Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
West Show. Sheridan has weathered cattle, coal, and tourist economies; today there is an
interesting mix of all three with a couple of coal mines in nearby Decker, Montana, serving
as important employers.
One of the most charming towns in the state, with an extensive historic downtown,
Sheridan has the feel of the Old West, although that is slowly beginning to change as tra-
ditional Main Street businesses are gradually being replaced by high-end art galleries and
gourmet eateries. Still, Wyoming's best-known saddlery is here and in no danger of leaving,
as are some classic watering holes like the Mint Bar, along with numerous historic sites.
Surrounded by dusty but beautiful countryside and the pastoral and magnificent Big Horn
Mountains, Sheridan claims to be the lowest town in Wyoming at 3,745 feet.
The tiny (and unicorporated) town of Big Horn, Wyoming (pop. 490), is on the eastern
slope of the Big Horn Mountains, with Little Goose Creek running through. The town was
settled in the late 1880s by such well-known sheep- and cattle ranchers as the Moncreiffe
brothers, the Wallop family, the Gallatin Family, and Bradford Brinton, whose home is a
gem of a museum and one of the best reasons for visiting Big Horn. The other reason to
visit is to check out a polo match, a favorite pastime of the town.
Trail End State Historic Site
The
Trail End State Historic Site
(400 Clarendon Ave., Sheridan, 307/674-4589,
www.trailend.org
,
daily Mar. 1-Dec. 14, hours vary seasonally, $4 nonresidents, $2 resid-
ents, children 17 and under free if accompanied by an adult) is situated high on a bluff over-
looking town. The four-acre grounds are impeccably manicured and have retained much of
their original landscaping, designed nearly a century ago. The museum is the former home
of John B. Kendrick, one of Wyoming's most famous sons. Kendrick was orphaned early in
life and got his start at age 15 as a ranch hand. Originally from Texas, he followed cattle in-
to Wyoming and, taken with its beauty, decided to stay. He went on to become a successful
rancher and businessman, accumulating more than 200,000 acres of land. Kendrick would
become Wyoming's first governor and later a U.S. senator. Kendrick referred to the house,
begun in 1908 and completed in 1913, as the “end-of-the-trail mansion,” and it's where he
would spend the last 20 years of his life when he wasn't in Washington, D.C.
The house is built in the Flemish revival style, with rich mahogany walls, exposed-beam
ceilings, and 18 beautifully decorated rooms. What is unique to this historic house is that
almost everything on display (furniture, rugs, magazines, books, and photographs) is the
