Abilene is famous as the first true Kansas cow-town, and as a rowdy place where famous lawmen, such as Wild Bill Hickok, walked the streets. But what was it like in its early days? How did Abilene become so famous in the wild west? In this video learn about Abilene in 1869, just a couple of years after it was chosen by Joseph McCoy to be a cattle town. An eyewitness wrote an article in 1869 about what Abilene was like, its businesses, the people, the industry and even the nearby prairie dog town. See historic photos, like the famous Drover's Cottage, and the prairie dog town that bemused visitors.