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Poles, Czechs, Germans, and English – many bearing surnames that still populate the area - flocked to Sheridan for work. Coal remains a major industry, with several strip mines - the Decker and Spring Creek Mines - only a short drive to the northeast. Timber, mostly for railroad ties, and coal fueled the town’s early economy. With the railroad’s arrival in 1891, Sheridan virtually exploded overnight. “It galvanized them to gather in larger numbers.” “It changed the way Indians fought,” Woodward explains. The Battle of the Rosebud took place north of present-day Sheridan - only one week prior to and 35 miles distant from Custer’s notorious demise. Situated along the famed Bozeman Trail, the foothills were the scene of constant warring and skirmishes during the 1860s-1870s. “It was in the middle of a war zone,” says John Woodward, director of the Sheridan County Museum. Sheridan is all about people and place, but it’s definitely a product of its colorful history. Built over the winter of 1892-93, the elegant hotel served as home base to Buffalo Bill Cody, who used the front lawn to audition contenders for his Wild West Show. My personal favorite (maybe because I met my husband on the dance floor there) is the Sheridan Inn. “I really believe that’s why we have our Main Street.” “They knew what they didn’t want to lose and they started long ago,” she says.

Holsinger credits their efforts for preserving what was best about Sheridan and then taking the best and making it better. Yes, there have been major donors – the late Forrest Mars Jr., the (Edward) Whitney Foundation and local artist Neltje, to name a few – but hundreds if not thousands of locals rally to support various projects in whatever capacity they can.

An astounding number per capita, she adds. Holsinger points to the town’s numerous nonprofits and liberal philanthropists. In large part, the magic of Sheridan can be traced to its residents – both their sense of community and their overwhelming generosity. “People still wear boots but you can also live here without owning a pair of boots,” he says and then smiles. Yes, Sheridan’s history is rooted in the West and the Sheridan WYO Rodeo is still the biggest event of the year, Koltiska says. Sheridan is only a short drive to the Brinton Museum’s renowned art collection, to the Wagon Box Battlefield and to boundless camping and hiking opportunities in the Bighorn Mountains. “It’s only 17,000 to 18,000 people, but we have amenities other places don’t have,” he says.Īmenities such as four performing arts theaters, a new indoor ice rink, top-notch schools, state-of-the-art medical facilities and a thriving YMCA.īesides amenities, there’s plenty to do. Ryan Koltiska, communications director at the Sheridan Chamber of Commerce, describes his hometown as an “all around town that seems bigger than it is.” Sweep your gaze across the street and the marquee at the stately WYO Theater announces an upcoming Shakespeare extravaganza. Only four strides more and you come face to face with a statue of two horses - one of several dozen statues, mostly bronzes, that decorate the downtown area. The Mint Bar is about as “cowboy” as you can get, and yet next door the Midtown Café advertises a gluten-free menu. A short stroll down Main Street reveals just that.

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