Laura Peischl

We are delighted to publish this wonderful article by our Columnist Laura Peischl who’s travelling the US right now.  As well as writing the text, Laura sent us some beautiful mobile images from her trip. We have put these together into a video showcase with the music of her choice ‘Blue Train’ by Johnny Cash. Don’t miss this…

“The City of Cheyenne had its beginning in 1867, when the Union Pacific Railroad came through on its way to the west coast. The town site was first surveyed by General Grenville Dodge and was named for an Indian tribe that roamed the area (originally called ‘Shey’ an’ nah’, belonging to the tribe of Alogonquian, the largest family of Indians on the North American Continent). General Grenville M. Dodge, as the head of construction for the Union Pacific Railroad, envisioned this area he called Crow Creek Crossing as an important division point for the railroad.Dodge founded Cheyenne and began plating it on nation’s birthday, July 4 of 1867. The town grew rapidly to over 4,000 citizens by the time rails were spiked down there that November. Eastern newspapers called it the “Magic City of the Plains” because the town sprang up like magic.

As a major railhead for the cattle industry from its founding, the town was a second home for English and European cattle barons. By 1885, Cheyenne was considered the richest city, per capita, in the world.

Many common men who arrived in this city in its infancy became wealthy beyond imagination. Their fortunes grew right along with Cheyenne. Small stores emerged as large businesses, attracting worldwide attention.