We Are in Charge Now: Corruption and Intrigue in World War II Cheyenne

Cheyenne, Wyoming, was a boomtown during WWII. In 1941, a Quartermaster Replacement Training Center was built at Fort Francis E. Warren, west of Cheyenne, to train thousands of soldiers. The two military installations brought millions of dollars into the Capital City. Like other military communities, Cheyenne saw an increase in vice during the war. Gambling became widespread, as did prostitution and the illegal sale of alcohol.

The Fourth Regiment, based at the Quartermaster Replacement Training Center, was African American. Cheyenne had a small population of Black citizens, most of whom lived on the city's West Side. Soldiers in the Fourth Regiment often visited the clubs and restaurants in that part of town.

Only two months after taking office in 1944, the newly elected mayor, Ira Hanna, along with the chief of police, a captain, and a sergeant, began demanding that African American club owners offer gambling and prostitution and pay "protection money." Shortly after the extortion began, several Black businesspeople, led by club owner Lola West, approached the Cheyenne Police Department and the county prosecuting attorney, Byron Hirst. A sting operation was arranged. The four were arrested, tried, and convicted, and all served time in the Wyoming State Penitentiary.

Historian Rick Ewig's research into WWII-era Cheyenne uncovers the city's many colorful residents, many of whom were exploited by a dishonest mayor and his chief of police.

Their corrupt racket was brought to a dramatic end by a young county attorney and a group of business owners, led by an African American woman.

Historian Rick Ewig holds bachelor's and master's degrees in history from the University of Wyoming. Formerly Associate Director of the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming, he also worked at the Wyoming State Archives, Museums, and Historical Department for many years. Ewig was editor of the "Annals of Wyoming", the state's historical journal for many years and also was a key organizer of the Wyoming History Day program. He joined the Wyoming State Historical Society in 1982 and served as the society's treasurer in the 1990s and later served four years as the society's president. He has published a number of articles in "Annals of Wyoming" on various topics, including "McCarthy Era Politics: The Ordeal of Senator Lester Hunt," and for Cheyenne's 150th anniversary he authored "Cheyenne: A Sesquicentennial History".