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History lovers traveling to northern Wyoming are in luck. Not only is it full of old-time ranching lore and frontier battle sites, Sheridan is home to Wyoming’s premier historic house museum, the Trail End State Historic Site.

Since its completion in 1913 – and its designation as a state historic site in 1982 – Trail End has greeted thousands of visitors, from family and friends to school children and international tourists. Built by cowboy-turned-politician John B. Kendrick, Trail End displays an elegantly different aspect of both Wyoming’s colorful ranching history and Sheridan’s rich western heritage.

For modern day visitors, Trail End offers a fun and educational experience. Its many exhibits and displays examine life in Sheridan during the years 1913 to 1933, mostly through the eyes of its original owners, the Kendrick family. From sofas and draperies to typewriters and soupspoons, nearly all the furnishings in the 14,000 square foot mansion are original to either the house or the family.

Emphasis this year is being placed on the many ways people entertained themselves during the days before television, radio and the Internet. According to Site Superintendent Cynde Georgen, the whole-house exhibit No Time for Boredom: Making the Most of Leisure Time in a “Screenless” Society came out of questions asked during elementary school tours. “Kids are fascinated with what the Kendricks were like, particularly what they did for fun. When we tell kids that computers, televisions, radios and iPods didn’t exist at the time the house was occupied, they are amazed. They immediately want to know what people did instead. So we decided to answer the question with an exhibit.”  

“We’ve become a nation of ‘screen watchers,’” says Georgen, “who get the bulk of our information via electronic media. Statistics show that today’s average American spends nearly five hours a day watching television, with additional time spent on the computer, cell phone and other information devices.” From sports, recreation and hobbies to art, literature and music, No Time for Boredom examines how people spent their free time before the introduction of all these screens. “Using artifacts, family photographs and period publications,” Georgen concludes, “the exhibit proves that life before screens was definitely not boring!”

No Time for Boredom will be on display at Trail End throughout the 2011 season, which continues through Wednesday, December 14th. The Trail End State Historic Site is located at 400 Clarendon Avenue in Sheridan, just minutes from the historic Main Street District, the Sheridan County Rodeo grounds, the Sheridan County Museum, and the Historic Sheridan Inn. A spur of the Sheridan Pathways Project connects the site to Kendrick Park, the Buffalo & Elk Pasture and Whitney Commons, while the on-site apple orchard provides a shady spot for picnicking and relaxation.

Trail End opens for the 2011 season on Friday, April 1. Spring and fall hours are 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. daily, seven days a week. Summer hours of 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. begin June 1, and continue through the end of August. The site will be open the Saturday, Sunday and Monday of Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., as well as all day on the Fourth of July.

Kick off your holiday season right this year and make plans to attend the Trail End Holiday Open House in Sheridan, Wyoming. This three-day event – a gift to the community by the Trail End Guilds – celebrates the season with live music and tasty treats served up in a historically elegant atmosphere complete with all the traditional trappings of the holidays.

An annual tradition for over twenty-five years, the Open House is scheduled for December 3, 4 & 65, 2010, at the Trail End State Historic Site. Sponsored by the Trail End Guilds, Inc., the event features live entertainment and holiday decorations throughout the spectacular 1913 mansion. Open House hours are 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Admission is two dollars for adults. Children are admitted at no charge, but must be accompanied by an adult.

 

Trail End – a 14,000 square foot brick mansion overlooking Sheridan’s Kendrick Park – is decorated from Thanksgiving through mid-December (open daily from 1 to 4 p.m. for self-guided tours).  Seven ornately decorated trees – including two nine-foot beauties – stand throughout the house, from the Drawing Room to the Ballroom. Windows and staircases are draped with garlands and ribbons, while potted poinsettias enhance nearly every horizontal surface.

One major attraction of the Open House is the live music, with a different act featured each hour. Another attraction this year will be the presence of Father Christmas, who will be roaming the halls and listening to secret wishes of children of all ages.

Guided tours of the mansion, home of former Wyoming Governor and United States Senator John B. Kendrick, are also offered during the Open House. Conducted by Trail End staff and volunteers, the tours feature the history of the house and grounds, plus a look at what the holidays were like earlier in the Twentieth Century.

In the mansion’s historic kitchen, Trail End staff and volunteers will serve up tasty seasonal treats. This year, hot, spiced cider is paired with delicious Figgy Pudding topped with a buttery lemon sauce – a long-standing holiday tradition at Trail End.

In addition to Trail End’s regularly displayed furnishings – nearly all original to the house – many additional Kendrick family items are included in the annual holiday exhibit. Visitors have an opportunity to see toys, sleds, skates, dishes, and Christmas cards from the 1910s, 20s and 30s, as well as a nativity scene made in Germany prior to World War Two. A tabletop “feather” tree will be on exhibit in Manville’s Bedroom.

This year’s focus exhibit is “No Time for Boredom: Making the Most of Leisure Time in a Screenless Society.” This whole-house display offers insight on the myriad of entertainment options available in the days before computer screens, television screens, cell phone screens and others. The exhibit will continue through December 2011.

The Holiday Open House is nearly the last opportunity for visitors to enjoy the historic site this year. Trail End is closed during the winter months, from December 15, 2010 through March 31, 2011. Over the winter, staff will be busy creating an audio tour for the facility. Stay tuned for further developments along those lines.

The Trail End State Historic Site is located at 400 Clarendon Avenue in Sheridan (exit 23 off Interstate 90; turn onto Fifth Street; then left onto Clarendon). Parking for the Open House is available on Delphi, Clarendon and Victoria Streets. Limited handicapped parking is available in the circular drive between the Kendrick Mansion and the Carriage House Theater. An elevator provides access to the upper and lower floors for the mobility challenged.

Trail End is operated by the State Parks, Historic Sites & Trails Division of the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources. For more information on the Trail End State Historic Site, the Holiday Open House or the Trail End Guilds, phone 307-674-4589, or visit their website at www.trailend.org. You can also catch up with Trail End on Facebook.

Truly a must-see, Don King’s Western Museum, founded in 1989 is one of the best western museums in the nation, showcasing a fabulous collection of cowboy memorabilia gathered during the many years of Don’s interest and business in saddle making.

Described as one of the largest private collections of saddles in the world, the Museum features the many Sheridan Rose pattern’s that Don King originated, and includes Texas saddles, American Indian saddles and saddles from many states west of the Mississippi.  The collection is also comprised of wagons, chaps, spurs, antique guns, Indian artifacts and collections from every facet of the western life-style, as well as a variety of wild game animals.

 

King’s Saddlery, founded by Don King in 1947, holds an international reputation.  As a master saddlemaker, Don is famous for the trophy saddles he built for the Rodeo Cowboys Association, as well as their rope business developed in 1963, which houses lariats, floor-to-ceiling, coiled in all sizes, weights and colors. When visiting King’s, be sure to enjoy seeing the production of their ropes and custom leather products.

Jean King, Museum Curator, uses Don’s words and says “Come See Us!”  King’s still offer the personal touch, whether serving visitors of great notoriety and fame, or the working cowboy right off the ranch. King’s located at 184 North Main Street in Sheridan, is open Monday-Saturday from 8 AM – 5 PM with a nominal entrance fee to the museum.

Visit the Bradford Brinton Memorial & Museum and Take A Trip Back in Time to Enjoy Original Art in An Ideal Setting.
What was it like to live on a 1920s gentleman’s working ranch surrounded by art produced by many of the finest Western artists including Charlie Russell, Frederic Remington and Edward Borein?  Join us for a guided tour of the Quarter Circle A Ranch House and enjoy the genteel surroundings complete with meticulously tended grounds and flower gardens featuring heirloom plants and massive old cottonwoods.  Take time for a walk around the outbuildings (Milk House, Carriage Barn, Saddle Barn, etc.) and Little Goose Creek Lodge.

Don’t miss the Reception Gallery with Bradford Brinton’s Native American Collection on permanent display.

New for 2010: Two excellent photography exhibitions in the Main Gallery:
“Ranching on Tongue River 1979-1981” shot by Margot Liberty during the production of
the PBS documentary “On the Cowboy Trail” which aired nationally in 1981 (May–July) and
“The Photography of Arthur A. Dailey.” (July–Sept.).
Patio Room Gallery: Local artists Connie Robinson (June-July) & David McDougall (Aug.-Sept.). 
Sept.11 – Oct. 31: The 6th Brinton Biennial, featuring a wide variety of artists and media.

The Museum, located at 239 Brinton Road, about three miles from the town of Big Horn, WY, is open to the public from May 29 to Sept. 6, Mon. – Sat. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sun. from noon to 4 p.m., and Sept. 11 – Oct. 31, Thurs., Fri. & Sat.10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sun. noon to 4 p.m.  For more information, please check out our website at www.BBMandM.org or call 307-672-3173.

History lovers traveling to northern Wyoming are in luck, as Sheridan is home to Wyoming’s premier historic house museum, the Trail End State Historic Site. Since its completion in 1913 – and its designation as a state historic site in 1982 – Trail End has greeted thousands of visitors, from family and friends to school children and international tourists. Built by cowboy-turned-politician John B. Kendrick, Trail End displays an elegantly different aspect of both Wyoming’s colorful ranching history and Sheridan’s rich western heritage.
For modern day visitors, Trail End offers a fun and educational experience. Its many exhibits and displays examine life in Sheridan during the years 1913 to 1933, mostly through the eyes of its original owners, the Kendrick family.

New at Trail End this year is a whole-house exhibit entitled No Time for Boredom: Making the Most of Leisure Time in a “Screenless” Society. According to Site Superintendent Cynde Georgen, the exhibit came out of questions asked during elementary school tours. “Kids are fascinated with what the Kendricks were like, particularly what they did for entertainment.  When we tell kids that computers, televisions, radios and iPods didn’t exist at the time the house was occupied, they are amazed. They immediately want to know what people did instead. So we decided to answer the question with an exhibit.”  

“We’ve become a nation of ‘screen watchers,’” says Georgen, “who get the bulk of our information via electronic media. Statistics show that today’s average American spends nearly five hours a day watching television, with additional time spent on the computer, cell phone and other information devices.” From sports, recreation and hobbies to art, literature and music, No Time for Boredom examines how people spent their free time before the introduction of all these screens. “Using artifacts, family photographs and period publications,” Georgen concludes, “the exhibit proves that life before screens was definitely not boring!”

No Time for Boredom will be on display at Trail End throughout the 2010 season, which continues through Tuesday, December 14th. The Trail End State Historic Site is located at 400 Clarendon Avenue in Sheridan, just minutes from the historic Main Street District, Kendrick Park, the Sheridan County Rodeo grounds, and the Historic Sheridan Inn.

Trail End opened for the 2010 season on April first. Spring and fall hours are 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. daily, seven days a week. Summer hours of 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. begin June first and continue through the end of August. The site will be open the Saturday, Sunday and Monday of Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., as well as all day on the Fourth of July.

Admission is $4.00 for adults ($2.00 discount for Wyoming residents), with children seventeen and under admitted free (when accompanied by an adult). The site is nearly one hundred percent handicapped accessible. Trail End is a component of the Division of State Parks & Historic Sites, Wyoming Department of Parks and Cultural Resources. For more information, phone Trail End at 307-674-4589, or visit the Trail End website, www.trailend.org.

The Bradford Brinton Memorial & Museum’s (BBM & M) 19th Annual Holiday Show opens Saturday, November 28th and will be on display in the Reception Gallery through Sunday, December 20th.

BBM&M’s 19th Annual Holiday Show to feature artwork by Gregory Packard in the Main Gallery and works by Cynthia Mohseni in the Patio Room Gallery.

Ken Schuster, director of the BBM&M, describes the artists as follows: “Neither artist is a stranger to the Brinton, both having exhibited here many times since both artists’ work first debuted in our 12th Annual Holiday Show subtitled New Faces.  For me it is exciting to see how works created by once New Faces retain the freshness of inspiration that first brought them to my attention.”   About the featured artist Greg Packard he remarks that “he is still one of the friendliest and most genuine people I have had the pleasure to work with.  He has retained the perseverance to succeed as an artist.  Greg’s post-impressionistic style enables him to produce powerful paintings, yet he has honed the ability to convey a myriad of feelings to the viewer.  He is a visceral painter in the very best sense of the term, for his paintings have the ability to touch our inner depths.  He puts so much of himself on to the canvas that those canvasses can speak volumes each time you interact with them.”  With regard to Cindy Mohseni he states that “many people who feel they know her work will be surprised by her choice of subject matter for this show.  The human figure has been replaced by wine bottles, fruit and subtle landscapes.  It is a pleasure to see this artist expanding her repertoire in such a successful manner.”

The holiday exhibit opens with a reception from 2-5 p.m. on Saturday, November 28.  It is free, open to the public and refreshments will be served.  Gallery hours are from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Fridays through Sundays until December 20th.  Additional hours may be arranged by calling 307-672-3173.

For more information on the Bradford Brinton Memorial & Museum, please visit www.BBMandM.org.  Click on Exhibitions & Events and the current show dates to view images of some of the artwork in this exhibition.  For more information on the artists, please consult their respective websites: www.gregorypackard.com and www.cynthiamohseni.com.

Kick off your holiday season right this year and make plans to attend the Trail End Holiday Open House in Sheridan, Wyoming. This three-day event celebrates the season with live music and tasty treats served up in a historically elegant atmosphere complete with all the traditional trappings of the holidays.

An annual tradition for over twenty-five years, the Open House is scheduled for December 4, 5 & 6, 2009, at the Trail End State Historic Site. Sponsored by the Trail End Guilds, Inc., the event features live entertainment and holiday decorations throughout the spectacular 1913 mansion. Open House hours are 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Admission is two dollars for adults. Children are admitted at no charge, but must be accompanied by an adult.

Trail End – a 14,000 square foot brick mansion overlooking Sheridan’s Kendrick Park – is decorated from Thanksgiving through mid-December (open daily from 1 to 4 p.m. for self-guided tours).  Seven ornately decorated trees – including two nine-foot beauties – stand throughout the house, from the Drawing Room to the Ballroom. Windows and staircases are draped with garlands and ribbons, while potted poinsettias enhance nearly every horizontal surface.

One major attraction of the Open House is the live music, with a different act featured each hour. Guided tours of the mansion, home of former Wyoming Governor and United States Senator John B. Kendrick, are also offered during the Open House. Conducted by Trail End staff  and volunteers, the tours feature the history of the house and grounds, plus a look at what the holidays were like earlier in the Twentieth Century.

In the mansion’s historic kitchen, Trail End staff and volunteers will serve up tasty seasonal treats. This year, hot spiced cider is paired with delicious Figgy Pudding – a holiday tradition at Trail End.

In addition to Trail End’s regularly displayed furnishings – nearly all original to the house – many additional Kendrick family items are included in the annual holiday exhibit. Visitors have an opportunity to see toys, sleds, skates, dishes, and Christmas cards from the 1910s, 20s and 30s, as well as a nativity scene made in Germany prior to World War Two, and an old-fashioned “feather” tree.

This year’s focus exhibit is “Wedding Belles & Beaux: Sixty Years of Wedding Customs & Costumes, 1869-1929.” From wedding dresses and tuxedos to wedding gifts and calling cards, this whole-house exhibit offers insight on the wedding clothing, traditions and etiquette of days gone by.

The Holiday Open House is nearly the last opportunity for visitors to enjoy the historic site this year. Trail End is closed during the winter months, from December 15, 2009 through March 31, 2010. Over the winter, staff will be busy updating the site’s interpretive panels. The current exhibit will be replaced by “You Are Cordially Invited … The Art of Entertaining at Home and Away.” Using artifacts and images from the Trail End collections, as well as period magazines, newspapers and correspondence, this exhibit will take the visitor on a fascinating trip through the dining rooms and drawing rooms of America’s past.

The Trail End State Historic Site is located at 400 Clarendon Avenue in Sheridan (exit 23 off Interstate 90; turn onto Fifth Street; then left onto Clarendon). Parking for the Open House is available on Delphi, Clarendon and Victoria Streets. Limited handicapped parking is available in the circular drive between the Kendrick Mansion and the Carriage House Theater. An elevator provides access to the upper and lower floors for the mobility challenged.

Trail End is operated by the State Parks and Historic Sites Division of the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources. For more information on the Trail End State Historic Site, the Holiday Open House or the Trail End Guilds, phone 307-674-4589, or visit their website at www.trailend.org.

Experience the lifestyle of a 1920s gentleman’s working ranch through a guided tour of the Bradford Brinton Memorial & Museum’s Main Ranch House, view the featured art exhibition and the Native American Collection in the Gallery and take a stroll around the well-kept grounds and outbuildings and Little Goose Creek Lodge.

The Ranch House on the Quarter Circle A Ranch was built in 1892 by William Moncreiffe, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.  Renovated and enlarged by Bradford Brinton in 1927-28, and then opened to the public as a memorial to Western art and lifestyle through Helen Brinton’s will in 1961. The Brintons’ collection, on display in its original setting, includes splendid artwork by Charles M. Russell, Frederic Remington, Edward Borein, Frank Tenney Johnson, Hans Kleiber & Bill Gollings.

This summer the Reception Gallery features “Special Treasures of the Brinton” until Labor Day as well as an exhibition of works by Martha Gibbs titled “As the Spirit Moves Me”  in the Patio Room from May 23 to June 25.

The Museum, which includes the Ranch House, Reception Gallery and outbuildings, is open to the public from May 23 through September 7, Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., and is located at 239 Brinton Road, about three miles from the town of Big Horn, WY.  For more information, please check out our website at www.BBMandM.org or call 307-672-3173.

The Buffalo Bill Days & Wild West Show bring together the life and times of Buffalo Bill through a unique glimpse into America’s Wild West and its romantic and legendary past. Spectators and participants alike will find something to their liking in this event-packed week, June 24-27, of authentic Western events, similar to when Buffalo Bill was in residence in Sheridan, Wyoming.

Participating in Buffalo Bill Days is like stepping back into a Western Brigadoon where time has stopped and the past is vivid and alive.  Sheridan Wyoming, voted the #1 Western Town in the U.S. by True West Magazine, was home to Buffalo Bill, who leased the Sheridan Inn and took up residence there in 1893.  Here he was known for entertaining dignitaries from around the world, as well as auditioning and hiring his Wild West Show performers from the front porch of the hotel.

The festival’s main attraction is held Saturday evening at 7:30 PM at the Sheridan Fair Grounds bringing to life Buffalo Bill’s Original Wild West Show. Hold onto your hat for the trick ropers, Roman Riders, Calamity Jane Race, Wild Ride, and gymkana. And watch in amazement at the precision and mastery of the Westernaires, who make synchronized horse riding look easy.  The grand entry parade, lead by Buffalo Bill into the arena, is not to be missed.  Accompanying music, performed by the New Sheridan Cornet Band, will play authentic period tunes from the time of Buffalo Bill’s Cowboy Band. 

A host of events, depicting Wyoming in the late-1800s, pack the week.  A Living History Family Night is kicking off the event on Wednesday evening.  Beginning at 5 PM you’ll be able to get a glimpse into history and try your hand at churning butter, participate in a pie eating contest, or observe demonstrations of the lifestyles, weapons and tools of the frontier infantry and cavalry.

Thursday features yet another new event – Gymkhana, including Wild West games for the youth – barrels, poles, stake & flog races & bootlace!  Be sure to take in the Cowboy Mounted Shooters and the Super Horse Competition, daily at the Sheridan County Fairgrounds, starting Thursday.  Who knows, you may even run into Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley or Calamity Jane . . .  And don’t miss the Showcase for the Cowboy Mounted Shooters, during the wild west show Saturday evening

Friday, enjoy a free concert by The Emma Hill Band on the Inn’s porch from 2-4 PM.

The celebration continues on Friday night at 7 PM with an 1890′s-period Grand Victorian Ball. Participants dress up in period attire and dance the jigs of the late 1800′s (dance lessons earlier in the week are included in the ticket price; Victorian garb for both the ladies and gents are available for rent from the local haberdasheries, or western dress is appreciated.

Early Saturday morning at 8 AM, if you can get up after all of that two-stepping the night before, Mosey on out to Wyarno Wy. and hail the start of the Pony Express reenactment as horse and rider sprint off on the first leg of this historic ride en-route to Sheridan.  Spectators will be on hand at 9 AM as the final rider and horse is anticipated to arrive in Sheridan at the Sheridan Inn with mail in hand to be delivered to Buffalo Bill and the Sheridan Post Master. Also enjoy the New Sheridan Cornet Band playing the original Wild West Music on the porch of the Inn.

The Pony Express reenactment is followed by an old fashion Western-style parade down Sheridan’s Main Street starting at 10:30 AM, which swings its way back to the Sheridan Inn just in time for the annual Chuck Wagon lunch that starts at 11:30 AM…  The public is invited to partake in good grub and to help celebrate the Historic Sheridan Inn’s 116th anniversary.

For ticket information and more details on the Buffalo Bill Days and Wild West Show, go to www.buffalobilldays.org .  For accommodations and other activities in and around the Sheridan area, go to www.sheridanwyoming.org.