HISTORY OF CHEYENNE
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). Settlement came so fast that the nickname "Magic City of
the Plains" was adopted.
On August 8, 1867, the first charter for the government of the
City of Cheyenne was established. On August 10,
1867, H. M. Hook was elected mayor. At the time,
Cheyenne was situated in the Dakota Territory and had a population of approximately 600
people. The following December a permanent city charter was granted by the Dakota
Territory legislature. On January 5, 1914, the commissioner form of government was
formally adopted by the City of Cheyenne. Cheyenne was proclaimed to be "a City
of the First Class" organized under the provisions of the State of Wyoming with all
the powers and obligations thereto on July 9, 1945. A special election was held on
June 22, 1971, to determine if the commissioner form of government should be replaced with
the mayor-council form. As a result of that election, in the fall of 1971, a mayor
and nine councilmen were elected to take office on January 3, 1972, under the new form of
government.
Presently, the mayor is elected at-large
every four years. Three council members are elected from
each of three wards on a staggered basis.
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