SNEAK PEEK - CHAPTERS 1-10
Chapter 21 Famous Women of Sidney, “Queen of the Wild Ladies” and The Tragic Shooting of Miss Lou Mace
Sidney’s famous Madame Brashaw was “Queen of the Wild Ladies” and the most prominent prostitution ring in Sidney frequently exerting her influence over law enforcement and the judicial system through . . . . . . . . . . A tragedy unveiled the vulnerability of the entertainment ladies in a Sidney saloon when . . . . . . . .
Chapter 22 The Big Swindles of 1876-1877
If you think scams are huge today, creativity was its peak performance when in 1876 and in 1877 the . . . . . . . .
Chapter 23 Sidney to Black Hills Railroad
Sidney was enjoying the fruits of the booming economy as the “Boss City” to the gold rush of the Black Hills as the nearest freighting point to Deadwood and other South Dakota boom towns, but others were touting a faster route by constructing a Sidney to the Black Hills Railroad, but other envious Old West towns were trying to under mine this effort which wound up . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 24 Necrology & Sidney’s Molly McGuires (Irish Mafia)
There were numerous hangings in Sidney, but the story behind the man, who actually got hung twice by an angry mob coming out of the Capitol Saloon was . . . . . . . With no formal village government, much of Sidney’s politics were controlled by the strong presence of Irish immigrants with close ties to the eastern United States based Irish Mafia. They would exert their influence by . .
Chapter 25 Infamous Sheriff “Con McCarty”
Sidney boasted having the crooked county sheriff in the Old West brought to power by the Irish mafia and free whiskey at his Capitol Saloon, but his strong armed tactics would eventually turn the power base against him when . . . . . . . .
Chapter 26 1878 Sidney
Sidney boasted of having over 70 establishments selling liquor by the drink in the tightly nestled front street business district that was clamoring with gaming halls, all-night theaters, brothels and fights often breaking out between . . . . . . . .
Chapter 27 Newspaper Opinions -
“Sinful Sidney”, “Toughest Town”, “Wickedest Burgh”, “Hardest Hole”
No “Old West” town was so despised by other communities or had some many harsh reputations dubbed on them by frontier newspaper publishers and editors. The sensational headlines of Old Sidney town were prevalent from coast to coast with events such as . . . .
Chapter 28 Get a Job, Go to Jail, or Leave Town
Vagrancy complaints filled the court dockets as the floating population of idlers, loungers, spongers, bummers, dead beats, stragglers and dodgers were creating enormous . . . .
Chapter 29 “Magic City of the Plains”
While the despicable headlines of Sidney’s activities brought about its national reputation as the “wickedest town in the world” according to one newspaper account, another metropolitan newspaper editor was so impressed by the fast growing community, he simply called this booming town the “Magic City of the Plains” as it . . . . .
Chapter 30 Union Pacific Orders - “No One Off At Sidney!”
Eastern riders venturing out west came by the Union Pacific passenger cars and often were so horrified at what they saw at Sidney with cowboys and desperadoes dangling by the neck from the Telegraph pole on Front Street, or passengers getting fleeced when they stepped off the train, that UP officials took matters into their own hands and ordered Sidney to . . . . . . . .
Sidney’s famous Madame Brashaw was “Queen of the Wild Ladies” and the most prominent prostitution ring in Sidney frequently exerting her influence over law enforcement and the judicial system through . . . . . . . . . . A tragedy unveiled the vulnerability of the entertainment ladies in a Sidney saloon when . . . . . . . .
Chapter 22 The Big Swindles of 1876-1877
If you think scams are huge today, creativity was its peak performance when in 1876 and in 1877 the . . . . . . . .
Chapter 23 Sidney to Black Hills Railroad
Sidney was enjoying the fruits of the booming economy as the “Boss City” to the gold rush of the Black Hills as the nearest freighting point to Deadwood and other South Dakota boom towns, but others were touting a faster route by constructing a Sidney to the Black Hills Railroad, but other envious Old West towns were trying to under mine this effort which wound up . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 24 Necrology & Sidney’s Molly McGuires (Irish Mafia)
There were numerous hangings in Sidney, but the story behind the man, who actually got hung twice by an angry mob coming out of the Capitol Saloon was . . . . . . . With no formal village government, much of Sidney’s politics were controlled by the strong presence of Irish immigrants with close ties to the eastern United States based Irish Mafia. They would exert their influence by . .
Chapter 25 Infamous Sheriff “Con McCarty”
Sidney boasted having the crooked county sheriff in the Old West brought to power by the Irish mafia and free whiskey at his Capitol Saloon, but his strong armed tactics would eventually turn the power base against him when . . . . . . . .
Chapter 26 1878 Sidney
Sidney boasted of having over 70 establishments selling liquor by the drink in the tightly nestled front street business district that was clamoring with gaming halls, all-night theaters, brothels and fights often breaking out between . . . . . . . .
Chapter 27 Newspaper Opinions -
“Sinful Sidney”, “Toughest Town”, “Wickedest Burgh”, “Hardest Hole”
No “Old West” town was so despised by other communities or had some many harsh reputations dubbed on them by frontier newspaper publishers and editors. The sensational headlines of Old Sidney town were prevalent from coast to coast with events such as . . . .
Chapter 28 Get a Job, Go to Jail, or Leave Town
Vagrancy complaints filled the court dockets as the floating population of idlers, loungers, spongers, bummers, dead beats, stragglers and dodgers were creating enormous . . . .
Chapter 29 “Magic City of the Plains”
While the despicable headlines of Sidney’s activities brought about its national reputation as the “wickedest town in the world” according to one newspaper account, another metropolitan newspaper editor was so impressed by the fast growing community, he simply called this booming town the “Magic City of the Plains” as it . . . . .
Chapter 30 Union Pacific Orders - “No One Off At Sidney!”
Eastern riders venturing out west came by the Union Pacific passenger cars and often were so horrified at what they saw at Sidney with cowboys and desperadoes dangling by the neck from the Telegraph pole on Front Street, or passengers getting fleeced when they stepped off the train, that UP officials took matters into their own hands and ordered Sidney to . . . . . . . .