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A Guide to Eighty Places in the American West that Offer a Finer Way of Life
Creative Classic Publications, 1999
by Michael Caldwell

Located on the eastern edge of the Big Horn Mountain, including part of the mountains and Bighorn National Forest within its borders, Sheridan County is home to nearly 25,000 people. The city of Sheridan, population of 13,900, is one of the largest cities in Wyoming, and the county contains three incorporated towns, Dayton, Ranchester and Clearmont, plus unincorporated communities including Big Horn, Story, and Arvada.

Interstate 90 and three U.S. highways, 14, 14-A and 87, pass through Sheridan County, and 1-90 connects with I-25 just outside Buffalo, providing easy access to Billings in Montana, Black Hills National Forest and Rapid City in South Dakota, Yellowstone National Park to the west and Casper, Cheyenne and Denver to the south.

Winters can be cold in Sheridan County, but overall the climate is milder than elsewhere in Wyoming, averaging 19.5 degrees in January and 69.9 degrees in July. The climate is dry, with an annual average rainfall of 14.48 inches. The average growing season is 119 days from May to October. Elevation averages 3,694 feet.

From Fort Phil Kearny in northern Johnson County north to the battlefield where Gen. George Armstrong Custer met defeat in what is now the state of Montana, some of the bloodiest clashes of the Indian Wars were fought in a brief decade from 1866 to 1876.

The city of Sheridan lies at the heart of that country, an easy drive to sites where the U.S. Army in the late 1860s and early 1870s had some of its greatest victories, and met some of its worst defeats.

CULTURE
Buffalo Bill's association with the Sheridan Inn is well known and he made his home here whenever he was in Sheridan. 'From 1894 to 1902, the Inn was managed by the W.F. Cody Hotel Company, of which Buffalo Bill was part owner. For the seventy-two years the Inn operated as a hotel, and in the many years since, thousands of guests have walked these floors. Many of the nation's great stayed at the Inn, including, Will Rogers, Ernest Hemingway (who wrote part of his novel "A Farewell to Arms" while staying at the Inn), Charlie Russell (famous Western artist), Calamity Jane (personal friend of Buffalo Bill's), Dwight Morrow (father of Mrs. Charles Lindbergh), and Herbert Hoover.

Artists from all fields, including oil painters, woodworkers, jewelers and potters attend the two-day Prairie Rose Arts Festival in July. Artists travel to this festival from Colorado, Idaho and Montana and have their work juried or judged by an artist, to maintain a high quality of workmanship in the festival which also includes other forms of entertainment.

The WYO Theater on Main street in Sheridan provides many various forms of great entertainment throughout the entire year, from Broadway plays to nationally known musical entertainers to local talent spotlights. Also, every year, the Sheridan's Civic Theatre Guild presents several options for artful entertainment in the summer.

Every Tuesday night from early July through August the Concerts in the Park at the Kendrick Park bandshell presents a different musical style each evening, ranging from classical to jazz to pop and country and on and on.

With display cases downstairs, plus exhibit space on the mezzanine, and books-on-tape and computers on which patrons can access the Internet as well as other libraries throughout the state, Sheridan County Fuller Public Library has something for every member of the family. Special programs are available throughout the summer for children, including annual programs to encourage youngsters to read.

Starting in May, those whose passion is shooting firearms or radio- controlled flying find kindred souls at the Sheridan County Recreation Complex. With parades and bed races, carnivals and street dances, and of course the PACA-sanctioned rodeo, Sheridan holds an all-out celebration of its Western heritage during the second week in July. The week's main event is the rodeo itself, which operates under Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association rules.

In August, the annual Sheridan County Rodeo annually draws some 400 local contestants. It is a family-oriented event and the events range from stick horse races for children ages four and under to the traditional rodeo events ages five and older.

Sheridan's Big Horn Mountain Polka Days, an annual three-day festival, is a well-planned music and dance celebration Labor Day weekend at the Sheridan Holiday Inn and Convention Center. Polka Days in Sheridan is among the liveliest music events in the Rocky Mountain region. Local and out-of-state polka lovers converge on Sheridan every year at the end of the summer.

The Crow Tribe, north of Sheridan on Interstate 90, just across the Montana border, offers visitors to return to the Wild West and experience modern Indian life. For a glimpse into the past, the tribe offers a reenactment of the Battle of the Little Big Horn on the actual site in Garryowen and the Medicine Tail Coulee.

EDUCATION
Three school districts serve the area, with an average student-to-teacher ratio of 22.5 to one. About 240 students graduate from local high schools yearly. SAT scores average nearly 100 points above the national average. Sheridan College offers two-year degrees and both general and continuing education courses in a number of fields.

SPORTS & RECREATION
Sheridan residents have ample public recreational facilities available such as swimming pools, roller skating rink, lighted tennis courts, lighted youth baseball fields, soccer fields, lighted softball fields, batting cages with automatic pitching machines, basketball courts, BMX bike racing tracks, sand volleyball courts, horseshoe pits, fitness trails, picnic areas and children's parks. Both the YMCA and a recreation district provide health and fitness and sports programs.

Outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy fishing, golfing, snowmobiling, skiing, shooting, hiking, camping, hang gliding, horseback riding and boating, take in stock dog trials and polo games at the Big Horn Equestrian Center or take "shots" with a camera of the area's abundant wildlife, and a pedestrian/bicycling trail way.

There are many opportunities to fish in Sheridan County and the Sheridan area. Besides the various fisheries, numerous creeks and lakes in the wilderness area teem with brook trout. A good-size brook trout in these areas would measure ten inches. Pheasant hunting is possible in Wyoming from the beginning of November to the end of December.

Lake DeSmet, south of Sheridan on Interstate 90, offers sportsmen and recreationists a chance to relax and enjoy water, sun, boating and fishing. The lake is host to an annual fishing derby over Memorial Day Weekend hosted by the Buffalo Lions Club. Summer activities at the lake include boating, swimming, fishing and water skiing.

There are three major scenic highways traversing the Big Horn Mountains from east to west, and each offers its own distinct and memorable scenery. Another way to get off the beaten track but still see a lot of territory in the Big Horn Mountains is to get out of your car and onto a bicycle. Riders of all skill levels can find trails to match their ability in the Big Horn Mountains. The steep slopes and technical trails on the face of the mountains give way to a gentle plateau at the top, crisscrossed with logging roads ideal for the novice rider. Trail riders are treated to magnificent scenery and abundant wildlife in the Big Horn Mountains.

SHOPPING AND RETAIL
Clearmont, forty-minute drive from Sheridan, boasts a strong tourist-based economy complete with restaurants, shops, gas stations, a barber shop, soda fountain, library, movie house and a few bars. Ranchester features restaurants and a variety of shops for those interested in antiques, crafts, books and souvenirs.

SHERIDAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
I-90 and East Fifth Street
Sheridan, WY 82801
Phone: (307)672-2485 Fax: (307)672-7321
Email: chamber@sheridanwyo.com
Website: http://www.sheridanwyomingchamber.org


REAL ESTATE
Sheridan is County Seat of Sheridan County and a trade for a ninety mile radius. Strong, stable economy includes ranching, farming, coal mining, railroad, methane gas production, logging and sawmill, an active medical community including a Veteran Administration Hospital. Family oriented and retirement community with favorable tax base with no state tax. Numerous outdoor, recreation opportunities including hunting, fishing, hiking, boating, water-skiing, camping, snowmobiling, cross country and downhill skiing on public, BLM and Forest Service property including the Big Horn Mountains. Colorful western history includes the Historic Bozeman Trail, huge cattle ranches, Indian battlesites and frontier outposts. Home of Buffalo Bill Cody's historic Sheridan Inn.

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