Francis E. Warren Air Force Base – a military installation nestled right along Cheyenne, known for its pronghorn, antique architecture, the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile, and being the oldest continuously active Air Force base.

Beyond being the name of a base, Francis E. Warren was a real person with a life story that would take many dramatic turns – one that could easily inspire a Hollywood biopic.

The son of a farmer, Warren was born in Hinsdale, Massachusetts, on June 20, 1844. Following the outbreak of the Civil War, he enlisted in the 49th Massachusetts Infantry, Company C, at the tender age of 18.

On May 27, 1863, during a raid on Port Hudson, Louisiana, then Cpl. Warren volunteered to be among the first to charge under intense Confederate fire. Most of the men in his assault group were wounded or killed. Warren himself sustained a serious scalp wound and was mistakenly presumed dead, tossed into a mass grave. Fortunately, an alert doctor noticed signs of life and pulled him out – saving him from being buried alive. He recovered fully.

For his actions on the battlefield that day, Warren was cited for “bravery above and beyond the call of duty.” Three decades later, while serving in the U.S. Senate, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

After the Civil War ended, he returned home to Massachusetts, but only for a short while before heading west where he would etch his name into history.

In May of 1868, Warren arrived in Cheyenne, which he described in an interview with the New York Times as “…a city of shanties and tents, camps and covered wagons. The population was migratory. The railroad having been built further to the west, everyone was discussing the probability of a permanent town, and the prevailing opinion seemed to be that in six months not much more than a stake would be left to mark the site of Cheyenne…For some reason I could not make myself subscribe to that gloomy prophecy.”

To support himself, Warren found his first job as a clerk in a crockery and hardware store, which he eventually came to own in 1877 and renamed his business to the Warren Mercantile Company.

This was not the only business that Warren would come to own.

In the fall of 1883, he formed the Warren Livestock Company, a large cattle and sheep operation that eventually grew to 150,000 acres. He also owned the Cheyenne and Northern Railroad and the Brush-Swan Electric Company, which provided the first electric power to Cheyenne.

To Warren, there was more to life than being a wealthy businessman.

At the age of 29, he made his first bid to be appointed to a political position – and won. Elected to a two-year term in the Wyoming Territorial Legislature, Warren’s political career would take him beyond the stratosphere.

After two appointments as territorial governor, he became the first elected governor of the state of Wyoming in 1890. From there, he served in the U.S. Senate for over 37 years, chairing numerous influential committees, including Appropriations and Military Affairs. His leadership helped shape key infrastructure, particularly in land reclamation and irrigation. He also ensured that Fort D.A. Russell evolved into a full regimental post.

Following Warren’s death on Nov. 24, 1929, President Herbert Hoover issued a proclamation on Jan. 1, 1930, renaming Fort D.A. Russel to Fort Francis E. Warren, honoring Wyoming’s territorial and first state governor, Civil War hero, and longtime Senator.

Now, 95 years later, the base still proudly carries his name – albeit a slight change from Fort F.E. Warren to F.E. Warren Air Force Base in 1949.

Warren’s legacy still echoes across Cheyenne, from the military installation that bears his name to the landmarks shaped by his leadership. His steadfast support ensured the base’s survival – and secured Cheyenne’s place in the story of America and defense posture.