Dodge City Peace Commission, 1883

Dodge City Peace Commission, 1883

The Dodge City Peace Commission, June 1883. From left to right, standing: W.H. Harris, Luke Short, Bat Masterson, W.F. Petillon. Seated: Charlie Bassett, Wyatt Earp, Frank McLain and Neal Brown. The Dodge City War was a bloodless conflict that took place in 1883 in Dodge City, Kansas. It came at the close of the first ten years of the city's history at a time when the cattle drive and saloons were fading as a dominant force in the city's politics. From its founding, Dodge had a reputation for corruption and was often called "the Wickedest City in America." The informal association known as the Dodge City Gang dominated the law enforcement and much of the political life of the community, and monopolized the whiskey trade. In 1879 the anti-gang faction won a closely fought election for Ford County, defeating popular gang member Bat Masterson. This was the first in a number of elections that ousted the members of the gang from positions of power.

Album / Science Source / New York Public Library

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33.0 x 32.9 cm | 13.0 x 12.9 in (300 dpi)