ight ▁D . ▁Eisen h ower ▁President ial ▁Library ▁and ▁Museum ▁is ▁in ▁Ab il ene . ▁ ▁History ▁▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁ ▁For ▁mill enn ia , ▁Native ▁Americans ▁inhab ited ▁the ▁land ▁now ▁known ▁as ▁Kansas . ▁In ▁ 1 8 0 3 , ▁most ▁of ▁modern ▁Kansas ▁was ▁secured ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Louisiana ▁P urchase . ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 4 , ▁the ▁Kansas ▁Territ ory ▁was ▁organized , ▁then ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 1 ▁Kansas ▁became ▁the ▁ 3 4 th ▁U . S . ▁state . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 7 , ▁Dick inson ▁County ▁was ▁founded . ▁Ab il ene ▁began ▁as ▁a ▁stage ▁coach ▁stop ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁year , ▁established ▁by ▁Tim othy ▁Her sey ▁and ▁named ▁M ud ▁Creek . ▁It ▁wasn ' t ▁until ▁ 1 8 6 0 ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁named ▁Ab il ene , ▁from ▁a ▁passage ▁in ▁the ▁Bible ▁( Lu ke ▁ 3 : 1 ), ▁meaning ▁" city ▁of ▁the ▁pla ins ." ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 7 , ▁the ▁Kansas ▁Pacific ▁Railway ▁( Union ▁Pacific ) ▁pushed ▁west ward ▁through ▁Ab il ene . ▁In ▁the ▁same ▁year , ▁Joseph ▁G . ▁Mc Co y ▁purchased ▁ 2 5 0 ▁acres ▁of ▁land ▁north ▁and ▁east ▁of ▁Ab il ene , ▁on ▁which ▁he ▁built ▁a ▁hotel , ▁the ▁Dro ver ' s ▁C ott age , ▁stock y ards ▁equ ipped ▁for