Meade, KS: Dalton Gang Hideout
When Sash and I rode south along US 54 through south western Kansas, seeing the vast, wide open nothingness and the remnants of old boom towns, there's a realization that the march of Time hadn't progressed much.
Life in the 1890's throughout the Plains states probably wasn't that much different then.
The Dalton brothers had all been federal employees, working as U.S. Marshals. But after they worked for long enough without pay, they took up a life of crime.
It makes you wonder if stories of disgruntled postal workers shooting up post offices are really any different. Working long hours, going without pay, and getting caught up in the stressful environment of civil service employment, was probably the same thing the Dalton boys experienced.
The brothers had a sister who lived in Meade, KS, and often took refuge in her tiny house. They dug a tunnel that connected the house to a nearby barn. The sister kept her lips shut about her brothers, and likewise, the townsfolks kept mum about their presence as well. In return, the brothers refrained from robbing the banks in Meade.
I can't help thinking that the Dalton Gang was a really a story about disenfranchisement and opportunity. As soon as Uncle Sam kicks you in the ass, you find your opportunity to go one-up on the system, and go out in a blaze of glory, to be remembered forever.
Dalton Gang Hideout & Museum
502 Pearlette St.
Meade, KS
(620) 873-2731
Admission: $5.00 per person
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| Dalton Gang Hideout & Museum, Meade, KS |
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| The escape tunnel that connected the house to the barn. |
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| The museum tells the story of the Dalton Gang |
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| Taxidermy two-headed calf on display at the Dalton Gang Museum |
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| Albino raccoon on display |
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| Downtown Meade, KS |
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| US Highway 54, west of Meade, KS |
Very cool I like the story.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading about all of the Daltons, I couldn't help but really like Grat Dalton. A real spitfire, short with a bad temper, loved fighting, good with a pistol, and preferred whiskey over good company. Yup, I think he must be a long-lost Uncle of mine with that type of demeanor, because that sounds just like ME!
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to not feel for these guys who just got screwed by the government for so many years.
Sash
www.Sashmouth.com
Sash:
ReplyDeleteyou are finding the neatest places to visit. Wished I were there. You two are having so much fun . . . exploring (eating and . . . xrated)
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
Of course, the x-rated stuff is what it's all about! :)
DeleteGreat story, you are visiting places I never even heard about it. Places for me to visit in the future :-)
ReplyDeleteThere's something to that disgruntled postal worker theory. :)
ReplyDelete