Quirky Johnson County: 'All the kids know about' Antioch Park's Dodge Town

If you are a child in Johnson County, or the parent or grandparent of a child in Johnson County, it is likely you have visited Dodge Town at Antioch Park, 6501 Antioch Road, Merriam.

The collection of kid-size buildings at the park is one of the Johnson County Park and Recreation District’s most popular attractions.

“It’s well-known around the area, that you come to Antioch Park to play in Dodge Town,” said Carolyn Moody, park manager for 25 years. “It’s kid-friendly. Kids enjoy running through those buildings and pretending.”

Moody said the original Dodge Town was built in 1958, just two years after the park was established.

The Shawnee Mission Sertoma Club furnished the materials, and the district’s first three employees helped build the structures, said Bob Beverlin, JCPRD special projects manager.

Beverlin said the Sertoma Club played a major role in getting the park district started.

“It was through that group that the petition was started to create the district,” he said. “They raised money throughout the ’60s and at least the early ’70s for different projects in both parks. At that time it was just Antioch and Shawnee Mission Park.”

JCPRD Superintendent John Barkley is credited with the idea for Dodge Town.

“The philosophy of John Barkley at that time, who was a member of the (Sertoma) club and was hired as the first superintendent, was to create a family park,” Beverlin said.

Charles “Bud” Forgey, who in 1956 became the park district’s third employee at age 17, said Barkley came up with the idea for Dodge Town “to give the kids something to do.”

Forgey, who worked for the district 38 years, helped build the original play structures.

“It wasn’t much, but kids got excited over it,” he said.

Moody said Dodge Town originally included four buildings and a few other play structures.

“They had the stockade, which was two-level, and the log building, which was two-level, and the little schoolhouse and the livery stable. And there was Boot Hill and the rocket slide and the airplane.”

Over the years, Dodge Town has been rebuilt three times, and none of the original buildings remain. The adjacent playground also has changed dramatically to comply with current safety guidelines, Moody said.

The monkey bars, teeter-totters and merry-go-round are gone.

“We had to remove the Boot Hill. We had to remove the log building … there have been a lot of changes,” Moody said.

Those changes have not reduced Dodge Town’s popularity.

“All the kids know about Antioch Park because of Dodge Town,” Moody said. “Now I have grandparents that are bringing grandkids here. The kids that used to play in here, their kids are now coming. It’s amazing how many people will say, ‘I used to play here when I was little.’”

Beverlin has similar memories.

“I grew up in Johnson County, and I can think of times I was over there with my younger brothers and sisters, and then my nieces and nephews,” Beverlin said. “Of course the county is spread out now, but when I grew up, everybody knew Dodge Town. It’s kind of a symbol.

“Even with all the new community parks and new pools with all these amenities, it’s still a very popular playground; it’s almost a destination point.”

Dodge Town might even be unique. Moody said she knows of nothing similar elsewhere. Beverlin agreed.

“Even when I’ve traveled around, I haven’t seen anything like that.”

Moody talks of Antioch Park with obvious pride.

“We get about a million people a year, visiting these 44 acres. If you compare my visitation to Shawnee Mission Park, their numbers are higher, but per square foot (Antioch is) actually higher populated,” she said.

“What a great little thing we have in Johnson County; we have 44 acres in the middle of a city. You just don’t find that very often.”

Have an idea for our Quirky Johnson County series? E-mail Chris Rodgers at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call her at 385-6056.

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