In July 1885, General Sheridan crossed the Cimarron River in Indian Territory en-route to the Cheyenne Agency. President Cleveland had ordered reinforcements to Fort Reno along with Generals Sheridan and Miles to meet with Agent Dyer and the Cheyenne leader Stone Calf. General Sheridan concluded that Agent Dyer was not too aggressive in his efforts to disarm, dismount and put Indians onto farms near Darlington. General Sheridan recommended to President Cleveland that all leases be terminated in Indian Territory and that any unauthorized person be removed from Indian land and that the military personnel replace the civilians at the Cheyenne and Arapaho Agency. While there is no written record to prove the exact year the building was built, it is believed to been constructed in 1876, under the orders of General Sheridan. To erect the log building, trenches were dug about two feet deep then the logs were stood on end in picket style instead of the traditional horizonal direction.
The cabin was one of the seven buildings at Fort Reno scheduled to be demolished in 1957. The El Reno Chamber of Commerce saved it and moved it to Adams Park. In 1992 it was moved to the Canadian County Museum. General Sheridan's Cabin is Canadian County's oldest standing structure.
Workers from Priority 1 Roofing remove the old roof from the Sheridan, the oldest building in Canadian County. Tribune photographer-Shane Smith
A worker from Priority 1 repairing the roof of the Sheridan. Tribune photographer-Shane Smith
Thank you to these great guys that showed up to help clean up the shingles from the General Sheridan's cabin. Thank you Fred Koebrick, Dave Bostic, and Kendall Watson. Thanks for making El Reno Great!!!