ELLSWORTH AS A COWTOWN
Abilene, the first...Dodge City, the last...But Ellsworth, the wickedest!
This community takes pride in its storied past. The county, a fort, and our City were named for Lt. Allen Ellsworth. Fort Ellsworth, later to be known as Fort Harker, was established in 1864. As rumors spread that the Kansas Pacific Railroad would establish their western terminal near the fort, speculators flocked to Ellsworth to seek their fortunes. The cattle drovers brought many people and livestock to the City via the Ellsworth Trail and played a key role in Ellsworth's early development. During this surge of population, the City of Ellsworth was established on May 8, 1867. Severe flooding forced the city upstream a few miles to its present site.
The tales of gunfights, hangings and fortunes won and lost are legend. By 1872, the Texas cattle trade had abandoned Abilene. The wild Texas Longhorn trailed through the streets of Ellsworth to the Kansas Pacific Stockyards. The Cowboy reigned supreme, or at least, the gamblers let them think so. Nearly every business in town was a saloon, and Ellsworth was becoming a rough place to hang your hat
It was in 1873 that Ellsworth beefed up the police force, prepared for the largest drive of Texas Longhorns to date, and the trouble that came with the cowboys,gamblers, and drovers. One hot August Sunday Ellsworth erupted in gunplay that would in due time mark the beginning of the end of cattletown Ellsworth. City Marshall, :Happy Jack" Morco sided with a gambler against Texan Benjamin Thompson over the dispute of the winnings of a game of poker. Ben was a notorious gunman with a reputation equal to Wild Bill's. Ellsworth County Sheriff, Chauncey B. Whitney, stepped into the street and called to the Thompsons, Ben and his younger brother Billy. In short order he convinced them to take a drink with him and as they stepped into Joe Brennan's Saloon, Happy Jack charged down the street with guns drawn. Ben wheeled and fired his Henry rifle, narrowly missing Morco, Billy stumbled and discharged his gun, mortally wounding the kind-hearted Sheriff. The re-enactment of the "Shooting of the Sheriff" can be seen every year at Cowtown Days and is a favorite of the locals.
And though Ellsworth would close its shipping pens in 1875, the story would be told again and again of "Abilene, the first...Dodge City, the last... but Ellsworth, the wickedest!"
This community takes pride in its storied past. The county, a fort, and our City were named for Lt. Allen Ellsworth. Fort Ellsworth, later to be known as Fort Harker, was established in 1864. As rumors spread that the Kansas Pacific Railroad would establish their western terminal near the fort, speculators flocked to Ellsworth to seek their fortunes. The cattle drovers brought many people and livestock to the City via the Ellsworth Trail and played a key role in Ellsworth's early development. During this surge of population, the City of Ellsworth was established on May 8, 1867. Severe flooding forced the city upstream a few miles to its present site.
The tales of gunfights, hangings and fortunes won and lost are legend. By 1872, the Texas cattle trade had abandoned Abilene. The wild Texas Longhorn trailed through the streets of Ellsworth to the Kansas Pacific Stockyards. The Cowboy reigned supreme, or at least, the gamblers let them think so. Nearly every business in town was a saloon, and Ellsworth was becoming a rough place to hang your hat
It was in 1873 that Ellsworth beefed up the police force, prepared for the largest drive of Texas Longhorns to date, and the trouble that came with the cowboys,gamblers, and drovers. One hot August Sunday Ellsworth erupted in gunplay that would in due time mark the beginning of the end of cattletown Ellsworth. City Marshall, :Happy Jack" Morco sided with a gambler against Texan Benjamin Thompson over the dispute of the winnings of a game of poker. Ben was a notorious gunman with a reputation equal to Wild Bill's. Ellsworth County Sheriff, Chauncey B. Whitney, stepped into the street and called to the Thompsons, Ben and his younger brother Billy. In short order he convinced them to take a drink with him and as they stepped into Joe Brennan's Saloon, Happy Jack charged down the street with guns drawn. Ben wheeled and fired his Henry rifle, narrowly missing Morco, Billy stumbled and discharged his gun, mortally wounding the kind-hearted Sheriff. The re-enactment of the "Shooting of the Sheriff" can be seen every year at Cowtown Days and is a favorite of the locals.
And though Ellsworth would close its shipping pens in 1875, the story would be told again and again of "Abilene, the first...Dodge City, the last... but Ellsworth, the wickedest!"
