Because of you, one Sheridan County resident was able to learn that there is so much history in their home that their living room is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
“For 20 years, people would ask me about the history of the house,” Tom Balding said of his homestead along Prairie Dog Creek east of Sheridan. “It was embarrassing to say I think it was built about 1900 and not be able to say anything else.”
By partnering with SCLT, Tom learned that his homesite was part of the Bozeman Trail route in 1864-65. Before that, it was likely utilized by Plains Indian Tribes since it sits along a reliable water source. When Stephen George built his cabin on the site in 1881, there were only two other homes in what would soon be Sheridan. Bricks for the house were baked on site. And the barn’s stones contain many fossils that date back as far as 360 million years.
“I never really thought about the historic value of my property…I love where I live. To have it appreciated for what it is and to share it makes me really happy.” ~ Tom Balding
Tom and the history of his homestead is just one of the stories of Sheridan County’s past you have helped preserve and tell. Now, that important history will be forever recognized in the National Register of Historic Places. But Tom’s homestead is so much more than that. He invites people to enjoy the trail he’s built along the creek, and the land has been designated as an important place for 80-plus types of birds to feed, breed, and rear their young.
“Getting listed wouldn’t have happened without SCLT. They did an amazing job,” Tom concluded.
And that listing would not have happened without you. More stories of our history can be preserved and told before they’re forgotten. But those stories and the people who can tell them need help! This is why you are needed.
