PHOTOGRAPHIC ARCHIVE OF FRED DODGE, WELLS FARGO SECRET AGENT

[Shotgun Steve]

Dodge (1854-1938) worked as a Wells Fargo secret agent for nearly 50 years. These photographs were deaccessioned as duplicates by the Huntington Library in 1971, and were part of a larger Captain Fred C. Dodge Archive. Dodge's life has recently been chronicled by the publication of his memoirs (Lake 1999), found in the papers of Stuart N. Lake, an early biographer of Wyatt Earp. He was a personal friend of Wyatt and Virgil Earp, and other lawmen, including Heck Thomas. He was personally involved in the investigations that led to the demise of the Doolin and Dalton Gangs.

[Books OToole]

I'd like to know more about this picture.
It really does not look the picture of the "older" Fred Doge.

&

As a younger man he was supposed to bear a striking resemlance to Morgan Earp.  I don't see it in this photograph.



Books

[Shotgun Steve]

Books....this Photograph and some others are in lot # 331 @ www.cowanauctions.com/upcoming_dates_lots.asp...
Read the below descriptions. I should have posted the whole write up but I figure most people don't look much
past the photos. If you feel they made a mistake I suggest you contact them and let them know so they can fix
their error.
  Shotgun


Included in the collection are the following images, each accompanied by a typed label describing the criminal activities of the subject: a rare, from life, unmounted image of Charlie Pierce a Doolin Gang member who took part in a number of train robberies, and along with George "Bitter Creek" Newcombe was assassinated in Indian Territory on May, 1895 for a $5000 reward. While Pierce was photographed in death, this is apparently the only known image of him while still living, and is previously unpublished; a cabinet card of Noah Armstrong, who planned and directed the robbery of the Wells Fargo Express car at Coleman, Kansas, May 25, 1893; a 2.75 x 3.75" a cdv-sized silver gelatin image of Charles Bryant in death. Bryant, along with Bob and Emmett Dalton, robbed the A.T. & S.F. RR Wells Fargo Express car at Wharton, Cherokee Strip, Indian Territory at 10:30 P.M., May 9 1891; a 3.25 x 4.5" silver gelatin mug shot showing frontal and profile views of J.B. Humphrey , who robbed the Wells Fargo depot at Rapid City, South Dakota, on May 14, 1908; a cdv of Ed Reeves and a man identified only as "Harris". Reeves robbed the Wells Fargo Express car at Flatonia, Texas, July 1887; a 2.75 x 3.75" unmounted silver gelatin image of Tom Wind, a member of the Dalton and Doolin Gangs; and a 2.5 x 3.5" unmounted silver print mug shot of a man identified on verso as "Philip Elmer Taber." Included with the lot is the complete documentation and chain of custody of the group including a copy of the original receipt of purchase from the Huntington Library as well as letters from subsequent owners. (EST $4000-$5000)

Condition: EXC.

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[Marshal Deadwood]

Books,,do you have another image to post ? Sure would like to see it to compare.

MD

[Books OToole]

Books,,do you have another image to post ? Sure would like to see it to compare.

MD

I have a copy of Dodge's book edited by Ms. Lake.  There is a photograh of him later in life in the book.
But, to answer your question, no.  I don't have a scanner or digital camera. (I am shopping for one.)

Maybe Lone gunman is paying attention.  He has a scanner and may be a copy of the book.

I am not nessecarily disputing that the above is a photo of Dogde, however he states in the book that he was met at the stage in Tombstone by Virgle & Wyatt Earp, who at first mistook him for Morgan.


Ain't historical research grand?

Books

[Shotgun Steve]

Books I found another picture of Mr. Dodge at a much older age.
The picture isn't great but what do you think??  It looks a little like
the younger man to me, but I am not sure.

SS

[Pancho Peacemaker]

Mr. Dodge settled in Boerne, Texas, not far from where I grew up NW of San Antonio.

The following is from the Kendall County (Texas) Geneology Project:

Dodge Road, six miles southwest of Boerne, off the Upper Balcones Road, was named after Fred Dodge, who had one of the most colorful and exciting careers of any Kendall County resident. Mr. Dodge was born August 29, 1854, and spent all the adult years of his life as a detective undercover agent for Wells Fargo. He was famous throughout the western United States as a master detective who always solved the mysteries behind numerous holdups of both stagecoach and train robberies.
Being a personal acquaintance of Wyatt Earp, he was a thorn in the careers of the outlaws of that era including the famous Curley Bill and Dalton Brother Gangs, etc. He was a meticulous man who kept a daily diary of his travels, a total of 27 diaries which were used as the basis for the book on the "Life and Times of Wyatt Earp". Another book about the unvarnished recollections of Fred Dodge titles "Undercover for Wells Fargo" recalls his exciting life and loyal service and adventure on the American frontier. Tombstone, Arizona was the focal area of these many interesting years, although he traveled over 37,000 miles one year on the railroads and stagecoaches in his work with Wells Fargo.
While vacationing in Leon Springs and the Boerne area with his wife, Patsy and daughter, Ada, Mr. Dodge fell in love with the beautiful and tranquil hill country. In 1906 he purchased several tracts which he renamed the 2000 acre Dodge Ranch. It has many gently rolling hills and valleys covered with giant live oaks, elm and 100 year old cedar trees. The Dodge Ranch is at the southern confluence point of three counties, Kendall, Bandera and Bexar, and is also the divide between two watersheds, the Guadalupe and Medina system - with the permanent springs as the headwater of the Balcones Creek. The Ranch also has an abundance of native whitetail deer, along with wild turkey, quail, axis and fallow deer, mouflon sheep and wild Russian boar.
After retiring in 1917, Fred Dodge spent the remainder of his years enjoying the peace and serenity of his beloved Boerne Ranch. His daughter, Ada, married Mr. Zalmanzig and had a son named Fred Dodge Zalmanzig.
After his first wife died, Mr. Dodge married again in 1917 and had a son named Fred James Dodge, Jr. in 1918. Fred Jr. grew to manhood on the Dodge Ranch and moved to San Antonio where he married his wife, Elouise. Upon the death of Fred Dodge, Sr. in 1938 at the age of 84 years, his widow, Jessie, sold the ranch in 1941. It was operated as a profitable cattle ranch for many years.
Still intact as it was in 1906, except for the remodeled 100 year old main ranch house, the ranch is now known as the Conrad Tri-County Ranch and is owned by Joe and Bettie Conrad, son Jody, and daughters, Mrs. Candy Johnson and Mrs. Cindy Butler. -- this submitted by Joe Conrad, date unknown.

Fred J. Dodge, Jr., a lifetime resident of Boerne, died of a gun shot wound from a .38 pistol on Wednesday morning, August 30 about 11 a.m. He was found sitting in his pickup which was parked in the alley behind the Boerne Star [newspaper office]. - this obituary August 31, 1978.
Source: Boerne Public Library files.- July 24, 2001

I also found a photo of a "Fred Dodge" in the Dodge family geneology web site.  Unfortunately, the picture has no date and no written provenance to the Fred Dodge of Wells Fargo fame.  Some of the facial features bear a strong familial resemblance to Shotgun Steve's photo:

[Shotgun Steve]

Thanks for posting the picture Pancho. It sure looks like the same man to me.

Shotgun Steve

[Dr. Bob]

S. Steve,

You are doing a great service to all of us by posting these pictures.  I really enjoy them.  This is a particularly interesting tread!  Keep 'em coming! Thanks!!

[Books OToole]

Steve;

The photo from the clipping is the one I am familiar with.  With the original photo, the clipping of him later in life and the one that Pancho posted, they all seem to support each other.  The last photo with Fred as a younger man and all dressed up, there may be something to the resemblance to Morgan Earp.

Great discussion and photos;

Books

[Charlie Bowdre]

Keep them coming.
Do you have anything  of Charlie Bowdre , Billy Bonney's  'pal'?
Thanks again
Dutchy

[Delmonico]

Keep them coming.
Do you have anything  of Charlie Bowdre , Billy Bonney's  'pal'?
Thanks again
Dutchy

"spossed to be him, don't know for sure, but it looks like the same guy in both pictures, even looks like the same clothes.

[Charlie Bowdre]

HAy Del , thanks . I did a bit of searching and found that one as well . According to the caption it is Charlie. Not what I would have expected  but I guess a lot of those guys were just ordinary joes like the rest of us. The place and time counted for the rest.
Appreciate the post.

Dutchy +