Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-10
FRONTIER DAYS ARE ENDED
Sidney No Longer the Wild and Woolly
Town of Thirty Years Ago.
CHURCH TAKES PLACE OF THE DANCE HALL
Legitimate Business Houses Now
Occupy the Sites Formerly Given
Over to Gambling Dcns and
Palaces of Sin.
CHURCH TAKES PLACE OF THE DANCE HALL

Thirty years ago Sidney out in Cheyenne
county. this state, was one of the widest
towns in this neck of the woods and it con-
tinued to be such until some fifteen years
ago, when it commenced to sober down
until today il is one of the most orderly as
we'll as one of the prettiest little cities of
the plains 1t has electric lights, good side
walks water works and in many respects is
fashioned after the typical eastern town.
The streets are broad, well kept, while upon
either side many of them are lined with
stately naples and cottonwoods
Eastern space writers of two and three
decades ago designated Cheyenne the
toughest town in the world, but it is evil
dent that they never visited Sidney else they
would have located their blood-curdling tales
at the latter place, for there 1t was that
crime ran rampant until the vlgilants took
the law in their own hands and did some
regulating which in time brought order out
OF chaos and induced the tough element TO
seek other Climes.
Sidney has been upon the map of the
United States since 1867 at which time it
was designated as one of the frontier forts.
shortly after this It was garrsoned and
from this point the soldiers worked both
east and west, protecting the few settlers
and the builders of the Union Pacific rail-
road from the Indians, who then and for a
number of years thereafter were on the war
path. The first boom that the town eX-
perienced was when the Union Pacific COM
menced operating its trains that far west.
1t became a division station and has re-
mained one ever since. IN fact the resi-
dents feel that the railroad has done much
for the town. Engines and train crews are
changed there and at the shops considerable
repairing is done.
The town has a large creamery operated
during the summer season, dozen or more
AS fine stores as are usually found in a city
of double the size, the largest of which is
that of the Oberfelder brothers, Joseph and
Robert, who are among the pioneers OF not
only tho city, but the western portion of the
state. In addition to their vast mercantile
business, these two men own a large stone
quarry adjoining the town, from which they
are annually taking out an immense guam
tity OF building stone. They also own a
number of ranches in the county, all well
stocked and in first class condition,
After the passing Of the Union Pacific
railroad and the onward march of settle
ment, which followed the completion of the
liue, the town CT Sidney settled down tc
legitimate business, but it did not continu.
settled for any long period In the fall OF
1875 gold was discovered in the Black Hils
Being the nearest point reached by trains
Sidney at once became the great Quitting
point for the new Eldorado. In the spring
of 1876 the real bocm set in and continued
until about 1880, when the Northwestern
built into Pierre, S d., and the freight busl-
ness was transferred TO that point, II beine
fifty or sixty miles nearer the Hills. How
ever. Sidney was a boomer during these days
of freighting. In the spring OF 1876 II had
less than 300 inhabitants, but apparently II
grew up in night so to speak During tho
summer the population increased to 1000 anc
before the end OF the following winter u