We should have been fair to the memory of Dodge City lawman Wyatt Earp - even though he was not a nice man by
all scholarly accounts. But we did not walk up Boot Hill because
we didn't feel inclined to pay the admission charge. It is buried
in touristy buildings and just didn't seem to be a good value. The
Dodge City fathers and mothers no doubt meant to draw in the big bucks,
but we were satisfied just being in the town, walking the brick streets
and leaving.
All this is not to say you should skip a visit to Dodge City. It's
a welcome oasis on a long drive as well as a bona fide part of American
history. It was the railhead destination of many of those cattle
drives that inspired so many movies, the long running television show Gunsmoke (with a character named Matt Dillon*)
and a whole generation of kids playing cowboy games.
I'm pretty sure I saw Kevin Costner's Wyatt Earp,
but I have no memory of it*so you're on your own there, but I know
I saw and enjoyed Gunfight at the OK Corral when I
was a kid - for what that's worth. Since the OK Corral is (I
haven't been there, but you know they've got some kind of memorial
there)
in Tombstone, AZ, it's not very relevant to a page on Dodge City
anyway.
To date, I've read none of the books listed
or seen any of the other movies. If I were reviewing this
mini-review, I would score myself a zero. Be patient though.
Everything is on my list.
*Jane
Marie does remember Costner's film. She says his moustache
was a bit of a distraction, but the film was pretty good - if a bit
more violent than traditional Western movies. Nancy
If a book you're looking for is out of print, click on any link to Amazon Books Home Page,  Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, or Alibris to find out if it is available as a used book.
Biography Book Reviews
History Book Reviews
Historical Fiction Book Reviews
Mini Book
Review List |
books -
DVDs
1988 with *Matt
Dillon the actor - not the television character
1994
1957 |
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click on the photos
to enlarge them
Dodge City
world's largest (80' tall,
40,000 lbs) painting on an easel - Vincent Van Gogh's Sunflowers
You
can see it as you drive past Goodland on Interstate 77 - or stop
in town for a closer look.
 
Sunflowers, 1888
van Gogh, Vincent
Buy this Art Print at AllPosters.com
I've been reading Don Coldsmith's Spanish Bit Saga novels about the Plains Indians for years.
Although there is minimal necessary violence, it's not graphic.
Coldsmith takes the reader into the lives and hearts of his
characters. He always leaves me ready for the next
installment. Nancy
PS Coldsmith branched out into 19th and
20th century history with The Long Journey Home.
It's the story of a young Indian boy who grows up in boarding
schools, the 101 Ranch (Oklahoma) Wild West show, at the Olympics with
Jesse Owens and in early Hollywood. Although reviews were
mixed, I read on into the early morning hours. |
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Travelamerica - travel tips
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