William barclay masterson biography sampler

Bat Masterson, c. 1880. Courtesy of kansasmemory.org. Kansas Historical Society, Copy and Reuse Restrictions Apply. 

In November 1877, William Barclay “Bat” Masterson was elected Sheriff of Ford County by three votes.

While Masterson, a well-known gunfighter and lawman, was known to be quick with his pistols when he felt he was wronged, most of his altercations never involved a shot being fired.

Bat Masterson Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life ...

The political unrest of early Dodge City is the stuff legends are made of, and Masterson’s election by his constituents is no exception. Turns out, most of what is often thought of as frontier law was decided by the ballot, not the bullet.  

​Bartholomew William Barclay “Bat” Masterson was born November 26, 1853, in Henryville, Quebec, Canada.

​His family lived in New York and Illinois before settling near Wichita. In 1872, Masterson, with brothers Ed and James, came to southwest Kansas to