There Are 3 Must-See Historic Landmarks In The Charming Town Of Sheridan, Wyoming
By Ben Jones|Published June 28, 2022
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Ben Jones
Author
Ben Jones is at heart an adventurer who delights in inspiring others. A former reporter and photojournalist, he explored towns large and small as a Wisconsin correspondent for USA Today. He later became a lead photographer and senior copywriter for an award-winning destination marketing agency, before founding Boldland Creative, a company that produces photography, video, and other content for travel destinations. Jones has completed photography and content projects in more than 15 states and when he’s not looking through a camera or at his Macbook you’ll find him exploring the world’s lakes and forests.
Flanked by the Bighorn Mountains, Sheridan is a small town with a big history. In the 1800s, there were several battles in the area between U.S. Cavalry and the Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Shoshone, and Crow Indian tribes. A trapper established residence in a cabin on Big Goose Creek in 1878, and within four years the land was platted. Sheridan boomed, as farmers, miners, and those seeking a better life all flocked to this little town.
Today Sheridan draws visitors with its natural beauty and historic charm. While the city is halfway between Mount Rushmore and Yellowstone Park, there’s plenty to discover right in Sheridan, including some spots that help tell the story of this Western town. Here are three must-visit historic landmarks in Sheridan, Wyoming.
Also known as the John B. Kendrick Mansion, this historic mansion was built and inhabited by Wyoming governor and U.S. Senator John B. Kendrick. It was built from 1908 to 1913 for $164,000, a huge sum in those days.
The Sheridan County Historical Society purchased Trails End in 1969, saving it from possible destruction. The society opened a museum in the home and today the property is described as part historic look book, part cultural attraction, and part learning laboratory for kids of all ages.
This property is the product of Sheridan’s railroad boom days. Built in 1893, it was constructed by the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad. It had the first lightbulbs and bathtubs in the region and for a time it was considered the finest hotel between Chicago and San Francisco.
The hotel had a very famous manager in its early days. Buffalo Bill Cody managed the hotel for the railroad from 1894 to 1896. Today the inn has been beautifully renovated and it welcomes guests with the same flourish of its early years.
This short tour of historic Sheridan ends where it all began, in a little cabin. George Mandel ran the area’s first post office out of the primitive structure in the 1880s. The postal address: Mandel, Carbon County, Wyoming Territory.
Today the reconstructed Mandel cabin gives visitors a look at the primitive life of early settlers. The cabin is in Dorothy King Reflective Garden at Whitney Commons, but a stone marker on the corner of North Brooks Street and Smith Street marks the cabin's original location. A lot has changed in this spot - today, it’s a dermatology clinic.
