The Military 1867-1949

The Military 1867-1949. Fort David A. Russell - Fort Francis E. Warren. The United States Army came to Cheyenne in 1867 on the heels of the Union Pacific Railroad's westward expansion and established two separated military operations: Camp Carlin just west of Cheyenne and Fort D.A. Russell adjacent to Camp Carlin and both were situated along Crow Creek. The 1862 Pacific Railway Act which established the transcontinental railroad also called for the establishment of towns and military posts along the route to support and protect the citizens who followed the railroad west. The Act required one of the towns to be located at the at the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains and that town would become Cheyenne. , Although the indigenous Indians were not a significant threat in the vicinity of Cheyenne, there were periodic incidents involving railroad survey parties and construction crews, and the military was responsible for protecting them and ensuring timely progress. , Surveyed and platted but Brevet Major General Christopher C. Augur in July 1867; the Fort which began as a tent camp was located three miles west of town and above the flood plain on the north side of Crow Creek. Tents were used for about six months, then replaced by log huts. By 1870 seventy-seven wooden structures had been constructed at the site. Brevet Brigadier General Stevenson of the 30th Infantry was the first commander. Quarters were arranged around a diamond-shaped parade field with 15 officer quarters located across the north end and 12, larger enlisted men's quarters located along the bottom end on the south. The buildings were vertical wood slat with adobe brick on the inside. , There was no further construction at the Fort until 1884-1885 when it was designated a permanent post. During the days of the Indian Wars (until the early 1890s), the post was manned primarily by the U.S. 5th Cavalry Regiment later to be replaced by eight separate infantry companies. Soldiers from the Fort fought in the Spanish American War (1898-1901). , During World War I the Fort was a training base for field artillery and cavalry units who used the nearby Pole Mountain area for field training. In 1929 the Fort's name was officially changed to Fort Francis E. Warren in honor of the former territorial governor, long time U.S. Senator from Cheyenne, and Congressional Medal of Honor winner (F.E. Warren is buried in Lakeview Cemetery in Cheyenne). , From 1940 until 1947 the Fort became the U.S. Army's Quartermaster Replacement Center, processing 122,000 soldiers during World War II. In 1943 the Fort also was home to approximately 1,000 German and Italian prisoners of war (POWs). , In 1949 the Fort was transferred to the newly created U.S. Air Force and was remained Francis E. Warren Air Force Base (AFB).