On March 19, 1928, Congress authorized the Secretary of Agriculture to establish the Central Great Plains Field Station at or near Cheyenne, Wyoming. This completed a trio of Great Plains field stations at which extensive shelterbelt research was conducted under dry land conditions.

There were two other High Plains research stations: the Northern Great Plains Field Station in Mandan, North Dakota, and the Southern Great Plains Field Station in Woodward, Oklahoma. In 1930 the name of the Cheyenne Station was changed to the Cheyenne Horticulture Field Station and was directed to work on fruits, vegetables, windbreaks and various ornamental plants. The general objective was to aid in development of horticulture in the region (Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming).

This station still exists in its original location on a 2,140-acre plot that was leased from the City of Cheyenne for 199 years at $1 per year. Its buildings include a greenhouse, a number of quaint wood framed houses which are still used for USDA staff housing, laboratories, storage areas and office space.

The station is located five miles northwest of Cheyenne at an elevation of 6,200 feet. This is one of the more harsh growing climates of both the Central Great Plains as well as the United States as a whole. This is exemplified by the fact that Cheyenne, Wyoming, has the designation of having the highest incidence of hailstorms in the nation (averaging 10 per year), is the fourth windiest city in the nation (13 mph daily average) and is an arid location (receiving only 14.4 inches of moisture per year.

Because of its low rainfall and high altitude, Cheyenne ha a very dry climate, this combined with the wind adds to desiccation of plants. This combined with the fact that Cheyenne often has winters with little snow cover. In addition, the soil is less than desired, with a coarse texture, mostly alkaline, and generally exhibits a low water holding capacity. It was thought that if a plant survived in Cheyenne, it would have an incredibly wide range of adaptability. Of the three High Plains research stations, Cheyenne became the "acid test" as a site to determine if a plant would thrive on the High Plains.

Anyone who crossed the Plains of western Nebraska, Kansas, eastern Wyoming or Colorado in the early thirties would have understood why a horticultural research station was so important to the region. Besides being a tough climate in which to homestead, the 1930s brought devastation to the area as the drought and the dustbowl took hold. The High Plains was the last of the United States to really be settled.

At the time of the Station’s founding, there was a clear need for techniques that enable people to successfully produce their own food crops utilizing the newly discovered benefits of shelter belts for protection from the winds. There was also a need for woody and herbaceous ornamentals for beauty, shade and protection from the elements and creating greenery in towns and around the homesteads.

From Cheyenne's founding in 1867 through the 1940s, Cheyenne was a stark place. In 1876, Mrs. Nannie Steel reported that that there were only twelve trees in Cheyenne. Cheyenne now has a healthy urban forest, centered in an arid, treeless, windy landscape. 

The late Gene Howard, the last and one of the more notable superintendents of the station, once remarked, "Back in those days, you were lucky to see fresh fruit, except for maybe in your stocking at Christmas."

From a Research Station to a Public Arboretum

In 2000 a group was formed calling themselves the “Friends of the High Plains Arboretum.” It operated as a sub-committee of the non-profit Friends of the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens. They were concerned about the ongoing deterioration of the many woody plants still alive at the research station. This group was composed of diverse members of the region and community including: the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens, the Laramie County Conservation District, the Cheyenne Urban Forestry Division, State of Wyoming Forestry Division , University of Wyoming, Colorado State University, folks from the local and regional green industry, historians and other interested community members. They were also joined by employees of the USDA/ARS High Plains Grasslands Research Station.

The group coined the name "High Plains Arboretum," to differentiate the treasure of the arboretum from the activities of the USDA/ARS High Plains Grasslands Research Station. This group also secured funding for a Master Plan for the High Plains Arboretum in 2003.

Links to other historical documents

* History of A.C. Hildreth first director of the Station

* USDA/ARS History of the Station

* Scientific Staff of the Station 1928 to 2010

* Book - High Plains Horticulture-
  A History, By John Freeman

This page was edited by Shane Smith, Director of the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens. Resources included articles written about the Cheyenne Horticulture Station by Scott Skogerboe (see that article here) and Susan Allen formerly of McIntyre's Garden Center (both used with permission). In addition, much of the data in this article came from the publication “The Development of Horticulture on the Northern Great Plains” By W.H. Alderman for the Great Plains Region American Society for Horticultural Science, 1962; The above publication included a chapter about the High Plains Horticulture Station by Dr. A. C. Hildreth, who was the first Superintendent of the Station (1930-1959) and the first director of the Denver Botanic Gardens.