The Santa Fe Trail, Cowboys, and Stinky Cows!

July 12th

Licia writes:

Hi all! 

Bent's Old Fort - Colorado

Today was a day of experiencing history.  We traveled the Santa Fe Trail backwards from Bents Old Fort, Colorado to Dodge City, Kansas.  Fort Bent was started as a trading fort used by Indians, buffalo hunters etc.  The Bent brothers built and ran the fort together.  It was the farthest American outpost and a welcome stop for the covered wagons traveling west.  It was built in the adobe style and was quite large for the time.  It was inhabited by about 60 people but swelled up to 200 at various times.  The original fort burned but a surveyor had drawn exact dimensional plans while visiting the fort and these survived so it has been

rebuilt in exactly the same spot.  I love seeing “live” history.  Having grown up watching all the westerns on TV it is fascinating to see it up close.  What a hard life it must have been.

Again as we drove it was miles and miles of open land – some farmed and some cattle ranges and some just dry prairie. I am amazed at how much open land is in this country.  I wonder each and every time where do the children in the homes that are so isolated go to school?  Most of the small towns can’t possibly support a full school system.  If it is regional these kids must have the longest bus rides ever.  (Only a teacher would think of this!)

Stinky Cattle - Feed Lot

Pete continues: Leaving our early morning visit at Fort Bent, we drove 3 ½   hours East leaving Colorado and entering Kansas headed for Dodge City. We also lost an hour as we returned to the central time zone in Kansas so we really arrived in Dodge after 4 ½ hours. The trip through Kansas brought us past many cattle ranches. We also passed by about a dozen local “feed lots”. These are huge holding pens for cattle along the railroad tracks but also in most cases right alongside the road. The singular most impressive feature of these feed lots is the incredible STENCH, far worse than those cattle yards we went by yesterday. Growing up in New York state farm country, I am no stranger to the pungent aroma of cow manure. In fact, the smell of it in the spring as farmers spread it on the fields as fertilizer is rather pleasant. In these feed lots, however, many hundreds of cows are crammed together in large holding pens and the massive amounts of manure are combined with urine and cow sweat. The stink is unbelievable and Licia was forcibly holding her breath and her nose as we drove by. Incidentally, this was with the RV’s windows shut and the air conditioner turned off!  The absolute straw that broke the camel’s back was when a 40 foot trailer filled with cattle turned onto the road in front of us. We pulled up to a red light and I pulled alongside the truck to be sure to be in front of it when the light went green. As the stink from the truck began to work its way into our vehicle, we looked out the window as a cow began to urinate out the side of the truck onto the street next to us. We zoomed ahead of the truck and avoided any cattle trucks for the rest of the trip.

Front Street - Dodge City, KS

One of many gun exhibits.

The main street of Dodge City has been reconstructed next to the site of the original Boot Hill Cemetery. Contrary to popular opinion, no one famous was buried there and the main street of the town, home to lawmen such as Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp, is faithfully reproduced.  While the buildings are replicas, the artifacts, costumes, etc. are authentic, and from the town and its 1867-1912 residents. It is a fascinating glimpse at a town and a time which most of us know only from the movies and TV shows like Gunsmoke.  We chatted with the current Marshall, and I was amazed by the exhibit of more than one hundred pistols and rifles, all formerly owned by residents, good and bad, of Dodge. It was a really good 2 hours spent.

Current Marshall - Painted onto the side of his car!

We are writing tonight from an RV park about 10 miles west of Wichita, KS about 2 ½ hours East of Dodge. A 350-mile day with a whole lot of great history.

Till tomorrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . .