Old Huson House: Sheridan Community Land Trust Project

The old rock Huson house, three miles west of Clearmont, is one of the Sheridan County Land Trust preservation projects. The 500 acres of land is protected from development, and old rock house, according to Brad Bauer, Executive Director, the house has a Historic Preservation Easement that protects the “original rock structure.” There have been some additions and alterations over the years, but the house is still much as it was when it was first built.

According to the Clearmont Historical Group, in the book, Huson, As it Was, the Huson family-Doc, Clarissa and their seven children, along with Clarissa’s parents, started West in 1881, traveling in covered wagons along the Oregon Trail. They brought along oxen, cows, horses, pigs, chickens and furniture, barrels of flour, sugar, water and rice were attached to the sides of the wagons. They moved to Buffalo, Wyo.

Doc had a vision. He wanted to start a town. While in Buffalo, he heard about a new train that was coming from Gillette, up Clear Creek and Lone Tree Draw. There was a lot of shipping and freight being moved in that area on the rails. He moved 25 miles east of Buffalo and platted out the town of Huson.

Huson grew very quickly, with eighteen businesses, including a Chinese laundry, a saloon with a pool table and a hotel with rates of $1.50 a day. There was even a town newspaper, “The Northern Wyoming Stinger”. It was published by a man named Taylor who later went on to own “The Enterprise” in Sheridan, He was also elected five times as mayor of Sheridan.

Doc started a general store/pharmacy and was also the postmaster, a preacher and country doctor, and waited for the coming of the rails.

In 1889 he built the stone house that still stands today, three miles west of Clearmont. For a time, the house was also the stagecoach stop. Clarissa was the cook, and served meals for the passengers.

Huson, as a town, was short lived. The little train had troubles going up the Ulm Hill with a large load of cattle, and, due to the unrest of the Johnson County War in Buffalo, the railroad took a sharp turn and went up Lone Tree Draw instead of across it. In 1892, Clearmont was born, and most of Huson moved there.

Doc moved and opened a general store on the north end of Clearmont.

The old rock house has been through several owners since Doc Huson, and today no one knows exactly where the town of Huson was located. According to the research done, the stone house was built outside of the town, but no knows how far from town.

Since 2015, thanks to previous landowners Mark and Kim Tenneson, the house and 500 acres is now a part of the Sheridan Community Land Trust conservation and historical preservation easement to protect the land, the homestead, and the rich history that comes with it.

According to the Sheridan Community Land Trust, open space and agriculture are an integral part of our life in Wyoming. the land trust works with private landowners to permanently conserve lands. By conserving their land, private landowners lend a hand to agriculture, provide for crucial wildlife habitat, protect rivers and streams, and contribute to the scenic quality of Sheridan County. By maintaining the values that make Sheridan County unique and beautiful we help ensure Sheridan County is always a great place to live now and for future generations.

The landowners are responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the old house, and the Land Trust placed an information plaque between the highway and the house giving a brief history of Huson and the Huson house.