Speaker: Dodge City was a rip-roaring cow town in the late 1800. Today it's reinvented itself with the focus on tourism.

Thomas Dorrell: Dodge in Boot Hill were made things by the Gun Smoke, it shows pretty much. And Boot Hill was an actual cemetery here in Dodge City in 1800’s and as far as I know they had somewhere around 34, 36 people there that were buried there. 1958, they built the Halls Front and then adding to it ever since.

The railroad really made the town. When this railroad came up through, they started realizing the Texans can bring cattle up through and get more money for their cattle. And this was a real edge and this is one of the many cow towns that came up through.

Speaker: Dodge continues to exist because of its location along the railroad. In the 21st century, the regions still prospers from cattle. Now, it's feeding them. This is $5 billion industry in Kansas.

In addition to feed lots for fishing cattle, there are hundreds of cow cap operations in Kansas and they bring Oklahoma. Most lay in the roaring hills of eastern Kansas. On some ranches, artificial insemination programs are used to organize and schedule birthing which makes it more manageable herd in the spring.

Don Vick: It's going to be implant or seeders, the implant that you put in the cattle for its sedation, for the protocol for artificial insemination. You know, as the rule and probably they’ll get along with me, I'm hoping between 50 and 70% conception. And what’s really unique about it is as far as I know, I'm the only black person in United States in Kansas that’s doing this thing and I'm kind of proud of that I came from egg background and really enjoys this type of work.

Speaker: Though this is a modern ranching operation, much of the work is still very similar to how’s been done for 200 years. The industry still needs skilled cow hands, with the knowledge, experience range for being around cattle for a lifetime. It's a way in Kansas, Oklahoma, and many other western cattle states.