Sergeant Leodegar Schnyder, buried in nearby Atlanta Center Cemetery, served in the U.S. Army for fifty-three years, longer than any other non-commissioned officer, including thirty-seven years at the same frontier army post. Born in Switzerland in 1814, he came to the United States with his parents in 1829, enlisted in the army in 1837, and saw action in the Seminole War. In 1849 his company was ordered to the newly established Fort Laramie, an isolated outpost on the overland trails, where during his many years of service it became a focal point for emigrant travel and military campaigns and was instrumental in the settlement of the West. In 1852 he was promoted to Ordnance Sergeant and later served as garrison postmaster, gaining notice for his strict adherence to military regulations. Twice married at the post, he raised his children there. Four years after being transferred to New Bedford, Massachusetts, in 1886, he retired from the army, then settled with his second wife, Julia, on a farm near Tobias, Nebraska, where he died on December 19, 1896.