Abilene in the 2nd half of the 19th century was the end of the trail for the huge cattle drives that came up from Texas. From Abilene, the cattle were loaded onto train cars for the slaughter houses back east.
Dusty cowpokes rode into town after upwards to 90 days on the trail and they were ready to lay their money down and party over at the Alamo saloon. The trail drives and cattle companies were what made Abilene significant in those days.
Old Abilene Town has some remnants of that past in two cattle pens on the northeast side of the premises. Sadly, there are no cattle there now, just some old pens and the signs from by-gone days. Maybe if they put a few longhorns back into those pens it might liven the place up.