You're Never Too Young: Dr. Samuel W. Service, Sheridan's 'Grand Old Man'

We found this colorful character when helping a patron with genealogical research.

A local character of the most colorful variety, Dr. Samuel W. Service lived his remaining years in Sheridan, creating many stories to share.

The world didn't know what it was in for when Service entered it on January 1, 1826, in New York.

He went on to serve in three, count'em three, wars, as a veterinary surgeon: the Civil War, the Indian Wars of the 1870s, and the Spanish-American War.

During his long tenure in the United States military, he won "blue letters of praise and commendations from leaders under which he operated." In 1910, he was commissioned to report to Fort MacKenzie, after spending some time at Fort Ethan Allen in Virginia and Canada. He was 84 and according to Sheridan newspapers, held the record for the oldest actively serving member of the U.S. armed forces.

As though his military career didn't add enough color to his life, Service was also a "graduate optician and expert jeweler." At 77, when most folks start hitting the rocking chair, S.W. Service would have none of it. He moved to Sheridan where he started a jewelry store with his son, William, at 41 S. Main.

From the June 10, 1910 edition of the Sheridan Post.
Click to enlarge.

Ten or so years later, Dr. Service opened a veterinary hospital in the back of that jewelry store, after returning from duty at Fort Ethan Allen. He later moved the hospital to his residence at 835 Olive Street.

Well into his 90s, Service, known then affectionately as 'Sheridan's Grand Old Man,' made it a point to see all he could of the region, travelling by car a couple times a year--a pretty big deal in the 1910s.

When at the home front, he loved "mix[ing] with the boys" at the Eagles' lodge.

In 1924, he made front page news when he went sledding with local kids down the Park Street hill--just weeks after he was hit by a car. All of this when he was 98 years old.

Later that same year, Service suffered a stroke, causing many to fear the worst. It didn't stop him. Not by a long shot.

To top it all off, at age 102, Dr. Service made news again when he almost blew up a hat shop downtown after lighting his pipe too close to the cleaning machine (gasoline was used to clean hats back then). You do have to look your best, no matter your age.

Service passed away in his sleep at home in December 1929 after what we can all agree was a long, full life. At the time of his death, he was one of the few remaining Civil War veterans in the country.

Photo credit: The Sheridan Enterprise.

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