Snyder got its start in 1878 as a trading post for buffalo hunters and took its name from W.H. (Pete) Snyder, who operated the trading post. The area was once prime buffalo hunting territory, and on October 7, 1876, J. Wright Mooar shot and killed a rare white buffalo on Deep Creek about 10 miles northwest of Snyder. A replica of that buffalo stands on the courthouse square beside a historical marker calling attention to Mooar's hunting career. The White Buffalo Festival held each October pays tribute to Mooar and this phase of county history.