For half a century Hon. Lawrence R. Bresnahen has been a resident of Cheyenne, having arrived upon the site of the city when there was scarcely a building to indicate that there was any thought of developing a town in this locality. Through all of the intervening period he has been closely associated with its growth and substantial development. His name is interwoven with its political records, with the establishment of its waterworks, with the framing of the city charter, with the erection of the capitol building and various other interests which are epochal in the records of Cheyenne. Five times he has been called upon to act as chief executive, and over the record of his public career there falls no shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil, for he has ever been actuated by the utmost fidelity to the public good and, moreover, his ability has enabled him to recognize the opportunities before the city in the way of substantial improvement.
    Mr. Bresnahen is a native of Ireland, his birth having occurred at Clummell in 1850. The father died in Ireland before his son Lawrence reached the age of seven years, at which time he and his mother crossed the Atlantic to the new world and established their home at Phelps, in Ontario county, New York, where he became a pupil in the public schools. He was sixteen years of age when he put aside his textbooks in order to start out in the world independently. He severed home ties and, turning his face to the west, traveled toward the setting sun in company with a youth of about his own age. They had resolved to seek their fortunes in the far west and made their way to Julesburg, Colorado, which was then a frontier town. His financial condition rendered it imperative that Mr., Bresnahen obtain immediate employment and he secured a situation in the meat market owned by the firm of Moore & Stanton. He proved capable and loyal to his employers, who in 1867 sold their business to him. In November of that year he removed his establishment to Cheyenne, Wyoming, erecting one of the first buildings in the city. Through all the intervening period, covering more than half a century, he has been closely associated with its active business enterprise and its financial development. His business interests have been wisely and carefully conducted and have brought to him a gratifying measure of success. Moreover, he has seen and utilized the chances for furthering the upbuilding of his adopted city and his work in this connection has been most farreaching and resultant. No man in Cheyenne has done more for the improvement of the city or to uphold the interests and stability of Wyoming. In 1876 he was elected mayor of Cheyenne, being called to the office in a most important year in the city's history–the year in which the patent for the town site was issued by the United States. The place was just beginning to outgrow its original boundaries and to put off its characteristics as a frontier town and it was largely through the able, farsighted and unremitting endeavor of Mayor Bresnahen that the city waterworks plant was kept out of the hands of corporations and became the actual property of the municipality. In public affairs, as in his private business interests, he has readily discriminated between the essential and the non-essential and has been able to readily recognize the difference between the more important phases of any situation and its incidental or accidental circumstances. He has therefore utilized what has seemed best to him for the development of the city and at all times his activities have upheld those interests which are a matter of civic virtue and of civic pride. He was selected as one of the able committee of twelve to prepare the new city charter for Cheyenne in 1878 and immediately after the adoption of the charter he was again elected to the office of mayor, being made the candidate of both the democratic and republican parties. In a word, his public course had been such as to win for him the endorsement of all fair-minded and progressive citizens. Five times he has been chosen to serve as chief executive of Cheyenne and his administration in each instance has been characterized by many needed reforms and improvements. At the time of the construction of the state capitol building he was chairman of the second capitol building commission having charge of the matter and took upon himself the duties of superintendent of construction. He sacrificed his own personal interests in order to give his time and attention to the building commission. At a meeting held January 17, 1888, the following resolution was unanimously adopted: "Resolved, that the commission desires to place itself on record as being grateful in the highest degree to L. R. Bresnahen, the chairman and superintendent of construction, for his zeal, energy and skill manifested in behalf of the capitol: that to him the people are indebted in large measure for the thoroughness of the work performed on both the east wing and the west wing of said capitol. J. C. Baird, Secretary of the Second Capitol Building Commission."
    During Mr. Bresnahen's last administration as mayor, in the years 1911 and 1912, Cheyenne's new and excellent water system was completed at a cost of one million dollars. During the same term when the city council passed a twenty-year franchise bill giving the telephone company largely increased rates for its service to the people. Mayor Bresnahen vetoed the bill and succeeded in having a new ordinance presented in which he secured such important concessions in rates as to make a saving to the citizens of Cheyenne of about thirty thousand dollars per year. In addition to this he required the company to take their poles from the streets and put their wires underground. The company also agreed to supply the city departments with the free service of twenty-five phones during the existence of their franchise.
    Mr. Bresnahen is the owner of a fine stock ranch, comprising about two thousand acres of land, which is situated a short distance from Cheyenne and he is there extensively engaged in handling stall-fed cattle. In this undertaking he is associated with his nephew, John Smith, and the partners have met with marked success in this field of activity. Mr. Bresnahen has not only seen opportunities for judicious investment in real estate himself, but has also recognized the opportunities for the city in that direction. While he was mayor of Cheyenne he had Judge McLaughlin draw up a bill to be forwarded to Hon. W. R. Steele, then congressional delegate, authorizing the city to purchase six hundred and forty acres of land about a mile and a half north of Cheyenne. This tract is now very valuable and forms the base of the city's water supply. In 1876 he secured a large tract of land in the eastern part of Cheyenne which has since been developed into Lake Minnehaha Park. In a settlement with the railroad company in 1876 he obtained a deed to four blocks of land now converted into the beautiful city park in the heart of Cheyenne and also secured land for cemetery purposes without cost to the city. In 1891 and 1892 he built the Central Avenue viaduct and the Snyder Street subway and completed the water system. All of the lands which he thus acquired are now very valuable, adding much to the revenue and the wealth of the city. Mr. Bresnahen has displayed notable prescience and sagacity in dealing with public affairs, ever looking beyond the exigencies of the moment to the opportunities of the future. He has exerted an immeasurable influence on the city of his residence; in business life as a progressive man and promoter of extensive commercial and agricultural enterprises; in social circles by reason of a charming personality and unfeigned cordiality; in politics by reason of his public spirit and devotion to the general good as well as his comprehensive understanding of the questions affecting municipal, state and national welfare. A modern philosopher has said: "Not the good that comes to us, but the good that comes to the world through us, is the measure of our success." And judged by this standard alone, Mr. Bresnahen has been a most successful man, for Cheyenne owes much to his efforts and his public spirit, and in the management of her municipal interests he has indeed contributed much to the world's good.