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Western Horseman, 2005
Sheridan, WY: Trail drives, cattle barons, outlaws and Indian wars are part of the rich past of this ranching community.
A squeaky stagecoach with Annie Oakley on board, passes in front of the Sheridan Inn. Following are horse drawn wagons, Indians warriors and cowboys on horseback, as well as a detachment of the 6th US Cavalry. William F. Cody, riding his favorite horse and sporting a beaded buckskin fringed jacket, is in the lead. The night before, couples dressed in Victorian era ball attire and hoop-skirted gowns, gracefully glided across the dance floor of the Sheridan Inn to the tunes of Waltzes, Polkas and Quadrilles. The town is celebrating the arrival of the famed Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. The year is 2004. But it could also be 1904, as Sheridan has been steeped in western history since its early beginnings.
A rich frontier history.
Sheridan is flanked to the west by the majestic Big Horn Mountains, and spacious wide-open rolling plains to the east. The fertile pastures and ranch lands where cattle now graze, were once dangerous and untamed country, home to the Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho. The area has remained practically unchanged since Indian chiefs Red Cloud, Crazy Horse and Dull Knife fought battles to keep the white man from precious hunting grounds. The famous Bozeman Trail, a shortcut through eastern Wyoming from the main overland trail to the rich gold fields of Montana, cut through the last hunting grounds of the Northern Plains Indians. The military occupation of the region ultimately resulted in the Indian Wars on the Northern Plains. The trail, known as the "Bloody Bozeman", was the scene of so many battles, that the army forbade convoys of less than 100 wagons to take it. Following the Laramie Treaty of 1868, the three forts that were built along the Bozeman Trail to ensure the safe passage of the travelers, were eventually ordered abandoned, leading to the closure of the trail. It was used again in 1876 by the forces of General George Crook on their way to engage the Lakota and Cheyenne at the Battle of the Rosebud. Shortly after the Battle of the Little Bighorn, the route was re-opened and used by settlers.
The early days:
One of these settlers was Peter Van Dover, nicknamed Dutch Henry. With another trapper, he built a cabin at the junction of Little and Big Goose Creeks in 1878, before leaving it a year later. In 1881, a man named Mandel came up from Laramie and took up a desert claim near Dutch Henry's cabin. He also built a cabin and opened a post office, Mandel, but could not hold on to his claim and eventually moved into Dutch Henry's cabin.
In 1882, John D. Loucks bought Mandel's claim and cabin for $50. Loucks had been searching for a good site to found a new town. Sitting on a hill overlooking the Goose Creek Valley, he liked what he saw. There was plenty of good water for people and livestock, deer and buffalo were grazing the lush hillsides, which, he thought, would also be good for raising cattle. The pioneer plotted the 40 acre townsite on the back of a piece of brown wrapping paper and named it after one of his civil war cavalry officers, General Philip Sheridan. Main Street was the logical choice for the main artery, but all other streets were named to honor early day pioneers of the area. The town was approved and incorporated in 1884.
In the 1880's, the town rapidly became an active center for ranching, mining and railroad activity. The first passenger train arrived in Sheridan on November 18, 1892. By that time, the town boasted a population of 1,000 and 85 businesses, including ten saloons, seven blacksmiths, harness shops or livery stables. During the early 1900's, brick and stone structures were gradually replacing the early wood frame and false front buildings.
The infamous and the wealthy.
In 1882, John D. Loucks bought Mandel's claim and cabin for $50. Loucks had been searching for a good site to found a new town. Sitting on a hill overlooking the Goose Creek Valley, he liked what he saw. There was plenty of good water for people and livestock, deer and buffalo were grazing the lush hillsides, which, he thought, would also be good for raising cattle. The pioneer plotted the 40 acre townsite on the back of a piece of brown wrapping paper and named it after one of his civil war cavalry officers, General Philip Sheridan. Main Street was the logical choice for the main artery, but all other streets were named to honor early day pioneers of the area. The town was approved and incorporated in 1884.
In the 1880's, the town rapidly became an active center for ranching, mining and railroad activity. The first passenger train arrived in Sheridan on November 18, 1892. By that time, the town boasted a population of 1,000 and 85 businesses, including ten saloons, seven blacksmiths, harness shops or livery stables. During the early 1900's, brick and stone structures were gradually replacing the early wood frame and false front buildings.
Sheridan certainly cannot claim the violent past that Tombstone, Deadwood or Dodge City are famous for. However, a few outlaws happened to pass through town every now and then. On a bright sunny day in 1899, two inconspicuous looking cowboys rode into town, seeking employment on a ranch. They were soon referred to a large outfit outside of town. The two cowboys were hard workers and knew their way around cattle. Once every so often, they would leave for several days, with their boss's approval, and would always report back to work, as planned. One morning, however, after several months of satisfactory work at the ranch, they vanished. The ranch owner found a note on his table. It read: "Sorry to be leaving you. The authorities are getting on to us. Best home I've ever had." The note was signed LeRoy Parker (Butch Cassidy).
John Benjamin Kendrick came to Wyoming Territory for the first time in 1879 as a dashing young Texan trail rider on a cattle drive, when vast herds of Texas longhorn cattle followed the trails leading to the fertile grasslands of Wyoming and Montana. In less than twenty years, Kendrick rose from cowboy to cattle baron, developing a cattle empire of 210,000 acres and building a dream mansion: Trail End. He eventually became Governor of Wyoming (1915-17) as well as a US Senator (1917-33). Overlooking the Big Goose Valley, the original site of Sheridan, Kendrick's Trail End mansion remains an elegant display of Wyoming's colorful ranching history.
A center for saddle making:
John Benjamin Kendrick came to Wyoming Territory for the first time in 1879 as a dashing young Texan trail rider on a cattle drive, when vast herds of Texas longhorn cattle followed the trails leading to the fertile grasslands of Wyoming and Montana. In less than twenty years, Kendrick rose from cowboy to cattle baron, developing a cattle empire of 210,000 acres and building a dream mansion: Trail End. He eventually became Governor of Wyoming (1915-17) as well as a US Senator (1917-33). Overlooking the Big Goose Valley, the original site of Sheridan, Kendrick's Trail End mansion remains an elegant display of Wyoming's colorful ranching history.
For many, thinking of Sheridan automatically brings the name "King" to mind. King's Saddlery and Museum, is one of the better-known tack shops and rope suppliers in the West and cowboys from miles around come to King's to buy the tools of the trade. Behind the small barn-like facade on Main Street, the store houses a large saddle and rope facility, as well as a large selection of tack, bits, spurs and western gifts.
King's Saddlery is an outgrowth of a saddle making business Don King started in 1947. Very young, Don became interested in leather tooling. After working as an apprentice for several saddle makers, Don's observations contributed to creating his own distinct style, the "Sheridan style" saddle, which has become one of the most prestigious in the world. It is defined by ornate tooling, with designs of wild roses intricately carved into the leather. Over the years, Sheridan has gained a reputation as a center for saddle makers, rawhide braiders, horsehair twisters, and bit and spurs makers.
Although Don King has built a reputation as one of the nation's premier saddle makers, he is probably best known for his ropes. The back shop is where cowboys come to try out ropes or be fitted for custom chaps, and neighbors come to chat over a cup of coffee. Don grew up knowing the feel of a good rope. He knew how to stretch a rope and how to tie a hondo that stayed straight. He was the first to develop and twist a rope for left handed ropers and to provide "ready to go" ropes that were already tied up and conditioned, a service that no one else offered at the time. He always concentrated on serving the audience he knew best: cowboys. Word got around, and within a few years, cowhands and rodeo ropers from all over the US and Canada were buying King ropes. His business blossomed to producing 40,000 ropes a year, of 400 different kinds, catering to ranchers and professional rodeo cowboys, as well as overseas markets including Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
The newest addition to King's, however, is the museum. Opened in 1989, it is home to a collection of over 500 saddles, and an outstanding collection of Indian artifacts and cowboy memorabilia. The museum is a memorable experience for anyone with an interest in the history, culture or arts of the American West.
Other local landmarks:
King's Saddlery is an outgrowth of a saddle making business Don King started in 1947. Very young, Don became interested in leather tooling. After working as an apprentice for several saddle makers, Don's observations contributed to creating his own distinct style, the "Sheridan style" saddle, which has become one of the most prestigious in the world. It is defined by ornate tooling, with designs of wild roses intricately carved into the leather. Over the years, Sheridan has gained a reputation as a center for saddle makers, rawhide braiders, horsehair twisters, and bit and spurs makers.
Although Don King has built a reputation as one of the nation's premier saddle makers, he is probably best known for his ropes. The back shop is where cowboys come to try out ropes or be fitted for custom chaps, and neighbors come to chat over a cup of coffee. Don grew up knowing the feel of a good rope. He knew how to stretch a rope and how to tie a hondo that stayed straight. He was the first to develop and twist a rope for left handed ropers and to provide "ready to go" ropes that were already tied up and conditioned, a service that no one else offered at the time. He always concentrated on serving the audience he knew best: cowboys. Word got around, and within a few years, cowhands and rodeo ropers from all over the US and Canada were buying King ropes. His business blossomed to producing 40,000 ropes a year, of 400 different kinds, catering to ranchers and professional rodeo cowboys, as well as overseas markets including Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
The newest addition to King's, however, is the museum. Opened in 1989, it is home to a collection of over 500 saddles, and an outstanding collection of Indian artifacts and cowboy memorabilia. The museum is a memorable experience for anyone with an interest in the history, culture or arts of the American West.
The Mint Bar has been Sheridan's most famous watering hole since its opening in 1907, and is also known as "the world's best cowboy bar". If there is no record of cattle visiting the Mint, it was not unusual to see a horse inside the bar during a frontier era rodeo. Across the street from King's Saddlery, its multicolored neon bronc rider hangs above Main Street. If you come to "the Mint", as the locals call it, don't expect an extensive food menu and don't order a frozen margarita. If you can be satisfied with a beer and potato chips, it might hold you over for a while. For years, the Mint has been the gathering place for cowboys, ranchers and "dudes" alike, and business is often conducted in the cedar-lined booths, in the back of the bar. The interior, varnished with decades of smoke and whiskey fumes, is lined entirely in cedar wood and gnarled pine burls. Old panoramic photographs of ranch life hang alongside portraits of rodeo stars and western celebrities. Big game trophies of bear, deer, antelope and elk adorn the walls. Over the bar, hangs a 3 meter long Texas rattlesnake skin. Legend has it that the snake was tracked on horseback for two days before it was killed.
Because of the beauty of the Big Horn Mountains, "dude ranching" became a popular activity around Sheridan. The Eatons' Ranch, located near Wolf, a small community just a few miles west of Sheridan, is known as the oldest guest ranch in the country and has been offering tourists the "cowboy experience" since 1904. Don King himself used to be a wrangler at Eatons' Ranch. This is where, in 1941, he met a young college girl from North Dakota who would become his wife. Every spring, before the season starts, the cowboys of the Eatons' Ranch carry on the tradition by driving through town their remuda of 150 horses from their winter pastures, back to the ranch, passing by the historic Sheridan Inn.
After the railroad finally came to Sheridan in 1892, this hotel was built in 1893 close to the train depot, to accommodate the travelers. It became the first building in Sheridan with electric lights, telephone and steam heat, and was at one point considered the finest hotel between Chicago and San Francisco, lodging western celebrities such as Charles Russell, Calamity Jane, Will Rogers and President Teddy Roosevelt. Buffalo Bill was a part-time owner and considered the Inn his home away from home. During his frequent visits to Sheridan, the showman used to sit on the Inn's large front porch to audition performers for his Wild West Show. It operated for six decades as a hotel. Today, the tastefully restored building has become a social gathering place where the citizens of Sheridan can experience some of the Old West's elegance and history.
Rodeo, polo and more.
Because of the beauty of the Big Horn Mountains, "dude ranching" became a popular activity around Sheridan. The Eatons' Ranch, located near Wolf, a small community just a few miles west of Sheridan, is known as the oldest guest ranch in the country and has been offering tourists the "cowboy experience" since 1904. Don King himself used to be a wrangler at Eatons' Ranch. This is where, in 1941, he met a young college girl from North Dakota who would become his wife. Every spring, before the season starts, the cowboys of the Eatons' Ranch carry on the tradition by driving through town their remuda of 150 horses from their winter pastures, back to the ranch, passing by the historic Sheridan Inn.
After the railroad finally came to Sheridan in 1892, this hotel was built in 1893 close to the train depot, to accommodate the travelers. It became the first building in Sheridan with electric lights, telephone and steam heat, and was at one point considered the finest hotel between Chicago and San Francisco, lodging western celebrities such as Charles Russell, Calamity Jane, Will Rogers and President Teddy Roosevelt. Buffalo Bill was a part-time owner and considered the Inn his home away from home. During his frequent visits to Sheridan, the showman used to sit on the Inn's large front porch to audition performers for his Wild West Show. It operated for six decades as a hotel. Today, the tastefully restored building has become a social gathering place where the citizens of Sheridan can experience some of the Old West's elegance and history.
Rodeo has been the top event in Sheridan since 1909. Today, the town continues to celebrate its western heritage during the Sheridan WYO Rodeo, ranked as one of the top PRCA sanctioned rodeos as well as one of the oldest in the country. Held each year in mid July, it has been going strong for 75 years. World Championship American Indian Relay Races and an Indian encampment are part of the week-long traditional event.
Although the West offers larger or more prestigious celebrations and equestrian events out west, few can rival Don King Days for variety and entertainment. Held on Labor Day weekend, this equestrian event truly recaptures the spirit and traditions of Northern Wyoming and is one of the last open-field rodeos in the West. The events include polo, steer roping and bronc riding.
Polo entered the mix in 1988. That's when members of the Wyoming Steer Roping Association, ranchers, ropers, and friends of Don King, organized the first Don King Days to honor the man who has contributed so much to the cowboy community. Don King Days represent the largest polo tournament of Sheridan's summer season. Although a polo field might seem somewhat out of place in this Wyoming ranch country, the game has been part of the area's heritage for over a century. The "sport of kings" was first brought to the Sheridan region in 1898 by Malcolm Moncreiffe, and his cousins, the Wallops, who had come west to raise remount horses for the Boer War. Today, the legacy of the Moncreiffes and Wallops can still be seen around Sheridan, a place where cowboys have been known to ride herd in English saddles, working their cattle with bamboo mallets in place of ropes.
The Big Horn Polo Club,established in 1895, is one of the longest operating polo clubs in America, and 60 percent of its players have been ranchers. Located at the foot of the Big Horns, along 68 acres of manicured grass, the club is the host site for Don King Days. Most spectators enjoy sitting along the field's side lines, but some prefer to stay out of the sun and watch the action from the clubhouse's shaded front porch, socializing in a "cowboy chic" ambiance.
After the polo match, the audience is treated to the steer roping competition. Wyoming has been steer roping country since the 1920's. The state is among a handful where steer roping is part of rodeo action, consequently making this event the second only to Cheyenne Frontier Days in prestige among the state's ropers. Because Sheridan's steer roping is held on an open field, the timed-event recreates what a cowboy alone sometimes must do when working cattle on the open range.
Bronc riding is performed just as it was in the early West. Without the use of a chute, the bronc is saddled and blind folded. The two pick-up men, positioned on each side, hold the horse snug with the lead rope wrapped around the saddle horn. The cowboy, riding double behind one of the pick-up men, eases himself directly onto the horse. The blindfold is removed and the cowboy takes a wild ride across the polo field. Since there are no fences, the action can become "close up", with the bronc sometimes carrying his rider into the crowd or the parking lot.
Old West meets the New:
Although the West offers larger or more prestigious celebrations and equestrian events out west, few can rival Don King Days for variety and entertainment. Held on Labor Day weekend, this equestrian event truly recaptures the spirit and traditions of Northern Wyoming and is one of the last open-field rodeos in the West. The events include polo, steer roping and bronc riding.
Polo entered the mix in 1988. That's when members of the Wyoming Steer Roping Association, ranchers, ropers, and friends of Don King, organized the first Don King Days to honor the man who has contributed so much to the cowboy community. Don King Days represent the largest polo tournament of Sheridan's summer season. Although a polo field might seem somewhat out of place in this Wyoming ranch country, the game has been part of the area's heritage for over a century. The "sport of kings" was first brought to the Sheridan region in 1898 by Malcolm Moncreiffe, and his cousins, the Wallops, who had come west to raise remount horses for the Boer War. Today, the legacy of the Moncreiffes and Wallops can still be seen around Sheridan, a place where cowboys have been known to ride herd in English saddles, working their cattle with bamboo mallets in place of ropes.
The Big Horn Polo Club,established in 1895, is one of the longest operating polo clubs in America, and 60 percent of its players have been ranchers. Located at the foot of the Big Horns, along 68 acres of manicured grass, the club is the host site for Don King Days. Most spectators enjoy sitting along the field's side lines, but some prefer to stay out of the sun and watch the action from the clubhouse's shaded front porch, socializing in a "cowboy chic" ambiance.
After the polo match, the audience is treated to the steer roping competition. Wyoming has been steer roping country since the 1920's. The state is among a handful where steer roping is part of rodeo action, consequently making this event the second only to Cheyenne Frontier Days in prestige among the state's ropers. Because Sheridan's steer roping is held on an open field, the timed-event recreates what a cowboy alone sometimes must do when working cattle on the open range.
Bronc riding is performed just as it was in the early West. Without the use of a chute, the bronc is saddled and blind folded. The two pick-up men, positioned on each side, hold the horse snug with the lead rope wrapped around the saddle horn. The cowboy, riding double behind one of the pick-up men, eases himself directly onto the horse. The blindfold is removed and the cowboy takes a wild ride across the polo field. Since there are no fences, the action can become "close up", with the bronc sometimes carrying his rider into the crowd or the parking lot.
Through the years, Sheridan maintained much of its frontier spirit and character from its early days, as most of the downtown buildings date to the 1890's and early 1900's. The historic downtown is also home to antique shops, art galleries and the WYO Theater, one of Wyoming's oldest performance halls. This feel of world-class culture, wrapped up in western hospitality, is what appealed to Rebecca Colnar and her husband, Casey Mott, when they moved to Sheridan from southern Montana in 1996. At the time, Mott was working on the nearby Padlock Ranch, one of the nation's largest outfits. "We wanted to buy a historic home in a small town", she explains. "We also liked the good blend of ranching culture and an appreciation for fine arts that the town had to offer."
The museums, forts and battlefields that stretch across the region reveal a past of trail drives and cattle barons, gentlemen ranchers from England and some of the bloodiest fighting of the Indian Wars. Dana Prater, Director of the Sheridan County Historical Society Museum, moved to Sheridan with her husband seven years ago from Kansas. She conveys:" We knew the area from coming here on vacations and we loved it for two main reasons: the beauty of it and the large number of historic sites surrounding Sheridan." And as Buffalo Bill said of Sheridan after an 1890's visit:"It would not be a bad place for a man to lose himself."
The museums, forts and battlefields that stretch across the region reveal a past of trail drives and cattle barons, gentlemen ranchers from England and some of the bloodiest fighting of the Indian Wars. Dana Prater, Director of the Sheridan County Historical Society Museum, moved to Sheridan with her husband seven years ago from Kansas. She conveys:" We knew the area from coming here on vacations and we loved it for two main reasons: the beauty of it and the large number of historic sites surrounding Sheridan." And as Buffalo Bill said of Sheridan after an 1890's visit:"It would not be a bad place for a man to lose himself."
