Fort Dodge was established in 1865 as a military post on the Santa Fe Trail. It protected travellers, mail, and trade moving through a tense stretch of the plains, and Dodge City grew nearby after the fort was built.
The site is quieter than Boot Hill and better for understanding the geography of the town. Drive out after visiting the museum, and the frontier story shifts from saloons and sheriffs to supply lines, river crossings, and the long overland road west.