The Long Branch Saloon is a famous saloon that existed during the Old West days of Dodge City, Kansas. It had numerous owners, most notably Chalk Beeson and gunfighter Luke Short.[1] The establishment was the scene of many altercations, shoot-outs, gunfights and standoffs often associated with the then-wild cattle town, the most famous of which was the Long Branch Saloon Gunfight, in which Frank Loving killed Levi Richardson.
The original saloon was built during the late-1870s and was named the Long Branch by its first owner, William Harris, after his hometown of Long Branch, New Jersey.[2] It was a plain, storefront bar with little ornamentation, which was typical for frontier saloons of the time. Throughout its most active times, numerous Old West characters passed through or did business inside the Long Branch, such as Clay Allison, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Frank Loving, Dave Mather, Bat Masterson and his brothers Ed and James, Charlie Bassett, and a host of others. Professional gambler and gunfighter Luke Short's purchase of a partial interest in the Long Branch in 1883 is credited as one of the causes of the bloodless Dodge City War.
Its fame and legend increased when it was featured in almost every episode of the longest-running television drama, Gunsmoke. The original saloon is long gone, but a romanticized recreation of the Long Branch saloon, based mostly upon the television show Gunsmoke, exists today as part of the Dodge City Boot Hill Museum. The current Long Branch Saloon is home to the Long Branch Variety Show, a western saloon show, that has been presented nightly throughout the summer months since 1958 making it the longest-running seasonal show in the country. Created by Rosemary & Lewis Mock, the show is hosted by Miss Kitty and includes musical numbers, comedy, and, of course, the Can-Can.