Sgt. Leodegar Schnyder

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Sergeant Leodegar Schnyder, who is buried in nearby Atlanta Center Cemetery, served in the U.S. Army for fifty-three years, longer than any other non-commissioned officer. Thirty-seven years were spent at the same frontier army post.

Born in Switzerland in 1814, Schnyder came to the United States with his parents in 1829. Enlisting in the army in 1837, he saw action in the Seminole War. In 1849 Schnyder's company was ordered to the newly established Fort Laramie, an isolated outpost on the overland trails. During the many years he served there, it was a focal point for emigrant travel and military campaigns, instrumental in the settlement of the West.

In 1852 Schnyder was promoted to Ordnance Sergeant and he later served as garrison postmaster. He was noted for his strict adherence to military regulations. Twice married at the post, he raised his children there. He retired from the army four years after being transferred to New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1886. With his second wife, Julia, he settled on a farm near Tobias, Nebraska, where he died December 19, 1896.