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HISTORY |
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Sidney, Nebraska was recently named one of the Top 100 Rural Communities in America, for communities under 50,000 population! The community has one of the fastest growing economies in Nebraska with a significant $300 million of community and economic development projects accomplished from1990-2006 and recognized nine times in recent years as “Nebraska’s Community of the Year.” It’s proud history has unveiled a story of triumph over reversals and setbacks, which would have destroyed the hopes and ambitions of lesser citizens. Sidney has known its share of adversity, but its citizen participation in every phase of growth and progress has persevered and built a community with a statewide reputation for success. Sidney was considered the frontier territorial capital of Nebraska’s High Plains region as the oldest settlement in all of western Nebraska. At one time Cheyenne County’s boundaries expanded over 7,210 square miles of the Nebraska Panhandle and Sidney was its county seat. It’s territorial jurisdiction was double that size over the entire Panhandle. It was laid out in 1867 by the Union Pacific Railroad and named for Sidney Dillon, then President of the Union Pacific. Frequent skirmishes between native Americans and railroad workers led to the establishment of a military outpost. A town site was established the summer of the same year. Sidney Barracks later became Fort Sidney, but not until Oct 8, 1884, did the City of Sidney officially incorporate as a municipality. Sidney prospered in its first few years as a key freighting point, but really exploded when gold was discovered in the Black Hills in 1874. The Sidney-Deadwood Trail not only opened the shortest freight route to the gold fields from 1874-1881, it also linked Sidney with military posts and Indian agencies to the northwest. The community served as the railhead for equipment and supplies moving northward. Shortage of sleeping accommodations led to the establishment of the world’s first all night theater, a front street lined with 80 saloons, gaming halls, brothels and boarding houses and many colorful old west tales that gave Sidney the moniker as “Sinful Sidney - The Toughest Town in the Western Frontier.” A book on the colorful Old West historic first 20 years of the community and its famous “Boot Hill” legacy was published in 2006. |
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When the railroad arrived in Deadwood and Lead, the trail eventually phased out. The Homestead Act and Kincaid Act brought many industrious farmers and ranchers to the area and Sidney settled into being an agriculture trade center. The Fort closed in 1894. With the outbreak of World War II, a military presence once again took a stronghold in the community with the construction and operation of the Sioux Ordinance Depot being established 10 miles northwest of Sidney. This resulted in great influx of people to Sidney and Cheyenne County and the local economy once again was busting at the seams. The Depot employed a maximum of 1,400 civilians and military personnel at the peak of World War II. The depot handled millions of tons of war material during that time. In 1946, it was decided that a renovation plant for reworking the stored ammunition was needed at the Sioux Ordinance Deport and was completed in 1948. In 1950, the Korean conflict demanded thousands of tons of ammunition and the Depot helped provide the needed ammunition. After Korea, the work of renovation and consolidation resumed until the Vietnam War broke out and then ammunition started to flow out once again. The Department of Defense on April 24, 1964 disclosed that the Sioux Army Deport as to be terminated as an Army post by June 30, 1967. This area today serves as private industrial parks for several regional businesses. Complimenting the local economy during this era was the discovery of oil near Gurley in 1949 that set off an oil exploration boom throughout the southern Panhandle. Sidney was designated to become the center of this activity and the Nebraska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission headquarters was established. The oil boom peaked in the 1950's and 1960's and had a significant impact on the local economy, local farms and ranches and the employment base. Cheyenne County still ranks as the No. 2 all-time oil producer in the history of the State of Nebraska and #1 natural gas producer. The production, however, today is quite small in comparison to the period of time from 1950-1980. The trend towards larger farms and fewer farmers in our trade area, which had been largely dependant upon agriculture income since the first settlements, has continued even more rapidly in the past two decades. Diversity and value added agri-businesses has helped sustain the agriculture economy and Cheyenne County remains the number one wheat producing county in Nebraska. Beginning in the 1970's and continuing through today, Sidney and Cheyenne County has formed and maintained strong and effective economic and industrial development through private and public partnership, which has helped the community overcome the reversals of the past. Today Sidney is the center of a vigorous and healthy business and agriculture community. Our economic demographics have quadrupled over the past 15 years and Sidney has been recognized nationally and internationally with its strong growth. The Washington Post’s front page article citied Sidney as a community that has more jobs per capita than any other community in America. Another national author cited Sidney in 2005 as one of Nebraska’s four most successful communities in its community and economic development efforts. In addition the community has addressed all of its infrastructure challenges, including a new water well field, new regional landfill, upgraded its wastewater treatment facility, flood plain reduction canal, electrical upgrading and a major downtown improvement project. In 2004, the Nebraska Department of Labor revealed that Sidney has the highest average wages of the 65 counties in the western two thirds of Nebraska. In its brief 140 year history, Sidney has met the challenges of change and remains vibrant, energetic and attractive. We truly are one of rural America’s success stories. |