Ft. Reno was a cavalry outpost west of Oklahoma City named in honor of General Reno after his death. El Reno is the town which grew up next to the fort; the "el" in the name was used to distinguish the town from the fort. Two other Fort Renos were also named after him, one in Wyoming and one in Washington, D.C.
Why name them after a general whom you've probably never heard of? Maybe because he is credited with saving Washington D.C. for the Union in the Second Battle of Bull Run (or the Second Battle of Manssas depending upon your point of view.) His most famous namesake town is probably Reno, Nevada.
The rank of major general was actually conferred on Reno posthumously and made retroactive. He was killed in action on September 2, 1862 at Fox's Gap during the Battle of S. Mountain in Maryland. His death epitomized his style of command - leading his men. He was in front of the line when he got shot.
Prior to serving in the Civil War, Reno had been an instructor at West Point, from where he had graduated. He also fought during a number of battles in the Mexican-American War.
Reno was born in W. Virginia, but spent most of his childhood in Pennsylvania. After his death, he was initially buried in his wife's hometown of Boston. Later, his body was moved and he was buried in Georgetown, outside of Washington.
Although not marked as such, the statue was actually conceived as one of El Reno's Oklahoma Centennial projects. Team Blakelylaw has no idea whose names appear on the statue because it was designed by Charlie Beecham, the same artist who painted the Historic El Reno Mural which is also a waymark in the town.
The statue is located in Youngheim Plaza on Sunset Dr. It is made of bronze and is 7-feet tall. It is mounted on a 4-foot pedestal which contains a brief biography on one side and donors' name on the other three. Reno is depicted in his Civil War uniform.
Information for this description came from the following, where much more information about the statue and the man can also be found:
The "Reno/Reneau Review" - (
visit link)
"Oklahoma Cities & Towns" - (
visit link)
eNotes page on Jesse L. Reno - (
visit link)