Abilene, Kan., is well-known as the famous end-of-trail cattle town. Cowboys notoriously paraded through its streets, shooting and rampaging with wild abandon. Next to President Dwight Eisenhower, the name of Wild Bill Hickok is closely associated with Abilene.
Wild Bill kept law and order on the streets of Abilene in 1871. Few cowboys chose to challenge his authority. However, Wild Bill was not the man who tamed the rowdy cowboys and turned Abilene’s treacherous streets into a relatively tranquil dominion. Marshal Tom Smith led the way the year before, yet his story is relatively unknown.
Abilene began as an end-of-trail cattle town in 1867. Each successive year the number of Texas cattle shipped from Abilene’s stockyards increased, reaching 44,000 in 1869.
Abilene surged early in 1870 as trail herds with big rangy Texas cattle began to arrive and go into camp on the surrounding prairie. By mid-May drovers were already taking to the streets with pistols well displayed.
The boisterous cowboys were too much for Dickinson County Sheriff H. H. Hazlett. He turned in his badge, leaving Deputy James H. McDonald to fill the position. McDonald soon disappointed local officials by also turning in his resignation.
The city then turned to a pair of St. Louis policemen. Surely the troubles of this little prairie town would not compare to the scrapes found on the tough streets of St. Louis. However, the cowboys on Texas Street were ready for the blue-uniformed policemen.
Upon entering a saloon, the lawmen were threatened and cursed. No one was willing to pay honor to the law on that day and very little order was enforced. The two policemen were only too happy to return to the railroad depot and the relative safety of far-off St. Louis.
As the cowboys celebrated another victory over civilization, Abilene turned to yet another hope, “Bear River” Tom Smith. Smith had survived a shoot-out in Bear River, Wyo., in 1868. He was marshal of the end-of-track town of Kit Carson, Colo., in 1869. He was every bit the image of the classic movie hero, described as, “...about 6 feet in height and weighed about 200 pounds; powerful, athletic man, very quick and active … He rarely carried a gun, but depended on his strength and agility in arresting and disarming the men he went after. He did not know what fear was … When the men got too boisterous, he would go among them and if they did not obey, he would arrest and lock them up, knock them down if necessary and disarm them. They all respected him, for he played no favorites.”
When Tom Smith arrived in Abilene he led his favorite mount, Silverheels, from the train, saddled up and rode down the middle of the street, inspecting the town. There would be no law and order in Abilene until the cowboys were disarmed.
Smith accepted Abilene’s job of marshal on June 4, 1870. He immediately set about posting “No Gun” signs about town. A cowboy soon challenged his authority, but just as quickly found himself flat on his back. Marshal Smith didn’t use his guns — he used his fists!
With the cowboy disarmed Smith continued posting signs. One-by-one he backed the tough hombres down. First, it was Big Hank who fell before Smith’s lightning fists. Then a crowd led by Wyoming Frank witnessed the fearless marshal dispose of Frank in the twinkling of an eye. Abilene was soon tamed as all offending desperadoes felt the sting of Bear River Smith’s bare knuckles.
Sometime in July, Smith took the job of Dickinson County Undersheriff, expanding his authority outside the city limits of Abilene. A horse thief by the name of Buckskin Bill rode all the way to Nebraska to

elude the lawman, but Smith, of course, got his man.
Smith seemed to never tire of the quest for justice. When neighbors northeast of Abilene quarreled, Smith was ready to help settle the fight. James H. McDonald had returned to the Dickinson County Sheriff’s office and requested Smith join him in serving a warrant. Undersheriff Smith and Deputy Sheriff McDonald rode out to Andrew McConnell’s dugout with the warrant, but the officers didn’t allow for McConnel’s neighbor, Moses Miles. While Deputy McDonald held the horses, Smith read the warrant for McConnell to surrender.
A gunshot suddenly exploded, rocking Smith back from the door. The ball had pierced his lung, but Smith wasn’t done, even though Deputy McDonald was already retreating toward Abilene.
Smith regained his bearing, lunging forward to grip his assailant. As Smith was grappling with McConnell, Moses Miles came out of hiding, beating the wounded lawman repeatedly over the head with his pistol until he fell unconscious. The two villains then drug the helpless Smith to the woodpile where Miles picked up an ax and beheaded the man who tamed Abilene.
Marshal Tom Smith was buried in Abilene. A stone marker was placed over his grave in 1904. In part it reads, “Thomas J. Smith, Marshal of Abilene, 1870, Died a Martyr to Duty, Nov. 2nd, 1870: A Fearless Hero of Frontier Days, Who in Cowboy Chaos Established The Supremacy of Law.”
May his memory be preserved as long as stories are told On The Way West.

“The Cowboy” Jim Gray can be reached at 220 21st Rd., Geneseo, KS 67444, (785) 531-2058 or kansascowboy@kans.com.