Some History of Sheridan’s Passenger Trains – Sheridan Wyoming Travel Guide (2024)

In November of 1862, the Burlington and Missouri Railroad, which had originally planned to go through Buffalo, changed its route due to the Johnson County Range War and turned west near Ulm and came instead to Sheridan. Buffalo, at the time of the 1890 census, had a higher population than did Sheridan. Buffalo’s population was 1,087, and Johnson County had 2,357 residents. Sheridan on the other hand, could only boast of 281 residents. Even Sheridan County, which had been created only four years before, only had 1,972 residents. The arrival of the railroad had a great deal to do with making Sheridan the town it is today.

Inside the train car

In a Sheridan Enterprise April 2, 1892, article, Will Take In Sheridan. Information is received here from a Burlington official of high position that the B. &. M. has adopted, of two different surveys, the one running into Sheridan. The decision will be a source of great joy to the Sheridan people, who have been trembling in a state of uncertainty in the matter. Buffalo’s turn will come next. — From the Buffalo Echo. A private letter received by a well-known gentleman here the first of the week from Newcastle confirms the above. Mayor Burritt, of Buffalo, also says the track will be laid twenty miles west of the Powder River by August 1st and that he looks for the road to reach Sheridan before snow flies. Although the trains hauled livestock, coal and freight, they also carried passengers. During the ‘Golden Age’ of railroad travel, roughly from 1900 to 1950, the trains were busy with travelers from all over the United States, traveling for business and pleasure. Sheridan had their share of people visiting the area.

A model railroad, SD State Railroad Museum

In a Sheridan Post article in June 1893, an article reprinted from the Brayton Nebraska Banner says this about the Sheridan area. The Pride of Wyoming and Future Metropolis. Capital of Sheridan County. Surrounded with fertile valley soil, stock raising land, great coal fields, undeveloped valuable gold deposit.

On Monday morning of last week, we started for Sheridan, Wyoming, one day in advance of the excursion. We arrived at the end of this journey, a distance of nearly 700 miles over the well-equipped B&M. Railroad, on Tuesday evening at 6:30. We remained in Sheridan and tributary rural district until Saturday morning. This furnished us sufficient time to observe everything in sight, experience the climate, form the acquaintance of many citizens; consequently, we feel that the opportunity afforded us temporary residence enough to warrant the expression of a fair opinion of what there is yet to be developed in Sheridan County and also the inducements that are offered to energetic businessmen, industrious farmers and ambitious miners. The atmosphere is pure and healthful, the farming soil is of the most prolific kind and the water is refreshing to drink and excellent for bathing purposes, being entirely free from any injurious properties….

The article continues talking about the businessmen who are living in Sheridan and starting business. Many of the names are very familiar with today’s residents.

Good China and gourmet food was a feature in First Class. (SD Railroad Museum)

Some of the prominent men who reside in Sheridan and have business and residence additions are: H. H. Coffeen, Wyoming’s congressmen, who is of the firm of Coffeen and Son, general merchandise dealers; H. 0. Alger, who is very popular, of the Sheridan Land company who has a valuable partner in the person of M. A. Upton, an old Omaha real estate man; C.H. Grinnell a man of considerable money and much richer in unwavering business energy; A. J. Nielsen, of the young and hustling firm of Nielsen & Daniels who owns the Nielsen Heights……

The B.& M. people have selected Sheridan as a division station, they have erected near the depot one of the most modem and as pretty a 150-room hotel as there is in the west. Already the ground has been chosen for the car shop. A survey has been made through the southern portion and direct out to Yellowstone Park and one has been run northwest to Billings, and the objective points in view are San Francisco for the former and Puget Sound the latter. This will give Sheridan a junction point for two great railways as well as make her one of the best division cities in the United States. Two large flouring mills are kept in motion day and night, a first-class brewery is kept busy converting the bailey that is raised by the farmers into liquor, a fine new courthouse will soon be constructed, the city hall foundation is in preparation for the outside walls, and the ground is being put into shape for the electric light plant building, which will soon be commenced. Sheridan has some of the most metropolitan dry goods, groceries, drug, hardware and clothing stores than we have seen outside of Omaha and Lincoln. As to Sheridan, she is sure to be a winner of much success for these and many other positive reasons. She has all the natural resources that are required, some yet entirely undeveloped, present railroad accommodation and the best facilities of this kind in certain prospect….and the spirit of welcome that is extended to all strangers who enter the portals of this blooming northern Wyoming city which might be called a prodigy.

With the advertising of the comforts of train travel, the time tables posted in the Sheridan Newspapers went from this small notice, posted in a May 18, 1893 Sheridan Post,

To this more detailed time table in a December 1897 Sheridan Enterprise.

Lincoln, St Joseph, Denver, Omaha, Kansas City, Cheyenne. Chicago, St. Louis, Salt Lake, and all San Francisco. Portland. All points east, south and west. Trains arrive and depart as Follows: No. 42 Passenger, daily, all points east, south and west: Arrive, 12:30, Depart 12:45 P. M. Freight, daily. Newcastle, and Intermediate stations, Arrive, 7:30 P M. Depart 8 p.m. No. 41. Passenger, daily, Billings, Helena, Butte, Portland, and points west. Arrive,2 p.m., depart, 2:20 pm.Freight, daily, Billings and intermediate stations. Arrive, 7:05 depart, 9:00

Sleeping, dining and reclining chair cars (seats free) on through trains. Tickets sold and baggage checked to any point in the United

States and Canada. For information, maps, timetables and tickets call on or write to W. M. Foster, Agent, Or J. FRANCIS, General Passenger agent, Omaha, Neb.

A ticket window (Douglas)

During the early 1900s, train travel was the best way to get from place to place. We sometimes forget, with our airplane and automobile travel, that the train was a big thing. Faster than riding a horse across the country, cleaner and more comfortable than a stagecoach, travelers began to flock to train depots to get their tickets for the train.

At the height of the railroads, there were three classes of travel. The wealthy traveled first class. Gourmet meals, prepared in a well-appointed kitchen, gold in-laid plates and tableware; velvet covered comfortable seats, and fairly comfortable sleeper cars. Ticket prices all depended upon the type of class (first, second, or third class) and how far you were going. For example, in 1890, a second-class ticket from Cincinnati, OH, to Topeka, KS, cost $15. When the Transcontinental railroad opened, a first-class ticket from Omaha to Sacramento was $111, a second-class ticket $80, and a third-class ticket $40.

Silver Salver Dining car, (Douglas Railroad Center)

From the Inter Mountain Globe newspaper out of Hulett, Wyo., 1907 article. Rate Will Be Less Than 2 Cents A Mile: Omaha, July 20. ….The Burlington announces that commencing today, the passenger fares between Lead and Chicago and St. Louis will be reduced by $2.50. The fare to Chicago will be $80.40 and to St. Louis $85.55.

Ben Vannoy came to Wyoming from North Carolina in 1905. He said that about the train trip.

March 24, 1905: “Myself and Tom, my neighbor,when down to the depot in Marion, Virginia. The agent said he could sell us tickets to Sheridan for $39.00. We unloaded our trunks then and there. Also the lunch boxes our mothers had sent along.” Later, they “….found a boarding house….where we got a good meal for 15 cents.”

On March 27, he writes, “We left Lincoln Nebraska, that night. Next morning, March 27, 1905, was my 21st birthday. It lasted thru Nebraska, across South Dakota, and well into Wyoming,”

In 1935, Vannoy again rode the train, this time from Wyoming to Alliance, Neb. “…..The black gentleman came and set beside me. He was a Pullman cook. He stayed in Seneca, Neb., and he would catch the night train there, cook breakfast, catch the train east in Gillette and cook supper on that train.”

Inside a dining car (Douglas Railroad Interpretive Museum)

The passenger trains ran between Sheridan and all points east and west for many years. The advantages was one didn’t have to drive, and could enjoy the trip and the view of the countryside as the train chugged along.

But the trains had one disadvantage, once you arrived near your destination, you had to find another form of transportation. In the late 1800’s, stagecoaches took passengers from the rail stop to where they needed to go. Later, relatives or friends met the train to pickup arriving passengers. As cars became faster and more reliable, and roads were improved, people began driving instead of taking the train. The passenger planes also took their toll on the railroads. Trains began losing passengers and thus losing money. The last passenger train from Alliance, Neb., through Sheridan to Billings, Mont. ran on Aug. 24, 1969.

Burlington Northern Caboose

There are still a few trains that run in North America, one that is well known is the train tour from Toronto to Vancouver, Canada. Trains are still used in Europe as well. There has been talk currently about perhaps bringing back the passenger service via the rails, but one will have to wait and see. For now, riding the train out of Sheridan is a part of the past.

Read More

Last modified: February 5, 2022