By Nita Miller
JC Breakfast Optimist Club
Junction City Breakfast Optimist Club held their regularly scheduled meeting on July 1at the Hampton Inn. Our guest speaker was Julie Roller Weeks, Director of the CVB, Abilene, KS. She is a graduate of Chapman High School and attended K-State University. Julie spoke of Abilene being founded in 1857 by Timothy Hersey then in 1867 everything changed when cattleman Joseph McCoy selected Abilene as the railhead of Texas Longhorns traveling north on the Chisholm Trail. Abilene then became America’s first great Cowtown.
In May 1837, born James Butler Hickok of Troy Grove, Ill. Worked as a Union Scout, stagecoach driver, teamster, and Union scout during the Civil War. For his courage and exploits, he earned the nickname of “Wild Bill”. In 1871, Wild Bill became Abilene’s Marshall. On October 5, 1871, there was the Alamo Saloon Shootout where Wild Bill by accident shot his own deputy and close friend, Mike Williams, who died later that evening.
Wild Bill served as Marshall for only a year in Abilene.
At 39 years old, Wild Bill died while playing poker at Deadwood, South Dakota, Jack McCall entered the saloon and shot Hickok in the back.
Today Wild Bill’s legacy lives on through: Hickok Street, The Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo, Murals, Historical markers, Old Abilene Town, Gunfight Reenactments and the replica Alamo Saloon. Abilene will honor Wild Bill Hickok with the Bronze sculptured by David Young who also sculptured the bronze monument that stands at Wild Bill’s gravesite at Deadwood, South Dakota. Abilene’s dedication will be Sunday, August 16, at 1:00 pm.