361. Dodge City, Ford County (KS002)

I like the classical feel of this courthouse quite a bit. Yet, this being Dodge City, archetype of “The West,” I expected something different. Not more, just different. Something Edwardian or Victorian or Renaissance Revival-y or something. I don’t know. That said, you know what was really weird about this courthouse? This seems most like the front, but isn’t obviously marked. The sides, though…

…not only have the county name, but both have flags in front of them, which flies in the face of my flags in front theory. This is a seemingly strange layout and I don’t entirely understand it. If I had a little more time, I’d look into it. I’d totally dig having some time to run around and play western for a bit here. Unfortunately, I’m running a little bit behind. Not overwhelmingly so, but enough that I shouldn’t tarry. And yet…

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…I had to catch Wyatt on the way out of town. There’s an entire trail of such figures, Doc Holiday, Marshall Matt Dillon, others lining the road through the city. If only there were world enough and time…

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There’s always a cemetery. Well, just outside of a cemetery on the way into Dodge. A big old water bottle in the roots of a tree. Of course, it was under a big, fat cedar tree that I just didn’t feel like crawling under at the moment. Luckily, branches make for great TOTTs. One nice long branch later and there it was. I did what was needed and returned it. And once my photography was done, what did I do? You know I’ve got to say it… I got the heck out of Dodge! Luckily, my next destination was closer than I thought it was so I traded one famous western town for another when I reached…