As far as kansas cow towns go, most people think of dodge city first, followed by abilene and wichita. Bomar, who had been one of the promoters of the wichita valley railway. Abilene and northern railway the handbook of texas. Union pacific foundation, humanities kansas, and the abilene public library. The kansas pacific railway reaches the kansascolorado border with its tracks. Ranchers coming to the area took advantage of the vast grasslands, and the new arrival of settlers was the beginning of a town named abilene. Abilene and smoky valley railroad 2020 all you need to know. During the 1870s, there was wondrous change in west texas. Bnsfs locals to and from superior, nebraska, are the main trains using this line. Folks, here is a history of abilene, kansas entitled action in abilene written by lily b.
Mud creek, a tributary of the smoky hill, flows south through the city. Illinois, bet their fortunes on abilene, kansas, then just a slapdash way station. The area was ripe for settlement, and as the texas and pacific railroad pushed west from fort worth, towns began springing up along the tracks. The story of a branch line railroad boulder, colo pruett publishing co. Bookstore owners have reported shadowy figures, the unexplained sound of jingle bells at christmastime, and books that seemed to be pushed off of shelves by unseen hands.
The eisenhauer german for iron hewerminer family migrated from karlsbrunn, germany, to north america, first settling in york, pennsylvania, in 1741, and in. Abilene, ks nonprofit organization offers public excursion train rides may through october, private charters and school tours april through december and seasonal dinner trains. Sorry, there are no tours or activities available to book online for the dates you. List of books and articles about kansas history online. The history of kansas railroads kansas department of. Bnsf depot abilene, kansas train stationsdepots on. Thomas kirby for the purpose of organizing a library association.
History in a pecan shell buffalo gap had been the county seat when taylor county was organized in 1878. Kansas, situated on the american great plains, became the 34th state on january 29, 1861. The missourikansastexas railroad was incorporated in 1870, spurred by the promise of federal land grant money if it could be the first railroad to reach the kansas. As railroads were built further south, the end of the chisholm trail was slowly moved south towards. Abilene is a city in and the county seat of dickinson county, kansas, united states. A branch of the santa fe railroad arrived at wichita and the town bustedwideopen. Masterson, the katy railroad and the last frontier norman. Council grove, in morris county, was for years, the last stop on the santa fe trail. An environmental history and the awardwinning railroad empire across the. Johnson, brief history of the missourikansastexas railroad lines, the chronicles of oklahoma 24 autumn 1946. Anderson and others were named as the incorporators, and the act stipulated.
I did not understand at that time why smith should be leading rioters, and i have never fully cleared up that. Towns and cities of kansas history and information. It began as a station on the overland stage lines and reached its zenith as one of a succession of northern railroad terminals and shipping points on texas cattle trails, over which millions of longhorn. Today, abilene is a quiet little town, population 65007000 but loaded with quite a few well maintained historical homes, museums, eisenhower library, and as mentioned lots of wonderful history. It is reported that, appropriately, one of the books that fell off the shelves was called living with ghosts. Regular passenger trains steam trains dinner trains school charters special trainsevents charter your own train.
See more ideas about abilene kansas, abilene, kansas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census, making it the 27thmost populous city in the state of texas. On february 5, 1906, they obtained a charter to build from hamlin southeastward to brady, with a branch from a point near anson to stamford, the terminus of the wichita valley line. Sprint originated in 1899 in abilene under the name of the brown telephone co. On december 20, 1900, the ladies literary clubs of abilene held a meeting at the home of mrs. Abilene and smoky valley railroad 2020 all you need to. Caldwell is usually an afterthought, if anyone outside of southern kansas even thinks about it at all. Kansas historical marker historic abilene, on south sixth street. The first 40 miles was open in 1864 from wyandotte to lawrence. After the kansasnebraska act of 1854 opened the two territories to settlement and allowed the new settlers to determine whether the states would be admitted to the union as free or slave, north and south competed to send the most settlers into the region. Kansas railroads are extremely rich in history albeit one may not think or realize it when they see that flat open farm country that defines the state. Also visible are a train drawn by a steam locomotive, people on foot and on horseback, a telegraph wire, a horsedrawn carriage, and buildings. It is the principal city of the abilene metropolitan statistical area, which had a 2017 estimated population of 170,219.
Book of ordinances, abilene, kansas, april 19, 1871. Located in northcentral kansas at the intersection of interstate. Abilene, first of kansas railroad cow towns, was typical of these frontier communities in its beginning, civic development, and transition. Hidden history of kansas by adrian zink, soldiers in the army of freedom. Abilene, first of the kansas cow towns kansas historical. We cover a wide variety of topics, including freight trains, passenger and commuter railroads, rail news and information. Railroads in kansas kansapedia kansas historical society. See more ideas about kansas, abilene kansas and kansas usa. Andrea fuhrman of abilene, kansas, employs long telephoto lenses and macrophotography to make closeup images of railroad graffiti on freight cars she finds parked next to public roads. Kansas railroad history the plow and the rail were two important tools employed in developing the early economy of kansas. The worlds largest spur, according to the guinness book of world records. Missouri, kansas and texas railway the encyclopedia of. Browse maps, pictures and histories of abandoned railroad lines in the state of kansas. Early abilene, north digs into his personal collection of over 4,000 images to showcase some of abilenes first businesses, ranch scenes, schools, colleges, and churches, taking readers on a photographic journey through the towns.
In 1903 the location of the library was changed to a room over what was the kansas power and light office located at 200 n. The abilene and northern railway company was fostered by edward s. Rozar who writes that since its founding a century ago, there has always been action in abilene. Our dinner train schedule is now posted for this coming season. From a presidential library and museum to more than 40 sites on the national register of historic places, theres a historic site for every sort of traveler in this kansas community. The 2020 ike book talk series begins tuesday, january 14 at 7 p.
The colorful history of abilene dates from the pioneer cattle days when great herds of. Abilene queen of the kansas cowtowns page 2 legends. Full runs are from abilene to enterprise and return and take about 1. Once famed as the wild wests wildest spot, it started out as a wide spot in the road until a cattle buyer name of joseph g. The bnsf depot is located near the intersection of 3rd and buckeye streets in the former cattle town of abilene, kansas. This is the story of how that gamble paid off, transforming the cattle trade and, with it. The railroad had just arrived along the union pacific eastern division, abilenes fortunes would grow because of their place along the railroad. While the train line was laying rails west out of fort worth, a group of ranchers, wanting the new town to become a prominent cattleshipping point, selected the name abilene after abilene, kansas, which was a main cattleshipping town in the 1870s. Abilene tx history, attractions, landmarks, photos.
An illustration, titled abilene in its glory, of crowds of people at the railroad depot in abilene, kansas. Abilene, first of the kansas cow towns kansas historical society. He has written several books of history for arizona highways. The kansas pacific was the longline railroad in the state for two or three years. Center for the study of the american west book award, outstanding western. Abilene, first of kansas railroad cow towns, was typical of these frontier communities in its beginning, civic development. Kansas pacific railroad, union pacific eastern division. Abilene came into being as the texas and pacific railway rapidly built its way from fort worth across west texas. The struggle between the factions was further complicated by conflict over the location of a transcontinental railroad, with proponents of a central route rather than a southern route eager to resolve the slavery issue in the area and promote settlement. Where others saw in prairies around abilene a flat, monotonous landscape. This railroad is constantly referred to as the chicago northwestern by the author, when in reality it was the chicago and northwestern. The plow opened up the rich prairie soil to new possibilities for thousands of landhungry settlers while the laying of rails across kansas opened up these lands for the establishment of farms, ranches and towns. For a town of less than 7,000 people, abilene, kansas has some seriously big local history. I do know, however, that whatever part smith played in those riots was to his credit.
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