History: Sheridan Promoted as a Healthy Place to Live

Today, we tend to take our city of Sheridan for granted. We look at the backdrop of the Big Horn Mountains to the west, we drink clean, good-tasting water straight out of our taps, we have all the modern conveniences, doctors, schools, roads, shopping, and restaurants. The air is pure and unpolluted as compared to some areas, and the climate is just quirky enough to keep us on our toes summer and winter.

But, in 1903, these modern amenities were just beginning for the town, and they were something to be celebrated, as were the more scenic and environmental advantages of the area.

From The Sheridan Post, September 30, 1903 – The City of Sheridan: The city of Sheridan is located in the Big Goose and Little Goose valleys at the foot of the Big Horn Mountains and possesses maximum of advantages and minimum of disadvantages that is remarkable.

Its climate is superior to that of Colorado, the winters being mild and the summer heat tempered by its close proximity to the mountains, and its altitude of 3,700 feet, is not to high.

The invalid suffering from pulmonary troubles finds health in its sunshine and dry air, and the patient convalescing from acute diseases recovers rapidly.

Back in the day, people with lung ailments were sent to high, dry climates to relieve their symptoms, and sunlight was considered a cure for many other ailments as well.

Commercially, Sheridan is the gateway between the plains on the south and southeast and the great northwest, and in time will undoubtedly become manufacturing center and important distributing point.

Although it took many years, today Sheridan has several manufacturing companies, such as Emit Technologies, Weatherby Rifles, and Kennon Products.

The article continues – Its streets are broad, and its buildings of brick or stone give its business streets very substantial appearance. The history of the city of Sheridan shows that since the erection of the first log cabin on Little Goose creek in 1878 there has been steady, constant and healthy growth.

The first post office to be established here was called Mandel, and was kept by an early settler of that name. The first store was started by Dr. Rhodes, who was succeeded in business by J. D. Loucks. The town was platted on the 10th day of May, 1882, J. D, Loucks. The surveying and platting into blocks and lots was done by Jack Dow, C.E. The present corporate limits embrace more than 1,500 acres, and the town has population of 3,703. as shown by census taken in July of this year.

The first school here was taught in the winter of 1882-3 by Miss Clara Works, now Mrs. G.E. A. Moeller of Buffalo. Thirteen pupils were enrolled for the first term.

Today, Sheridan has ten schools in district #2, as well as Big Horn, Ranchester and Clearmont in the rest of Sheridan County. Sheridan High School Graduates around 200 students each year, and many go on to higher education, including going to Sheridan College, located just south of Sheridan.

In the spring of 1883, the town of Sheridan consisted of a post office, one store, blacksmith shop and a saloon. At that time J.H. Conrad and company put in stock of general merchandise and began the erection a large double store in which they did a flourishing business for ten years. In fact, the year 1883 was a period of marked prosperity for the town, for, by the close of the year more than fifty buildings had been erected, including schoolhouse, hotel and livery stable.

The town was incorporated by act of the legislature passed March 5, 1884. At the first election under the act J.D. Loucks was elected mayor. M. C. Harris. R. J. Mills and Thos. M. Cotton trustees, and W. A. Evans assessor.

At this time Sheridan is one of the most important cities in the northwest. All lines of business are quite well represented. This is especially true of mercantile and professional pursuits and Sheridan now has seven first class grocery stores, four drug stores, six dry goods and clothing houses, three hardware dealers, three jewelers, three furniture stores, two undertakers, three milliners, fourteen saloons, two tailor shops, one china store, four lumber yards, four feed stores, four blacksmiths, two brick yards, where excellent brick are manufactured, five livery stables, two photograph galleries, two dealers in second-hand goods, two steam laundries and several Chinese laundries, one stucco factory, where an excellent quality of hard plaster is manufactured, one manufacturer of pop and all kinds of soft drinks, one brewery, one billiard hall, one bowling alley, one taxidermist, two dealers in Indian curios and art, one music store, three repair shops, two flour mills, five dentists, six real estate and insurance offices, four banks, one savings bank, one building and loan association, two newspapers, three job printing offices, four hotels, one proprietary medicine house, three harness shops, one sanitarium, two florists, marble works, two cold storage houses, two ice firms, six barber shops, two bakeries, one candy factory, one glove factory, one planing mill, eight restaurants, sixteen lawyers, nine doctors, and many firms of painters, carpenters, masons and other skilled mechanics.

Mainstreet Sheridan 1888 at the Museum at the Bighorns, Sheridan.

It is interesting to see how the businesses have changed over the years, as cars replace horses; Chinese laundries and flour mills went out of business; the hotel and restaurant business boomed as more ordinary people began traveling more. Today, instead of one brewery, Sheridan now has three that brew craft beer. There are several places to shop, although the grocery stores now only number three.

Electric lights and telephones, now being replaced by cell phones, are now so commonplace that we take them for granted, but that was not always the case. – The city is lighted by electric lights furnished by a corporation consisting principally of Denver capitalists, They have large, well equipped plant on Broadway, but it is probable they will in the near future erect plant in Big Goose canon and utilize the water of the falls, to generate electricity for power and lighting purposes.

The article predated the construction of the Acme Power Plant, which supplied much of Sheridan with power.

The Sheridan water system is one of the best in the country and was established by the city in 1894 and 1895 The water is obtained from Goose Creek, about twelve miles from the city where the water running from the creek into filter bed and is then carried in eight and ten inch pipe to reservoir with capacity of 50,000 gallons, located about two miles from the city. This reservoir has an elevation of two hundred and sixty-three feet, giving pressure of ninety pounds to the square inch in the city of Sheridan Bonds amounting to $105,000.00 were issued for the purpose of constructing the water works, and the city has no other indebtedness, being upon cash basis The income from the water rents is used for the purpose of paying interest on the bonds, and extending the system. Three thousand feel of new four-inch mains were added during the last summer.

The water supplied is the best in the world, being nothing but pure melted snow from the mountains, and since it is furnished by the city without the expense of pumping plant, the cost for domestic purposes, including all that is needed for irrigating the lawns and garden is only one dollar per month. (Boy those were the days)

Sheridan has telephone exchange, with over two hundred instruments. The city exchange was built about six years ago, by W. G. Griffin, who sold out the plant this summer to the Rocky Mountain Bell Telephone Company, which company has greatly improved the plant and extended the system to all of the important towns and largest ranches.

Connection can be had with Cheyenne, Meeteese. Basin, Cody. Thermopolis, Billings. Dayton, Beckton, Buffalo, Banner, Kearney and other outside points. During the last three years there has been spent in the city of Sheridan for new buildings and in improvements on old ones, $725,000.00, to say nothing of about $60,C00.00 the city has paid out for extensions of the water works system. Street grading, sidewalks, bridges, etc. The grand total therefore is at least $755,000.00.

There are in the city of Sheridan, between the age of 6 and 21, one thousand and twenty-one children, according to the July enrollment. Fourteen teachers and superintendent are employed. The school population has grown so rapidly that it has been difficult for the board to keep pace with it, but arrangements are now being made to build another large modern school building with all modern equipment. Those desiring to locate in Sheridan may rest assured that the school facilities will be all that may be desired.

Most of the larger denominations of churches were and still are represented in Sheridan. The Holy Name Catholic church was organized in 1884, with several other denominations following, The Christen Church, Bethany Baptist, and the Congregational Church which was organized in 1892.

Eighteen years later, on October 23, 1921 this from The Sheridan Post, continued to promote how healthy Sheridan was – Pure, water, fresh from the sparkling snows of the Big Horns; healthful invigorating, mountain air; and living conditions which for the most part are ideal; naturally mean that Sheridan as a whole is remarkably healthy. Add to this the fact that: the city is blessed with an efficient sewage system, and that cleanliness and sanitation are carried to the nth degree, and the reason for Sheridan’s remarkably low death rate is apparent. There are, of course, the usual number of accidents, births, natural illnesses and diseases which necessitate the presence of medical aid, but from the standpoint of epidemics, lung troubles and ailments prevalent in crowded eastern centers, they are conspicuous in Sheridan only by their comparative absence. And for the treatment of those unavoidable troubles with which mankind is naturally afflicted, an exceptionally capable corps of medical men make their homes in the city. A number of various schools are represented by experts of each, and medical aid on a par with that to be found anywhere is locally available. The article went on list the physicians and surgeons at the time, along with dentists and chiropractors.

Today, Sheridan has a fine hospital, and many medical practitioners. It still has pure air, good water, and continues to be a healthy place to live, work and play.