Welcome to the Sheridan County Historical Society & Museum
Historical Landscape
Located in the shadow of the Bighorn Mountains, Sheridan County, Wyoming has a unique history all its own. Including ranchers and coal miners, soldiers and settlers, our history reflects the story of the American West. Traveling from north to south, east to west, there is a story for every interest just outside your door. Travel the Bozeman Trail, venture into the coal mines along the Black Diamond Trail, or trek up into the Bighorns, history is all around us.
Before Little Bighorn
The Powder River County and Sheridan County were the setting for several battles between the US Army and Native American Tribes during the 1860s and 1870s. These included the Fetterman Fight, Wagon Box Fight, and Connor Battle. Sheridan is also tied to the Battle of the Rosebud. Only eight days before Battle of the Little Bighorn, General George Crook led nearly 1,000 men into battle against Crazy Horse and his Lakota and Cheyenne warriors. Largely forgotten, the Rosebud begins the story that ends at the Little Bighorn.
Black Diamonds
Treasure lies beneath the ground in Sheridan County. Massive coal deposits left behind by ancient rivers and swamps transformed Sheridan County. For almost sixty years miners dug, blasted, and shoveled coal to power local and regional industry. Drawn from across the world, miners built a home for themselves and their families in communities like Monarch, Dietz, or Kooi. The Black Diamonds of Sheridan County have left a lasting legacy.