, 1890-08-28
l.. r.. BREsNAHEN,
A Man Well Qualified to Serve the Peo-
pie as State Senator.

pie as State
One of the three Democrats candidates
for state senator is that old time citizen
and sterling business man, Lawrence R.
Bresnahen. Mr.. Bresnahen came west
from his home in Ontario county, New
York, In the spring of 1867. Julesburg
was then'in the height Of its glory and
there Mr.. Bresnahen temporarily settled,
buying out the meat business of the late
Jim Moore. In the fall of 1867 he
started for Cheyenne in company with
Henry Altman and w. d. Pease. He
erected one OF the first buildings in Chey-
enne on Ferguson street between Eff
teenth and Sixteenth, AMI went into
business. In 1874 he was elected city
trustee on the Democratic ticket and aided
in breaking up a Republican ring which
at that time had control of the city gov
eminent and through manipulation of the
city scrip was not only i%njuring the city's
credit, but enriching themselves. The
treasu1ershIp was soon taken out OF the
hands of the gang and the city paper
brought up from ten cents on the dollar
to par. In 1875 Mr.. Biesnahe1 was
elected to the council OF the Fourth legis-
lative assembly. In 1876 he succeeded 1.
O. Whipple as mayor of Chey-
enne. This was one of the
most important years in the
history of Cheyenne. 1t was the year
the city received the patent from the
government for the TOWNSHIP. The trus-
tees were appointed by Acting Governor
Lee and Individually sustained the city's
credit. John IL. Martin, DR.. Geo. w.
Corey, II. II. Ellis, B. l., Ford and K.
L. Johnson were the trustees who entered
the TOWNSHIP on behalf of the people.
The work which they commenced in 1870
was faithfully carried out by Mayor
Bresnahen. The settlement of disputed
titles between the Union FScifc Railway
company and the city was a sore subject
in those days A proposit ion to settle
was made by General Superintendent j.
t. Clark on behalf of the road, but it
was rejected by Mayor Bresnahcn because
it iniringed upon some roperty rights of
private individuals Mayor Bresuahen
arranged a conference between o. F.
Davis, the general land agent of the road
and soon effected a settlement whereby
the city secured a warranty deed to the
property now known as the city park,
part of four blocks which are now in
cluded in the city cemetery, and a relin-
quishment of seventy feet of the reserva-
ton on Twelfth Street for winch the city
gave a right of way for the Union Pacific
track to Camp Carlin.
In 1876 Mayor Bresnahen had Judge
MCLAUGHLIN draw up a bill giving Chey-
enne the right to purchase GAO acres of
land at the government price for the use
OF the city water system. The bill was
forwarded to w. r. Steele, then delegate
in congress from Wyoming, and soon after
it became a law, This and lies north of
town and includes the land devoted to
the present water system as well as the
land sold recently to the Burlington rail-
road.
In the same year a company was formed
with a capital stock Of 800, 900 for the pur-
pose Of purchasing the city water works.
1t was largely through L. r. Bresnahen's
efforts that a sale was prevented and that
the city now maintains a plant of its own
which City Treasurer Kelley claims is
worth 5000. 900.
Mr.. Brssnahen was one of the twelve
men selected to draw up a new charter.
In 1878, Immediately following, be was re-
elected mayor on both the Democratic and
Republican tickets. A small approprla-
ton to plant trees in the city cemetery
was secured this year. In 1879 he was
again reelected mayor on the Democratic
ticket, without any opposition from the
Republicans.
Mr.. Bresnahen was chairman of the
commission which built the two wings OF
the capitol building and superintendent
the work. His record as a public official
and a private citizen is one of which Mr..
Bresnahen can well feel proud and the
people know they will make no mistake
in sending him to the first state senate
where his experience, his honesty aud his
well known interest in the economical ad-
ministration OF public affrirs will make
his services invaluable.