Ever wonder how a legendary Wild West town like Dodge City came to be? Prepare to be transported to the very roots of this iconic boomtown, where the dreams of early settlers flourished alongside the roaring trains of progress. Your ears won't believe the tales of Dodge City's first entrepreneurs, John MacDonald and George Hoover, or the dramatic fate of the Essington House's proprietor that led to the town's first burial in Boot Hill. And just wait until you hear about Frank Hopper, or Norf Mike, whose writings catapulted Dodge City into the national consciousness.
Step right up for a behind-the-scenes look at the gritty beginnings and the enterprising souls of Dodge City. You'll discover the crucial businesses—like Jacob Coller's general store and FC Zimmerman's gunsmith shop—that kept the heart of the frontier beating. And we're setting the record straight on historical figures like George Hoover and John McDonald, unearthing the impact of their actions on the town's legacy. From tales of entrepreneurship to frontier violence, this episode promises a rich narrative tapestry, wrapping you in the very fabric of American Western lore.
Return of the Great Hunters
Cattle Drives Website
Legends of Dodge City Website
Order Books
Ever wonder how a legendary Wild West town like Dodge City came to be? Prepare to be transported to the very roots of this iconic boomtown, where the dreams of early settlers flourished alongside the roaring trains of progress. Your ears won't believe the tales of Dodge City's first entrepreneurs, John MacDonald and George Hoover, or the dramatic fate of the Essington House's proprietor that led to the town's first burial in Boot Hill. And just wait until you hear about Frank Hopper, or Norf Mike, whose writings catapulted Dodge City into the national consciousness.
Step right up for a behind-the-scenes look at the gritty beginnings and the enterprising souls of Dodge City. You'll discover the crucial businesses—like Jacob Coller's general store and FC Zimmerman's gunsmith shop—that kept the heart of the frontier beating. And we're setting the record straight on historical figures like George Hoover and John McDonald, unearthing the impact of their actions on the town's legacy. From tales of entrepreneurship to frontier violence, this episode promises a rich narrative tapestry, wrapping you in the very fabric of American Western lore.
Return of the Great Hunters
Cattle Drives Website
Legends of Dodge City Website
Order Books
The founding of Dodge City presentation is dedicated to providing accurate accounts of the early Dodge City history, as it is thrilling, enjoyable and extraordinary. In this episode, we delve deep into the captivating early years of Dodge City, kansas, a frontier town that transformed from a solitary sawed house into a thriving community, mainly due to the arrival of the railroad and the vision of its pioneering citizens. Drawing on the accounts of Frank Hopper, also known as Norf Mike, and I would like to paint a vivid picture of Dodge City's rapid growth, its lively saloon culture and the dynamic entrepreneurs who laid its foundation. We also shed light on one of the key figures who orchestrated this transformation. We will take a look at John MacDonald, a progressive businessman and one of Dodge City's first citizens, and how his innovative alliance with George Hoover and their remarkable saloon significantly shaped the city. We will tell the story of how MacDonald and Hoover set up a bar five miles west of Fort Dodge, marking the first saloon in Dodge City. As we explore Dodge City's vibrant business scene, we will introduce you to the Essington House, the city's first hotel. Despite its humble beginnings, it quickly became a cornerstone of the community, embodying the pioneering spirit of the city's citizens. We hope this episode inspires you to explore further the rich history of Dodge City and the daring spirit of its citizens. As we continue to delve into the fascinating stories of America's western frontier towns, we are reminded of the resilience and the ingenuity of the pioneers who shaped them. Wild West podcast proudly presents the true story of the founding of Dodge City. We invite you to stay tuned after the show as Mike and I take a deep dive into the Frank Hopper article printed on November 19th 1872.
Speaker 1:The name of Dodge City, kansas, is known far and wide, and her reputation was not enviable. No city in the United States of the same size has been so thoroughly advertised. To say that one has never heard of Dodge City is to say that they do not read. No reader of books, newspapers and magazines can make such an admission. No town of its size in this country has occupied so much time of literary men and writers of books and periodicals.
Speaker 1:Situated at the exact point that once divided Spain and France's claims in the new world, the future site of Dodge City was rich with possibilities. Watered by the mighty Arkansas River and fed by a vast grassland, the area was home to millions of bison that provided resources to the plains tribes From the very first. Dodge City bid fair to become one of the leading communities of the yet embryo west. As has been said, she was located in the heart of one of the best sections of the Buffalo range and, because of the forts proximity, was frequented by nearly all the Buffalo hunters of that region. By November of 1872, the small town of Dodge City had begun to bloom into a vital frontier community. In 1871, the only structure in the area was Henry Sittler's sod house, and Buffalo hunters began piling their hides nearby. On June 17th 1872, george Hoover and John McDonald set up a tent in which to sell whiskey. It was the first saloon in Dodge City. The sale of whiskey was frowned upon by the commander at Fort Dodge, and so Hoover and McDonald set up their bar five miles west of the fort, just outside the military reservation. In September the railroad reached Dodge City and it became much more accessible to transport goods and people across the plains to this new Kansas town.
Speaker 1:On November 14th 1872, a Leavenworth Daily Commercial newspaper correspondent mailed a detailed letter describing Dodge City. The correspondent was known to the newspaper's readers only as KNARF Narf. Narf was actually the pen name of Frank Hopper, a traveling correspondent and agent of the Daily Commercial newspaper, frank Hopper, traveled across Kansas giving eyewitness accounts of goings on in the state In 1872, hopper often traveled on the railroad, stopping at Kansas towns and railroad stations to soak up the scenery and write articles about his experiences. Hopper's article on Dodge City was how many Kansans were introduced to the new frontier town. It was published in the Leavenworth Daily Commercial on November 19th 1872.
Speaker 1:Southwest Kansas notes from the end of the Atchison-Tepika and Santa Fe Railroad, dodge City and the country around it. This point is the western terminus of the Atchison-Tepika and Santa Fe Railroad, or rather the terminus of the western division of that road. No passenger coaches are seen west of this station, although the track is laid some 50 miles further west. Dodge City lies in a southwestern direction from Leavenworth, the distance by rail being 331 miles. It is situated on the north bank of the Arkansis River, 176 miles west of Newton. The country surrounding this place, with the exemption of the Arkansis Valley, is rolling prairie. With the exception of the Arkansis River, there are no streams of any importance, and water except as you dig for it is very scarce. In fact, dodge City is located in what is here to fore been known as the Great American Desert, like the highest point you can get. As far as the eye can reach, it is one vast, boundless plain without even a tree or shrub to relieve the eye.
Speaker 1:Six months ago this place was one of the things that were to be its only, inhabitants being Buffalo, antelope, jackrabbit, prairie Dogs and Indians. About four months ago Jack McDonald, an old frontiersman, stuck his stake there and put up the first building, a cloth tent, and got ready for the business. By the time the railroad grades got there he had a stock of goods and some lumber for a house. From that until the present it has been growing steadily and buildings have gone up as fast as the material could be obtained. There are now some 30 or 40 houses up and enclosed, but one finished inside the Essington House. The only hotel in the place was built a little at a time and as fast as lumber could be got over the road. As soon as the shell wall was up and before either the roof was on or floor laid, it was ready for business. A tent served as a kitchen. The carpenters proceeded with their work between meals and the roof was put on and the floor laid while the hotel was running in full blast. The work inside is still going on and in 30 days it will be finished. The patronage of the house in the meantime will almost pay for the entire expense of building and furnishing the house.
Speaker 1:This is what I call a rare specimen of Western Enterprise. Jm Essington, the proprietor, is as full of energy as anyone you will find and will keep a good house when he gets everything in shape. Nearly every house in Dodge is a business house. Merchants who make it a business to follow a line of railroad came on first and opened out in tents. Houses were built as fast as lumber could be brought, some of it being waggoned in ahead of the railroad as fast as they are enclosed. They move in, keeping up business all the time.
Speaker 1:Some eastern people may ask where does all this business come from? Certainly not from the buffalo. We answer yes. Hundreds of men are employed on these planes every fall and winter hunting buffalo for their hides. They must be supplied with ammunition, clothes and provisions and they go to the nearest point to get them and where they can sell their hides and occasionally the meat of the buffalo. They get from $2.50 to $3 for the hides and from 2 to 5 cents per pound for the meat. A good hunter will kill from 5 to 10 buffalo a day, and some have killed as high as 50 buffalo in a single day.
Speaker 1:Nearly every dollar of this money is spent in this place, where they find a market, and it is astonishing how soon one of them will go through a few hundred dollars. Of course, saloons get a large portion of the money. Everything is 25 cents and a dollar goes, is the cry. Where they come up to drink, that is, they are never being less than a dollar's worth. If they have no friends of their own to drink with them, they take someone else. It would make some of the Leavenworth boys mouths water to see the tray that goes on in a saloon. The whole stock, fixtures and buildings of which do not cost to exceed $500, will take in from $50 to $150 a day over the bar cash, three-fifths of which is clear profit. Students in a building, 20 by 30 feet, sell from $100 to $500 worth of goods a day and make good profits on everything. It is our opinion that Dodge City will always be a lively town.
Speaker 1:Among the principal businessmen we class Jacob Coller and company dealers in clothing and notions. Fc Zimmerman keeps the sportsman's depot and repairs all kinds of firearms. He is doing an immense business. Some of the state of it may be formed when I tell you that he sells from 50 to 75 guns a week and orders 75,000 cartridges at a time. In addition to sporting articles he has added stoves and tinware. Ab Webster, an old patron of the commercial and formerly of Hayes City, has opened out a full stock of dry goods hats and caps, boots and shoes and is doing a fine business. Hoover and McDonald have the only wholesale liquor house in the place and are doing a fine business. They also have a fine sample room attached and Jack McDonald can mix you up a good whiskey straight if you call for it. Jack is one of the pioneers of Dodge City. Peter Tashetta, an old Leavenworth man, is just opening out a fine restaurant next to the Essington House. Anyone wanting a good meal can get it there any time, day or night. Rw Evans deals in clothing, dry goods and notions. Cutler and Brother are in the outfitting business exclusively and keep a large stock on hand. Charles Rath and Company are also in the same business and keep a full stock of all kinds of goods wanted by Plainsmen.
Speaker 1:Hp Nice is the best man in the place. He heals all who come to him and keeps all their souls in a good state of repair. But with all these good qualities he will give people fits. Fringer and Peacock are preparing to drug the people to their heart's content and have plenty on hand to do it. When we left them they were playing freeze out. James H Kelly deals in the artens and dishes out drinks ad libidem. He takes his straight good boy too.
Speaker 1:Md Ryan has a restaurant next door and is no slouch in getting up a good meal. Tom Sherman, the old government scout, is putting up a shanty where he can entertain his friends. He can be found at the west end of the town and will treat all well for a quarter who favor him with a call. Presiding over the Essington House bar we found the fascinating Doc Riley, well known by all western men. Doc is as good a boy as ever mixed two cocktail and always full of fun. Style is everything, beauty nothing is his motto. How's that, doc? We have already spun this out longer than we intended, but have not half finished. We will send you this, however, as the mail closes soon, and give you something more tomorrow back in the dark.
Speaker 2:Brad, that's probably one of the best articles that I have read about the early history of Dodd City. It names a lot of people that I didn't even know existed at the time back in 1872. For our purposes today, I would like to begin by pulling a few phrases from the article and discussing them. From the context of how Frank Hopper new Dodd City in early November of 1872, mentioned is made in the article of the Essington House, the only hotel in the place that was built a little at a time and as fast as lumber could be got over the road. Now in the article that talks about a tent served as a kitchen. Carpenters proceeded with their work between meals and the roof was put on and floor laid while the hotel was running in full blast. We know that the Essington House was the first hotel in Dodd City, but it would change names on November 22nd 1872. Why the abrupt change in ownership and what name was given after the change of ownership?
Speaker 1:Well, mike, it seems that the owner proprietor, mr Essington, was very much caught up in the spirit of Dodge City, and when I say spirit of Dodge City I mean the spirits of Dodge City. He became drunk we call it disorderly was not making the best of friends with his cook, who was tired of Mr Essington's abuse, and the cook shot him dead. I've spent a little bit of time in the restaurant industry in the past and I'm sure many of our listeners, who have as well, can certainly tell you that don't ever mess with the cook. Essington's other partners soon renamed the hotel into the soon to be legendary Dodge House.
Speaker 2:That's a tragic ending to the owner and builder of the hotel, and how he came to an abrupt end is even sadder. What happened to him afterwards? I mean, where did he end up?
Speaker 1:Well, Mr Essington happened to feature as one of the earliest residents of the new burial ground just to the Northwest of the growing city of Dodge that became known as the equally legendary Boot Hill.
Speaker 2:Well, and I would like to say too in our next episode when we talk about Billy Dixon, he comes into town in early November, about right after Essington is shot. So our audience might listen for our next show because it's gonna talk a little bit about all the killings that happened in Dodge City early on, starting around November, and also the story of Boot Hill. Among the early businessmen's, hopper's article mentions Jacob Coller and company dealers in clothing and FC Zimmerman as firearms repairman. What can you tell us about the early businesses in Dodge City and why they were important?
Speaker 1:As the article itself address, a boom town like Dodge City being out and essentially was the just past, the West End of nowhere. Anybody who showed up there needed access to anything and everything, and they needed it right now. So it was a great place to start a business because you had built in patronage Guys like Jacob Coller who were dealers in much of everything. And Coller himself later on became known for the first funerary Parler in Dodge City, bringing him to the first horse drawn purse to Dodge. And Zimmerman himself is one of my personal favorites. A long standing businessman, old Prussian, very much legendary in many parts of the West for his Dodge City business as a gun dealer, repairer of firearms or someplace like Dodge, with the nearby military posts, all the Buffalo hunting going around and certainly men who came in and lived and died by the gun, a man like Zimmerman could easily become your best friend. Zimmerman did quite well for himself in Dodge City. Later on rented space in the back of his building to another couple of businessmen who made saddles the Rice Brothers.
Speaker 2:Now the last question I have, brad, is the Hopper article also makes references to the business partnership between George Hoover and John McDonald. The emphasis is primarily, though, on McDonald, who is referred to as Jack. The article states about four months ago, jack McDonald and old frontiersman stuck his stake there hood up the first building a cloth tent and got ready for business.
Speaker 2:Why do you suppose that only McDonald is mentioned and not Hoover? We know from Dodge City History that both Hoover and McDonald set up the first bar, but only McDonald is described. Do you have an idea about why McDonald is mentioned over Hoover?
Speaker 1:If you've ever read up on Dodge City's history. George Hoover is one of the more widely discussed and written about founding fathers of Dodge City. He became the first elected mayor of Dodge and remained an essential figure throughout Dodge City's history, whereas John McDonald is barely a footnote. Even though Hoover is a well-celebrated figure in Dodge City history, the Hopper article praises McDonald for his accomplishments. The article clearly states that Jack is one of the pioneers of Dodge City and not Hoover, by stating the following Hoover and McDonald have the only wholesale liquor store in the place and are doing quite a fine business. They also have a fine sample room attached and Jack McDonald can mix you up a good whiskey straight if you call for it. Jack is one of the pioneers of Dodge City. Another example is the early newspapers discussing Dodge City were more apt to mention McDonald than they were of George Hoover. This article was published on November 8th 1872. Mr Hoover and McDonald are exchanging prime articles in that line for currency at a gratifying rate in the wholesale liquor, wine and cigar trade. Jack McDonald, the junior member of the firm, was one of the first citizens of Dodge. If ever a man deserved to prosper and acquire an abundance of life's good things. Jack's the man. He's generous, warmhearted and progressive, and there's talk of sending him to Topeka this winter to represent Ford County in the legislature. How does history resolve, it says, how does history resolve itself to ensure that McDonald's gets its fair share of notoriety regarding the founding of Dodge City? That's it for now.
Speaker 1:Remember to check out our Wild West podcast shows on iTunes or wildwestpodcastbussproutcom. You can also catch us on Facebook at facebookcom slash Wild West podcast or on our YouTube channel at Wild West podcast Mike King YouTube. So make sure you subscribe to our shows listed at the end of the description text of this podcast to receive a notification of our latest news and this podcast to receive notifications on all new episodes. Thanks for listening to our podcast. If you have any comments or want to add to our series, please write us at wildwestpodcastgmailcom. We will share your thoughts as they apply to future episodes. Stay tuned next time as we will bring you Billy Dixon hunting buffalo south of the Arkansas River.