Abilene, Kansas - Queen of the Cowtowns

Abilene - Queen of the Kansas Cowtowns

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Though he stopped the gunplay simply with his reputation and convinced the renegade cowboys that he meant business and that the law would be enforced, he made little other attempts to “clean up” the town.

However, Wild Bill did have some marshalling when shots were heard near the Alamo Saloon on October 5, 1871. Discovering that it was a man named Phil Coe who had shot at a dog that had tried to bite him, Wild Bill explained to Coe that firearms were not allowed in the city.

However, for whatever reasons, all hell broke loose and Coe sent a bullet Hickok's way. Bill returned the fire and shot Coe twice in the stomach. Suddenly, Hickok heard footsteps coming up behind him and turning swiftly; he fired again and killed Deputy Mike Williams. Coe died three days later. (More on the Hickok-Coe Gunfight)

The Alamo Saloon in Abilene's Old Town is a duplicate

of the original saloon that once stayed open around

the clock. It was Wild Bill Hickok's unofficial "headquarters", and it was in front of The Alamo that he shot the gambler,

Phil Coe. Photo by Kathy Weiser, September, 2006.

This image available for photographic prints

and downloads HERE!

By this time, Abilene had had enough. The city fathers told the Texans there could be no more cattle drives through their town and two months later, dismissed Hickok as city marshal. It was the last big year for Abilene, as more than 40,000 head of cattle were shipped out by rail. New railheads were by then built to Newton, Wichita and Ellsworth, becoming the favored shipping points.

During its four year reign, over 3 million head of cattle were driven up the Chisholm Trail and shipped from Abilene. With the cowboys gone, the town quieted down into a peaceful, law-abiding community.

Another claim to fame came to Abilene some years later when Dwight D. Eisenhower's family moved there from Denison, Texas in 1892. Eisenhower attended both elementary and high school in the city and always called it "home." When he died, it became his final resting place, along with his wife, Mamie, and one son.

Today, the City of Abilene is a diversified agricultural community boasting a population of some 6,500 people. It remains the county seat of Dickinson County.

The city provides a number of museums and attractions featuring its rich history including the Eisenhower Center, consisting of a Visitors Center, Presidential Museum, Research Library, and the original Eisenhower family home; the Dickinson County Historical Museum, which features life on the plains during the westward expansion period; the C.W. Parker Carousel, a 1900 National Landmark; American Indian Art Center dedicated to promoting native American artists in the region, and more.

An absolute "must see" in Abilene is the reconstructed “Old Abilene Town.” An authentic replica of the cattle capital as it was during its roaring hey-days, Old Abilene Town is not far from the original townsite. Though most of the buildings have been recreated, several of them, including all of the log structures and the red school house, are the originals.

They were moved to the site and rebuilt. The Merchant's Hotel is an almost exact replica of the original hotel of the same name, and the Alamo Saloon is a duplicate of the most famous early day house that kept open around the clock to entertain the cowboys.

The site is open all year, but from May through October, gunfighters can be seen on main street several times a day on weekends and stage coach rides are available. Additionally, the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railway provides excursion tours of the Smoky Hill River Valley six days a week from May through October.

Old Abilene Town is located at 200 SE 5th Street in Abilene.

The original Merchant's Hotel as it stood in the 1870's.

This image available for photographic prints and

downloads HERE!

The rebuilt Merchant's Hotel today, Kathy Weiser,

September, 2006.

This image available for photographic prints

and downloads HERE!

Bill Hickok's Cabin, Kathy Weiser, September, 2006.

This image available for photographic prints

and downloads HERE!

Little Red Schoolhouse, Kathy Weiser, September, 2006.

This image available for photographic prints

and downloads HERE!

Also See:

Thomas “Bear River” Smith - Marshalling Abilene

Joseph G. McCoy - Kansas Cattle Baron

Kansas Cowtowns - Lawlessness on the Prairie

Wild Bill Hickok & The Dead Man's Hand

Book your lodging in Abilene right HERE online

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