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Wickedest & Wildest Town In The West
Abilene was a crude little frontier village of only about 300 population when it was "discovered" in the days of the big overland cattle drives. With the arrival of the railroad, Abilene grew almost overnight into a booming city of 3,000, the largest stockyards west of Kansas City, with more than a dozen saloons, gaudy "night clubs," gambling houses, several hotels, and thriving mercantile businesses. Abilene was the cowtown at the end of the historic Chisholm Trail and the western terminus of the railroad.
Over three million head of Texas Longhorn cattle arrived in Abilene between the years of 1867 and 1872, to be shipped east by rail. Tom Smith and Wild Bill Hickok became famous for their attempts to maintain law and order on Abilene's legendary Texas Street, the "Broadway of the West." As the railhead moved west and the cattle trade waned, Abilene businessmen became entrepreneurs in other areas and the community continued to grow.
C.W. Parker operated an amusement company south of Abilene, manufacturing hand-carved carousels and carnival equipment. Dr. A.B. Seelye's patent medicine company was known across the country. C.L. Brown founded United Telephone Company, which later became Sprint. And President Dwight D. Eisenhower grew to manhood with his five brothers in Abilene. First-class museums showcase the lives of these men.
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