, 1912-02-01
Save WHITEHEAD BUILDING
!. was Built In 1867 Of Hewed Pitch Pine
Logs-was uusd for Court room
Built by W. L. Kuykendall

CdIdto6"J 'yO't Cuu' lo46
Ito the Historical Society or IN
dustrial Club of Cheyenne,
Having received information
that the Whitehead building has
been or will be condemned and
have to be removed and probably
DESTROYED / feel that the history
connected Herewith should appeal
10 the citizens of Cheyenne to save
h or the material therein from the
latter fate. Its walls are composed
of hewed pitch pine logs, all of
which were hewed by me near
Granite Canon during the month
Of May, 1867 or nearly forty five
YEARS ago, when the guns and re-
|~yolvers of the four men engaged
with me in the work, including my
|own, were on the stumps in easy
reach for use against Indians,
whose hearts and medicine were
bad, as men were going down daily
by their hands.
While it was not the first build
ling completed in Cheyenne, owing
10 it's constr uction being neces.
arily slow, for l notched down
every log in it with my axe, its
foundation for a then pretentious
building was the first one placed
on a lot and was among the first
houses completed and nv hands
did most of the work. AS a build
ing it is one of the few remaining
landmarks of your city and the
state.
The second floor was at first one
large room. known as the city hall,
in which the mayor and city coun-
ell, composing the provisional
government of the CT ty, having no
legal authority or standing as such,
held their meetings for months or
until superseded by the first law
ful city government during the
priny of 1868, aud in which Lori
ner, as one of the provisional just
ICES of the peace and police magis
trate dealt out justice under the
odinances by daily ining a large
grlst of prisoners arrested by the
police and making every fine stick
and in which he adjudicated many
civil cases in which hundreds of
dollars were involved. 1t was also
The court room where the superior
court, having both original and
appellate jurisdiction in civil cases,
Ttnout limit as to amount involv-
ed, was held with Judge William
d, Miller presiding.
am well aware of the fact that
Old things have to give place to
lhe new, as the laws of nature so
ordain. That sentiment too often
'elghes lightly in practical mat
'ers as they arise in the onward
march of passing events, and that
lilies, states and republics are too
Stlen ~forgetful and ungrateful.
Ibis however, while it may seem of
mall import to some of your citiz-
sns, to me, aud it may be some of
ae other oldtimers, is one of the
very few things of historical value
@onnecting our past as pioneers in
Oneyenne with u present, and is
therefore, valued as a relic of other
ays and exciting scense connected
"h Cheyenne in it's early history,
vi OF which as remembered will be
s'ated in a book / am preparing.
therefore, appeal to you to de-
nse some plan if possible to save
"e bnilding, at least as it was in
appearance when erected by hav-
.ug 1t placed somewhere and used
.0f some historical purpose for the
Inspection of many people who
'fe deeply interested in relics of
carly days in the history ola state
Vt country.
Tours truly and respectfully,
WI. ~KUYKENDALL.