H.W. Poteet Collection

Collection — Box: B47

Identifier: KHC-30

Staff Only

Content Description

Several photographs from H.W. Poteet, mostly documenting his work with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway as a Roadmaster from the 1950s to the mid-1970s. Some pictures document train wrecks and accidents. There are also photographs of Front Street, the Santa Fe Depot, and the Harvey House, all in Dodge City, Kansas.

Dates

Creation: 1955 - 1975

Biographical / Historical

Henry Wallace Poteet was a Dodge City resident from 1967 to 1979. He was employed by the ATSF railroad serving as its Roadmaster. Poteet was born in Pueblo, Colorado on 12-27-1912. He died on 10-18-1979 in Syracuse, Kansas.

Mr. Poteet married Dorothy B. Williams on 07-02-1933 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The couple gave birth to two sons and one daughter.

Henry and Dorothy moved to Dodge City from Syracuse, Kansas in 1967. Henry was employed by the Santa Fe Railroad, and they moved to Dodge City when Henry accepted the position of Roadmaster of the rail line running through the Dodge City area. Being a Roadmaster was a position of great importance; Henry was the top-ranking manager for all ATSF employees based in Dodge City. Every facet of the railroad’s operation was his responsibility, all matters and all decisions made by personnel within the Dodge City territory were within his purview.

Dorothy Poteet died on 08-15-1978. On 05-12-1979 Henry was remarried to Karla F. Watkins, though this marriage was short-lived as Henry Poteet passed away on 10-18-1979. He was buried in Syracuse, Kansas, where the couple had moved to immediately after their union.