live performance at one of the many theaters, or going to races to cheer on a favorite racer.

No matter the entertainment, the community would get together and it'd be quite the extravagant event. Racing was one of those. There had been many various kinds, from cars and motorcycles to horses.

Horse racing was quite a thing back in the day, and you wouldn't believe that it was right in our backyard! They were held at the McCarty Stadium which was located right behind Wright Park, where the zoo and KOA currently stand. It was built some time in the late 1800s or early 1900s, though some sources say otherwise, and had been used primarily for horse racing. It then started to become a racing ground for vehicles within the 1930s-1950s.

It closed in 1965 because of the flood, but it was reconstructed and fixed up as racing proceeded the following years. In 1994 they officially locked their gates and removed the track from the park. The zoo had been one of the few deciding factors in the matter, as it would've taken up a good portion of the property.

After its closure, racing had been missed quite extensively, so there was a vote to bring it back. This was the beginning of the Dodge City Raceway. It opened in June of 2000 with a near 3,500 seating capacity. The roads were asphalt, but they eventually changed it out for dirt.

Now, it's one of the hottest attractions, especially during the summer months! They have thousands of visitors each year. In 2017, they had over 21,000 attendees.

Pictured is of the McCarty Stadium (Speedway) in 1905.