“Duster” is a part of the Capitol Avenue Bronze public art collection . . donated to the City of Cheyenne by private individuals, organizations or companies. For more information about the Capitol Avenue Bronze Project, visit Deselms Fine Art at https://deselmsfineart.com

Duster was sculpted by Bobbie Carlyle to remember the first cowboys and cattle barons operating on the open range prairies of Wyoming. According to WyoHistory.org, cattle were brought to the Cheyenne area in response to articles written by speculators predicting profits simply by turning cattle out into the open range winter and summer. “On May 1, 1867, Cheyenne Leader editor Nathan Baker spelled out the reasons for the expected prosperity. Grass in Wyoming was abundant and ‘exceedingly nutritious.’ Good water was ‘everywhere.’” In addition, Union Pacific provided an efficient means of transporting cattle to eastern markets for processing. “In 1871, an estimated 60,000 cattle grazed the prairie within 100 miles of [Cheyenne.]” The most prominent operators included F.E. Warren and Joseph Carey, two of Wyoming’s greatest political leaders.

Although Duster is intended to honor cattle barons, its design is also indicative of the working cowboys who participated in round-ups and cattle drives. Duster was sponsored by the 2010 Class of Leadership Cheyenne, which is a program of the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce. Each Leadership Cheyenne class completes a project to promote the beautification of the greater Cheyenne area. Duster was selected by the Class of 2010. The project was community-funded through the “Boo Ball,” a fund-raiser conducted by the Chamber each October.

To learn more about the Capitol Avenue Bronze Project, visit this link . For more information about each artist, sponsoring a bronze, or becoming a donor/supporter at any level, please contact Harvey Deselms at Deselms Fine Art, located at 303 E. 17th Street Cheyenne. Email is [email protected] or call at 307 432 0606