[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 126 (Wednesday, July 26, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4298-S4299]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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           SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF CHEYENNE, WYOMING

 Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I want to take a moment to 
commemorate the sesquicentennial of the city of Cheyenne, WY.
  The city of Cheyenne is an irreplaceable catalyst in Wyoming's birth 
and development. Christened on July 4, 1867, Cheyenne was named after 
the Cheyenne Tribe found in the Dakota territory. As the population 
jumped from 400 to 3,000 and beyond, Cheyenne earned nickname ``The 
Magic City of the Plains'' in reference to how it seemingly sprouted 
overnight and kept

[[Page S4299]]

on growing. This unfettered momentum showed enough potential that in 
1886, 4 years before Wyoming became the 44th State, the construction of 
a State capitol was approved in Cheyenne. Among these barren plains, a 
wellspring of prosperity and opportunity was found for the independent, 
brave folks who were willing to work hard to build it. In that, 
Cheyenne's legacy perfectly captures Wyoming's spirit.
  Cheyenne, WY, is a railroad town through and through. General 
Grenville Dodge, chief engineer for the Union Pacific Railroad, 
selected this dusty spot as a connecting point in the Nation's first 
transcontinental railroad. Thousands of men and their families came 
here to lay track up the Gangplank, the unique geography that allows a 
gradual grading from the plains to the Laramie Mountains. Supply 
stores, banks, and dentists all sprang up in their wake to accommodate 
the booming town. Now, Interstate 80 runs alongside the Gangplank from 
Cheyenne to Laramie, where the climb from the plains to the mountains 
continues today. On March 3, 2006, the Cheyenne Train Depot become a 
national historic landmark, solidifying the railroads irremovable 
stitching in the fabric of Cheyenne, WY, and the rest of the Nation.
  During Cheyenne's first fragile years, soldiers were stationed at 
Fort D.A. Russell to protect the railroad. The base was established on 
the same day as the city, and construction began in October 1867. It 
later became the F.E. Warren Air Force base that continues to be 
crucial to Cheyenne today. The base was expected to last 6 months, then 
to dry up along with the town itself as folks followed the train tracks 
to find more work. However, Cheyenne endured--and the base along with 
it. It became a permanent Army installation in 1884, and soon 
ramshackle wood housings were replaced with brick buildings. In 1930, 
it was renamed F.E. Warren Base by President Herbert Hoover to honor 
Wyoming's first Governor, Francis Emroy Warren. It was officially 
renamed F.E. Warren Air Force Base in 1949, making it the oldest 
continually active base in the Air Force system. The base is currently 
responsible for 15 missile alert facilities and 150 Minute Man III 
missiles and is known throughout Wyoming as a fixture in the Cheyenne 
community. The F.E. Warren Base and some 4,000 personnel on site 
continue to be a massively positive presence in the Cheyenne 
neighborhood, especially at Cheyenne Frontier Days.
  As with the F.E. Warren Air Force Base, there would be no Cheyenne 
without Cheyenne Frontier Days. The first frontier day took place on 
September 13, 1897, kicked off with a parade led by Buffalo Bill Cody. 
This event started as the brainchild of passenger agent Frank Angier, 
hired by railroad officials to increase the number of passengers. This 
was following the devastation of the prosperous cattle trade by the 
blizzards of 1886 to 1887, which killed thousands of cattle and the 
businesses of their barons. Cheyenne needed a boost, and the Cheyenne 
Frontier Days became the perfect solution. The first rodeo was attended 
by 400 folks, and more and more have been coming back ever since. Today 
Frontier Days is the world's largest outdoor rodeo, while also boasting 
world famous musical acts. In 2016, 259,193 people attended the event 
to watch professional cowboys compete for over $1 million while 
enjoying the festive celebration of cowboy culture. This event 
symbolizes the western spirit that beats from within Cheyenne 
throughout the rest of Wyoming.
  In honor of the 150th anniversary of Cheyenne, WY, I urge my esteemed 
colleagues to visit this ``Magic City'' themselves. I congratulate all 
the folks who work to preserve Cheyenne's rich history and continue its 
valuable legacy. I stand proudly with them in celebrating this 
historical achievement.

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