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Dodge City, Kansas
Dodge City is a city and county seat of Ford County, Kansas, United States. It was named after Colonel Richard Irving Dodge.[1][2] The population was 25,176 at the 2000 census. The city's name is well known to generations of Americans, as the long-running old-time radio and television Western drama program Gunsmoke was set in Dodge City. Dodge City has a minor-league basketball team, The Dodge City Legend. The Legend is a member of the United States Basketball League (USBL). The legend have won three championship titles in the USBL. Dodge City is sometimes called the meat packing capital of the United States, with close to 11,000 cattle being processed a day. It is home to one of the largest beef processing plants in the United States, Excel Dodge City.
Geography and climateDodge City is located at (37.759671, -100.018212). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.7 square miles (32.9 kmē), of which, 12.6 square miles (32.7 kmē) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 kmē) of it (0.86%) is water. Dodge City is served by two commercial airlines at Dodge City Regional Airport.
DemographicsAs of the census of 2000, there were 25,176 people, 8,395 households, and 5,968 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,995.8 people per square mile (770.9/kmē). There were 8,976 housing units at an average density of 711.6/sq mi (274.8/kmē). The racial makeup of the city was 71.43% White, 1.94% African American, 0.69% Native American, 2.37% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 20.82% from other races, and 2.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 42.87% of the population. There were 8,395 households out of which 41.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.1% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.94 and the average family size was 3.46. In the city the population was spread out with 31.2% under the age of 18, 12.3% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 16.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 106.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.2 males. 
Dodge City is an important center for meat packing. The median income for a household in the city was $37,156, and the median income for a family was $41,672. Males had a median income of $26,881 versus $22,064 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,538. About 11.1% of families and 13.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.4% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over. Early historyThe early history of Dodge city is as colorful as any town in the American West. OriginsThe first settlement in the area that became Dodge City was Fort Mann. Built by civilians in 1847, Fort Mann was intended to provide protection for travelers on the Santa Fe Trail. Fort Mann collapsed in 1848 after an Indian attack. In 1850, the U.S. Army arrived to provide protection in the region and constructed Fort Atkinson on the old Fort Mann site. The army abandoned Fort Atkinson in 1853. Military forces on the Santa Fe Trail were reestablished further north and east at Fort Larned in 1859, but the area around what would become Dodge City remained vacant until after the Civil War. In 1865, as the Indian Wars in the West began heating up, the army constructed Fort Dodge to assist Fort Larned in providing protection on the Santa Fe Trail. Fort Dodge remained in operation until 1882. The town of Dodge City can trace its origins to 1871 when rancher Henry J. Sitler built a sod house west of Fort Dodge to oversee his cattle operations in the region. Conveniently located near the Santa Fe Trail and Arkansas River, Sitler's house quickly became a stopping point for travelers. With the Santa Fe Railroad rapidly approaching from the east, others saw the commercial potential of the region. In 1872, just five miles west of Fort Dodge, settlers platted out and founded the town of Dodge City. George M. Hoover established the first bar in a tent to service thirsty soldiers from Fort Dodge. The railroad arrived in September to find a town ready and waiting for business. The early settlers in Dodge City traded in buffalo bones and hides and provided a civilian community for Fort Dodge. However, with the arrival of the railroad, Dodge City soon became involved in the cattle trade. Cattle trade
Today, Dodge City maintains part of its downtown as a tourist attraction. With the cattle trade forced west, Texas longhorns began moving north along the Chisholm Trail. In 1867, the main Cow Town was Abilene, Kansas. Profits were high, and other towns quickly joined in the cattle boom. Newton in 1871; Ellsworth in 1872; and Wichita in 1872. However, in 1876 the Kansas State Legislature responded to pressure from farmers settling in central Kansas and once again shifted the quarantine line westward, which essentially eliminated Abilene and the other Cow Towns from the cattle trade. With no place else to go, Dodge City suddenly became Queen of the Cow Towns. A new route, known as the Great Western Cattle Trail, or Western Trail, branched off from the Chisholm Trail to lead cattle into Dodge City. Dodge City became a boomtown, with thousands of cattle passing annually through its stockyards. The peak years of the cattle trade in Dodge City were from 1883 to 1884, and during that time the town grew tremendously. In 1880, Dodge City got a new competitor for the cattle trade from the border town of Caldwell. For a few years the competition between the towns was fierce, but there were enough cattle for both towns to prosper. Nevertheless, it was Dodge City that became famous, and rightly so because no town could match Dodge City's reputation as a true frontier settlement of the Old West. Dodge City had more famous (and infamous) gunfighters working at one time or another than any other town in the West, many of whom participated in the Dodge City War of 1883. It also boasted the usual array of saloons, gambling halls, and brothels established to separate a lonely cowboy from his hard-earned cash, including the famous Long Branch Saloon and China Doll brothel. For a time in 1884, Dodge City even had a bullfighting ring where Mexican bullfighters imported from Mexico would put on a show with specially chosen longhorn bulls. As more agricultural settlers moved into western Kansas, pressure on the Kansas State Legislature to do something about splenic fever increased. Consequently, in 1885 the quarantine line was extended across the state and the Western Trail was all but shut down. By 1886, the cowboys, saloon keepers, gamblers, and brothel owners moved west to greener pastures, and Dodge City became a sleepy little town much like other communities in western Kansas. Demolition of historic Front StreetThe 19th century buildings of historic Front Street were demolished in an "urban renewal" project in 1970. TransportationNotable natives
Historical visitors and temporary residentsA number of famous names associated with the American West have either passed through Dodge City, or made it a temporary residence. Some of these include:
Fictional visitors and temporary residentsDodge City's historical reputation as a wild and woolly cattle town have made the town fodder for purveyors of popular fiction. Some of the fictionalized names (or historical names used for fictional purposes) who have been written into Dodge City lore include:
Links with other cities
EducationDodge City is served by the Dodge City Public Schools district http://www.usd443.org/schools.cfm. SportsFrom 1970 to 1980, the annual Boot Hill Bowl post-season college football game was played in Dodge City. The bowl was sanctioned by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and featured schools such as Washburn University and Emporia State University. The last game was played on November 21, 1980.[3] TriviaThe phrase having the basic form get [the hell] out of Dodge is a reference to Dodge City, Kansas. Dodge City was the setting of innumerable Wild-West movies and books and, most prominently, the CBS-TV series Gunsmoke, which ran from 1955 to 1975. After being defeated by the good guys, badmen might stereotypically be commanded to "get the hell out of Dodge." References
External links
Cited references
bg:???? ???? da:Dodge City de:Dodge City es:Dodge City fr:Dodge City io:Dodge City, Kansas it:Dodge City mr:??? ???? nl:Dodge City (Kansas) ja:?????? (?????) no:Dodge City pt:Dodge City (Kansas) sv:Dodge City vo:Dodge City (Kansas) Source: Wikipedia | The above article is available under the GNU FDL. | Edit this article
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