Kansas Cowtowns

The landscape of the American West in the late 19th century was dramatically shaped by the burgeoning cattle industry. Following the Civil War, a unique set of circumstances converged to create the legendary Kansas cowtowns. These settlements, born from the dust and driven by the relentless demand for beef, became synonymous with cowboys, cattle drives, and a wild, untamed frontier spirit. To understand their rise and fall, it’s essential to delve into the economic and logistical challenges of the post-war era.

The Civil War had a profound impact on the Texas cattle industry. Prior to the conflict, Texas cattle were routinely shipped north, providing a vital source of income for the state. However, during the war, this trade was effectively cut off, crippling the Confederate state’s economy. When the war concluded, Texas found itself with an estimated five million head of cattle, largely Texas Longhorns, roaming its vast ranches. The problem was a matter of economics: with no readily available means of transporting them to market, these cattle were worth a mere $3 to $4 per head.

Meanwhile, the northern and eastern states faced a severe beef shortage, creating a pent-up demand that drove prices to ten times that amount. Recognizing the immense potential for profit, Texas cattlemen began desperately seeking the nearest railheads to ship their herds to market. However, this was easier said than done.

For years, farmers in Missouri and Kansas harbored a deep-seated fear of Texas Longhorns. This fear stemmed from a mysterious cattle disease known as "Texas Fever." While the Longhorns themselves appeared healthy, Midwestern cattle that came into contact with them, or even grazed in pastures recently occupied by Longhorns, often fell ill and perished. The culprit was eventually identified as ticks, which transmitted the disease. While Longhorns possessed a natural immunity, local cattle were highly susceptible.

In the spring of 1866, drovers attempted to drive an estimated 200,000 to 260,000 Longhorns northward along the Shawnee Trail from Texas. The journey was fraught with challenges. Many herds were turned back or significantly delayed due to the widespread fear of Texas Fever. Resourceful drovers, however, managed to circumvent hostile settlements, successfully getting their cattle to market and reaping substantial profits.

The Shawnee Trail’s days were numbered. By the first half of 1867, six states had enacted laws specifically targeting cattle trailing. Texas cattlemen realized a new approach was needed. Enter Joseph G. McCoy, a young and ambitious livestock dealer. McCoy envisioned establishing a centralized shipping depot for cattle somewhere in the West. Recognizing the mutual benefit, he knew railroad companies were eager to expand their freight operations. He selected Abilene, Kansas cowtowns, and opened the Abilene Trail through Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma). This marked the beginning of the era of the long cattle drives and the rise of the legendary Kansas cowtowns.

As the railheads steadily moved westward, so too did the wild and often lawless frontier towns. Abilene became the first major Kansas cowtown, followed by Ellsworth, Caldwell, Wichita, and Dodge City. Secondary cattle markets also emerged, albeit briefly, in places like Newton, Hunnewell, Great Bend, Hays, Brookville, Coffeyville, Salina, and Junction City.

These towns were defined by the demands of the cowboys arriving off the Chisholm Trail after months on the trail. Dance halls and saloons, almost always featuring gambling, were essential establishments. Brothels and prostitution thrived, catering to a disproportionately male population. These towns grew rapidly, often levying taxes on the very vices that fueled their economies – liquor, gambling, and prostitution. In turn, they earned reputations as "wicked, decadent, evil, and lawless" places.

Between 1865 and 1885, hundreds of thousands of Texas Longhorns were driven to these bustling shipping points. However, by the mid-1880s, a combination of factors brought the cattle drive era in Kansas to an end. The most significant was the expansion of the railroad network into Texas itself, eliminating the need for long drives to Kansas cowtowns. Quarantine laws, designed to prevent the spread of Texas Fever, and the increasing presence of homesteaders, who fenced off much of the open range, further contributed to the decline.

Despite the end of the long drives, the cattle business in Kansas did not disappear. By 1890, the state ranked third in the nation in cattle production, transitioning from a transit point to a major player in the industry. The Kansas cowtowns themselves underwent a transformation, gradually evolving into quieter, more peaceful agricultural communities.

These Kansas cowtowns attracted a cast of colorful characters. Many famous Old West figures gained or solidified their reputations in these rough-and-tumble settlements. Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Wild Bill Hickok, and John Wesley Hardin were among the lawmen, gamblers, and outlaws who roamed the streets of these frontier towns. Some of the most iconic gunfights of the American West also took place in these locations, including the Dalton Gang Shoot-Out in Coffeyville, the Hyde Park Gunfight in Newton, and the Long Branch Saloon Shootout in Dodge City.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the most prominent Kansas cowtowns:

• Abilene: Established as a stagecoach stop in 1857, Abilene remained a quiet settlement until Joseph G. McCoy identified its potential as a railhead in 1867. The town quickly transformed, attracting cowboys, gamblers, outlaws, and prostitutes. By 1870, its lawlessness led to the hiring of Thomas Smith as the first marshal, who was later killed in the line of duty. Wild Bill Hickok succeeded him in 1871. Abilene reigned as the "Queen of the Kansas cowtowns" until new railheads emerged in Newton, Wichita, and Ellsworth in 1872.

• Baxter Springs: Located in the southeastern corner of Kansas, Baxter Springs was the first Kansas cowtown to emerge. After the Civil War, in 1865, the town welcomed Texas cattle as Missouri became off-limits due to quarantines. Stockyards capable of holding 20,000 cattle were built. Despite its prosperity, Baxter Springs gained a reputation as one of the wildest cowtowns in the West, serving as a cattle outlet through the 1870s.

• Brookville: The arrival of the Kansas Pacific Railroad in 1870 briefly transformed Brookville into a cattle shipping area. Boasting a population of 800, the town featured a bank, newspaper, telegraph and express offices, and a post office. Today, Brookville is a virtual ghost town with a population of around 240.

• Caldwell: Known as the "Border Queen" due to its proximity to the Oklahoma border, Caldwell challenged Dodge City for dominance in the cattle market in the 1880s. Situated along the Chisholm Trail, Caldwell catered to cowboys passing through long before becoming a shipping point itself. In 1879, the Santa Fe Railroad extended its line to Caldwell, solidifying its role in the cattle trade. Saloons, gambling dens, and brothels quickly sprang up, offering cowboys a place to unwind. Gunfights and hangings became commonplace.

• Coffeyville: Established in 1869 by Colonel James A. Coffey as an Indian Trading Post, Coffeyville thrived due to its location near Indian Territory. The town, named in Coffey’s honor, attracted settlers and became a secondary Kansas cowtown.

• Dodge City: The most well-known and arguably the wickedest of the Kansas cowtowns, Dodge City began as a stop along the Santa Fe Trail and a civilian community near Fort Dodge. It later developed into a buffalo-hunting town. The arrival of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad in 1872 spurred tremendous growth. When quarantine laws closed Wichita to the cattle trade, Dodge City became the "Queen of the Kansas cowtowns." From 1875 to 1885, more than 75,000 head of cattle were shipped annually.

• Ellis: Primarily a railroad town, Ellis was laid out by the Kansas Pacific Railroad in 1873. The town became a secondary shipping point for cattle herds in 1875, taking on characteristics typical of other Kansas cowtowns. By 1880, the shipping trade had ended. Today, the primarily agricultural town is home to about 1,800 people.

• Ellsworth: Long before its involvement in the cattle trade, Ellsworth was a turbulent place. Raids on wagon trains and stagecoaches prompted the construction of Fort Ellsworth (later Fort Harker). When the railroad arrived, Ellsworth quickly developed into a thriving cattle market, dominating other Kansas cowtowns from 1871 to 1875. The influx of cowboys, gamblers, and "unruly" women contributed to its bad reputation.

• Great Bend: The site of Great Bend began as a trading post on the Santa Fe Trail. The town was officially formed in 1871, soon becoming a secondary market in the cattle trade, complete with shootouts, Texas cowboys, and saloons. Afterward, Great Bend settled down as a regional trade center.

• Hays City: Hays started in 1867 as the southern branch of the Union Pacific Railroad worked its way west. Hays City was named after Fort Hays, which was founded in 1865. The combination of railroad workers, freighters, buffalo hunters, soldiers, and cowboys made it a very rough town for several years.

• Hunnewell: Hunnewell briefly flourished as a shipping point for Texas cattle in the 1880s. Located on the Kansas-Oklahoma border, the town had quick access to the Kansas City stockyards. Violence was not uncommon, and the town dwindled with the loss of the cattle trade.

• Junction City: Junction City, located on the Kansas Pacific Railroad line, was a secondary shipping point for the cattle trade. The city started long before the cattle trade was booming. In the late 1860’s Junction City was a secondary shipping point to Abilene.

• Newton: Before the railroad arrived in Newton, a few homesteaders sparsely populated the area. When the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad arrived on July 17, 1871, Newton became the shipping point of the immense herds of Texas cattle driven to Abilene.

• Salina: By 1870, Salina was one of the most flourishing towns in the state. In 1872, Salina became a minor center of the cattle industry. In 1874 the cattle trade gravitated farther west, and Salina’s citizens rejoiced that its “cowtown” era had ended.

• Wichita: The site of Wichita was first settled in 1864. In 1872, the railroad arrived, and Wichita became the destination for Texas cattle driven north along the Chisholm Trail for shipment to eastern markets. Serving as a Kansas cowtown primarily from 1872 through 1876, the city developed a rough part of town called the "Delano" district that became the hub of gambling and drinking activities in Wichita.

The era of the Kansas cowtowns was a brief but pivotal chapter in the history of the American West. These towns, born from economic necessity and fueled by the cattle trade, represent a unique blend of opportunity, lawlessness, and transformation. Their legacy continues to captivate and inspire, offering a glimpse into a wild and formative period in American history.