Day 39 Long Branch Saloon

The Boot Hill attraction is a modern massive museum and 1800’s Dodge City recreation built in 1957. For lack of anything better to do, we decided to go.  It is built on the site of the original Boot Hill. They actually dug up MOST of the occupants of the infamous cemetery and moved them to build a school in 1879.  Later they built the mock up of the “most lawless town in the west” on the same spot. This graveyard was the final resting place for people who didn’t have enough money for a proper burial and were buried with their boots on, hence the name. Next to the cemetary is the original jail building. It has 2 tiny cells and no “facilities”. Law breakers could be housed there for weeks  in all kinds of weather. That was cruel and unusual punishment! Midway through, we stopped for a beer at the Long Branch Saloon where I was talked into doing the can-can on stage. The museum which encompasses multiple buildings is filled with artifacts, displays and stories worthy of an afternoon to learn about this town’s colorful and intriguing past. One room is dedicated to vintage TV Gunsmoke with a dress worn by Miss Kitty and Sam’s vest on display. I remember the episode where she wore it! One of the most famous DC lawmen was Wyatt Earp who never drank a drop of liquor but loved ice cream. He also loved prostitutes. He was busted 3 times for being in brothels, ran one with his brother, married a “fallen dove” and slapped a prostitute for calling him names then was fined a dollar for doing so. Her name happened to be Frankie Bell. Hmmm. In his later years, he regaled a young actor with tales of the Old West - that actor,  John Wayne. The final entertainment of the day was a gunfight on Main Street. First there was a cat fight between saloon girls; then the cowboys punched it out; then the wranglers robbed a store; finally, all hell broke lose. After we had our fill of killin’, we had dinner at an authentic Kansas steakhouse and ate perfectly cooked Kansas beef. Our food digested as we watched a concert in the park by a local orchestra called The Cowboy Band. Dodge City redeemed itself today!