Patriarch of one of Wyoming’s ‘first families’, founder of the Kendrick Cattle Company, future Wyoming Governor and U.S. Senator, Texas-born John Benjamin Kendrick began his long and productive journey into Wyoming history on a cattle drive from Texas to Wyoming in 1879. As a trail rider for Texas rancher Charles Wulfjen, he worked the 1500 mile drive, watching 3000 head of prime cattle. the drive brought him to the Running Water range in Wyoming Territory and the beginning of the 100-year long Kendrick land and cattle dynasty. In 1891, Kendrick married ‘the boss’s daughter’ Eula Wulfjen. They settled on Kendrick’s OW (Home) Ranch, located 50 miles northeast of Sheridan, Wyoming, where they raised their two children – Manville and Rosa-Maye. As Kendrick’s influence and prosperity grew, he began construction of a ‘city’ home – Trail End Mansion – in Sheridan. He moved his family there in 1913.

Owned and managed by Kendrick and members of his extended family, the Kendrick Cattle Company consisted of a collection of lands (over 210,000 acres), cattle herds (over 4000 head of registered Herefords, Angus, and Simmentals), and business interests in Wyoming and Montana. Kendrick expanded his holdings through outright purchase from neighbors and soldiers’ homestead allotments; and leased lands from neighbors, native Indian tribes, state government, and the federal land office. Kendrick would eventually become a nationally esteemed authority on problems of the West. He was considered an expert on livestock, water supply, cattle disease, and marketing.

Kendrick was elected Wyoming Governor in 1914, and served as its U.S. Senator from 1916 to 1933. He is credited with the establishment of Grand Teton National Park in northwest Wyoming. He was responsible for the inquiry which led to the uncovering of the Teapot Dome Scandal. But the accomplishment for which he was most proud was the procurement of the Acova Dam at Casper, Wyoming. Soon after this achievement, in 1933, Kendrick died at the age of 76. At the time of his death, he was the oldest man in the U.S. Senate.

In 1988, almost a century after John Kendrick’s arrival in Wyoming, his descendants made the decision to discontinue cattle operations and to sell their KCC land holdings. the Sheridan home – Trail End – was purchased by the Sheridan Historical Society and opened to the public as a community museum.