A Symbol of Success

Some might think that Trail End was built to show off the Kendrick money. In a way, this is true. Starting out as he did – a penniless orphan – it might be expected that John Kendrick would be proud of his accomplishments and want to show off a bit. To the Kendricks – John, his wife Eula and their children Rosa-Maye and Manville – Trail End was not just a home, but a symbol of the family's success. As Frances Parkinson Keyes noted in a 1931 Delineator Magazine article:

At last the new house was finished, a beautiful house, spacious and sunny, furnished with exquisite taste and restrained elegance. The Kendricks had built for all time and built well; and they named the home "Trail End," not only because it really marked the end of the old cattle trail, but also because they thought that it marked the summit of their own ascending fortunes.

Unfortunately, the family as a whole enjoyed Trail End for a relatively short period of time. Finished in 1913, the home was vacated in late 1914 when John Kendrick was elected Governor of Wyoming. Two years later, upon John's election to the United States Senate, the family relocated to Washington D.C. Although congressional recesses were spent in Sheridan, Trail End never again served as a full-time home for the man who was so involved in its construction.

In 1929, Manville Kendrick returned to Sheridan with his new bride and set up housekeeping in the mansion. After the Senator's death in 1933, Eula Kendrick moved in, living there until 1959 when she moved to Texas. A year or so later, Manville and his wife moved to a smaller home in Sheridan.

Saving the Castle on the Hill

By 1968, Trail End (or Kendrick Mansion as it is known throughout Sheridan) had stood empty for seven years, except for a live-in caretaker. No one in the family wanted to live in it, but no consensus could be reached as to what to do with it. Several efforts were made to sell it, but they all fell through. Finally, it looked like the building would be torn down to make room for condominium housing. A public auction was held and the house was stripped of its contents, including furnishings, light fixtures and rugs. What the family didn't want went up for sale.

Fortunately for Sheridan's "Castle on the Hill," a rescue team arrived in the form of the Sheridan County Historical Society. With money donated and lent by both private individuals and government agencies, the Society purchased the land from the Kendrick heirs who in turn donated the structure and what contents remained. With the efforts of an all-volunteer staff, Trail End was turned into a community museum housing archaeological collections, local memorabilia and fine works of art, plus a few of the original furnishings.

Eventually the rising costs of utilities and repairs became too much of a burden for the Society's volunteer staff. In 1982, after months of soul searching and agonized debate, the Society turned the keys over to the Wyoming State Archives, Museums and Historical Department (now the Wyoming Department of State Parks & Cultural Resources).

Trail End Today

Shortly after the state took over operations, the decision was made to empty out the museum exhibits and return the structure to its historic appearance. An extremely fine example of Flemish Revival architecture, Trail End had suffered very few alterations since its completion in 1913, thus making it an ideal candidate for a historic house museum.

Over the years, much of the original furniture has been returned, giving the rooms a strong feeling of what they might have been like when the family lived in them. Today, nearly all of the furnishings and personal items on exhibit at Trail End are original to the home. This incredible feat of refurnishing is due entirely to the generosity of the extended Kendrick family and members of the Sheridan community who, when they find a piece from the 1968 auction, return it to the site.

The Trail End State Historic Site is managed by the State Parks & Historic Sites Division of the Wyoming Department of State Parks & Cultural Resources.

Copyright© 1995-2008 – Trail End Guilds, Inc.

All Rights Reserved

Space Graciously Provided by Fiberpipe Internet Services of Sheridan & Surf Communications

Last Updated March 2008