Little Slaughterhouse on the Prairie (Bloodlands collection)

by Harold Schechter

Labette County owes its historical significance not to the cultural or scientific or political accomplishments of any of its inhabitants, but to the homicidal monsters who lived there and made it their killing ground.

Outlawry and violence are deeply rooted in the history of Kansas. During the pre–Civil War years, clashes between pro- and anti-slavery forces reached such a savage pitch that the territory became known as “Bleeding Kansas.”

Quantrill’s Raid, when a band of Confederate guerrillas led by William Quantrill razed the Union town of Lawrence and massacred its population.

Dodge City, on the High Plains of Kansas, earned a reputation as “the wickedest town in the west”—“a synonym for all that is wild, reckless, and violent; Hell on the plains,” as one contemporary newspaper put it.

1862 Homestead Act: 160 acres of public land, free and clear after five years of residency.

There