News – Sheridan Media
In 1885, Edward A. Whitney arrived in Sheridan. His influence helped shape the town’s growth and continues today through his creation of Wyoming’s first educational foundation.
The Sheridan Community Land Trust held their second Tuesday of the October program at the Hub on Smith, featuring Museum at the Bighorns Director Carrie Edinger, who talked about Mr. Whitney.
Whitney was born on March 24, 1843, to Abel and Pamelia (Babcock) Whitney, in Dalton, Massachusetts. From 1856 to 1859, he attended a boy’s school near Vevey, Switzerland.
For a time, he worked in his uncle’s bank in Northampton, Massachusetts. In 1885, Whitney came West for his health. Edinger said that Whitney suffered from TB, and dry climate was said to be helpful for lung ailments.
She added that Edward and his cousin Henry did serve in the American Civil War, enlisting with 52nd Mass. Volunteer Infantry. They were 19 when they enlisted, and they only served a few months.
After he arrived in Sheridan, he invested in cattle; he was partners with the Sheridan Land Company when they built the Sheridan Inn; he invested in the area coal mines, and he was the second mayor of Sheridan.
Whitney never married or had a family, but he helped create a college fund in Sheridan. He was also the founder of the Bank of Sheridan, at one time called the Sheridan County Savings Bank.
Edinger also gave a sneak peek into plans for displaying Whitney’s personal collection at the museum’s new location on Main Street.
This program will be repeated on Tuesday, October 21, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon, at the Tongue River Valley Community Center (TRVCC) in Dayton.
Kevin Knapp, History Program Manager at SCLT, talked about some upcoming events in November. He said that November is Native American Heritage Month.
All the SCLT programs are free and open to the public.
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Last modified: October 16, 2025