The Marshall daughter Mrs. Roy Talbott recalled incidents of strangers entering their home through the stairwell closet, after having left their horses in the barn.

Historian Richard White has made the case that the Daltons were "social bandits"; that is, outlaws enabled by supporters who either actively helped them evade capture, kept silent about what they knew, or otherwise abetted the criminals.

[4] Belle Mackey gave an interview to the local newspaper alleging that she and her husband unknowingly had Emmett Dalton as their ranch guest for two days in 1892, without asking his name or any other details.

[9] Kansas: a Guide to the Sunflower State, published in 1939 by the Federal Writer's Project of the WPA, listed the population of Meade as 1,552, and describes the town as, "... spreads out pleasantly on the prairie.

It differs from most western Kansas towns in that it has many trees, shrubs and green lawns, made possible by an abundant supply of artesian water.

"[10] The Dalton Gang museum and park, composed of the Whipple property, was opened to the public in July 1940, having been purchased by the Meade Chamber of Commerce.

[4] The WPA, NYA and Meade Chamber of Commerce worked together in 1941 to restore existing structures and add new construction, with the wood-frame Whipple Victorian cottage as a centerpiece.

[12] The 2-story barn with its secret tunnel was reconstructed by the WPA in 1941, with the second floor housing the museum that had been originally operated out of the Whipple home by Ruth and Walter Dingess.