Delano, the town located west of the Arkansas River was a colorful locale. Although the violence in this area was over-dramatized, it remained as a place of drunkenness, gambling, gunplay, and prostitution. The most popular and dramatized gun battle was between Rowdy Joe and Red Beard, rival saloon owners, which ended in Red Beard's death. Wichita did not object to Delano because cowboys needed an outlet after a long cattle drive and this was a way of confining the rowdiness. (In Wichita, men were required to check their guns.) A total separation of Wichita and Delano was not possible. When Delano's dance hall girls decided to create their own river run and race nude to the river amidst cheers and wagers, it was impossible to obstruct this view from Wichita citizens. In 1876, Delano's post office was phased out and the area was officially incorporated with Wichita. This explains the slight jog in Douglas Ave. then known as Chicago Ave. in 1880. A grand promotion brought a building boom to this western section, creating hotels, retail stores, and offices.
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