GREETINGS FROM DODGE CITY, Kansas (KS) USA
We have crossed into another new state today – Kansas – state number 31.
And our stop for today is THE home of the “Wild West” – the famous Dodge City – home to Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson and Marshall Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke !
There won’t be too many baby boomers who could say they haven’t at least heard of Gunsmoke – set in Dodge City, Kansas, the series ran for 20 years and was the longest running prime time series of the 20th century !
“Around Dodge City there is only one way to handle the killers and spoilers, that’s with a US Marshall and the smell of Gunsmoke !”
Meanwhile, back in Oklahoma City, for a total of three days and three nights, Libby held out and the Indians gave up. Howard has been long dead and buried. Now a new raider has come to try to push Libby off her land in the form of the Trans-Continental Railroad. The railroad means progress….. oh, sorry, got caught up in a Gunsmoke episode !
We packed up the car again in Oklahoma City and headed north across the prairie, our scouts ahead, ever on the lookout.. – ok, no more for now, I promise – but we were heading north !
First stop was a catch up from yesterday. It is likely many will remember the Oklahoma City Bombing. On April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh parked a truck filled with explosives in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. The resulting explosion killed 168 people and destroyed the entire north face of the building. A memorial now stands on the site of the destroyed building that honors the victims, survivors, rescuers, and all who were affected. It is a very poignant place, with 2 large bronze gates at each end of a reflective pool. The gates have 9:01 and 9:03 inscribed on them – representing the last moment of peace and the first moment of recovery from the moment of destruction at 9:02. There is also a Field of Empty Chairs, of glass and bronze, 168 for each of those killed, a Survivors’ Wall – part of the only remaining original wall of the building for those injured and the Survivor Tree – a tree from the parking lot which was heavily damaged in the blast but has survived and thrived.
The 9:01 gate and Empty Chairs in the background
The 9:03 gate
Our last Route 66 stop, about 15 miles out of town, was Pops – a restaurant established as a modern attraction for Route 66. Using a theme of soda pop, it is marked by a giant neon sign – 66 feet tall – in the shape of a soda pop bottle. The glass walls of the restaurant are decorated with shelves of soda pop bottles, arranged by beverage color. They are said to serve 700 kinds of soda, sparkling water and other ice-cold refreshments.
Some of the 700 varieties at Pops !
With a long drive ahead today, we set our sights north with Adrienne providing another chorus of “Oooooooooklahoma where the wind comes sweeping down the plains” – perfectly resurrected from her stardom in our Year 11 musical at Peakhurst High ! We managed to get the two stops above in without getting wet but again we had showers for the first hour or so as we drove. The showers gradually eased and the clouds gave way to some sunshine later but the day was generally overcast.
And look Mum ! We found your town – Enid, Oklahoma (might need to “zoom in” the map a bit – it’s the first big “dot” marker after Pops). It was founded in the 1890’s during the land runs by settlers to the west. Whilst officially it was named after a character in an Alfred Lord Tennyson play, the local “cute” tale is that during the land runs some enterprising settlers decided to set up a chuckwagon to cook for the pioneers and erected a sign that read DINE. Some larrikins then turned the sign around to read ENID – and the name stuck !
Today, it is the wheat capital of Oklahoma and has the third largest grain storage capacity in the world ! No “two bit town” that’s for sure !
After leaving Enid, we had quite a zig-zagged path across the north of Oklahoma. The road builders seem to have been unable to make curved roads as they all seem to run straight then a right turn, then straight then a left turn, then straight then a right turn etc – so it was like climbing steps north-west across the state.
We gradually got closer to Kansas but because we were on the country back roads we had no “Kansas” sign to add to our state collection. Our first stop in Kansas was Medicine Lodge. Well we didn’t actually stop there but it was the start of a Scenic Byway called the Gypsum Hills Scenic Byway. Most of the drive to that point – both in Oklahoma and Kansas – was VERY flat farming land with vast fields of grain interrupted by small towns with huge grain silos. So the “hills” of the Byway were quite a contrast if not of any great height. The whole drive along the Byway was like riding a gentle rollercoaster as the road undulated amongst the hills – pretty much one straight line between Medicine Lodge and Coldwater – the next town.
Gypsum Hills Scenic Byway
From Coldwater we turned right again and headed to Greensburg. It is the home of the “Big Well” – It is billed as the world’s largest hand-dug well, at 109 feet (33 m) deep and 32 feet (9.8 m) in diameter which was hand dug in 1887 and it remained the local water supply until 1932. We didn’t realise until we arrived there however Greensburg was almost wiped of the map in May 2007, when hit by a category 5 tornado. Overall, 95% of Greensburg was destroyed. A total of 961 homes and businesses were destroyed, 216 received major damage and 307 received minor damage. Today, it is a “new” look town but the population has dropped and there are street blocks with many gaps where houses have not been re-built.
Tornado monument at Greensburg. The stairs behind are all that remain of a brick church building !
The Big Well
Our last leg was to Dodge City but on the way we went through a little town called Mullinville where a guy has created hundreds of weird sculptures which adorn his fence along the road. Myron T. Liggett is an American folk sculptor. His works are often made of painted, welded metal and often contain re-used farm implements, such as combine discs. His art is often critical of politicians on the local, state, and federal level. Many of his works are kinetic and move with the wind.
A small part of Mr Liggett’s street art
After a long drive today, we are leaving our exploration of Dodge itself until tomorrow. The weather looks like it will be a little better tomorrow too. Adrienne had a little retail therapy at the local Mall as we stretched our legs and we had dinner at one of our favourite chains – Applebees.
Today’s Trivia – Though Chicago is nicknamed the “Windy City”, Dodge City, Kansas is the windiest city in the United States, with an average wind speed of 14 miles per hour (22 kph). Chicago only averages about 10 mph (16kph ) !