History

Organized in 1873. County Seat, Dodge City. Named in honor of Colonel James H. Ford, of the Second Colorado Cavalry, and Brevet Brigadier-General of the United States Volunteers.   Map and text from History of Kansas, Noble Prentis, (Winfield: E.P. Greer. 1899)

Cities, Towns, & Villages of Ford County

                           2000
    Town                Population  ZIP         Year  Elevation
    =================   ==========  =========   ====  =========
    Bellefont                                           2355
    Bloom                           67865       1885    2584
    Bucklin                    725  67834               2412
    Dodge City              25,176  67801       1872    2550
    Ford                       314  67842       1885    2406
    Fort Dodge                      67843               2460
    Howell                                              2551
    Kingsdown                       67858       1887    2512
    Sayre                                               2665
    Sears                                               2527
    South Dodge                                         2480
    Spearville                 716  67876               2460
    Wilroads                                            2429
    Wilroads Gardens                                    2445
    Windhorst                                           2360
    Wright                          67882               2539

Special Places in Ford County

• There is a truly ornate Methodist church at Main & Maple in Bucklin. While you're in town, check out the rock auditorium (1936).
• Just west of the small town of Howell, there is a roadside park where you can walk in the great ruts of the Sante Fe trail. Howell is just a grain elevator beside the tracks and a couple of homes.
• The "Boot Hill" area of Dodge City is fun and educational. The store in the complex has a good selection of Kansas books.
• The Old Soldier's home at Fort Dodge has elaborate stone work; it represents amazing patriotic pride and it is still in use.

Libraries

• Bucklin Public Library   (620) 826-3223
  201 N. Main / Bucklin, KS 67834
• Dodge City Public Library   (620) 225-0248
  1001 Second Ave / Dodge City, KS 67801
• Southwest Kansas Library System   (620) 225-1231 or 1-800-657-2533
  1001 Second Ave / Dodge City, KS 67801
• Ford City Library
  P. O. Box 68 / Ford, KS 67842   (620) 369-2820
• Kingsdown Library
  P. O. Box 73 / Kingsdown, KS 67858
• Spearville Library   (620) 385-2501
  412 N. Main / Spearville, KS 67876
• The Kansas Heritage Center   620-227-1616 / info@ksheritage.org
  1000 North 2nd Avenue / PO Box 1207 / Dodge City, KS 67801-1207
  Thru USD 443; maintains a library of materials on Kansas and the Old West.

Museums

• Boot Hill Museum   (620) 227-8188  
  500 West Wyatt Earp Blvd (Front and Fifth streets) / Dodge City, KS 67801
  Monday - Saturday   9:00AM - 5:00PM
  Open year round; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's - admission.
   
  
• Carnegie Center for the Arts   620-225-6388
  701 Second, Dodge City, KS 67801
  Tue.-Fri., noon-5pm; Sat. 11am-3pm; closed January - free
   
  
• Mueller-Schmidt House (1881) Museum   620-227-6791
  (Ford County Historical Society)
  112 E. Vine, Dodge City, KS 67801
   
  
• Kansas Teachers' Hall of Fame   620-225-7311
  603 Fifth, Dodge City, KS 67801
  Open Daily, Memorial weekend thru Labor Day - Free.
  and the Gunfighters Wax Museum - in the Kansas Teacher's Hall of Fame.
  Open Daily, Memorial weekend thru Labor Day - admission.

Ford County School Systems

• USD 381 Spearville   (620) 385-2676 Spearville
• USD 443 Dodge City   (620) 227-1620 Dodge City
• USD 459 Bucklin   (620) 826-3828 Bucklin, Ford

Colleges & Universities

• Dodge City Community College   (620) 225-1321
  2501 N. 14th Avenue, Dodge City, KS 67801

Hospitals

• Western Plains Medical Complex   (620) 225-8400
  3001 Avenue A / Dodge City, KS 67801

Newspapers

• Bucklin Banner   (620) 826-3311
  118 N. Main / P. O. Box 98 / Bucklin, KS 67834
• Dodge City Daily Globe   (620) 225-4151
  705 2nd Ave / Dodge City, KS 67801
• High Plains Journal   (620) 227-7171
  1500 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd / Dodge City, KS
• Spearville News   (620) 385-2200
  400 Main / Spearville, KS 67876

Other sites about Ford County

• Wet/Dry Routes Chapter of the Santa Fe Trail Association

More Data About Ford County

Genealogy

• Ford County KSGenWeb

Ford County Offices

• Ford County   (620) 227-4670  
  100 Gunsmoke, Dodge City, KS 67801
• Extension Service   (620) 227-4542
  100 Gunsmoke, Dodge City,KS 67801
  E-mail: fo@oz.oznet.ksu.edu

For more about Ford County:

• Dodge City Chamber of Commerce   620-227-3119
  311 W. Spruce, Dodge City, KS 67801
• Dodge City CVB   620-225-8186   800-653-9378
  Fourth and Spruce / Dodge City, KS 67801
• Dodge City / Ford County Economic Development   (620) 227-9501
  311 W. Spruce / PO Box 939, Dodge City, KS 67801