Last Chance To STOP The Event Center.

[Detector]

With all due respect Redhead and Mike I understand what you are saying, but obviously we see Dodge City from different view.

If you Google famous wild west towns there is one town above all others you can count on to be in the list. Dodge City. Wikipedia description of American Old West has one and only one city with it's own heading. Dodge City. American Old West - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I see a lot of people attribute Dodge City's fame to either the movie Gunsmoke or it's famous people like the Masterson's and Earp. I say Dodge City made the move Gunsmoke famous and people like Wyatt Earp. All you need do is read some history to see Dodge City was known from coast to coast long before Gunsmoke and people like the Masterson's and Wyatt Earp became famous after coming to dodge.

Gunsmoke could have been set in any town they wanted. Tombstome has a much better stage name than Dodge City, but dodge was the real McCoy. Dodge City was the poster child for wild west towns. See history's reference to the Wickedest Little City in the West.

Our one and only competition as famous western towns actually owns it's fame to Dodge City. Tombstone is famous for one gunfight and that gunfight is famous because of Wyatt Earp. Wyatt Earp is famous thanks to Dodge City.

Dodge City was destine for fame thanks to location. This area was a hot-spot long before Dodge City came to be. As far back as 500 years ago this area was famous. The Indians led Coronado on an ancient trail through this area where it is said the first Christian service was held on a hill nearby. My research says that hill was not the one marked out by Fort Dodge but more than likely our later to be world famous Boot Hill.

This area was known Indian land revered as special and a burial ground. We dug up some of the bodies when the Dodge House was built. 50 years before the birth of Dodge City this area was a well known camping spot and caching location to travelers headed west. This spot has seen 3 western forts before it saw Dodge City. Being the midway point it was a hotspot for Indian attacks which made it famous long before dodge. In the late 1870's-mid 1880's Dodge City was famous for being the most used railhead for Texas cattle.

No, a lot of people owe their fame to Dodge City not the other way around. Dodge City gained it's fame honestly and on it's own.

I guess what I'm trying to say is Dodge City stands alone in the annals of American history. It cannot be compared to any other western town. It is truly one of a kind. For this reason we have a unique opportunity, no the responsibility to not let this one of a kind city fade away like so may other ghost towns.

What I see in our packinghouses is the same in many old gold mining towns. They come in and use up every natural resource creating a boom town. Once the resources are gone they pack up and leave a ghost town in their wake. The problem is the city jumps on the boom and doesn't think about the future. At some point once our resources have been consumed these people will pack up and leave. And then what?

Dodge City has the potential to be the Giza Pyramid of the plans but instead we are the poster child for the ill effects of over industrialization and immigration.

I spend a lot of time all over the world via the Internet in my job and believe it or not Dodge City Kansas is still on most foreigners list of places to visit. Most have never even heard of Gunsmoke. Sadly I also meet lots of those people that have visited Dodge City and their expectation are crushed to see little more than a city block replica. Hardly the famous western town history refers too.

I believe the Why Not Dodge can bring new life back to dodge but we've got to stop thinking small town and see the big picture. Who gives a carp what the locals want we should be giving what the world wants. The world wants the famous little western town their history books refer too.

It's who we are.

[Captain Kemical]

Too bad we can't copyright the phrase, "Get the hell out of Dodge." Have you noticed how often that phrase comes up in movies and television?

[Redhead 18]

Detector, what I have stated was not a personal slam against you. I’m sorry if you feel that way. Maybe I was carried away, but what I was trying to say Dodge could have been a Great attraction at one time. To make a town grow and prosper you must have people willing to take the time and invest their own money into a business, make it grow. When you destroy half of you old downtown where history was made, you do not have much left.

Yes we do have a lot of history in this area, but who has the money to develop and take a chance that it will succeed. I can recall when a person tried to have a trail ride up the river and sit around the campfire and tell stories, but it did not go. That person was trying to improve our town and area. I have to give him credit for trying. Others have tried. It’s a rough old world when you are using your own money.

I’m sorry for Dodge City, but when your major player’s are packing plants, let’s face it, clean industries are not willing to locate. When St Mary’s closed we lost a place for people to advance. Now when our kids go away to school, they can see that Dodge does not have the future to come back to.

[Detector]

No I didn't take it as a personal slam at all and we do agree on everything except for putting a reef on Dodge City's tourism grave. I believe the Why Not Dodge project is just that, putting money into our post-packinghouse future. I feel the reasons the packinghouses have such a strong grip on dodge is because we have failed to properly explore/exploit our own natural resources. That being our history.

A single trail ride, cowboy ranch or Boot Hill replica isn't going to work. Especially at this point in time. We need a serious commitment by all those concerned. The county, the city and the people. Especially the people.

We're standing around in a rotting city and all we can do is complain about the stink.

Dodge City is a western Icon and we need to protect it's status as an icon.

[JayhawkMom]

Originally Posted by Detector

No I didn't take it as a personal slam at all and we do agree on everything except for putting a reef on Dodge City's tourism grave. I believe the Why Not Dodge project is just that, putting money into our post-packinghouse future. I feel the reasons the packinghouses have such a strong grip on dodge is because we have failed to properly explore/exploit our own natural resources. That being our history.

A single trail ride, cowboy ranch or Boot Hill replica isn't going to work. Especially at this point in time. We need a serious commitment by all those concerned. The county, the city and the people. Especially the people.

We're standing around in a rotting city and all we can do is complain about the stink.

Well said Detector, well said.............

[Pistol Pete]

Originally Posted by Detector

No I didn't take it as a personal slam at all and we do agree on everything except for putting a reef on Dodge City's tourism grave. I believe the Why Not Dodge project is just that, putting money into our post-packinghouse future. I feel the reasons the packinghouses have such a strong grip on dodge is because we have failed to properly explore/exploit our own natural resources. That being our history.

A single trail ride, cowboy ranch or Boot Hill replica isn't going to work. Especially at this point in time. We need a serious commitment by all those concerned. The county, the city and the people. Especially the people.

We're standing around in a rotting city and all we can do is complain about the stink.

Dodge City is a western Icon and we need to protect it's status as an icon.

I'll have to disagree here. Clearly we have way too many tourists. Even without effort on our part to provide a pleasant experience when they are here, they continue to come here and throw their filthy money around our community. They clutter up our stores, resturants and hotels. They buy stuff from our retailers. Why don't they just leave and let our town die quietly?

The money they bring into our community from all over the world just serves to make some silly local people believe the myths that our economy could improve and that encouraging tourism might make Dodge City a better place to live.

Tourism supporters just don't get it, do they? We would much rather be poor and miserable with no decent jobs and little chance for economic development. We like to see our city core crumbling into ruin. Getting rid of anything which attracts outsiders and their money to our city is the only thing that makes sense. Then, when the packing houses close up, we'll finally have what we want - a really great ghost town.

Fie on tourists and their money!!

Pistol Pete

[Detector]

Hehe Welcome Pistol Pete

[booger]

We're close to a ghost town now, e-r-r-r, I meant to say, a dirty, dusty, little ole south Texas border town. I know what PP is saying.

[Pistol Pete]

Hmmm..... A petition is in the works to repeal the 1/2 percent sales tax (the county's share of the WND project, but is anyone aware that once that 1/2 percent is repealed the county Commission plans to then institute a ballot initiative for a 1/2 percent sales tax directed towards building a new jail?

Let's see now... we have sour grapes because WND is not allowed to be used for a jail, so we take our ball and go home. Then we start a new game on the other side of town with the ball we promised to the first game.

Curiouser and Curiouser....

Pistol Pete

[lurker]

A Super Jail would have a better cost/benefit ratio than a Spatial Events Center. Dun-rite it could be marketed to the ICE guys. We got's the starter seeds. Throw some in, add some free-wholees and salsa. Folks will come from as far away as Mexico just to stay there.