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USA - KANSAS - ABILENE: FROM CATTLE TO GREYHOUNDS by Toni Dabbs   In the late 1800s, cattle and cowboys ruled Abilene, Kansas. Texas drovers, having reached the northern end of the Chisholm Trail and loaded the Longhorn cattle in their care onto the Kansas Pacific Railroad for shipment back east, had money in their pockets, and they were anxious to spend it at the town’s saloons, dance halls, gambling dens and brothels. Even the legendary “Wild Bill” Hickok, who served as city marshall, couldn’t keep law and order.It was a short period in Abilene’s history, but one during which the town grew quickly. When rail lines were extended, creating a network to the south and west, cattlemen no longer needed to drive their herds all the way to Abilene, and the town’s role in the cattle trade diminished. Fortunately, residents found other ways to maintain their community’s economy. Today, with its well maintained heritage homes and businesses, Abilene has a quiet all-American character that I found appealing when I stopped there on a cross-Kansas drive along Interstate 70. I had been lured off the highway by a brochure depicting the town’s colorful past and an eclectic list of present-day attractions.
The first (shown here) was the modest boyhood home of the 34th president of the United States, Dwight Eisenhower. The simple frame house, shared by the future president, his five brothers and their parents, is still filled with the family’s possessions, including quilts handmade by Eisenhower’s mother. The home is on the grounds of the Eisenhower Center, an enclave of related structures in a park-like setting. Among other buildings are the chapel where Eisenhower was laid to rest, his presidential library, and a museum displaying gifts from around the world given to the president during his two terms in office plus artifacts documenting his service as Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force during World War II. The Seelye Mansion provided quite a contrast to the Eisenhower home. Although the Seelye daughters were classmates of the Eisenhower boys, they definitely moved in different social circles. Their father made a fortune producing patent medicines, including talcum powder and a camphor salve. The Georgian style Seelye Mansion was the most elaborate house between St. Louis and Denver when it was completed in 1905. It was furnished with many items purchased at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, including electrical fixtures bought from Thomas Edison. It has 11 bedrooms, a ballroom on the third floor and a bowling alley in the basement. Located behind the mansion is a small museum containing original equipment from the Seelye Medicine Company. It is just one of several specialized museums in Abilene. The town also claims an Antique Doll Museum, Fashion Museum and Museum of Independent Telephony. The last is part of the Heritage Center, a sort of collection of collections ranging from license plates and barbed wire to wagons and buildings. There’s even a National Historic Landmark carousel made in 1901 by C.W. Parker, a manufacturer of “amusement devices” based in Abilene from the mid 1890s until 1911. The rare “carry-us-all” has 24 hand carved horses that rock rather than going up and down. Converted long ago to use electricity, it was being powered by its original steam engine the day I visited. Other specialized attractions are the State of Kansas Sports Hall of Fame and the Greyhound Hall of Fame. Running low on time, I had planned to give the latter a pass, when I was drawn to the entrance by the soulful expression of the resident greyhound. The dog was the unofficial greeter for the museum and a living advertisement for the adoption program that finds loving homes for retired racers. I soon discovered why Abilene is known as the “Greyhound Capital of the World,” with the National Greyhound Association headquartered on the edge of town. I wasn’t in town at the right time of year to see the Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo (held the first full weekend in May) or to take the Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad excursion (running Memorial Day to Labor Day), so I headed back to Interstate 70. There, on the outskirts of Abilene, I spotted one of the town’s major employers, the Russell Stover Candies factory. I decided that I had time for a quick stop at the company’s candy making demonstration kitchen and factory outlet store, where I picked up a selection of chocolates to enjoy on my journey. Photo courtesy Toni Dabbs
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