Cheyenne in Laramie County, Wyoming — The American West (Mountains)
Apple Orchard
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 28, 2026
1. Apple Orchard Marker
There were two large orchards at the Cheyenne Horticultural Field Station. The irrigated orchard was east of the arboretum, south of Hildreth Road, and the dryland orchard was north of Hildreth Road. Over 800 different varieties of apples were tested from 1930 to 1974. Gene Howard, the last Horticultural Superintendent of the station commented, "We harvested 105,000 pounds of apples in 1958. Now that's a lot of apples!"
After 28 years of testing tree fruit varieties at the Cheyenne station, Superintendent Howard and Gerald 'Jerry' Brown released the results in two editions of Crops Research by the Agricultural Research Service in 1962. They reported that the most productive apple cultivars were Cortland, Duchess, Eastman, Goodhue, Joyce, Redant, Roberts, Sharon, University, and Wealthy. The report also included 300 plums, 50 cherries, and 40 pear cultivars. When the station's mission was changed to range and grassland research in 1974, cuttings of the trees were sent to other stations and most of the trees were bulldozed. The City of Cheyenne Urban Forestry Division began work in 2015 to
this page online
Scott Skogerboe, horticulturist at Fort Collins Wholesale Nursery and expert in heirloom fruit varieties for Colorado and Wyoming, has been researching and propagating fruit in the area for decades. His highest recommendations for apple cultivars to grow in Cheyenne include Cortland, Haralson, Haralred, and Goodhue.
[Photo captions, left to right, read]
[Uncaptioned photo of researcher and apple tree]
[Uncaptioned photo of apple blossoms]
'Cortland' Apples
[Uncaptioned photo of Scott Skogerboe]
Erected by Cheyenne Botanic Gardens and Cheyenne Urban Forestry Division.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Horticulture & Forestry • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1932.
Location. 41° 10.862′ N, 104° 53.791′ W. Marker is in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in Laramie County. It can be reached from no nearby street. Marker and orchard are in the High Plains Arboretum. Touch for map. Marker is at
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 28, 2026
2. Apple Orchard and Marker
Regionally, this marker is in the Laramie Basin. It is also in the American Mountain West, on the Great Plains, and specifically on the High Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Welcome to the High Plains Arboretum (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); USDA Explorers, Irrigation Ditches And Civilian Conservation Corps (about 400 feet away); If You Were A Tree (about 400 feet away); Cheyenne Privet (about 400 feet away); Kentucky Coffeetree (about 400 feet away); Dwarf Russian Almond (about 500 feet away); Apache Plume (about 600 feet away); Cheyenne Early Lilac (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cheyenne.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 2, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 1, 2026, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 10 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 1, 2026, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
