National Weather Service Cheyenne Office History
The first Cheyenne weather office, under the Signal Service, was established on October 19, 1870, with Sgt. Asa C. Dobbins in charge. With the upgrading of the Cheyenne office to Weather Service Forecast Office (WSFO), in the ninth location in Cheyenne since 1870, one may wonder about the future of this facility. Is this the "goalpost" that has been at the other end of the field for so many years? Sgt. Dobbins surely could have never visualized the progress that has been made in the instrumentation and communications methods. But judging from the entries that he made in the "Daily Journal", he must have dreamed of an era of improved forecasting techniques and greater service to the public.
Asa was a dedicated man. He compiled quite a stack of observational records that are still on file in this office. The most interesting of his, and his successors’ records are in the remarks entered in the "Daily Journal". A few of these remarks show an amazing similarity to forecasting terminology that is associated with techniques that were developed decades later. This report is intended to pay tribute to the many dedicated men and women who contributed in various ways to the fabrication of today’s Weather Forecast Office (WFO).
The dates and spelling of names are entered as close as can be determined from initials and their entry on dated records. Much help was obtained from Leo G. Clapp. Leo entered his Cheyenne duty as an Airways Observer at the Cheyenne Municipal Airport back in 1929. He retired in 1960 after some 40 years of Government service.
The first weather station located at Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory, was established by the War Department, Signal Service, U.S. Army, Division of Telegrams and Reports for Commerce.
The first Cheyenne weatherman was Sgt. Asa C. Dobbins who arrived in Cheyenne in the fall of 1870. Sgt. Dobbins used a barometer, self registering anemometer, wind vane, and both dry and wet bulb thermometers. Sgt. Dobbins served in his capacity as observer in charge until November 1877. He apparently remained in Cheyenne and raised a family. One son, also named Asa, was well known in Cheyenne and at one time ran the "Dobbins Hat Store". The body of Sgt. Dobbins is interred in the cemetery at Pershing and Seymour.
Following is a history of the locations of the weather stations in Cheyenne:
First location: October 19, 1870, 16th Street between Ferguson Street (now Carey Avenue) and Hill Street (now Capitol Avenue), 2nd floor.
Second location: May 1, 1871, corner of 15th Street and Hill Street (now Capitol Avenue), second (upper) floor. Two windows faced north-northwest and west-southwest. West of Hill Street and south of 16th Street.
Third location: February 20, 1872, corner of 16th Street and Ferguson Street (now Carey Avenue), second floor, northwest corner. Building was south of 16th Street and east of Ferguson Street.
Fourth location: June 20, 1874. Dobbins’ home, 17th Street, south side between Ranson Street (now Central Avenue) and Dodge Street (now Warren Avenue) where the old Montgomery Ward Store stood. The land was deeded to Dobbins by the Union Pacific Railroad.
Fifth location: December 1, 1883, Commercial building, 218 1/2 West 16th Street, third floor. It is rumored that the second floor housed women of ill repute and the weathermen’s wives would not visit the office lest they be suspect of working on the second floor.
Sixth location: September 28, 1913, Citizen’s National Bank Building (later named the H.N. Boyd Building), sixth (top) floor, southwest corner, corner 18th Street and Carey Avenue.
Seventh location: December 1, 1933, Federal Office Building, 21st Street and Carey Avenue, third floor, rooms 305, 305A, 307 and 307A.
Eighth location: September 1, 1935, Weather Bureau Airport Station, corner 8th Avenue and Central Avenue (now the Garden Center).
Ninth location: August 2, 1954, Weather Bureau Airport Station, 4101 Evans Avenue (Control Tower Building).
An Airport Station was established for airway observations in 1929 and was designated as the official station in October 1935. Therefore, from 1929 to 1943, there were two weather stations in Cheyenne. The downtown office continued to operate until 1943.
On November 21, 1975, the weather office was moved to new quarters, built specially for the facility. The new location was at 4000 Morrie Avenue, on the southeast edge of the Cheyenne Municipal Airport.
On August 17, 1993, the National Weather Service in Cheyenne moved to the current location on Airport Parkway, just south of the airport runways.
Here are city and airport station locations as well as dates occupied at these locations:
|
Location |
Occupied From |
Occupied To |
|
City - 16th Street between Carey and Capitol |
October 19, 1870 |
April 30, 1871 |
|
City - Corner 16th & Capitol |
May 1, 1871 |
February 20, 1872 |
|
City - Corner 16th & Carey |
February 20, 1872 |
June 20, 1874 |
|
City - 17th Street between Central and Warren |
June 20, 1874 |
November 30, 1883 |
|
City - Commercial Building 218 - 1/2 W. 16th Street 3rd Floor |
December 1, 1883 |
September 27, 1913 |
|
City - H. N. Boyd Building Corner 18th & Carey |
September 28, 1913 |
November 30, 1933 |
|
City - Federal Office Building at 21st & Carey |
December 1, 1933 |
August 31, 1935 |
|
Airport - Municipal Airport 1.5 miles north of Post Office |
August 10, 1929 |
August 31, 1935 |
|
Airport - Municipal Airport 112 E. 8th Avenue |
September 1, 1935 |
August 12, 1954 |
|
Airport - Municipal Airport 4101 Evans Avenue |
August 12, 1954 |
November 21, 1975 |
|
Airport - Municipal Airport 4000 Morrie Avenue |
November 21, 1975 |
August 17, 1993 |
|
Airport - Municipal Airport 1301 Airport Parkway |
August 17, 1993 |
Present |
