Cheyenne, Wyoming

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Cheyenne, Wyoming
Flag Seal
Location in Wyoming
Coordinates: 41°8′44″N, 104°48′7″W
County	Laramie County
Founded	1867
Government
- Mayor	Jack R. Spiker
Area
- City	57.9 km²  (21.2 sq mi)
- Water	0.2 km² (0.1 sq mi)  0.38%
Population (2000)
- City	55,362
- Density	969.6/km² (2,511.3/sq mi)
Time zone	Mountain (UTC-7)
- Summer (DST)	Mountain (UTC-6)
Website: www.cheyennecity.org

Cheyenne is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming, and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the 'Cheyenne, Wyoming Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Laramie County, Wyoming. As of September 2005, the city itself had an estimated population of 55,362.

Contents 1 History 2 Geography and Climate 3 Weather 4 Demographics 5 Education 6 Other information 7 Notable people from Cheyenne 8 External links 9 References

[edit] History

On July 4, 1867, General Grenville M. Dodge, the Union Pacific Railroad's superintendent of construction, along with railroad representatives, surveyors, land agents, military officers, and some of Dodge’s personal friends arrived at an area known as Crow Creek Crossing. About 250 soldiers accompanied them to the Crossing in southeastern Dakota Territory to a rendezvous with General Christopher Columbus Augur, his 350 troops, and Pawnee Scouts. Dodge had planned the founding of his new city specifically on the nation's birthday.

During his two weeks at Crow Creek Crossing, Dodge with his survey crew platted the site two miles by two miles, now known as Cheyenne (Dakota Territory, later Wyoming Territory). He knew, from having been in the area before as a commander of troops looking for unruly Indians, he wanted Crow Creek Crossing as the Division Point for the U. P. railroad. It was the exact location, where to the east, land went down hill gradually five hundred miles to the railroad's head at Council Bluffs, Iowa and in the opposite direction began the railroad's most serious climb. Sherman Hill, named after one of Dodge's Civil War commanding officers, would rise more than two thousand, two hundred feet in just thirty miles to the west of Cheyenne.

The city was not named by Dodge as is indicated in his memoirs of 1910. It was, in fact, named by the officers and friends of Dodge at Crow Creek Crossing, celebrating the Fourth of July, while Dodge and his crew were surveying the right-of-way for the railroad. He missed the party and the actual naming of the future city. According to a letter sent to his wife on the 4th of July in 1867 and his daily diary of the same date, Dodge wrote he was out of the encampment at the Crossing with his survey crew when others named the town “Cheyenne” after a local Indian tribe.

At the party, Colonel A. B. Coleman, in responding to a toast to “The embryo City of Cheyenne” explained that he was a “member of the Committee to decide upon the name of this city,” and that the committee had decided to call it “by its present cognomen in hopes of conciliating the interesting Savages”; however, he didn’t wait around to determine their response. From the writings of those at the Crossing on that 4th of July, there was definite sarcasm toward the Cheyenne Indians, who hunted buffalo, antelope, and, quite often, white men^{[citation needed]} up and down the Crow Creek.

The name likely came from French trappers in the region many decades earlier who did not like that particular tribe and intentionally gave them the French name "chienne", which was at the time a derogatory name. The white man anglicized the name of this Native American nation, one of the most famous and prominent Great Plains tribes, closely allied with the Arapaho. The Cheyenne were among the fiercest fighters on the plains. Not pleased with the changes brought about by the railroad, they had harassed both railroad surveyors and construction crews, killing many^{[citation needed]} .

People from a hundred miles around who felt the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad through the area would bring them prosperity. By the time the first track was built into Cheyenne four months after its founding (November 13), over four thousand people had migrated into the new city. Eastern newspaper editors wrote that because it sprang up like magic upon the empty prairie, it should be known as the "Magic City, Queen of the Plains".

In its trek across the western continent, the sole occasion when railroad construction ceased was half way up Sherman Hill. Due to very poor wintery conditions, with temperatures extremely severe, the Union Pacific told all of its employees to go home and come back in the Spring; their jobs were guaranteed for three months.

Most of the construction gangs were ex-Civil War soldiers who had come from the distant East. They couldn't get home and back in that period of time. Therefore they poured into Cheyenne for the winter, swelling its population to over 10,000 (including only 400 women and 200 children), virtually overnight.

The Sheriff and his two deputies were overwhelmed with the hordes. By January of 1868, the Vigilance Committee, known as the "Gunny Sack Gang" enforced their kind of justice for the next six months. A recorded twenty hangings in and around Cheyenne left their imprint on the city's history with likely another four or five suspected. Once the railroad continued on to Laramie City, the need for the 200 masked policemen diminished.

Those who stayed and did not leave with the westward construction of the railroad were joined by gamblers, saloon owners, thieves, opportunists, displaced cowboys, miners, transient railroad gangs, businessmen, soldiers from "Camp Cheyenne", later named Fort Russell (now F.E. Warren Air Force Base), and men from "Cheyenne Depot". Within a year, Cheyenne's population had settled down to a respectable fifteen hundred loyal citizens.

Camp Cheyenne was founded on the 5th of July, 1867, by General Augur. At the urging of Dodge, Augur placed the fort three miles upstream on Crow Creek. Within two months, its name was officially changed to Fort David A. Russell, for a General killed in the Civil War.

Early Cheyenne's most prosperous business man, Francis E. Warren, became the Mayor, temporary Governor and later the Governor of Wyoming Territory, and finally Wyoming's Senator for 37 years. Upon his death, the name of the fort was changed to Francis E. Warren on January 1, 1930. It is currently one of the nation's strategic missile installations, aiding in Cheyenne's economy.

A part of Francis Warren's vast empire exists today as the Terry Bison Ranch six miles south of Cheyenne on Interstate 25. This working ranch is much as it was in Warren's day.

Colonel J. H. Carling, who had accompanied General Dodge to Crow Creek Crossing, was the first officer of a huge camp, supplying all fourteen northern army posts and three Indian Agencies on the frontier. The nickname of "Camp Carling" over the years, likely due to lazy speech, came to be called "Camp Carlin", though it was officially known as "Cheyenne Depot". This supply depot was located half way between Cheyenne and Fort Russell. By 1890, the Indians were on reservations, the surrounding forts were closed, and Cheyenne Depot was no longer needed. Today, there is no sign of the second largest supply depot in the United States. However, a couple of the houses from the depot were moved into Cheyenne and still remain.

In Cheyenne, because of the legislative lobbying efforts of Esther Hobart Morris, Wyoming Territory, in December 1869, became the first in the world to allow women the right to vote. They were also allowed to hold public office, to own land, and to retain property passed on in their husband's will. Previously, all went on to the deceased's eldest son without further legal discussion. It wasn't until fifty-one years later, in 1920, that the Constitution was amended for the rights of all women in America. Because of Wyoming's controversial 1869 stand on women's suffrage, it is known as the Equality State.

While Esther Hobart Morris was immediately appointed as the nation's first woman Justice of the Peace, it was Nellie Tayloe Ross who became the country's first woman Governor. Cheyenne's William Ross, during the first part of his administration as Governor of Wyoming, underwent an appendectomy. Complications from that surgery led to his death. His wife was chosen in the next general election of 1924 to fulfill her husband's term, making her the first woman Governor in the United States.

As the capital of the Wyoming Territory, and the only city of any consequence, Cheyenne was a major national source for beef during the 1870s and 1880s. The cattle industry boomed when European, British, and East Coast investors bought up all the land around Cheyenne for grazing. By 1885, the city bathed in its wealth and was known officially as "Wall Street of the West". Anything that happened with the cattle industry directly affected New York's Wall Street and the eastern states' economy. Cheyenne was at the time the richest city in the world per capita. The boom turned to bust during the severe winter of 1886-87, when nearly 80 percent of the estimated one million head of cattle in the area perished. The Cattle Barons went broke. Today, the cattle and sheep industry around Cheyenne is very strong, adding to the economy.

Due to this rich influence, in 1886, the Union Pacific was pushed into building the most beautiful railroad depot between Omaha and San Francisco. The completely restored Richardsonian-style facility, with its tall clock tower and polychromatic (two toned) stone, became a National Landmark in 2006. It may be the only major structure in the U.S. to have a portico through the building. This popular European feature was designed to allow horse-drawn carriages to go into the building to let out passengers without fear of them getting rained or snowed upon. The building is now the Cheyenne Depot Museum, providing a historical look at the Union Pacific's building of the transcontinental railway and its association with the city, together with examples of the steam power that dominated the Cheyenne rail yard.

The Cheyenne Club, built as a playhouse by the Cattle Barons in 1880, was the natural meeting place for the organization of the large well-capitalized ranches, the Wyoming Stock Growers Association (See Johnson County War of 1892, the largest of the "range wars" of early Wyoming history.) The Cheyenne newspaper offices of Asa Shinn Mercer's Northwestern Livestock Journal were burned down when the paper, which was founded as a public relations vehicle for the moneyed cattle interests, began to write scathing accounts of the events that were unfolding on the open range. Many of the ranch owners around the city were directly involved in that range war.

In a celebration of the cowboy, Cheyenne Frontier Days was begun in 1897 and, with its success, has become the world's largest outdoor rodeo. From meager beginnings, it has become a Wild West celebration during the last ten days of July every year. Contests of steer roping and bronco riding still prevail, along with Brama Bull riding and Wild Horse races. The tradition includes a midway carnival and celebrities entertaining huge crowds each night of the rodeo. The Air Force Thunderbirds, who have flown acrobatics over Cheyenne for more than 50 years, parades, and free pancake breakfasts are all part of Cheyenne Frontier Days.

General Dodge planned to have an assortment of railroad repair shops located at his Division Point in Cheyenne. However, Laramie, 48 miles west of the city, got the majority of early facilities for political reasons. By 1885, Cheyenne became the site for most of the engine and car repair departments. From the 1920s through the 1950s, Cheyenne's expanded rail yards and facilities employed as many as 5000 men and women in around the clock shifts. It is still a major hub for the Union Pacific as over 65 coast-to-coast trains pass through it daily.

As a town created by the railroad, Cheyenne fittingly preserves one of the eight surviving Union Pacific Big Boy locomotives ("4004"), the largest steam locomotives ever built, designed for hauling freight over the Rocky Mountains at high speeds. These engines typically hauled 100 freight cars up steep grades between Cheyenne and Ogden, Utah, at 50 miles per hour. This massive locomotive now resides in Holliday Park, a few blocks from downtown Cheyenne.

Today, the city is the home of the Union Pacific Steam Shop. Its crew of ten talented members keep two live steamers in operating condition for the railroad. Cheyenne hosts railfans from all over the world who come to see the last steam locomotive the U.P. bought, the "844". The world's largest, operating steam locomotive, the "3985", is also available for excusions anywhere in the country. It has a 4-6-6-4 wheel arrangement and is only slightly smaller than its cousin, the "4004". Tours of the steam shop facilities are available with advanced notice.

[edit] Geography and Climate

Cheyenne is located at 41°8′44″N, 104°48′7″W (41.145548, -104.802042)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 54.9 km² (21.2 mi²). 54.7 km² (21.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.38%) is water.

At Cheyenne, the north-south Interstate 25 intersects with the east-west Interstate 80. Great Lakes Airlines is based at Cheyenne.

Cheyenne lies at 6097 feet above sea level, 817 feet above The Mile High City.

Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rec High °F	66	71	74	83	91	100	100	96	95	83	75	69
Norm High °F	37.1	40.5	46.4	54.4	64.4	75.4	81.9	79.8	70.3	58.2	44.5	38.1
Norm Low °F	14.8	17.2	22	28.7	38.3	47.5	53.4	52	42.9	32.5	22.1	16.1
Rec Low °F	-29	-34	-21	-8	16	25	38	36	8	-1	-16	-28
Precip (in)	0.45	0.44	1.05	1.55	2.48	2.12	2.26	1.82	1.43	0.75	0.64	0.46
Source: USTravelWeather.com [1]

[edit] Weather

The summer average for Cheyenne is in the high 70's to low 80's. The winter average is below 30 degrees. In the winter Cheyenne experiences its most severe winds, which considerably exceed the national average. While most cities would announce an alert for winds between 30 and 40 miles an hour, in Cheyenne such speeds are commonplace, and gusts can easily reach 60 or even 70 miles an hour.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 53,011 people, 22,324 households, and 14,175 families residing in the city, making it the largest city in the state of Wyoming. The population density was 969.6/km² (2,511.4/mi²). There were 23,782 housing units at an average density of 435.0/km² (1,126.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.11% White, 2.78% Black or African American, 0.81% Native American, 1.06% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 4.44% from other races, and 2.69% from two or more races. 12.54% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Population Trend 1900 - 14,087 1910 - 11,320 1920 - 13,829 1930 - 17,361 1940 - 22,474 1950 - 31,935 1960 - 43,505 1970 - 41,254 1980 - 47,283 1990 - 50,008 2000 - 53,011 2005 - 55,362 (estimate) Sources: State of Wyoming, U.S. Census Bureau

There were 22,324 households out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $38,856, and the median income for a family was $46,771. Males had a median income of $32,286 versus $24,529 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,809. About 6.3% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.1% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.

Cheyenne is a principal city of the Front Range Urban Corridor which had an estimated population of 4,013,055 in 2005.^[1]

[edit] Education

There are three high schools in Cheyenne, soon to be four. The two main high schools are Central High School (home of the Indians) and East High School (home of the Thunderbirds).The two are high school rivalries. The third high schools is Triumph which is a schools for "troubled" teens. There are three junior highs: McCormick Jr. High (Home of the Warriors), Carey Jr. High (Home of the Braves) and Johnson Jr. High (Home of the Firebirds). There are many elementary schools, twenty five to be exact. More information can be found about the schools at http://www.laramie1.k12.wy.us/schools/schools.htm. as well as links to the individual schools websites. There is also a community college in Cheyenne, named the Laramie County Community College and nicknamed the Last Chance Cowboy College . The University of Wyoming is 45 minutes away in neighboring Laramie, WY and Colorado State University is about 52 miles away in Fort Collins.

[edit] Other information

There are three hospitals in Cheyenne. The main hospital branch is the Cheyenne Regional Medical Center with an east and west branch. There is also a VA Medical Center.

The Cheyenne Botanic Gardens

The 9 acre Cheyenne Botanic Gardens are located in Lions Park and features numerous gardens. It also features a solar heated and powered solar conservatory. The Cheyenne Botanic Gardens depends upon a large volunteer force made up primarily of seniors, youth, and disabled residents who provide 90% of the work at the Gardens. The Cheyenne Botanic Gardens has been the recipient of three presidential awards: "Exemplary Volunteerism" from President Reagan, "83 Point of Light Award" from President George H. W. Bush, and the American Entrepreneurial Leadership Award from Partners for Liveable Communities in association with President Clinton. It is the only public garden in Wyoming. Admission is free.

With its authentic ambience, the Cheyenne Street Railway Trolley offers fully-narrated historic city tours that capture the lively character of days gone by. The Trolley stop at several top attractions on its hour and a half tours which run daily from May through September.

Tom Horn, the notorious Pinkerton agent who had been operating as a "hit man" for the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, was hanged in Cheyenne for a murder of fourteen year old Willie Nickel that he probably didn't commit, on November 20, 1903. He was the last man hanged in Cheyenne. Willie Nickel is buried in a cemetary in Cheyenne on Purshing Blvd.

Cheyenne Frontier Days are a major event on the professional rodeo circuit. At the 1953 Frontier Days the US Air Force's precision flying squadron, the Thunderbirds, made their public debut. The still preform for the people, usually held at the Laramie County Community College. A carnival also comes to town for the enjoyment of townsfolks and tourists. This is the one time of year the population of Wyoming actually doubles. An estimated 500,000 tourists comes to Cheyenne in the last week of July.

Cheyenne is the home of F.E. Warren Air Force Base. One of the base's primary missions is to maintain an extensive network of nuclear missile silos throughout southeastern Wyoming, northern Colorado and western Nebraska.

In Philip K. Dick's alternative history novel The Man in the High Castle, Cheyenne is where Hawthorne Abendsen lives in his "High Castle".

My Friend Flicka and The Green Grass of Wyoming were written near Cheyenne at the Remount Ranch. Several motion pictures have been made around these books; the latest, Flicka, in 2006.

The Nagle Warren Mansion, one of Cheyenne's most historic Bed and Breakfasts, was built in 1888 and is considered one of the premier resorts west of the Mississippi.

The sports caster Curt Gowdy has a Wyoming State Park named after him, which is an approximate 30 minute drive from Cheyenne.

Cheyenne's sister cities are:

• Lompoc, California
• Bismarck, North Dakota
• Taichung, Taiwan
• Lourdes, France
• Hammam Sousse, Tunisia

Three ships of the United States Navy have been named USS Cheyenne after this city.

[edit] Notable people from Cheyenne

• C.J. Box – Author of Joe Pickett series and other western novels.
• Don Cockroft - NFL placekicker 1968-80
• John Godina - Olympic shot putter
• Curt Gowdy – Noted national sportscaster
• Mildred Harris - Actress from the silent film era.
• Cecilia Hart - Actress
• Patricia MacLachlan - Author and Newbery Medal winner
• Marlin McKeever - NFL tight end and linebacker 1961-73
• Karen Morris-Gowdy - Actress
• Melba Ogle - Playboy centerfold and model

[edit] External links

• City of Cheyenne
• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 41.145548° -104.802042°
  • Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
  • Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA

[edit] References

Cheyenne, Wyoming
Suburbs
Warren Air Force Base | South Greeley | Fox Farm | Ranchettes
Laramie County

	State of Wyoming Cheyenne (capital)
Topics	Governors | Geography | Government | Economy | History
Regions	Grand Teton | Powder River Country | Yellowstone
Cities	Casper | Cheyenne | Cody | Evanston | Gillette | Green River | Jackson | Laramie | Rawlins | Riverton | Rock Springs | Sheridan | Worland
Counties	Albany | Big Horn | Campbell | Carbon | Converse | Crook | Fremont | Goshen | Hot Springs | Johnson | Laramie | Lincoln | Natrona | Niobrara | Park | Platte | Sheridan | Sublette | Sweetwater | Teton | Uinta | Washakie | Weston