Tour Cheat Sheet

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Tour "Cheat Sheet"

Starting Point #1 - First Floor Library

Library

	Line up group along velvet rope.
	Books on shelves, although not originals, are similar to what people read when the family lived here: history, fine literature, poetry, etc.
	Senator Kendrick used this room as office; had large chair next to fireplace and desk by window.
	One of his first duties as a U .S. Senator was to sign the Declaration of War against Germany in 1917; copy hangs on wall.

Drawing Room

	Turn group around and look at drawing room through both library entrance doors.
	Drawing room is like today's living room, without television or other electrical devices; for entertainment, people either read or played games like charades, whist and bridge; they also enjoyed musical presentations and theatrical skits.
	Room also used for more somber purposes such as family funerals (both John and Eula).
	Point out 1924 portraits of John and Eula Kendrick.

Powder Room

	Leave library; turn left into powder room.
	Powder room, used by guests, was one of twelve bathrooms in house.
	Porcelain wall tiles, ceramic floor tiles, and marble trimmed windows were easy to clean.

Cloak Room

	Walk through cloak room on the way to the foyer.
	Cloak room was exactly what it sounds like: a place for cloaks and coats.
	Do not open the cloak room closets or drawers.

Foyer

	Gather students in center of room.
	Main entrance used by family and guests.
	Contains many elegant features designed to impress visitors: hand-painted ceilings, machine-tooled woodwork, lots of light fixtures, etc.
	Discuss impact of electricity on both manufacturing and private homes.
	If you have physically disabled individuals in your group, escort them to the elevator. Ask them (and an adult escort) to take the car to the second floor and meet you at the top of the stairs.

Staircase

	Lead group up main staircase to first landing.
	After nearly eighty years of strong sunlight, original wallpaper had faded so much that bright green oak leaf pattern was no longer visible. In addition, there was extensive damage to plaster, requiring paper's removal. Paper now in place is based on original pattern called "Ardennes."
	Samples of original paper and new paper are displayed in this area.

Starting Point #2 - Second Floor Family Bedrooms

Family Bedrooms

	Gather students in front of first bedroom on left – Manville's bedroom.
	Full of memorabilia from his years at Harvard University.
	Point out that room reflects Manville's interests: ships, travel, reading, writing, sports, photography, etc.
	Gather students in front of last door on the right – Rosa-Maye's bedroom.
	Full of original furnishings.
	Discuss "pink girliness" of room and how it contrasted with Rosa-Maye's tomboy behavior.
	Gather students in front of last door on the left – Master bedroom.
	Full of original furnishings and personal belongings, including the painting on the easel and objects on the beds.
	If asked, explain that it was the custom of the time for husbands and wives to have separate beds.
	Master bedroom was redecorated in the 1930s.

Maid's Closet

	Gather students in front of closet door full of vacuum cleaner parts.
	Discuss stationary cleaner and expand on the family's use of modern technology.
	Be prepared to offer information and answer questions about family members as students look into these four rooms.

Gallery Wall

	As you leave south wing, gather group on second floor landing; position yourself on first or second step up so that everyone can see and hear you clearly.
	Second floor hallway was used as a portrait gallery of people the Kendricks knew (not just people who stayed at Trail End), with signed photographs of presidents, senators and other dignitaries as well as family members.
	Books on shelves below, although not original Kendrick books, are representative of the kind of fiction a family would read in the days before television.

Guest Wing

	At end of hall, on both sides of elevator doors, are original guest bedrooms, now used as offices. These are closed to public now, but after Manville's marriage, he and his family used the rooms as their "apartment."
	Any physically disabled members of group should enter elevator and go to the third floor; ask them to meet you in the ballroom.

Starting Point #3 - Third Floor Ballroom

Ballroom

	Lead students up the main stairs and into the ballroom.
	While climbing stairs to the third floor, ask group to please not run about or sit on benches.
	Ballroom started out as playroom for the children, but since the kids were teenagers by the time the house was finished, the playroom soon became a ballroom.
	Point out the musicians' loft and Edison phonograph; listen for period music coming from loft.
	Point out swinging windows above stairwell; used for ventilation.

Staff Quarters

	Lead group out door located under steer horns.
	Warn about step down into staff quarters.
	There were three bedrooms, two currently furnished (one for cook, other for maid).
	Maids tended to be teenagers or young women, usually daughters of Eastern European coal miners.
	Cooks were usually older women or widows who needed to work for a living.
	Only women lived in these rooms. Any men employed here had rooms in basement.
	Lead group to bathroom at the end of the hall.
	Bath was shared by those who lived here; it included same marble, porcelain and ceramic as family baths on second floor.

Technology Corner

Gather students near telephone and fire extinguisher at end of hallway.

Discuss technology and labor-saving devices visible from this spot:

Electric light (most important technology of all)

Electric light switches (push-button style)

Indoor plumbing (sink with hot and cold running water)

Intercom (six stations on property)

Fire hose (never used)

Dumbwaiter (stretches from third floor to basement)

Laundry chute (stretches from third floor to basement)

Vacuum cleaner (outlet near stairs)

Modern elevator (shaft is original; modern car)

Modern telephone

Modern fire extinguisher

Modern smoke detectors

Modern motion detectors

Back Stairs

	Lead group down back stairs, allowing second adult to follow up group; ask students to use handrail.
	If group includes physically disabled individuals, ask them to take the elevator to first floor and meet you by back door near kitchen.
	Ask everyone to use handrails.
	West balcony at base of stairs was converted to a playroom for Manville's children in 1930s.

West Bedroom

	West bedroom on second floor is used as a library/research room.
	Used to be called the "blue" room; later converted to nursery for use by Manville's two sons.
	Light fixtures and most hardware original.
	Point out dumbwaiter, laundry chute and fire hose in hallway.
	Continue down back stairs to kitchen; ask students to use handrail.

Starting Point #4 - First Floor Kitchen

Kitchen

Gather students in kitchen.

Typical ranch kitchen (such as the one at the OW ranch) was hot, small, dirty and dark. Trail End's "hospital white" kitchen eliminated many of these concerns:

Cool: Heat from wood/coal cookstove would build up and heat entire house if not sent elsewhere; good in winter, bad in summer. Kitchen located on cool north side of house; windows opened at top to let out rising hot air; doors closed to prevent heat from going to rest of house; porcelain walls stayed cool even in summer.

Large: Enough room for several people at a time to work together comfortably.

Clean: All surfaces easy to clean including porcelain walls, ceramic floors, enamel painted wood cabinets and doors, marble window and door trim, ceramic counters, porcelain sink.

Bright: Windows provided natural light during the day; electric light provided night illumination; white finishes reflected light.

Original stove was later replaced by gas unit, indication that family took advantage of technological advances as they became available. Original stove returned to house in 1980s.

Note pass-through window to butlers' pantry; not only is it a good transition to that room, it shows how cook got food to dining table without opening doors and letting out all the heat and smells of cooking.

Butler's Pantry

Lead group into butler's pantry; position yourself near the icebox.

Called butler's pantry (a British term) even though Trail End had a housekeeper instead of a butler; both did the same work.

Contains many devices that made Trail End a good place to work. Examples of modern technology include:

Dumbwaiter

Laundry chute

German silver sink with running water

Electric lights

Icebox

Original icebox was a built-in model that stood in front of the window; replaced by electric refrigerator in 1920s.

Discuss importance of refrigeration; what life was like before freezers, supermarkets and microwaves.

Vault

	Lead students into dining room through north vestibule.
	Before entering dining room, explain that vault behind locked door was used to store silver, crystal and jewelry as well as papers and documents.
	Not used for money: Kendrick did his banking in town like everyone else; in fact, he started one of Sheridan's first banks.
	Currently used to store photographs and documents, silver and crystal.
	Students cannot go inside.

Dining Room

	Line group up along velvet rope.
	Point out hand-painted canvas ceiling and wall panels, carved woodwork, rose silver chandelier and pocket doors.
	Very formal room, used for both entertaining and family meals.
	The original dining table could seat 24 when fully extended.
	Discuss popularity of buffet-style meals; didn't have to have a lot of staff because guests helped themselves to food placed in dishes on the sideboards.

Starting Point #5 - Basement Laundry Room

Laundry Room

	Continue through dining room; turn right and head to basement stairs; ask students to use handrail as stairs are very steep.
	At bottom of stairs, make hairpin turn to the right and head toward laundry room at end of hall.
	Note exit point for laundry chute along the way.
	Point out motor for stationary vacuum cleaning system.
	Gather students around diorama.
	Describe life at the OW Ranch, where the Kendrick family lived for eighteen years before moving to Sheridan.
	Segue to laundry room exhibits by discussing how hard housework would have been on an isolated ranch with no electricity or running water. Use exhibit behind diorama to illustrate difficulties.
	Laundry room conveniences include triple sinks with wringers, hot and cold running water, electric iron, mangle (ironing machine), etc.
	The Kendrick family purchased an electric washer, but never owned an electric dryer; always hung clothes up to dry, either on wires near ceiling or in back yard.

Exit Building

	If the weather is bad and no grounds tour is possible, go back up stairs to foyer; tour is over; group exits through front door.
	If weather is good, go out basement door, up exterior stairs, and head clockwise around grounds.

Starting Point #6 - Outside Grounds

West Grounds

Gather group near top of exterior stairs.

Point out drying yard in center of circular drive where family clothes were hung to dry.

Point out carriage house and courtyard.

Kendricks lived in carriage house while main house was being built.

Later used as garage for automobiles; horse stalls housed riding horses.

Now home to Carriage House Theatre.

North Grounds

	Head clockwise around grounds, using driveways and sidewalks.
	Trail End was the first professionally landscaped private property in the State of Wyoming.
	Blue Spruce trees were planted as a windbreak.
	Trees at northeast corner of property were used to block out undesirable views (schools and railroad yards).

East Grounds

Gather group in center of main circular drive.

Look away from house and point out how tall trees were used to frame view of eastern hills.

Turn group around to face house.

Point out curvilinear gables, balconies, and symmetrical facade.

Talk about building materials and how they had to be brought to Sheridan by rail car from all over the country:

Granite foundation from Montana

Limestone pillars and trim from Indiana

Roman-style brick from Kansas

Red clay roofing tile from Missouri

Machine-tooled woodwork from Michigan

Stained glass windows from New York City

Metal light fixtures from Illinois

Metal window screens from Maine

Canvas sunshades from Sheridan Tent & Awning

Miscellaneous ironwork from Sheridan Iron Works

South Grounds

	Head south toward sunken garden.
	Point out tree-framed view of Bighorn Mountains.
	Point out sundial; explain how it works (keep kids from climbing on it).
	If you started at any point other than #1, enter Trail End library through south door and continue tour.