Sightseeing Cheyenne

       George and I took a few hours off Thursday to check out the city.  Our first stop was the former Union Pacific train depot which is restored and designated a National Historic Landmark.



  



    There was a museum inside the old depot, but George was more interested in looking at the train cars in the yard, which they denied access to the public.  Along the Depot Plaza were 8-foot cowboy boots decorated by local artists to depict Wyoming culture.

 Outside the depot stands a statue of a pioneer woman gazing down Capitol Avenue.  It is entitled "A New Beginning," and the bronze work stands as a reminder that Wyoming was the first territory and state to extend women the right to vote.

  It would be difficult to miss The Wrangler, a three-story retail store since the 1940's.  The motorized horse and rider out front caught my attention, but we decided there was much more to see and didn't think we needed any western apparel.

      The architecture downtown was impressive and fairly consistent, but the mural of an angel on the entire side on one building piqued my curiosity.  The trolley ride no doubt would have been informative, but sadly, our time was limited.

      Our next stop was the beautiful Wyoming State Capitol Building, built in 1890 from locally quarried sandstone.  The capitol dome is made of copper but has since been covered with 24-karat gold leaf.


      Around the grounds, to the left of the front doors is a statue of the 60-year Chief of the Shoshoni Indian Tribe, Washaki, who died in 1900.  And to the right is a statue of Esther Hobart Morris, instrumental in furthering women's rights, and thus the state's nickname, the "Equality State."  On the east lawn stands a statue of a bison and on the west lawn is "The Spirit of Wyoming."  Wyoming is home to a replica of the Liberty Bell, and there is also a statue dedicated to those who served in the Spanish and American War.

      Inside we first notice the spectacular cherry woodwork on the staircases at either end, followed by the black and white marble floor tiles.  The rotunda above is stained glass.  There was some impressive artwork and the third largest American Bison ever recorded -- the state mammal of Wyoming.  

      We were able to view both the House and Senate Chambers, both of which had beautiful stained glass inserts in the ceilings.  I was surprised to see a large bust of Abraham Lincoln, but it was given to the state because of his involvement with the transcontinental railroad, which resulted in Union Pacific coming to Cheyenne.




      The Governor's Portrait Gallery was interesting, and I learned that the first woman governor in the United States, Nellie Taylor Ross, from St. Joseph, Missouri, served Wyoming from 1925 - 1927 following the death of her husband, William.


      



      

       Our final stop was the Cathedral of St. Mary, where we were able to sneak only a few photos since benediction was in progress.

      We found the people here especially friendly, and the Frontier Mall we visited today was nice.  There is much more to explore, and the C-130's are a constant reminder of the presence of Warren Air Force Base.   Hopefully our travels will bring us this way again.