News
Clearmont’s Patriot Rock Nears Completion
Painting is nearly done on Clearmont’s Patriot Rock near the Clearmont Historical Center. The Patriot Rock, similar to the Freedom Rock ® by artist Ray “Bubba” Sorenson II (established in 1999), was the brain-child of Ira Roadifer, Clearmont. He said “I got the idea about the freedom rock from an article I read in the American Legion magazine, and researched it on the internet. I felt we needed one to honor the 9th Cavalry who where in the area during the Johnson County War. (This rock) is a way to help preserve the history in the southeast area of Sheridan County.
The large rock was donated to the Clearmont Historical Group by The Stone Yard near Buffalo, Wyoming. Local Clearmont artist Richard Bohlmann is painting the scene on the rock.
The scene depicted on the Patriot Rock will be the troop of ‘Buffalo Soldiers’ that rode into Suggs, Wyoming to help maintain the peace in 1892, while the railroad was being built.
The name, “Buffalo Soldiers” came from the Native American Tribes who thought the men’s curly black hair looked like the hair on a buffalo’s hump.
The 9th and 10th Cavalry troops were made up of freed black men after the Civil War, who were stationed throughout the West during the late 1800s, including troops at Fort McKinney in Buffalo, and Fort Mackenzie in Sheridan.
However, the troops stationed briefly at Suggs were from Fort Robinson, Nebraska.
Bohlmann had this to say about the painting. “This was Ira’s idea, we collaborated some, but the Buffalo Soldiers at Arvada was his idea. He took a photo of the hills around Arvada as a subject for the background of the painting.”
In other news from the Clearmont Historical Group, Persons of the month for June are Ralph and Terrill Foster, long time Clearmont residents, and Artist of the Month is Peggy Roadifer.
There will be two book signing of Leland “Bud” Sander’s book about the Ucross area. The first will be at Big Red on June 19th 1:00 – 4:00 p.m., and the second will be at the Clearmont Community Center on June 21st 10:00 – 5:00 p.m. There will also be a walking tour of Clearmont by the Sheridan County Land Trust on June 21 from 1 to 2:30 p.m.
Bricks for the Veteran’s Memorial are still being engraved, and for more info called Bruce Yates at 672-3223 or Ira Roadifer at 758-4625.
The Clearmont Historical Group will have their annual meeting on Sept 21 at 1:00 p.m. in the Clearmont Community Center.
