Restaurants in Dodge City During the Wild West

Ever wondered what people ate and what kind of restaurants were in the wild west? Well this video will describe what kinds of restaurants could be found in Dodge City during the time of the frontier, and what kind of grub they advertised. From 1872-1885 learn about the connection between saloons and restaurants, and follow the growth of the restaurant trade in old Dodge City.

[@dorothylewis1207]

Very nice, I would like to see a Menu from a Restaurant.

[@legacyofthewest]

Wish I had one to show you!

[@daviddougan6961]

Great video and stories. My ancestors were some of the Texas cattlemen who drove herds of longhorns up to Dodge during the 1870's and then decided to stay after a few years. At least a dozen are buried in the City cemetery. Their story is told in the book "The Ladder of Rivers" and is a wild but true tale of the Olive brothers. we actually had a family reunion at their old Texas homestead in 2014 and over 100 participated. Three died of gun shots and the fourth went on to become Chairman of the Nebraska Cattlemen's Association . Three of the participants were great grand daughters of two of the Olive brothers, but Dodge City was where the all are resting now.

[@legacyofthewest]

I'm going to have to order that book! Thanks for sharing!

[@reneethornton9228]

This was great reporting. I just always thought people back then only ate steak due to the cattle. To learn that Jim “dog” Kelly, the nickname “dog” was actually because I’d his dog. I thought it was because of a bad reputation. On this past Sunday I watched a documentary about about John “Doc” Holiday and learned so much about him. Thanks for always bringing us history of the Wild Wild West. Keep them coming!

[@legacyofthewest]

Thanks Renee! Yeah, I think Kelley's dogs followed him around all the time so it was natural for that to be his nickname. That reminds me of Wild Bill's deputy in Hays, KS, he was known as "Rattlesnake Pete" Lanahan, you'd think it was because he was tough like a rattlesnake or something but I found out it was because he wore a rattlesnake band on his hat

[@jameskelly7782]

The dogs were supposed to have once belonged to George Armstrong Custer.

[@mercedithcompala8148]

Interesting history, enjoyed this. Wish you had more Inside photos.

[@legacyofthewest]

Me too

[@Go4Corvette]

Always the best wild west history videos.

[@alancamper7796]

Wonderful video. Can’t wait for the next one.

[@devonbell6795]

Very well done. I enjoy the level of research you conduct in locating contemporaneous newspaper articles. On a side note: our family’s surname is Bell and they were farmers/ranchers in Missouri, Kansas and Arkansas. I also served as the Sheriff-Coroner-Marshal of Placer County, Ca from 2017 until my retirement last June. Keep up the good work!

[@legacyofthewest]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@carolynraley4047]

I was wondering how people kept food cold back in the 1800's, so I asked Google who said people cut ice from frozen lakes and such. But I don't think there were frozen bodies of water in western desert areas, so how'd they keep food cold out there? Great video, by the way. I love you guys and your work!

[@legacyofthewest]

Thank you! In Dodge they'd use ice from the Arkansas river. In the desert areas my guess is that they'd ship in ice from the nearest water source in the winter and then store it in ice houses, with the train ice from stored areas could be transported a lot quicker

[@carolynraley4047]

@@legacyofthewest Thank you for your insightful reply!

[@bradfordbarrettluckotheIrish]

I enjoyed this vlog, outstanding research. I’m in the mood now for a biscuit and butter.

[@legacyofthewest]

Thanks!

[@j.robertsergertson4513]

When you started talking about oysters , and how there was so many buffalo ,I Was thinking "Rocky Mountain Oysters" I am kind glad ir was the ocean kind of oysters

[@scottbates7316]

Very well researched! A wealth of information.!

[@legacyofthewest]

Thanks!

[@mybuckhead]

Very good video. Thank you for not using goofy music or any music

[@Thecorgially]

Very informative.

[@wingandhog]

These videos are really good. They are captivating. I have seen a few cookbooks from the turn of the 20th century. I suppose many of those recipes had been around for some time. Those folks were creative enough with what they could get. I live in New Mexico. We still see many antelope and bison herds out on the range, but not like what they saw during the Wild West.

[@legacyofthewest]

I need to make it out there sometime, I would like to see wild antelope!

[@baldeagle5297]

Another good one.

[@legacyofthewest]

Thanks!

[@lenledwidge5367]

Tested an oil well out side of Dodge and was heading back to Wichita. It was a long night and at 7A.m. their was a guy opening his beer store. I hollered at the guy; you opening up? O YES. I'll be right in them. I enjoyed working out of Wichita and hatted to return to Alberta Canada. A year later I married a girl from Wichita after she mover to Alberta. I have a daughter now who is a cop. Scary. Tks

[@fredcloud9668]

Thank you.

[@SandyzSerious]

Very interesting.

[@bonsaibiker5378]

very interesting, great work

[@williamlarochelle6833]

Interesting subject & treatment. What the video lacks are photos of restaurant interiors.

[@legacyofthewest]

There aren't that many photos of Dodge City in the 19th century (compared to later times when photography became more easily accessed to the public), I know of a few photos of saloon interiors in Dodge-if you know of any photos of restaurant interiors in Dodge City between 1872-1886 let me know

[@williamlarochelle6833]

@@legacyofthewest Will do but ain't likely.🙂

[@bobwallace9814]

@ :17, playing faro, the most popular game in those saloons...not poker. @15:09 some of Dodge City's finest working women appear on the balcony. The biggest takeaway for me is that the folks there ate a high protein, high fiber and low fat diet and living an active lifestyle meant they were all in pretty good shape. Not many fatties. The big surprise to me is that oysters were served everywhere and apparently everyone ate them daily. So unlike what tv/movies portray, the bar top crowd ordered their liquor with a dozen on the half shell and then had a long stemmed pipe with tobacco while digesting.

[@thomaslietzau2813]

MOST OYSTERS IN THE WILD WEST .. ROCKY MOUNTAIN OYSTERS .. THEY WERE EZER TO GET FRESH

[@rons4297]

Really cool. As a kid living in Kansas, it was a treat to go to the McDonald's in Dodge. They had a table that was in a stagecoach. It was the early 80s, 1980s that is!

[@legacyofthewest]

When they built the new McDonalds they gave Boot Hill Museum the stagecoach, it's located in the new museum building there

[@rons4297]

@@legacyofthewest I'll check it out! Thank you

[@184876ela]

I GOT THE SECOND

[@legacyofthewest]

Silver!

[@monstersdad67]

Kelly’ partners last name wasn’t Betty it’s pronounced Bay tee . It’s a Scots name, it can’t ever be pronounced Properly by purely English speakers. The E is silent, not the A.

[@Sirharryflash82]

I was going to say the same thing. It got annoying hearing him say Betty constantly.

[@MarlinWilliams-ts5ul]

What about the Long Branch?

[@MarlinWilliams-ts5ul]

Now mostly Mexican food is served up in Dodge City.

[@GunDrone]

I got first comment :) YAY LOL

[@legacyofthewest]

Winner winner oyster dinner!

[@GunDrone]

@@legacyofthewest , YUK but i will take a bison burger please? Good video by the way.

[@Mr100741]

The narrator continuously pronounces the name "Beatty" as if it were a woman's first name of Betty. The proper pronunciation is Bay De and not Betty. If one were to call him "Betty" back in the 1870's or 80's you may have had a fight on your hands.