For Kansas to have a reputation as a boring flyover state, we have a surprising number of famous people born here. From doomed pilot Amelia Earhart to singer Janelle Monáe, rocker Joe Walsh to jazz great Charlie Parker, we have many celebrities calling Kansas home. Interestingly, however, the celebrity who is perhaps most closely associated with Kansas was not born within the Sunflower State borders. President Dwight D. Eisenhower was born in Denison, Texas, but was raised in the small town of Abilene, Kansas.
Abilene is a charming historic town that leans into its old-timey roots. The population is just over 6,000 people and it’s the county seat of Dickinson County.
The All-Nite Images/Wikimedia Commons
The town thrived in the 19th century, serving as the first “cow town” in the West. Massive stockyards were constructed and hundreds of thousands of cattle were shipped out of Abilene.
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Today, Abilene is still a major participant in the cattle industry. The town’s rail lines ship cattle and grain all over the country.
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The city’s main claim to fame, however, is the adopted home of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Dwight D Eisenhower Presidential Library & Museum/Google Maps Eisenhower was born in Texas, but his family moved to this small town in Kansas when he was just two years old. His boyhood home is now a part of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene.
You can also visit the Presidential Library and Museum, which is part of the same complex in Abilene.
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The on-site Place of Meditation is located in a chapel that contains the graves of the President, First Lady, and their first-born child, Doud “Ikky,” who passed away from scarlet fever at the tender age of four.
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Dwight D. Eisenhower is typically considered among the greatest U.S. Presidents and is undoubtedly one of the most famous people from Kansas, even if he wasn’t actually born here.
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You can learn more about the Eisenhower Presidential Library on the library’s website.
The All-Nite Images/Wikimedia Commons
Dwight D Eisenhower Presidential Library & Museum/Google Maps
Eisenhower was born in Texas, but his family moved to this small town in Kansas when he was just two years old. His boyhood home is now a part of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene.
Matthew Yeager/Google Maps
David Walker/Google Maps
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Have you ever visited the Eisenhower Presidential Library complex? Share your experiences in the comments!
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Address: Abilene, KS 67410, USA
