Bat Masterson, the iconic western lawman, will have a visible perch again on the High Plains.
A 6-foot bronze sculpture that weighs about 750 pounds will be placed onsite at the Mueller-Schmidt House Museum, 112 E. Vine St., in Dodge City, Kansas. The Bat Masterson statue dedication will be at 2 p.m. June 19. The statue project has been in the hands of Carson Norton, a professional artist from Leoti, Kansas, who said at a pre-event teaser Masterson will be depicted leaning across a saloon bar with a shot of whiskey on the bar.
“The overall design I wanted to keep it fitting for his nickname, ‘the Dandy,’” Norton said, adding the statue will show what is well chronicled in pictures of the famous lawman with his suit jacket, vest and watch chain. Tucked behind his coat is Masterson’s six-shooter.
Norton, a professional artist, says the Masterson statue was a dream come true for him and his family.
His dad, Charlie, is a well-known sculptor and his mom is a professional artist.
“Even at a young age I always had clay under my fingers,” Carson Norton quipped.
Eventually he went to Fort Hays State University and earned his master’s in history studying the American West and military history. After graduation his career evolved similarly to his dad’s, which meant he bridged the worlds of art and history.
The Ford County Historical Society contacted the Nortons after they had completed the Dr. Samuel Crumbine statue in 2017 for the Kansas Health Institute in Topeka. Crumbine was a pioneer in stopping the spread of transmissible diseases and is credited with saving many lives for his campaigns to “swat the fly,” “don’t spit on the sidewalk” and “ban the public drinking cup.”
Crumbine was a physician in Dodge City so the timing of doing another statue about a Dodge City legend—this time Masterson—thrilled both Nortons. The Ford County Historical Society worked closely with the Nortons to finalize the Masterson project that was instigated in 2018 but also had delays because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The historical society has revamped the interior of the home, also known as the Stone House, so the timing of the unveiling along with the many events surrounding Dodge City’s 150th anniversary is perfect, Norton said.
Bartholemew William Barclay “Bat” Masterson was a larger than life figure in the late 19th and early 20th centuries where he was lawman, gambler and journalist immortalized by Hollywood in the 20th century. In the late 1870s he was a lawman in Dodge City and many of his encounters were chronicled as part of western lore. Masterson was a close friend of President Theodore Roosevelt, too.
Charlie Norton deserves much of the credit for the Masterson project, Carson said, as his father loves western history. Masterson had gone to Wichita County in the 1880s to respond to a county seat fight between Leoti and Coronado, Carson said.
Building a statue is a detailed process and requires the sculptor to not only get the dimensions right but also constructing it in a manner so that it will withstand outside elements. The father and son stressed the importance of keeping the design and structure so it complements historical accuracy and realism.
“It is a nerve-wracking process,” Carson said because the Nortons are perfectionists and there were many details to review throughout the process.
A foundry in Loveland, Colorado, then brought the final product to life again as Carson complimented the foundry employees in Loveland and his own family who all played vital parts in seeing the project turned out.
He is eager to see how the public reacts when they see it. “It is exciting to see how it has come to fruition,” he said.
Dave Bergmeier can be reached at 620-227-1822 or [email protected].
