We describe various “Boot Hill” cemeteries in Kansas towns like Newton, Sheridan, Hays City, and Dodge City, often designated as the first burial grounds for these early settlements. The name “Boot Hill” consistently refers to the practice of burying individuals who “died with their boots on,” typically victims of violence often with names that were not known, highlighting the wild and lawless nature of these frontier towns.
Boot Hill excavations have shown that, while sometimes they were buried with with their boots on, sometimes their boots were used as their pillow, or even taken by others who needed a new pair. Burial was generally quick and non-ceremonious for those who met a violent end or lacked resources for other burials. These cemeteries were eventually leveled or redeveloped as the towns grew. Some who now live on these sites claim ghostly apparitions wandering through their property…
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