A few days back, on my way across Kansas, I stopped in Dodge City. I did this 1) because it was in the right place for my overall journey and 2) because it is where Wyatt Earp first made his name as a lawman. And since I’ve already been to Tombstone, Arizona……..
Just before you drive in to town there is an overlook………overlooking the winter feed yards. I didn’t know that Dodge City was such a major cattle hub. It’s a bit hard to tell with my super high powered iPhone camera but those dark patches are corrals filled with cattle. Beef cattle. I’m not sure how I feel about this because, it is what these animals were bred for, anyone who knows me knows how much I love food (though I don’t eat tons of red meat) and cows are goofy, but I think it important for people to know where their food comes from. I don’t condemn the beef industry at all, though I do think we all could do with less of it to some extent.
Dodge City also occupies a very important place in terms of hydrographical differentiation. It sits on the 100th meridian. I became aware of the importance of the 100th Meridian last year while visiting the Lake Powell area of Arizona. Not only is it the metaphorical dividing line between east and west, but it is also the basic definition of the “sufficient rainfall” line, east of which generally receives sufficient annual rainfall to support agriculture and west of which does not, without significant irrigation.
There is a museum in town celebrating the history of this place. I didn’t really have the time to go through it but it looks interesting enough. It sits on the main street, which is, shockingly, Wyatt Earp Blvd, at the bottom of Boot Hill. Now hang on a second, I thought Boot Hill and it’s famous cemetery were in Tombstone. Well, turns out there are lots of “Boot Hill” cemeteries from that era. Only the most famous is in Tombstone.
In all, a fun little stop on the prairie.
Secondary Roads 