Planned by Civil War veteran John D. Loucks and named for Loucks's Union commander, Sheridan lies in the heart of the "last, best hunting grounds" of the Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Crow, where some of the bloodiest battles of the Indian Wars were fought. The community clings tenaciously to its Western roots, celebrating its past in events such as Buffalo Bill Days and the Sheridan-WYO Rodeo and commemorating the birthday of the Sheridan Inn where Bill Cody auditioned acts for his Wild West Show. Ranching, along with energy development and the railroad, remain vital facets of the community's identity.