Abilene, Kansas - Queen of the Cowtowns

KANSAS LEGENDS

Abilene - Queen of the Kansas Cowtowns

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Though best known as the Queen of Kansas Cowtowns, Abilene already existed for a decade before the cattle came to town. In 1857, the first family of homesteaders took up residence on the west bank of Mud Creek.

Timothy and Eliza Hersey named the site from a passage in the Bible, meaning "city of the plains."

When the Butterfield Overland Stage Line came by his claim, Hersey secured a contract with the company to feed the passengers and employees.

He advertised to the west-bound traveler the "last square meal east of Denver." His establishment consisted of two log houses, a log stable and corral for horses.

Vintage Abilene, Kansas postcard.

The next structure built was a dwelling known as "the Hotel," owned by C. H. Thompson, and located on the east bank of Mud creek.

More homesteaders began to come to the area and among one of them was a man commonly known as "Old Man Jones," who erected a log house which he turned into a store, selling some limited supplies, but mostly whiskey.

Seeing the coming of statehood for Kansas Territory, C.H. Thompson first laid out the town in 1860, hastily constructing some makeshift log houses to give it some semblance of a town.The following year, Abilene became the Dickinson County Seat. In 1864 Dr. W. S. Moon built the Frontier Store east of the creek, carrying a small stock of general merchandise. Moon became the first postmaster and well as the Registrar of Deeds. The growth of the town was rather slow until after the advent of the Kansas Pacific Railway in 1866.

Allison On the Trail However, its sleepy little existence changed when a livestock dealer from Illinois, named Joseph G. McCoy saw Abilene as the perfect place for a railhead from which to ship cattle from in 1867. He soon convinced the railroad of his plan and Abilene became the largest shipping center in Kansas. He then built a stockyard and a hotel called the “Drover’s Cottage,” to serve the many cattlemen and became the town's first mayor. Under his leadership, the town reigned as the primary market for Texas cattle for four years.

In no time, a number of new businesses began to sprout up and in 1870 a new brick and stone courthouse was built at the corner of Broadway and Second Streets. That year, the much needed Merchant's Hotel was built by Kerney & Guthie, a two story building that provided a place to stay for the many cowboys.

In addition to its many new businesses, Abilene was filled with people, not only just the many cattlemen, but also numerous gamblers, outlaws, and prostitutes. With the city’s new prosperity, also came lawlessness, and the City of Abilene was desperately seeking a lawman.

Thomas J. "Bear River" Smith was shot down in the

line of duty while serving as Abilene's marshal.

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On June 4, 1870, City Mayor Theodore Henry hired Thomas J. "Bear River" Smith in 1870 as its first Chief of Police. Known as the "No gun marshal," he gained a reputation for subduing assailants with his fists rather than a gun. One of his first official acts was to issue an order that no one would be allowed to carry firearms within the city limits without a permit. Smith's ability was well enough respected that even the most troublesome cowboys and gamblers obeyed.

But, Smith's Abilene career would be cut short on November 2, 1870 when he was attempting to arrest an accused murderer named Andrew McConnell. The outlaw shot Smith, but the lawman returned fire, wounding McConnell, before falling to the ground. McConnell's co-conspirator in the original crime, a man named Miles, then struck Smith with his gun, grabbed an axe and nearly chopped Smith's head from his body. McConnell was sentenced to twelve years in the state penitentiary and Miles received a 16-year sentence for their gruesome crime.

Tom Smith's successor as a city marshal was the famous Wild Bill Hickok, who was already well known before he came to Abilene, for deadly marksmanship and gunfighting skills. Appointed on April 15, 1871, Wild Bill at first tended to routine business, using his deadly twin pistols to prevent a number of murders and destruction of property throughout the town. Early on, Hickok ran into the likes of John Wesley Hardin, who Hickok actually befriended until Hardin shot a man and fled Abilene.

However, Hickok spent most of his time in the Alamo Saloon, the center of the town's wild life and was not too friendly with the “upstanding” folks of Abilene, but rather, spent more time at the gaming tables and with the ladies of the evening than he did taking care of his sheriff duties.

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Wild Bill Hickok

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Great American Bars and Saloons

Great American Bars and Saloons by Kathy Weiser By Kathy Weiser

Owner/Editor of Legends of America

Kathy Weiser's first venture into the publishing world takes you into the many watering holes of America's past, particularly the numerous saloons that sprouted up during our nation's Wild West days. This great photographic review displays hundreds of vintage photographs from California to Arizona, the mining camps of Colorado, all the way to New York and its turbulent days of Prohibition.

Hardcover, 2006, 224 Pages. Signed by the author!!

New - $17.95 - Item #kw001