SNEAK PEEK - CHAPTERS 1-10
Chapter 1 In the Beginning
They were romantic figures all . . .these early individuals, some known and some unknown. They played upon the stage of life every day in “Old Sidney Town.” Sidney, Nebraska was established by an April 29, 1867 special order of the “Headquarters Department of the Platte” less than two months after Nebraska gained statehood. The Union Pacific had reached just west of the confluence of the South and North Platte Rivers and a terminal point was needed because of the threat of . . . .
Chapter 2 Boot Hill - The Original Sidney Cemetery
From 1868 to 1894 Sidney’s infamous Boot Hill was filled with well over 200 bodies and was known throughout the Old West as the “Bad Man’s Cemetery” because of . . . .
Chapter 3 Sidney’s One Man Chamber of Commerce - Carl Borgquist
Every Old West community’s survival with time was dependent upon those every day unsung heroes that nurture it along in its embryotic stage. Sidney’s one man Chamber of Commerce was a Swedish immigrant with an Irish wife, who built the “White House Hall” as well as a number of other businesses that catered to community events, some quite famous such as . . . .
Chapter 4 The Dig
Because of embarrassing run down conditions in 1922, Boot Hill was sanctioned for removal by the U.S. Army as unfit for the burial of service men lost during the Fort Sidney era, so G.H. Austin of Julesburg, CO won the low bid to remove the bodies, but what he found even shocked the Army as Sidney’s embarrassing and shameful past was revealed in the form of . . . . . .
Chapter 5 Cheyenne County Origin
Cheyenne County was Nebraska’s largest county by far when originally formed with 4.6 million acres over 7,210 square miles, taking in over half of Nebraska’s Panhandle region with County seat Sidney serving as the Territorial Capitol for the entire Panhandle during its formative years. Governor David Butler signed the documents forming Cheyenne County in 1870 shortly before Butler was impeached as Nebraska’s first governor because of . . . . . . .
Chapter 6 County Named After Proud Cheyenne Indians
No prouder native American tribe ever existed than the Cheyenne Indian tribe for which Cheyenne County bears its name. The Sidney Telegraph, western Nebraska’s oldest newspaper established in 1873 gave a very important look at the Cheyenne in a story entitled “Our Savages” as it details . . . . . . .
Chapter 7 Early Beginning of Churches
An amazing finding in the research revealed perhaps for the first time in over 130 years that the first church in Sidney was founded by the black population, which represented over 10 percent of the town’s residents in its early years, compared to only a fraction of one percent in modern day Sidney. The African American Methodist Church had rather lively services in 1877 (Sidney was 10 years old before it even had a church) and was followed by the Catholic Church in 1878. The first white protestant church was not founded until 1884. The first church fell to the prey of some wild hooligans that . . . . .
Chapter 8 H.T. Clarke’s Influence on Sidney’s Early Beginning
One of the most brilliant entrepreneurs of his time, H.T. Clarke was responsible for constructing the Camp Clarke Bridge, also known as the “Sidney Bridge” which allowed this upstart frontier town to be known as the “Short Cut” and the “Boss City” for the gold rush to the Dakota’s and Deadwood from 1875-1881. Clarke had several business operations in Sidney including . . . .
Chapter 9 Competition Heats Up Between Sidney and Cheyenne For Black Hills Route
A rivalry with other frontier towns over the Black Hills Gold Rush became very heated between the two primary rivals, Cheyenne, Wyo., and Sidney, NE. Cheyenne newspapers would pounce on some of the lawless events taking place in “Sinful Sidney” as they often referred to this town and as Sidney became the primary route, Cheyenne would . . . .
Chapter 10 First Need of a Cemetery
As deaths became more prevalent in “Old West” Sidney the need for a cemetery demanded a resting place for the souls of the unfortunate. Sidney’s Boot Hill would be known across the Old West as the “Bad Man’s Cemetery” with such infamous characters as . . . . . .
They were romantic figures all . . .these early individuals, some known and some unknown. They played upon the stage of life every day in “Old Sidney Town.” Sidney, Nebraska was established by an April 29, 1867 special order of the “Headquarters Department of the Platte” less than two months after Nebraska gained statehood. The Union Pacific had reached just west of the confluence of the South and North Platte Rivers and a terminal point was needed because of the threat of . . . .
Chapter 2 Boot Hill - The Original Sidney Cemetery
From 1868 to 1894 Sidney’s infamous Boot Hill was filled with well over 200 bodies and was known throughout the Old West as the “Bad Man’s Cemetery” because of . . . .
Chapter 3 Sidney’s One Man Chamber of Commerce - Carl Borgquist
Every Old West community’s survival with time was dependent upon those every day unsung heroes that nurture it along in its embryotic stage. Sidney’s one man Chamber of Commerce was a Swedish immigrant with an Irish wife, who built the “White House Hall” as well as a number of other businesses that catered to community events, some quite famous such as . . . .
Chapter 4 The Dig
Because of embarrassing run down conditions in 1922, Boot Hill was sanctioned for removal by the U.S. Army as unfit for the burial of service men lost during the Fort Sidney era, so G.H. Austin of Julesburg, CO won the low bid to remove the bodies, but what he found even shocked the Army as Sidney’s embarrassing and shameful past was revealed in the form of . . . . . .
Chapter 5 Cheyenne County Origin
Cheyenne County was Nebraska’s largest county by far when originally formed with 4.6 million acres over 7,210 square miles, taking in over half of Nebraska’s Panhandle region with County seat Sidney serving as the Territorial Capitol for the entire Panhandle during its formative years. Governor David Butler signed the documents forming Cheyenne County in 1870 shortly before Butler was impeached as Nebraska’s first governor because of . . . . . . .
Chapter 6 County Named After Proud Cheyenne Indians
No prouder native American tribe ever existed than the Cheyenne Indian tribe for which Cheyenne County bears its name. The Sidney Telegraph, western Nebraska’s oldest newspaper established in 1873 gave a very important look at the Cheyenne in a story entitled “Our Savages” as it details . . . . . . .
Chapter 7 Early Beginning of Churches
An amazing finding in the research revealed perhaps for the first time in over 130 years that the first church in Sidney was founded by the black population, which represented over 10 percent of the town’s residents in its early years, compared to only a fraction of one percent in modern day Sidney. The African American Methodist Church had rather lively services in 1877 (Sidney was 10 years old before it even had a church) and was followed by the Catholic Church in 1878. The first white protestant church was not founded until 1884. The first church fell to the prey of some wild hooligans that . . . . .
Chapter 8 H.T. Clarke’s Influence on Sidney’s Early Beginning
One of the most brilliant entrepreneurs of his time, H.T. Clarke was responsible for constructing the Camp Clarke Bridge, also known as the “Sidney Bridge” which allowed this upstart frontier town to be known as the “Short Cut” and the “Boss City” for the gold rush to the Dakota’s and Deadwood from 1875-1881. Clarke had several business operations in Sidney including . . . .
Chapter 9 Competition Heats Up Between Sidney and Cheyenne For Black Hills Route
A rivalry with other frontier towns over the Black Hills Gold Rush became very heated between the two primary rivals, Cheyenne, Wyo., and Sidney, NE. Cheyenne newspapers would pounce on some of the lawless events taking place in “Sinful Sidney” as they often referred to this town and as Sidney became the primary route, Cheyenne would . . . .
Chapter 10 First Need of a Cemetery
As deaths became more prevalent in “Old West” Sidney the need for a cemetery demanded a resting place for the souls of the unfortunate. Sidney’s Boot Hill would be known across the Old West as the “Bad Man’s Cemetery” with such infamous characters as . . . . . .
