There are dozens and dozens of livestock brands on the Western Walkway from
area ranches. These brands are all discussed in the publication:
Brands of the Western
Walkway available at the Gardens.
To learn more
about livestock brands click here |
In 1997 the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens (CBG)
printed its 20-year Master Plan. The plans for the Western Walkway
were among many projects designed to expand the existing facility.
The summer of 1998 brought about a concrete
pathway connecting the Botanic Gardens to the Cheyenne Frontier Days
Old West Museum. The Western Walkway allows two of Cheyenne's finest
cultural facilities to share visitors. By 2004 the project is mostly
completed and includes the creation of three historical plazas, the
1700s, 1800s
and 1900s which comprise the
Rotary Century Plazas. These plazas tell the story of the rise of
horticulture during the last three centuries in Southeastern
Wyoming.
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In 1997 the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens (CBG)
printed its 20-year Master Plan. The plans for the Western Walkway
were among many projects designed to expand the existing facility.
The Rotary Century Plazas are a permanent reflection of Cheyenne's
character today, yesterday and for years to come. Imagine your
grandchildren having a place that is not a museum or book but an
actual landscape you can walk through to learn what it was like to
live in Cheyenne 300 years ago! The goal of the Gardens in
constructing the Western Walkway and Rotary Century Plazas is to
take history out of the adjacent
Old
West Museum and bring it to life in a living garden landscape.
This walkway is a significant contribution to
preserving the local history of Wyoming. The homesteaders who
settled here many years ago left their mark on the culture and land
of Wyoming. Ranching is a way of life for many in Wyoming. While
some ranchers are continuing a family tradition of relying on the
land to raise both crops and livestock, there are many successful
first generation ranchers who are newcomers to the ranching
lifestyle. Both are included in the following historical
interpretations of the brands on the Western Walkway.
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One of the lessons visitors learn while strolling through the Plazas
is that we are the first culture to permanently inhabit this area.
Local and international visitors can understand the role that
horticulture played in the settlement of the West and gain an
appreciation for Southeastern Wyoming's native landscape. The
historical focus on gardening practices and demonstrations allow
visitors to reflect on the promise and potential of agriculture in
the West.
The plazas teach about the rise of agricultural technology
and the strengths of the western pioneer spirit. As visitors stroll from
one plaza to the next they can envision the transformation of the High
Plains over three centuries from grasslands into a rich horticultural
and agricultural oasis.
The walkways and plazas celebrate the
people and plants of the High Plains landscape. Agriculture had a
great impact on landscape of the West. In an effort to recognize the
many ranches throughout our region, the registered brands of local
ranchers are imprinted into the terra cotta edging of the walkway.
When the CBG invited ranchers from Laramie County to bring in their
brands, many ranching families responded, and the walkway quickly
materialized.
The
Cheyenne Botanic Gardens has created an informative book that
depicts all the brands in the walkway and tells a brief history of
the ranches connected with each brand.
Click here for more information |
