Discover Big Horn

From polo to schools — the place to be

Population: 490 (2010 U.S. Census)
Elevation: 4,059 ft.

On the way out of Sheridan, heading south, you will find Big Horn, an unincorporated community bustling with youth activities and culture. 

In the past year, a group of Big Horn citizens came together to create a baseball field for the youth in the community to utilize. The town boasts a kindergarten through 12th grade school system within Sheridan County School District 1. 

Greeted by longhorn cattle upon entering the community, the downtown strip includes a bar and countywide favorite pizza mercantile. On the way out of the heart of town, the Big Horn Woman’s Club meets and offers many community events throughout the year. 

Outside of town is access to culture through The Brinton Museum and its state-of-the-art facility with perfect views of the Bighorn Mountain range and Red Grade Road, where adventurers travel to access the open expanse of the Bighorn National Forest. The Brinton also hosts famed brunches at The Brinton Bistro, which can be followed in the summers with a game of polo and a mint mojito from the Big Horn Equestrian Center during matches.

 

HISTORY

The historic Bozeman Trail of the mid-1860s passed through Big Horn. Scouted by John Bozeman through eastern Wyoming to the rich gold fields of Montana, the trail was the scene of many battles between those attempting to secure and use the trail and the Indians who relied upon the rich hunting grounds in the area. Those skirmishes earned the trail the nickname “The Bloody Bozeman”. The U.S. Cavalry forbade parties of fewer than 100 wagons to take the trail through Big Horn; nevertheless, the many battles and territorial fighting culminated at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, 70 miles north of Sheridan.

Ernest Hemingway stayed at Folly Ranch and Spear-O-Wigwam in the Big Horn area during the summer of 1928. (He also stayed at the Historic Sheridan Inn in Sheridan.) During his time here, Hemingway fished, hunted, and finished his masterpiece, A Farewell to Arms.

The town was founded in 1881 and over the past century the area developed into a ranching community. The town just celebrated its 130th birthday in 2011.

 

MORE ABOUT TODAY IN BIG HORN

Big Horn is home to great places like the Big Horn Polo Fields, Flying H Polo Club, Bozeman Museum, The Brinton Museum, Last Chance Bar, Big Horn Smokehouse & Saloon and the Big Horn Mercantile. The area also plays host to such events as the Annual Snickers Big Horn Soccer Cup, Wyoming 3A/4A State Soccer Championships and Wyoming State Cup. Last and certainly not the least, Big Horn has the back entrance into the Bighorn Mountains via Red Grade Road (seasonally open).

 

Content by The Sheridan Press
The Sheridan Press has served Sheridan County, Wyoming, since 1887. The award-winning independent newspaper offers print and online news delivery platforms to the thriving community, which boasts a college; a lively arts, culture, and music scene; a bustling downtown; and many other amenities, including unlimited outdoor recreational opportunities. To subscribe to The Sheridan Press, click here