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Building of the Inn...
why and how the Historic Sheridan Inn came to be...
In 1892 the railroad came to Sheridan. The movement of the west and the
need to expand markets for the area’s coal, wheat, and cattle marketing made
the railroad an economic necessity. The ever-increasing local population
needed a reliable means of transportation to and from the east. Because this
was the end of the line, a hotel was created close to the railroad tracks
for people to stay as the city of Sheridan was then a mile from the depot.
The Sheridan Inn was built by the Burlington and Missouri Railroad in
partnership with the Sheridan Land Company during the winter of 1892-1893.
Architect Tomas Kimball of Omaha modeled the building after a hunting lodge
he had visited in Scotland.
The cost of the construction was $25,000.00 the building measures 130 ft
long by 50 feet wide. The Inn was immediately touted as the finest structure
between Chicago and San Francisco. It had hot and cold running water, two
bathrooms, steam heat, and on May 2 1,1893 the first electric lights were
turned on. The Inn was also the first building to have a telephone. Because
of these utilities, it was used many times as the first hospital in
Sheridan.The construction of the Inn is very unique. The full
three-story truss type system used to construct the Inn’s large gambrel roof is
unusual and most commonly found in England. Constructed of Georgia pine, the trusses were
encased in the wall partitions of the upper two floors with the hammer beams exposed on
the first floor. The truss form is known as a "Howe Truss" The lobby, main
dining room and bar all have exposed hand-hewn beams made from Georgian pine. They expand
full width of lobby, bar and the full 40 feet of the dining room. The building is designed
so each room has a gable or dormer which provides access to the roof. The roof access was
also the fire escape. Unique features of the Inn are the three fireplaces on the main
floor constructed of local cobblestone at a cost of $1000.00 each.
 The original Buffalo Bill Bar, which is still being
used, was built in England. Made of oak and mahogany, it was shipped to the United States
where it traveled by rail to the "Custer Station" in Montana, put on a oxen
driven freight train and taken to Sheridan. It was then assembled on site. It has been
said it was a gift from Queen Victoria of England for Buffalo Bills private performance
for her after the death of her husband.
See Architectural Drawings and Historic Photos.
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