Cheyenne History Facts and Timeline

(Cheyenne, Wyoming - WY, USA)

The Native American tribes (including the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Crow, Sioux and Shoshone peoples) of Wyoming witnessed a great change in their history during the 1860s, following the building of the Transcontinental Railroad. Settlers began to arrive and although treaties had been signed with the American Indians, conflict regularly reared its ugly head.

In the year 1867, the site of present-day Cheyenne was surveyed by railroad executives, who decreed that this spot should be suitable for the Union Pacific Railroad and had the potential to become an important settlement. A town was founded and the railway was soon completed, crossing over Crow Creek, a branch of the meandering South Platte River.

The area was briefly referred to as 'Crow Creek Crossing', although is was soon named as Cheyenne, to honor this famous American Indian tribe of the Great Plains.

Railroad, Prosperity and Cattle

The earliest settlement in Cheyenne simply consisted of a group of tents for railroad workers. Over the next few years, the local community began to expand and become more of a permanent settlement, following the arrival of soldiers from the local United States Army base named Fort D. A. Russell (later to become the Francis E. Warren Air Force Base).

Locals also comprised employees working at Camp Carlin, which served as an important supply base for northerly posts sited along the Indian frontier. In the year 1868, the first Episcopal church building was erected here, followed in 1871 by a small school. History records show that Cheyenne's population quickly exceeded 5,000 people and a period of continued growth followed.

A Center of Government

Cheyenne began to be used as a place for various important meetings. Members of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association regularly met up here in their capacity as a temporary government for Wyoming. They implemented their ambitious plans and passed various laws, which were adopted by the entire territory.

It was finally decided that Cheyenne should be the capital of the territory, despite not having a central location in Wyoming, and so ambitious architectural plans were drawn up for a rather grandiose Capitol Building. Construction commenced in September 1886 and the Wyoming State Capitol Building finally opened for business in 1890, with the Tenth Territorial Legislative Assembly meeting here. Additional improvements were made over the subsequent decades, including the building of the House and Senate Chambers in 1917.

Modern Times in the State Capital of Wyoming

Over the years that followed, the city continued to expand its boundaries and modernize its infrastructure. Notable dates in the modern history of Cheyenne include the introduction of commercial flights in the 1920s. The first broadcasts from the state's local KFBC television station began in 1954, and the Francis E. Warren Air Force Base became the country's earliest base for guided missiles.

In the year 1990, Wyoming celebrated its 100th anniversary as an official member of the United States and Cheyenne welcomed US President George Bush to its centennial celebrations at the Capitol Building.