We drove around the edges of Denver (pop. 504,000) and into Wyoming (state's population is 509,000) via Interstates. Had reservations at Terry Bison Camp, which was the most interesting campground we had been in so far. They had a bison herd and sold the meat in their store, had 6 camels and llamas. They gave horseback trail rides and had pony rides for kids, a small carnival and a nice playground. Had a restaurant and saloon too.
Drove into town that afternoon. There are several large boot statues that have paintings on them. One in front of the train depot looks like a quilt and has quilt blocks with the name of each former governor of the state.
We took the narrated trolley ride to hear about the town. This would be a perfect job for me, I decided! The gal told us that Jack McCall killed Wild Bill Hickock. (I remember relating this while in Sioux Falls). He escaped being hung in the Dakota Territory by telling them that Bill had killed his brother, so he was warranted in killing him. They set him free. But he made the mistake of coming back to Cheyenne and bragging that he had been set free. Hickock had lived in Cheyenne various times and people found out McCall didn't even have a brother, so he was hung there.
There was a block in town called Millionaire's Row where beautiful Victorian homes had been built in the 1800's. During the 1960's some people persuaded others there that the town needed to look more modern, so they were all torn down! Now most townspeople there wish that had never happened. There are only a few homes of that type left in town.
In the 1870's there were only 12 trees in town. Some women decided they needed to plant more so they took the train to Nebraska and dug trees up from gulleys along the train tracks, etc. But they soon discovered there wasn't enough rainfall in Cheyenne to keep them healthy. So they would save their laundry water in buckets. When their husbands came home for lunch they would carry the buckets of water and stop to water a tree. Their kids would pick the buckets up after school. Pretty ingenious system.
During WWII there were 26,000 military trainees in town because the F.E. Warren Base is nearby. Three subdivisions were built for them to occupy. Mr. Coors considered building his brewery here, but didn't.
A Union Pacific Big Boy engine sits in a city park. One year they had 6" rain and so much hail in one day that it was covered!
After the trolley ride we went back to the old depot to the Snake River Pub and Grill for pizza. They have the Shadows Brewing Co. there in that end of the depot. The beers they brew are: Hobo Hefeweizen, Big Boy Amber, Buffalo brown ale, Boxcar stout and Cowboy cream ale. We watched 2 U.P. trains go by as we ate.
These famous people grew up on that military base: Dr. Walter Reed, Sammy Davis, Jr., Neil Diamond and country singer Chris LeDoux.
90 degrees today, but not humid!
in Cheyenne, Wy. Picture in
the depot
museum
floor of the depot
showing expansion
of railroad across
the country, including
through Cozad, Neb.
statues all over Cheyenne.
This one has a train on it and
the one in front of the depot
looks like quilt blocks and each
one has the name of a former
governor on it
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