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Mr. Dillon's
Mr. Dillon's

Mr. Dillon's "Slanty Shanty" Mystery House 1960s Flyer Dodge City Kansas DEFUNCT

$ 2.77

Availability: 87 in stock
  • Condition: Very good condition. The item is a single piece of paper (8.5 x 11 inches) printed on one side. It has been first folded in half and then folded a second time, somewhat off center. These appear to be the original folds and they are crisp. There are a few small brown stains of the front of the document; the largest at the middle of the right margin. There are also a couple of brown stains on the back. There is no writing and no tears . There is minimal wear to the page surface and the edges. Please see photos. Sold as is. (Note: The ruler in the photos is NOT included in the sale.)
  • All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
  • Region of Origin: Kansas
  • Type: Flyer
  • Country/Region of Manufacture: United States

    Description

    Up for sale is a rare brochure (more like a "flyer" - see below) advertising a tourist attraction in Dodge City, Kansas that NO LONGER EXISTS!
    "Mr. Dillon's Slanty Shanty" was a mystery house located "across the street from the Front Street Replica and only 40 feet south of the Wax Museum".  It was said to be "the most unusual house in the entire country."  The house was engineered so that visitors would experience altered perceptions.  Some were visual anomalies, such as water running "uphill".  Others created difficulty with equilibrium and balance, such as being unable to stand up after sitting down.  The flyer claims that the house "defied" the laws of gravity.
    Another interesting claim was that Matt took Kitty to this house.  This is a reference to the classic radio and TV western,
    Gunsmoke
    , set in Dodge City.  Matt would be "Marshal Matt Dillon" and Kitty would be "Miss Kitty", who - at different points in the history of the franchise - was described as either an employee or as a half-owner of the Long Branch Saloon.  [Editorial Note:  It's mystery to me why Matt would have taken Kitty to a mystery house, as the show implied that Miss Kitty could be called upon in rooms above the saloon.]
    According to a post on the website of "roadsideamerica", Mr. Dillon's Slanty Shanty was the creation of Larry Yost (1923 - 2008), a Dodge City civic booster and photographer.  In the 1950s, he opened the wax museum that is mentioned on the document I am selling.  Yost moved out in 1982.  The museum building was taken over the the Kansas Teachers' Hall of Fame, but the wax museum has remained open all these years.  However, Mr. Dillon's Slanty Shanty went out of business and the structure no longer stands.
    This item is not dated, but I found it among other travel memorabilia, some of which could be accurately dated to about 1969.  This date would be consistent with the references on the flyer and also with the career of Mr. Yost.
    PLEASE NOTE:  The item I am selling is a single piece of paper than, unfolded, measures 8.5 by 11 inches.  It is printed on only one side.  It does not look as professionally produced as a typical trifold brochure for a tourist attraction.  That is why it may be fairer to call it a "flyer" than a "brochure".
    Please see above for full description of condition and for photos. Sold as is.
    Attention US Buyers;  I will ship by USPS First Class Letter (NOT a parcel) in a standard letter sized business envelope.