Abilene (pronounced ) is a city in and the county seat of Dickinson County, Kansas, United States. It is home of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and the Greyhound Hall of Fame.
History
19th century
thumb|[[Joseph McCoy|Joseph McCoy's Drover's Hotel, McCoy's Stock Yard in 1867]]
thumb|1915 railroad map of Dickinson County
In 1803, most of modern Kansas was secured by the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase. In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, and in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state.
In 1857, Dickinson County was founded and Abilene began as a stage coach stop, established by Timothy Hersey and named Mud Creek. It was not until 1860 that it was named Abilene, from a passage in the Bible (Luke 3:1), meaning "grassy plains". The town grew quickly and became the first "cow town" of the west.
McCoy encouraged Texas cattlemen to drive their herds to his stockyards. From 1867 to 1871, the Chisholm Trail ended in Abilene, bringing in many travelers and making Abilene one of the wildest towns in the west. The stockyards shipped 35,000 head in 1867 and became the largest stockyards west of Kansas City, Kansas. In 1871, more than 5,000 cowboys herded from 600,000 to 700,000 cows to Abilene and other Kansas railheads. Another source reports 440,200 head of cattle were shipped out of Abilene from 1867 to 1871. As railroads were built further south, the end of the Chisholm Trail was slowly moved south toward Caldwell, while Kansas homesteaders concerned with cattle ruining their farm crops moved the trail west toward and past Ellsworth.
Town marshal Tom "Bear River" Smith was initially successful policing Abilene, often using only his bare hands. He survived two assassination attempts, but was murdered and decapitated on November 2, 1870. Smith wounded one of his two attackers during the shootout preceding his death, and both suspects received life in prison for the offense. who was coming to his aid. Hickok lost his job two months later in December.
In 1880, Conrad Lebold built the Lebold Mansion. Lebold was one of the early town developers and bankers from 1869 through 1889. The Hersey dugout can still be seen in the cellar. The house is now a private residence. A marker outside credits the name of the town being given by opening a Bible and using the first place name pointed to.
In 1887, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway built a branch line from Neva ( west of Strong City) through Abilene to Superior, Nebraska. In 1996, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway merged with Burlington Northern Railroad and renamed to the current BNSF Railway.
In 1890, Dr. A.B. Seelye founded the A.B. Seelye Medical Company. Seelye developed over 100 products for the company including "Wasa-Tusa", an Indian name meaning to heal.
20th century
thumb|right|[[Eisenhower Presidential Center|Eisenhower Presidential Library]]
Abilene became home to Dwight D. Eisenhower when his family moved to Abilene from Denison, Texas in 1892. Eisenhower attended elementary school through high school in Abilene, graduating in 1909. The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum is the burial site of President Eisenhower, his wife, Mamie, and their first-born son Doud Dwight.
Geography
Abilene is on the north side of the Smoky Hill River in the Flint Hills region of the Great Plains. Mud Creek, a tributary of the Smoky Hill, flows south through the city. Located in North Central Kansas at the intersection of Interstate 70 and K-15, Abilene is approximately east of Salina, Kansas, north of Wichita, and west of Kansas City.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of , all land.
Climate
Located in the transition zone between North America's humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) and humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa) zones, Abilene experiences hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters. In the spring, severe thunderstorms bring the threat of tornadoes and hail. The hottest temperature recorded in Abilene was on July 13, 1954, and July 15, 1954, while the coldest temperature recorded was on February 12, 1899.
|source 2 = National Weather Service
Economy
Abilene remains a cattle yard town, loading onto the rail system, along with grain and other crops.