CYW 292A Cheyenne Depot Plaza

“Hell on Wheels” was the term applied to the itinerant collection of flimsily assembled gambling houses, dance halls, saloons, and brothels that followed the army of Union Pacific railroad workers westward as they constructed the First Transcontinental Railroad in 1860s.  The huge numbers of wage-earning young men working in what was a remote wilderness, far from the constraints of home, provided a lucrative opportunity for business.  As the end of the line continually moved westward, Hell on Wheels followed along, reconstructing itself on the outskirts of each town that became, in turn, the center of activity for the Union Pacific's construction work.   Typical residents included the Union Pacific company men, surveyors, support workers, laborers, prostitutes, church staff, and mercenaries.  These days the site in Cheyenne is a gathering point for tourists seeking a bit of food, drink, and tours.