In 1867, the railroad reached Abilene, Kansas. A cattle trader called Joseph McCoy had an idea:
McCoy bought 450 acres of land at Abilene and built stockyards, a rail depot and a hotel.
He then spent $5000 on marketing to promote Abilene.
The venture was a success. Abilene became the first major cow town and McCoy became very rich. Between 1867-72, 3 million cattle were driven along the Chisolm Trail to Abilene.
