Summer’s Coming!

Yet another sign that summer is fast approaching: the return of the flower pots hanging on the light polls along Main Street in Historic Downtown Sheridan. Walking home today from the gym, I was excited to see the petunias–I think they’re petunias–hanging in their baskets and John Smith from the Downtown Association feeding them with fresh water.

I have to say, our little downtown is one of my favorite things about Sheridan. I have spent some time in quite a few historic downtown’s: There is Old Town Albuquerque with its grand plaza and spired church; Old Sacramento lined with restaurants and bars; And downtown Salinas where John Steinbeck spent time as a boy; the list is long. But I have to say, our downtown certainly holds it own. In fact, what makes Sheridan’s more special, I think, is the fact that our downtown is still where people actually go to transact their daily business.  Our Historic Downtown is not just a tourist trap with shop after shop selling shot glasses and trinkets.

The buildings that most of use still frequent today to shop, bank, grab lunch, or enjoy a coffee are the very same building that Sheridanites were using back in the late 1800s, when the town was just getting started. We have something like 100 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. And the spot where I took today’s picture was only steps away from the oldest building in downtown; a building that was built in 1883 and is still being used as a pharmacy today.

Our downtown is still the heartbeat of the city, just like John D. Loucks planned for it to be, when he plotted it out on the back of some brown wrapping paper back in 1882.

I Love My Drive to Work!

I host a little radio show and the studio is about 45min away from my house. In between my bed–which I leave every morning at 4am–and the studio, is about 45min of drive time and 150yrs of history. Everyday on my commute I pass the Occidental Hotel where Butch Cassidy, Tom Horn, Ernest Hemingway, and a few presidents all hung out.

Bozeman Trail Marker

Taking Interstate 90, which runs between my house in Sheridan and the studio in Buffalo, Wyoming, I follow the route of the old Bozeman Trail. Some of the ruts are still visible in places, and I-90 itself is laid over some of the old ruts which  began getting carved out back in 1863. To the east of the Interstate is Lake DeSmet, where Crazy Horse is said to have had a life changing vision quest. And just a few miles beyond Lake DeSmet is Fort Phil Kearny, which the Army built in 1866 to protect immigrants moving along the very same corridor I travel today. My fear some 145 years later is not Indian warriors but deer, one of which found me and departed instantly to the “Happy Hunting Grounds” back in November.

Once I pass Fort Phil Kearny, I slide to the east of Lodge Trail Ridge, which Captain William J. Fetterman was told not to cross back on December 21, 1866, by his superior officer, General Henry B. Carrington. The Fetterman Battlefield–where Fetterman and all 80 of his men died at the hands of Sioux and Cheyenne Indians–is visible to my left, as is the monument that marks the location of one of worst defeats ever by the U.S. Army.

I could go and on about what there is to see on my drive to the radio station. But if I did, there would be little reason for you to buy my new book: That’s Here? 25 Historical Places to Visit In & Around Sheridan,Wyoming. Yes, that was a shameless plug, but it took me almost 5yrs to write and publish it, so please indulge me!

I see a lot of the places listed in the book everyday! My drive to work connects me to the past and keeps me excited about my passion: which is writing about the history that I get to experience on a daily basis! At some point everyday, I inhabit the very same space that Crazy Horse, Ernest Hemingway, and Buffalo Bill did. And I think that is very cool!

 

The Olde Main Street Inn

Last weekend we made a trip to Chadron, Nebraska for my wife, Candice’s, college graduation. I am a history guy, so I love all things historic, including hotels. Candice, however, is suspect of any hotel with the word olde or historic attached to it. Historic to her, when it comes to hotel accommodations, means outdated and most of all, dirty. So, needless to say, she was a little suspect when we pulled up to the Olde Main Street Inn in downtown Chadron, Nebraska.

The hotel was built in 1890, and I was instantly a fan when I found out that the hotel bar also served as the hotel lobby. We were greeted eagerly by the hotel’s proprietor, Jeanne, a spirited redhead, with an unlimited supply of knowledge about the hotel’s history. I was excited to hear that Dick Cavett was a frequent guest, and while I didn’t ask for it, I was hoping that we would be assigned his old room.

Jeanne showed us to our rooms, and on the way gave us a tour of the General Nelson Miles suite. General Miles it turns out made the hotel his headquarters in 1891, when he came to investigate the Wounded Knee Massacre. I was ready to move in to this old hotel, Candice was I’m sure thinking, why did I marry this guy?

Our room had the feel of an old cabin with the 70s wood paneling that covered the walls, and I couldn’t help but wonder who had stayed in this particular room over the 100 plus years it had been there.  Dick Cavett, perhaps?  It was clean and comfy, and even came with a small flat screen HDTV, an ironic accoutrement, I thought, for an historic hotel.

I loved it! And after picking up a bottle of All Purpose Cleaner with Bleach (just in case) from the nearby Wal-mart, Candice seemed to like it too.

I hope to get back there again, soon! I’m working on a book about Crazy Horse and he died just twenty minutes from Chadron, at Fort Robinson, so I plan to return to do some more research.  And when I do, I will again stay at the Olde Main Street Inn to enjoy coffee and cinnamon rolls at the bar each morning with my new friend, Jeanne. Perhaps I’ll get lucky and Dick Cavett will be there to join us!

Is this Heaven? No, it’s Wyoming!

This was taken today by one of my Facebook friends. If I could paint, I would love to paint this picture. I’m surprised there aren’t more painters in our area. We certainly have some great talent in our local pool of artists, but with views like this, I would think painters from all over the world would be coming our way. Maybe it’s a light thing, I don’t know.  My sphere of knowledge has to do with the printed page. But I know if I could paint, I would like to paint pictures just like this. Enjoy!

My Favorite Time of Year

It’s been rainy and cold this weekend, which is too bad, since 300 European tour professionals are gathered in Buffalo to see and experience our little corner of paradise. The best we can do for them is show them pictures of what is to come.

The good news for us natives is, the rain is going to green up our lawns and the surrounding hills, and soon NE Wyoming will be lush with leaves budding on trees and wild flowers on the hillsides. This is my favorite time of year in Sheridan, Wyoming.

I used to live in Eugene, OR, where it was green all year, but I must say, I appreciate the seasons more here. The snowy winters make me look forward to the turning of green in spring, and you can feel the change of energy as people start to come out of their winter hibernation.

Green hills signal summer is right around the corner, which means camping, hiking, and Sheridan WYO Rodeo time! I love this time of year!