SCLT Unveils the Iron Riders Audio Tour on Juneteenth

A good crowd filled the lawn at Historic Sheridan Inn on June 19, or Juneteenth, when the Sheridan Community Land Trust (SCLT) unveiled their driving /cycling audio tour that celebrates the legacy of the 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps, better known as The Iron Riders.

Kevin Knapp, SCLT, gave the welcoming speech. Rich Bridger, Sheridan Mayor, and Senator Dave Kinskey talked about the Iron Riders trip through Sheridan. The National Athem was performed by Beck Bridger, Miss Wyoming 2023. The American Legion Post #7 Color Guard presented the colors.

According to the SCLT, the story of these Buffalo Soldiers has been largely lost to history. Thankfully, citizen and professional researchers took an interest in them. In 1897, these men pedaled through Sheridan County on a 1,900-mile journey from Fort Missoula, Montana, to St. Louis, Missouri, as part of the U.S. Army’s Great Bicycle Experiment. Through this driving/cycling audio tour, SCLT will preserve this unique history and tell the Iron Rider’s story.

Attending was Kevin Smith, reenactor and site historical specialist at Missouri State Parks. He talked about the Iron Riders reenactments and how they learned about the ride.

He added that trying to coordinate with all the states involved in the trek was too difficult, so they could not recreate the entire trip.

However, Erick Cedeno, “Bicycle Nomad”, did bicycled the original route that the Iron Riders followed. He said it was important to him to pay homage to their accomplishment.

He said that one of the toughest parts of the trip for him, as well as for the original Iron Riders, was the stretch across Nebraska, he said it was very hot and when the Iron Riders crossed the state, there was little water. “Luckily, today there are more convenience stores,” he added.

Mayor Bridger welcomed the visitors to Sheridan, and the assembled group who attended the event. He talked about the history of the Iron Riders ride as they pedaled through Sheridan.

Senator Kinskey gave a talk, opening with this personal experience,

“What an athletic achievement, what a feat of determination. That would be lost to history except for the effort of the folks who are here today.” Kinskey added.

Ms. Nina Amos, first women president of the National Buffalo Soldiers 9^th and 10^th Horse Calvary Association, talked about the Buffalo Soldiers.

There was a demonstration of the Iron Rider’s Audio Tour, and Kevin Knapp SCLT History Program manager, said this about the tour.

Voice actors were Ryan Legler and Dan Cole. Some of the audio came from the journals that soldiers kept along the route.

Closing remarks were made by Bobby McDonald, Great Los Angeles Chapter of the 9^th and 10^th Horse Cavalry association, who talked about sharing the history of the Iron Riders.

To take the tour, one can got the TravelStorysGPS app in the AppStore or Google Play and download the app on your phone. Search for Iron Riders Trail tour and download that. Tour starts at the Historic Sheridan Inn, where the Iron Riders actually stopped on their journey. One can also visit SheridanCLT.org/Tours.

After the unveiling ceremony, there was a special screening of the soon-to-be-released documentary “The Ride Continues” at the WYO Theater at 6:30 p.m. The documentary will air on Nevada PBS in July.

Iron Riders Driving/Cycling History Tour made possible by a $50,000 African American Cultural Action Fund Grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

These programs have been made possible thanks to partial funding from the Wyoming Humanities Council, the Anne and Scott Nickerson Family Foundation, the Orange County Black Chamber Education Fund, and VFW Post #3173.