Living on the frontier brought many challenges, fostering an atmosphere that particularly framed the narrative of the legendary Old West. The chronicles of early Kansas are filled to the brim with trials and tribulations that confronted the hearty souls who attempted to tame the wild Kansas plains.

The trappings of survival were many. Dugout homes carved from the bank of a rolling hill provided quick and adequate protection in both winter and summer. Sod and log homes followed suit. Ox, mule, and horse power gave the settler the advantage of muscle far beyond his own ability to accomplish his work.

Perhaps the “tools” most associated with the Old West were the weapons. Six-guns and rifles were the iconic weapons made famous in story and song. Outlaws and adventurers thrived in the isolation of the western plains. They found plenty of kindred spirits in Ellsworth, Hays, Dodge City, and dozens of towns hoping to become the next great metropolis. The Indian wars were thought to be over, but in 1878, as settlement reached west across the state, the Cheyennes made a run across western Kansas, killing and raiding all the way to northwest Nebraska.

For all the renown of the festive revolver and the celebrated Winchester, every home and business commonly had a shotgun within easy reach. Deemed the scattergun for the wide spread of lead shot with the pull of the trigger, the shotgun was a lethal weapon in the hands of even the most inexperienced shootist. Singlebarrel shotguns were inexpensive and quite popular but the king of the west was the doublebarrel and was always the gun of choice, if one could afford it, in either a deadly contest or in hunting small game to keep meat on the table.

There were as many versions of the shotgun on the plains as there were people coming west. New production shotguns featured convenient metallic cartridges. But one could find grandpa’s old muzzleloader hanging on the cabin wall, or converted military muskets left over from the Civil War. The old guns required a stash of loose black powder, lead shot, and percussion caps.

The great advantage in the use of the old guns was the ability to substitute the recommended shot with larger lead balls or just about anything that the shooter wished to propel toward potential adversaries. As you can imagine, the danger of owning such a weapon could occasionally and quite unexpectedly turn the tables of fate for its handler as reported in the Tuesday, March 4, 1879, Dodge City Globe.

According to the report, the citizens of the town were suddenly startled by the sound of a “loud report” as they were settling down for the evening.

At about 6 o’clock the explosion caused the earth to shake as though a cannon had been discharged close by. The editor noted that superstitious inhabitants “no doubt supposed to be kingdom come:’

The source of the blast became readily evident by a large cloud of dust rising over “the southwestern suburbs of the city:

A fellow identified as Mr. King lived with his “little son” in a small house that had been built into the side of a hill. The house was described as “a perfect wreck, the roof and upper structure having been blown to atoms:’

The cause of the explosion began with an old reliable shotgun that had fallen from its place “hanging on the wall.” The blow caused the shotgun to discharge into a pile of gunny sacks lying on the floor, setting them on fire. The boy, “a lad nine years old: was alone at the time but managed to stamp out the fire.

Thinking that the fire was out, the boy left the house, but in his absence the smoldering sacks reignited “to reach out with its contagious breath and touch off a can of powder nearby:’

King estimated that the keg contained 10 to 15 pounds of powder and with marked eloquence the editor wrote that, “The powder being of a restless disposition made the most of its opportunity with the result as above stated:’

On that day Mr. King and his son could count their blessings. They were alive. Their loss would no doubt bring new challenges, but surely the day the shotgun fell from the wall would be long remembered as Mr. King and his son lived out their lives on The Way West.

“The Cowboy,” Jim Gray is author of the book Desperate Seed: Ellsworth Kansas on the Violent Frontier, Ellsworth, KS. Contact Kansas Cowboy, 220 21st Road, Geneseo, Kan. Phone: (785) 531-2058 or kansascowboy@kans.com.