Billy Dixon – Texas Plains Pioneer
William "Billy" Dixon, a name synonymous with the rugged spirit of the American frontier, was a multifaceted figure who etched his legacy as a scout, plainsman, buffalo hunter, and Indian fighter. His life, spanning from the mid-19th to the early 20th century, encapsulates the tumultuous transformation of the American West. This is the story of Billy Dixon, a man whose courage and skill became the stuff of legends.
Born on September 25, 1850, in Ohio County, West Virginia, William Dixon’s heritage was a blend of European and Native American ancestry. Tragedy struck early in his life when he was orphaned at the tender age of 12. He was then sent to live with his uncle, Thomas Dixon, in Ray County, Missouri. This marked the beginning of his journey westward, a path that would lead him to become a quintessential figure of the plains.
In the fall of 1864, the young Billy Dixon began working as a woodcutter along the banks of the mighty Missouri River. This experience instilled in him a work ethic and a familiarity with the river that would serve him well in the years to come. Later, he found employment with a government freight contractor in Kansas, working as both a bullwhacker, driving teams of oxen, and a muleskinner, handling mule teams. These demanding jobs honed his skills in animal handling, navigation, and survival, all essential for life on the frontier.
For a brief period in 1866, Dixon left the freight contractor to work on the McCall family’s farm near Leavenworth, Kansas. This respite provided him with a rare opportunity for formal schooling, a luxury he had been deprived of due to his early hardships. However, the call of the open range proved too strong, and he returned to his work with the freight contractor until November 1869.
Driven by the lure of adventure and the promise of wealth, Billy Dixon joined a group of hunters and trappers operating along the Saline River northwest of Fort Hays, Kansas. His innate marksmanship quickly established him as a successful hunter. In those days, buffalo cowhides fetched a price of $1 each, while bull hides commanded $2. With his earnings, Dixon ventured into the world of entrepreneurship, investing in a ranch supply store. However, this venture was short-lived, as his manager absconded with the proceeds while Dixon was away in 1871. Undeterred, Dixon returned to buffalo hunting, often employing four to five hunters and skinners to assist him.
By 1872, Billy Dixon had made his way to southwest Kansas, coinciding with the burgeoning growth of Dodge City. The arrival of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad in the same year transformed Dodge City into the undisputed "buffalo capital of the west." Initially named Buffalo City, the town was renamed Dodge City after the adjacent military fort, solidifying its identity as a hub for buffalo hunters, traders, and adventurers.
The fall and winter of 1872 and 1873 witnessed an unprecedented influx of hunters into the region. This marked the peak of the buffalo hunting era, with thousands of buffalo falling victim to the relentless pursuit. Front Street was lined with towering stacks of buffalo hides awaiting shipment, while the town’s establishments teemed with buffalo hunters and traders. It was during this period that the term "stinker" was coined, referring to the pungent odor emanating from the buffalo hides and the unwashed hunters. Dixon himself estimated that approximately 75,000 buffalo were killed within a 60- to 75-mile radius of Dodge City that season, a testament to the sheer scale of the slaughter. On one occasion, Dixon and his men transported their accumulated hides to Dodge City, where they received prices ranging from $2.50 to $4 apiece, the highest he had ever been paid.
As the buffalo population dwindled in the area, Dixon began scouting further south into Texas, venturing as far as the Salt Fork of the Red River. In 1874, he joined forces with several other buffalo hunters and businessmen from Dodge City to establish a camp and supply post near the South Canadian River, situated about a mile and a half from the remnants of the old Adobe Walls trading post. The original trading post had been established around 1843 by William Bent but was abandoned after repeated Indian raids and the First Battle of Adobe Walls in 1864. By the end of spring 1874, an estimated 200 to 300 buffalo hunters roamed the area, and trade at the "new" Adobe Walls was thriving. It was said that after the spring buffalo migrations, Dixon could single-handedly shoot enough buffalo to keep ten skinners occupied. However, the prosperity of the new camp was destined to be short-lived.
The Native American tribes who still inhabited the region correctly perceived the post and the relentless buffalo hunting as a grave threat to their way of life. In the spring of 1874, the Indians held a Sun Dance, during which Comanche medicine man Isa-tai prophesied victory to the warriors who would fight to expel the buffalo hunters. On the morning of June 27, 1874, a combined force of approximately 700 Comanche, Cheyenne, Kiowa, and Arapaho warriors, led by Comanche Chief Quanah Parker and Isa-tai, launched a fierce attack on the buffalo camp at Adobe Walls.
The hunters sought refuge in two stores and a saloon. Dixon was among the 28 men and one woman who defended the settlement during the Second Battle of Adobe Walls, fighting from within James Hanrahan’s saloon. The story of how Dixon became a hero two days into the battle, when a bullet from his Sharps buffalo rifle struck an Indian off his horse from nearly a mile away, is widely known. While the veracity of this account has been debated, Dixon himself never explicitly claimed credit for the "long shot."
Following the Second Battle of Adobe Walls, Dixon ceased hide hunting. He returned to Dodge City and, in early August 1874, enlisted as a scout under General Nelson A. Miles in a detachment commanded by Lieutenant Frank D. Baldwin. In September, while stationed on McClellan Creek in present-day Gray County, Texas, General Miles dispatched Dixon, Amos Chapman, and four enlisted men with dispatches to Camp Supply, Oklahoma. En route, the men were ambushed and besieged by a large band of Kiowa and Comanche warriors near Gageby Creek in present-day Hemphill County. They sought refuge in a buffalo wallow, where they bravely defended themselves for three days. A freezing rainstorm on the final night discouraged the Indians, who eventually broke off the fight. Every man in the detail sustained injuries, and one soldier was killed. For their valor in "The Buffalo Wallow Fight," Billy Dixon and the other survivors were awarded the Medal of Honor.
A few months later, Dixon was present at the rescue of the German sisters from the Cheyenne Indians on McClellan Creek on November 8, 1874. In the spring of 1875, he accompanied the party that selected the site for Fort Elliott, Texas. He was assigned to duty at that post and guided the Nolan expedition in pursuit of Comanche warriors in August 1877. His intimate knowledge of the terrain proved invaluable, leading the men to water at Double Lakes on the Llano Estacado, saving the command.
In 1883, Billy Dixon returned to civilian life, settling in Hutchinson County, Texas, where he worked on the Turkey Track Ranch. He built a home near the site of the original Adobe Walls, planting an orchard and 30 acres of alfalfa, which he irrigated from Bent’s Creek. When a post office was established at Adobe Walls in August 1887, he became its first postmaster. He also served as a state land commissioner and justice of the peace for the area encompassing Hutchinson, Gray, and Roberts counties. In partnership with S. G. Carter, he operated a ranch-supply store. Dixon served as postmaster until 1901, when he was elected as Hutchinson County’s first sheriff. However, he resigned shortly afterward, disillusioned by the political turmoil surrounding the county’s organization.
On October 18, 1894, he married Olive King of Virginia, who was the only woman residing in Hutchinson County for the following three years. The couple eventually had seven children. In 1902, Dixon moved to Plemons so that his children could attend school. However, he found small-town life stifling and, in 1906, sought refuge in the open spaces of the Oklahoma Panhandle, where he established a homestead.
During his final years, Dixon reportedly lived in near poverty. Friends attempted to secure a pension for him, but their efforts were unsuccessful. On March 9, 1913, he succumbed to pneumonia at his Cimarron County homestead. He was buried in the cemetery at Texline by members of his Masonic Lodge. On June 27, 1929, his remains were reinterred at the Adobe Walls site, a fitting tribute to the man who had become a legend of the Texas plains. Today, personal artifacts from his scouting days are preserved in the Hutchinson County Museum in Borger and the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in Canyon, ensuring that the legacy of Billy Dixon continues to inspire future generations.