171 Facts About Cheyenne, Wyoming To Know Before Your Next History Test

Cheyenne is the capital of Wyoming.

Regarded as the most populous capital city of Wyoming, Cheyenne has a semi-arid cold climate. The population density of this capital city (2009) is 63,607.

Wyoming has quite a rich history. Cheyenne, the capital of this state actually refers to the native people of the Great Plains.

The native tribe was a farming tribe and relied heavily on crops for their daily source of food. However, later due to a conflict with the Sioux Indians, they were forced to adopt much more aggressive means of gathering food, that is hunting.

Buffalos were the primary source since then, along with deers and rabbits. These animals were not only a source of food, they made use of their skins and bones to carve tools and weapons, and artifacts.

They firmly believed that animals were a part of nature and should be used properly. Cheyenne was also the pioneer to grant women, the right to vote.

This right was much later introduced in the US, after their 19th Amendment. This is a city full of entertainment and heritage.

One of the laws of Wyoming is that it is illegal to wear hats that might obstruct other people's views in theatres and amusement parks. Such is their love for entertainment.

Therefore, if you are a big fan of theatre and entertainment, you are going to surely love this place. Keep reading to find more fun facts for kids about this place.

If you enjoyed this article, then why not also read about facts about Boise Idaho, and facts about Augusta Maine here on Kidadl.

Fun Facts Cheyenne Wyoming

The state of Wyoming is regarded as the least populous state in the US. Its capital city Wyoming is, however, the most densely populous place.

Wyoming city is full of rich heritage and culture. Located in Crow Creek and Dry Creek, this place is the anchor city of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. The name Cheyenne was given by General Grenville Dodge in honor of the Cheyenne Native American people, specifically an Indian tribe who were called Shey' an' nah'.

Cheyenne typically refers to the native people of the Great Plains and was originally referred to as Shey' an' nah. General Grenville Dodge was the first one to survey, but the founder is not known.

Cheyenne was made the temporary capital in 1869 by John Allen Campbell, who was the first governor of Wyoming territory. Since then it has remained unchanged.

The famous author Ernest Hemingway married his third wife Martha Gelhorn at Cheyenne, on November 21, 1940. Ernest Hemingway was very vocal about his love for two places, Africa and Cheyenne.

Some of his most famous works include, For Whom The Bell Tolls, The Old Man And The Sea, and A Farewell To Arms, among many others. 1920 marked the year when the Cheyenne regional airport was opened.

Initially, the Cheyenne regional airport served as a place for airmail, however, much later, it was used for military functions and served as a civil-military airport as well. 4 July 1867 marks the date when the city of Cheyenne was established.

It now serves as a trade and distribution center for the middle Rocky Mountain region.

It is the most populous city in Wyoming. This city had rapid growth, with settlements developing rapidly, so much so that it was called the 'magic city of the plains '.

A very interesting fact about this magic city of the plains is that many believe this place to be where the killer Tom Horn was hanged in 1903. Although, others claim this to be not true.

In 1903, a 14-year-old boy, named Willie Nickell was killed. During that time, there were two wealthy rival families, one of whom was the Nickells.

Tom Horn formerly worked as a US Army scout and later became a range detective. Although Tom Horn was later charged with the killing of the boy and hanged, to this day, many people believe there was foul play involved in his eviction and that he was not actually the killer.

The city of Cheyenne also witnessed the marriage of the two famous actors Steve McQueen and Ali McGraw, during the shooting of the 1980 film Tom Horn. As of now, the population density of Cheyenne is 63,607.

Cheyenne Botanic Gardens, located in the Lions Park in Cheyenne is among the many other tourist attractions of this city. Wyoming is famous and known for its national parks, and hot springs and many tourists from all over the world flock in every year to visit these places.

Cheyenne, Wyoming can turn out to be your most beautiful trip if you ever wish to visit this place. It has an Ice and Events center, that is operated by the Cheyenne Parks and Recreation Department, along with swimming pools, golf courses, and much more.

There is also a miniature golf park, along with a Greater Cheyenne Greenway system, operated by the same. Located in the North of downtown Cheyenne, Wyoming is the Cheyenne airport.

1920 registered the first paying passengers of Cheyenne airport and had 24 arrivals and departures by 1935.

Some of the renowned people who visited this airport were Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindbergh, and Jessica Dubroff. Wyoming, the state of the US, is considered to be among the 10 largest states, although the population of this state is much less compared to Rhodes Island, which is the smallest state of the US.

There have been many reports of people getting killed by bison, which is the official mammal of the state of Wyoming. Conservation measures are underway to keep the bison population in check.

Some of the fine food available at Cheyenne, Wyoming include steak, burgers, and ribs. Therefore, if you ever wish to visit this beautiful place, be sure to try their foods as well.

Historical Facts About Cheyenne Wyoming

The Union Pacific Railroad played an important role in the rapid development of Cheyenne. The earliest residents of this city were the workers who worked on the Union Pacific Railroad. After the work was completed, many moved away, while some stayed which led to the formation of this town.

Initially, this place was a hub for entertainment, with many theatres and saloons opening and people taking active participation in them. In 1882, the opera house was formed and many renowned performers like Lily Langtry and Emma Nevada used to visit this place often.

This western town also was heavily influenced by the culture of the east, since the Union Pacific railroad has direct access to the East and was the east-west interstate.

Together, it was an accumulation of eastern and western culture, with different furniture styles, fashion styles flooding in from the eastern regions. All these attracted many wealthy men from the East and Europe, and simultaneously the renowned Cheyenne Club was also formed.

It was a flourishing time for the city of Cheyenne. Apart from this, the state of Wyoming enjoyed certain political importance as well.

Back in the 19th century, Wyoming was the first to grant women the right to vote.

They believed women should be treated the same as men, and therefore should be given the right to vote over the age of 21. It was also seen as a measure to attract other settlers.

It was only 51 years later that the US did the same in their 19th Amendment.

This freedom came with a cost, however, since only after getting rejected seven times, Wyoming was declared as a state in 1890. The main reason behind the rejections was the right to vote that was granted to women by Wyoming territory.

Some of the places of Cheyenne that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places include the First Presbyterian Church, Cheyenne High School, the Governor's Mansion, High Plains Arboretum, and Nagle-Warren Mansion among many others. Hiram M. Hook was the first mayor of Cheyenne, Wyoming in 1830.

Back then, the population of that region only consisted of 600 people.

The only female governor in all of Wyoming history is Nellie Ross. She served as the 14th Governor of Wyoming after her husband William Bradford Ross died.

Cheyenne also has a rich sports history. In 2012, the Cheyenne Warriors played as a team for the American Professional Football League and later moved to the Indoor Football League, which has the highest number of active teams among other indoor football leagues.

However, following a mishap in December, of the same year, when the owner of the team died the New Developmental Football League was formed. Having no one left to lead the team any longer, the team was folded in 2013.

Facts About Cheyenne's Food

Cheyenne was a native American tribe that lived on the Great Plains. They were typically a farming tribe and therefore relied heavily on crops for their daily source of food.

They had their own unique language and the Cheyenne alphabet consisted only of 14 letters. In the present day world, the Cheyenne are divided into two groups of Northern Cheyenne and Southern Cheyenne.

Initially, a farming tribe, however later, during a clash with the Sioux Indians, were forced to adopt a hunting-gathering lifestyle. Primarily they fed on corns, squash and hunted small-sized animals like rabbits and deers.

The clothes worn by them were also made out of deerskin.

The system of trading was also very much prevalent in the Cheyenne tribe and they actively traded fish, fruits, and berries with other Indian tribes. The women were assigned the task of harvesting crops, while the men went away to hunt buffalos.

Sometimes the women would also join their partners in the hunting activities. Much later in the 17th century, when Cheyenne came to know about the various uses of horses and how they can be tamed and controlled, they became nomadic hunters.

One of the most distinguishable qualities about the Cheyenne tribes was that they could make use of a single item in many different ways.

Buffalos, therefore, not only served as their main food but the meat and skin of buffalos were also used to make clothes, ornaments, and various other household artifacts. The bones of these animals were also used to make tools and weapons like hoses and arrows.

The Cheyenne tribe was very well aware of the side effects of consuming too much meat, therefore a vegetation diet was also followed in their food. The animals were not just a source of food for them.

They made use of whatever they could get very extensively. They were not picky about their food and ate whatever they could hunt or harvest from the fields.

This remarkable quality of theirs ensured their long sustenance on the land.

Wyoming had a very rich war history, with blood baths occurring during the 19th century. However, now it is a rather peaceful place and you will surely love it here.

Not only does it have many state parks, but it also boasts of the oldest library system in the whole of the US, which is the Laramie County Library System. There are also many islands in this state, mostly located in Yellowstone lake and the Green River area.

Facts About Cheyenne Wyoming's Climate

With a cold climate and low precipitation, Cheyenne receives an average of 17 in (0.43m) rain and 58 in (1.47 m) snow per year. It experiences almost 236 days of summer per year.

The winters are not long, since they are often interrupted by the chinook winds (warm winds) from time to time. The months of March and April have the greatest snowfall, although the thick snow cover does not stay for long.

December, being the month, with the maximum amount of cold is not the best month to visit this place. If you ever wish to visit Cheyenne, Wyoming, July and June are considered to be the most pleasant months of the year.

During the month of July, the temperature fluctuates between 69.4-90 °F (20.8 -32.2  °C). It has a diurnal temperature range, that is a single day can witness a variation between high and low temperatures. Each month experiences a relative humidity of 60%.

July 16, 1979, marked the year, when the city of Cheyenne, Wyoming faced the wrath of a destructive tornado. Reportedly, one person was killed and 40 others were injured in that tornado. To date, it is considered to be the most catastrophic tornado in Wyoming.

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