Biking to the Dalton Gang Hideout

Biking to the Dalton Gang Hideout

Friday 31^th May, 2019

Day 21

Location: Liberal to Dodge City, KS

Distance: 84 miles

Temp: 57 – 81 F  sunny

   Wind: 5 – 10 mph tailwind

 

Cumulative climbing distance:  1175 ft

Cumulative descending distance:  1444 ft

Today is another continuation of yesterday – great biking conditions and more of the same slightly rolling hills on the Great Plains.

Adding to the sameness we have biked for 3 ½ days and 280 miles in exactly a straight line, in an exact northeast direction on US Route 54, which is running parallel with the Union Pacific (formerly the Rock Island) railroad.  When the route for this railroad was engineered in the late 1800’s, the designers used a straight line from Tucumcari, NM, passing through Texas and Oklahoma, and into southern Kansas to connect with existing rail lines to the East. 

Dodge City has an colorful history and place in the American Westward expansion.  Dodge City is located on the Santa Fe Trail, which began in1821.  It is on the route for the great western cattle drives from Texas to the northern Great Plains.  It was the original southwestern end for early railroads.  Thus, the Texas cattle drives from 1875 to 1886 would end at Dodge City, which then resulted in the wildest town on the Western frontier.  Lawman such as Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson became legends as they fought to bring law and order to the streets of Dodge City.

Another colorful part of this area was the Dalton Gang, which was a group of outlaws in the American Old West during 1890–1892. It was also known as The Dalton Brothers because three of its members were brothers. The gang specialized in bank and train robberies.  Their hideout was located about 40 miles southwest of Dodge City.

 

 

 

 

 

 All of our bikes as the group visited the museum.

 

 

 

 

The countryside has 4 basic scenes:  Wheat fields, oil wells, wind turbines and railroad.  With a few corn fields and cattle pastures. 

  "Amber waves of grain" from "America the Beautiful "hymn.

 

 

 

 

Abandoned farm house.  Only huge multi - square mile farms left in this area.

 

Entering Dodge City.

 Santa Fe steam train in Dodge City.

 Which is it??

Just let me read for a few minutes.  An appropriate ending to a long day in the saddle.