In spring, you might find yourself alone in this ghost town, the wind your only companion. In that silence, you can feel the harshness of life in such a remote and high place.
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Legendary Stories of Fort Totten Historic Site: North Dakota
Fort Totten, North Dakota, is an historic site with a diverse history. Its well-preserved buildings, authentic artifacts, and documented stories make it one of the state’s must-see historic sites. Indeed, Fort Totten is a lot more than a quick stop on a holiday itinerary!
Saddle & uniform in front of large photo of historic Fort Totten. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.Linda’s Pick of the Exhibits
My favorite exhibit at Fort Totten was the gardening section. Perhaps it was the season or my return to gardening myself!
At any rate, according to Mandan history, one of the tribe’s founders was Yellow Corn Maiden. The legend goes that she saved the first corn crop from Sun Man’s burning rays and taught him that the corn should be forever safe from his attacks.
Historic buildings at Fort Totten. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.Interestingly, the Hidatsa people had a very precise method of planting their gardens. First, in early April, they planted the perimeter of the garden with sunflowers. Next came the most important crop–the corn. If the plants were touched by frost or bugs, the corn was replanted until the middle of May. Finally, they planted beans, squash, and pumpkins.
The Carrying the Corn dance was performed in the early spring. Its purpose? To sanctify the planting season and find blessing from the Great One Above to make the fields thrive.
Gardens were also important to the inhabitants of the Fort!
Fast Fact: During the fall of 1868 and the winter of 1868-69, after the supply of vegetables from the garden was exhausted, the following articles of food...were found effectual in preventing scurvy...Per 100 rations, ten pounds of dried fruit and five gallons of krout or curried cabbage twice a week; one gallon of molasses, twenty-five pounds of corn meal, and two and one-half gallons of pickles once a week.What’s at Fort Totten Historical Site?
The Fort Totten Historical Site consists of around 10 acres of land located within the boundaries of the Fort Totten Indian Reservation. It’s on the southeastern edge of the town of Fort Totten.
Collection of Indigenous artifacts. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.So, where does the site’s name come from? It’s from the Totten Trail, which was an overland route from southern Minnesota to the goldfields of Western Montana.
Fast Fact: Fort Totten became a state historic site in 1960. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.Fort Totten had three distinct periods of usage before becoming an historic site. My favorite was the first, its frontier history. It’s one of the best preserved of the nearly 150 forts constructed on the western frontier.
What are the main periods in Fort Totten’s history?The three time periods include:
Established in 1867, the post’s main function was to serve American Indian Policy. Soldiers enforced the peace among settlers near Devils Lake and the Dakota people living on the reservation around it.
How did Devils Lake get its name? It comes from the Dakota phrase Mni Wakan, which means Spirit Water or sacred water. Early Europeans to the area, however, didn’t get the translation quite right. They interpreted the name to be something like a bad spirit. Eventually, that turned into the name Devils Lake.
Pin me!Of course, the main feature of the Fort’s frontier era is the 16 original buildings. They’ve all been well preserved and maintained, initially by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Then, in 1959, school management became local.
The original buildings, of course, served different purposes over the 93 years before Fort Totten became a state historic site.
My favorite buildings? The Captain/1st Lieutenant Quarters with their historical furnishings.
Some of the artifacts I found interesting included:
A self-guided tour takes visitors through the site with access to many of the buildings and window exhibit panels in others. Historic photos are used to bring the stories, especially of the lives of children who lived in the Industrial schools, to life.
On the tour, visitors can choose to follow a soldier, a young female Chippewa student, a teacher, or a teenage male Dakota student. The stories are based on oral histories collected from Spirit Lake tribal members and other accounts.
Student Life at Fort Totten
Display covering the school at Fort Totten. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.The reservation had been assigned to the Catholic Church by the Board of Commissioners of Indian Affairs. So religious education was part of daily life.
Life, as shown in the exhibits, was militant. Children wore uniforms to ensure uniformity and were required to speak English. To accomplish this, children from various tribes were often grouped together to restrict their use of their first language and birth customs.
Punishments for speaking their own language could be severe, as assimilation into the greater population was a main educational goal.
Many of the artifacts on display are from local Indigenous people.
They include such fascinating items as a deer hoof ceremonial necklace (circa 1920) and a Sioux quilled horse hair ornament.
Pin me! Fast Fact: After Fort Totten became a school, the powder magazine floor was lowered and used for storing flour. Why? About 400 pounds of flour were used daily! That's a lot of flour -- roughly 1 pound of flour daily for the 400 residents.Pioneer Daughters of the Lake Region Museum
Sign and entrance for the Pioneer Daughters of the Lake Region Museum. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.Fort Totten is also home to the Lake Region Pioneer Daughters Museum. It’s situated in the fort’s old hospital/school cafeteria building (Building 7). While the museum isn’t very large, it’s packed with interesting artifacts.
The Pioneer Daughters museum does an excellent job of displaying the collection. All of the pioneer-era household objects are identified and labelled with the names of the people who donated them. Artifacts range from the Minnie H steamboat’s anchor to silver dinnerware service to children’s toys.
Toys in the Lake Region Pioneer Daughters Museum. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.There’s also an on-site Totten Trail Historic Inn. Each room has a distinctive personality and historic furnishings that let you immerse yourself in history.
Learn more on Amazon.Linda’s Road Trip Tips
We visited Fort Totten on a weekend getaway in Devils Lake, North Dakota. While we’d passed through the small city on many trips, we’d always been interested in learning more about both the city and the lake.
Pin me!Devils Lake deserves a quick stop, even if you’re just driving through North Dakota on U.S. Highway 2.
Its Downtown Devils Lake Commercial District has 47 properties built between 1885 and 1937.
Most are brick, but there are a wide variety of architectural styles.
We enjoyed the Lake Region Heritage Center, which is housed in the historic U.S. Post Office building.
The regional history was very interesting. As well, the Sheriff’s House Museum was a great stop!
Our favorite dining spot? The Old Main Street Cafe. Prices were good and the taste was great. David enjoyed a steak dinner while I ordered the Rolette chicken fillet served on wild rice. If you don’t have time for a full meal, take a coffee break to get a peek at the pictures on the wall illustrating area history.
Who Should Visit the Fort Totten Historic Site?
Fort Totten is a great family destination for travelers. There’s lots of space for the kids to run around the lawn in the shade of aged trees.
From an historical perspective, the glance into American Indian boarding schools is particularly interesting for the whole family.
The experience can provide an opportunity for families to consider what it was like for children to grow up in an institution focused on making them forget the culture they were born into.
Since the exhibits are in various historic buildings, seeing everything may be challenging for visitors who have mobility issues.
The grounds are generally flat and walkable, with more accessible options at the on-site Pioneer Daughters Museum area.
Restrooms are generally accessible.
Pin me!We spent about an hour and a half going through the displays and enjoying the grounds.
How Do You Visit Fort Totten?
Fort Totten is located on a peninsula on the southeastern edge of Devils Lake, about 12 miles south of the city of Devils Lake, North Dakota.
Parking: There's lots of free parking available at the site.Street Address: 417 Cavalry Circle, Fort Totten, North Dakota
The museum is open seasonally to the general public, with the option to arrange a visit at other times of the year. Check the website for details.
Keep up to date with what’s happening on the Fort Totten State Historic Facebook page.
Learn more with this YouTube video, Forgotten Fort Totten, North Dakota -[Old West Forts] from American Old West Tales.
Plan your visit with Google maps.
Find More Museum Reviews for North Dakota
Check out more reviews of museum attractions in North Dakota on guide2museums.com.
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Old and high in the Californian Sierra Nevada, Bodie is an incredible ghost town. Once one of the largest cities in the state, time has now stopped here. It is the perfect place to witness the past and the lingering after‑effect of the gold rush.
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Sur le forum de JdR CasusNO, ça parlait westerns. J'ai toujours le projet de monter ma campagne Silver City, NW. Je feuilletais le hack de One%, le JdR de MC, avec l'adaptation Old West que j'en avais tiré.
En regardant la page des montures et comment j'étais passé des motos aux chevaux, je n'ai pu m'empêcher de penser @loevenbruck , passionné de motos et de chevaux du Farwest.
A défaut, de motos et de chevaux, je me contente de les peindre avec plaisir!
Boot Hill Museum: Kansas Wild West Myth Meets Lived History
Dodge City, Kansas, started out as a cowtown way back in the 1870s. Indeed, it was often called the “Queen of the Cowtowns.” Today, visitors to Dodge City can step into that past by spending a few hours at the Boot Hill Museum.
Western cattle trails display with long horns, branding irons, and saddles. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.Linda’s Pick of the Exhibits
If you’ve ever told someone it was time to “Get out of Dodge,” you probably watched the western series, Gunsmoke. I know I sure did–every Sunday night at 8 p.m. the whole family huddled around the tv waiting for the latest cowboy story.
What’s the history of the phrase “Get out of Dodge?”Marshal Matt Dillon was the main character on the tv series, Gunsmoke. His role, as with all sheriffs in old west shows, was to keep the peace and run the bad guys out of town. And the town was Dodge City. Why?
The real Dodge had a long-standing reputation as a rough cowtown. It was a symbol of the untamed west, famous for saloons, gunfighters, and brothels. And of course, authenticity was what producers were looking for to create dramatic tension.
Real figures like Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp had actually been lawmen in Dodge City. So, making Marshal Matt Dillon a lawman there linked fiction with fact. Viewers interested in westerns could readily associate gunfighters and rough justice with the show.
And getting out of dodge? In both the tv and radio series, Matt Dillon was shown as a stern, but fair marshal who only used his gun if there was no other choice. Shows frequently showed his remorse on the number of outlaws he had to shoot.
So, within the Gunsmoke world, most outlaws were run “out of Dodge” rather than ending up in gunfights.
As a side note, Gunsmoke wasn’t actually filmed in Dodge City, Kansas. The set was a purpose-built Hollywood western town with additional soundstages in California and Utah. Indeed, the show’s first seasons filmed most outdoor scenes on Gene Autry’s Melody Ranch in Placerita Canyon, California.
Today, the expression, get out of Dodge, still means to leave a bad situation behind you.
And the Gunsmoke series is what made visiting Boot Hill Museum important to me. After all, Matt Dillon and Miss Kitty were two of my favorite television characters.
So, my favorite exhibit was titled, Hollywood and the Wild West. It includes, of course, the history of Gunsmoke’s popularity in homes.
Photos and memorabilia from the Gunsmoke tv show. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.The Gunsmoke radio show began in April, 1952, taking writer, John Meston’s passion for the old west to listeners using a location already known for its rough past. In June, 1961, the final radio episode was aired.
Buy on Amazon or Barnes & Noble or at Bookstores.CBS started producing the tv series in 1955. The show starred James Arness as U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon, and Amanda Blake as saloon owner, Miss Kitty Russell. It ran for 20 seasons with a total of 635 episodes!
Fast Fact: While wealthy women didn't have to worry about working in a saloon like Miss Kitty, they had to deal with up to 40 pounds of restrictive undergarments! Corsets were worn for centuries, but the styles for Victorian women took them to the extreme. Women weren't born with that hourglass shape, they were shaped into it by lacing rigid whalebone-ribbed undergarments ever tighter!When you visit the Boot Hill Museum you can settle down in a 1960s living room to watch Gunsmoke clips. The room is filled with memorabilia donated by former cast members, so you can immerse yourself in the time period. I found a few clips of my favorite moments–you may too!
What’s in the Boot Hill Museum?
The Boot Hill Museum sits on the original site of Dodge City’s Boot Hill Cemetery. Indeed, the museum was first housed in a building beside the cemetery starting in 1947.
Gunfight with two outlaws painting. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.Over the years various additions were made, including:
With over 60,000 artifacts, the Boot Hill Museum collection is amazing. Many significant artifacts are from the city’s early years from the 1870s to 1920s. So, many parts of the collection actually belonged to the original inhabitants.
Fast Fact: In 1872, Dodge City businesses revolved around the buffalo trade. Businesses cured meat and tanned hides that were sent on Eastbound trains to be made into robes, rugs, gloves, and more. By 1874, when the vast buffalo herds had been decimated, locals gathered the buffalo bones to ship back east to be made into china and fertilizer.Front Street
Front Street is the open-air part of the museum. Unlike tv sets, though, the buildings on Front Street are furnished with original artifacts as if the businesses were still operating.
Front Street at the Boot Hill Museum. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.Behind the façades, you’ll find linked buildings that form one continuous exhibit that you can enter or exit in several places.
On our visit, we bellied up to the bar in the Long Branch Saloon. While we didn’t meet Miss Kitty, we did find a costumed interpreter happy to serve us some sarsaparilla soda.
Fast Fact: Sarsaparilla drinks have been popular for centuries. Back in the day, the Sarsaparilla roots was used to make tea that claimed to cure everything from skin problems to tummy problems. Eventually, the root was also used in sodas. Indeed, it's said that many wild west outlaws used sarsaparilla to cure hangovers and settle stomachs.As well as Front Street, there are also historic outbuildings, a Santa Fe Railway Depot, and the train.
People of the Plains
The People of the Plains Gallery covers a long span of time, from first peoples to the Hollywood and the Wild West exhibit.
Fast Fact: Early settlers in Dodge City often lived in soddies, or houses made of buffalo grass covered sod cut into "bricks." To make the bricks a farmer plowed straight strips a few inches thick and a foot wide, then cut them to brick-size. Windows and door frames were made of wood, as well as a ridge pole and crutches to support the walls.In between, you’ll find forts and railroads, buffalo hunters and cattle drives, the Santa Fe Trail and Victorian clothing. It’s a great mix with tons of fun things to see.
Victorian era women’s clothing. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.Guns, Outlaws, and Law and Order
The Guns That Won the West is one of the most popular exhibit in this gallery. It features more than 200 firearms and related artifacts.
Assorted artifacts in a glass case including an 1876 Double-barreled shotgun. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.This is also where you’ll learn about gunfights, outlaws, and law enforcement through the decades.
Firearms belonging to gamblers and lawmen. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.Kansas Cowboy Hall of Fame
The Kansas Cowboy Hall of Fame takes visitors right up to the present by honoring today’s working cowboys and Western figures. Here, you’ll find photos, biographies, and artifacts from inductees.
Hall of Fame Inductees. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.Boot Hill Cemetery
The Boot Hill Cemetery is a preserved portion of the original cemetery on the hill above the museum. It served as the final resting place for those “who died with their boots on.”
Wooden grave marker for Lizzie Palmer, dance hall girl. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.Like the “get out of Dodge” expression, the idiom about dying with your boots on came from the Old West. While it originally described someone died in action or on the job, frontier cemeteries used the boots-on description for people killed in gunfights, lynchings, or other violent encounters.
Known burials on Boot Hill. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.Linda’s Road Trip Tips
During our visit to Dodge City, we stayed at the historic Dodge House, which carried the plaque, Wild West Home of the Cowboy. Indeed, it’s been serving the city for a century.
Pin me!Our stay was comfortable–and well within the budget. We also found it convenient to have a licensed dining room, Marcy’s Roundup Cafe, on the premises.
It’s always nice after a long day to just walk from your room to the restaurant, so we don’t have to drive.
While we stopped specifically for the Boot Hill Museum, there’s lots more to do in Dodge City.
From summer entertainment like the Roundup Rodeo and car races at Raceway Park to the Dodge City Brewing microbrewery and Boot Hill Casino, there’s something for everyone.
You can even see the world-famous Boot Hill Museum Gunfighters at high noon or 6 pm during the summer season!
Buy now on Amazon.Who Should Visit the Boot Hill Museum?
The Boot Hill Museum is a great attraction for anyone looking for Old West history and culture. Situated in the heart of the Old West, the museum captures the area’s lived history.
Don’t get me wrong, though. This isn’t a dry, text-heavy museum.
Families with children of all ages will enjoy the interactive exhibits and costumed interpreters.
Summer is the perfect time to plan your visit so you can take in the gunfight reenactment and Long Branch Variety Show.
Of course, the Boot Hill Museum is the perfect spot for anyone interested in outlaws or researching them (I’m always on the lookout for more stories to go with my old west novels).
The Boot Hill Museum is generally accessible, although the actual cemetery is indeed on a hill, so elevation changes may present problems.
Pin me!Some of the historic buildings and boardwalks may also be challenging to anyone with physical disabilities. There are several wheelchairs available at no charge on a first-come, first-served basis.
How Do You Visit the Boot Hill Museum?
The Boot Hill Museum is located on Wyatt Earp Boulevard, which is the main east–west road through Dodge City and also carries the business route for US‑50/400 into town.
Parking: There's free parking in front of Boot Hill Museum near the train and depot, with additional parking on the northeast corner of the complex.Physical Address: 500 W. Wyatt Earp Blvd., Dodge City, Kansas.
The museum is open year-round with days and hours listed on the Boot Hill Museum website.
Keep up-to-date with what’s happening with the Boot Hill Museum Facebook page.
Take a virtual tour of the museum with Kansas Tourism on YouTube.
Plan your trip with Google Maps.
Find More Museums to Visit in Kansas
Check out all of guide2museum.com’s reviews of museums in Kansas.
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1960s Boraxo: Gritty Western Commercial Comes to Life!
Step back onto a bustling 1960s film set, where the grit of the Old West meets the magic of commercial production for Boraxo. Cameras roll and crew scurries, capturing the perfect rugged scene for America's trusted hand cleaner. 🎬🌵
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