The Sheridan County Historical Society (SCHS) was first organized in 1933 and reorganized in 1957 as a non-profit organization to preserve the history and historic objects of our county. The towns of Rushville, Hay Springs, and Gordon each have museums and in 2019 a Sheridan County History Center was established.
The story of the History Center began many years ago with Hay Springs resident Clarabel Hunter. As a little girl she became interested in the families of her community. She clipped articles from local newspapers and started files for different families. After her death, her children took eight boxes of files to the Alliance Heritage Center, which gave them to the Sheridan County Historical Society. Clarabel’s lifelong obsession became the basis of the Sheridan County History Center in Rushville.
Sheridan County History Center under construction. Image Courtesy of the Sheridan County Historical Society.
The next step was finding a place to house all these records. We found a temporary location where we could sort the records, and then started fundraising. It was decided to put an addition on the Rushville Museum. As the History Center and Museum are staffed by volunteers, only one volunteer could oversee both. It took several years but we started construction in 2024. Construction continues and we hope to be in the new facility by Memorial Day 2025 when the major tourist season begins.
The History Center has been open throughout the year with volunteers coming in a few days a week to check records and file. What started with just histories of local families has now transitioned to indexing cemeteries and gathering biographies of all who are buried here, creating a database of almost 16,000 individuals. Collecting information and pictures from the now closed rural schools is also of great importance as these records will disappear as time passes. Other records include histories of ranches, churches, post offices, towns, and much more. We receive requests and visitors from across the country searching for information about their families.
The SCHS also has the Armstrong House Museum, which has many objects donated by our early pioneer residents. There is a display about Buffalo Bill Cody, who visited Rushville and recruited performers for his Wild West Show. The museum also has original artwork of Andrew Standing Soldier and many Native American artifacts. The first Post Office in Rushville, a log cabin that stands next to the museum, is fun to look through and has many artifacts of pioneer life. The Benschoter Library at the museum contains books pertinent to early Sheridan County and to Lakota neighbors at the Pine Ridge Reservation. Many of the bound books are annual reports on “Indian Affairs” across the country. There are also books by local authors including Mari Sandoz, who was a native of Sheridan county. Because of our strong volunteer staff, the Armstrong House Museum is open on weekdays from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
The Sheridan County History Center and the Armstrong House Museum are on Highway 20 in Rushville and will be open from 9 to 4 weekdays during the summer. A schedule for the winter months has not been set.
For more information check us out on Facebook at the Sheridan County History Center or the Rushville Armstrong House Museum or contact Jerry Wellnitz (308) 360-0299 or Phyllis Krotz (308) 360-1319.
– Phyllis Krotz, Sheridan County Historical Society, May 2025
