This photograph, taken in Dodge City, is a scene from the Kansas Short Grass Motorcycle Club's annual tour in 1913. Approximately 100 motorcyclists from eleven states gathered in Hutchinson on July 14 to embark on a nine-day journey to Denver, host city for the 1913 national convention of the Federation of American Motorcyclists. The tour group spent its first night in Larned, and arrived in Dodge City mid-day on July 15.

The Short Grass tour followed a detailed itinerary, with events scheduled at designated points along the way. In Dodge City, amateur and professional motorcycle races were held on a two-mile track northeast of town that had been constructed specifically for the occasion. The races were marred somewhat by hot temperatures, wind, and dust, but the event still drew 1,000 spectators. In the evening, Dodge Citians entertained their guests with a bronco busting demonstration, a "parade of the suffragette band," and a reception featuring storytelling by some of the town's old-timers.

After Dodge City, the tour's remaining overnight stops were all in Colorado, including the cities of Holly, Las Animas, Pueblo, Canon City, and Colorado Springs.

The Kansas Short Grass Motorcycle Club was founded in Rexford in the summer of 1910 under the leadership of Dr. Benjamin J. Patterson. The club achieved national attention and acclaim, largely because of its well-publicized, long-distance tours into Colorado and Wyoming. The Short Grass club was most active between 1910 and 1915, sponsoring tours each of those years except 1914. During its heyday, the club described itself as "the most famous motorcycle club in the world."

Date: 1913