Sidney in Cheyenne County, Nebraska — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Sidney-Black Hills Trail

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 12, 2023

1. Sidney-Black Hills Trail Marker

Inscription.
Gold was discovered in the Black Hills in August, 1874. By the spring of 1876, the Army had stopped enforcing a treaty which reserved the hills for the Sioux Indians. Miners soon began to pour into the gold regions.

From 1875 to 1881, the 267-mile trail north from Sidney carried the bulk of the traffic to the mining towns of Deadwood and Custer. The Union Pacific Railroad brought men and supplies into Sidney. North from Sidney moved stage coaches, freight wagons drawn by oxen or mules, herds of cattle, and riders on horseback. During 1878-1879 alone, over 22 million pounds of freight moved over the Sidney-Black Hills Trail. Gold shipments, worth up to $200,000 each, moved south from the Black Hills to Sidney and the railroad.

The trail's only major obstacle was the North Platte River. In the spring of 1876, a 2000-foot wooden toll-bridge, known as Clarke's Bridge, was constructed near the present town of Bridgeport.

In October, 1880, the railroad reached Pierre, Dakota Territory, and most of the traffic to the Black Hills was diverted away from Sidney.

Erected by Sidney Chamber of Commerce; and Nebraska Historical

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Land Mark Council.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars • Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Nebraska State Historical Society series list. A significant historical month for this entry is August 1874.

Location. 41° 8.698′ N, 103° 0.03′ W. Marker is in Sidney, Nebraska, in Cheyenne County. It is on Lincoln Highway (U.S. 30) one mile west of 13th Avenue, on the left when traveling west. Marker is located in a pull-out on the south side of the highway, overlooking the Cheyenne County Fairgrounds. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 10955 Lincoln Highway, Sidney NE 69162, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Nebraska Panhandle.

It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Corn Belt,

on the prairies,

on the Great Plains,

and specifically on the High Plains.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 12, 2023

2. Sidney-Black Hills Trail Marker

(looking south from US Highway 30 • Cheyenne County Fairgrounds in background)

least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Hickory Square (approx. 1.2 miles away); Carnegie Library (approx. 1.4 miles away); Original Site of Boot Hill Cemetery (approx. 1½ miles away); Fort Sidney (approx. 1.6 miles away); Nebraska’s Earliest Documented Burial (approx. 2 miles away); National Pony Express Monument (approx. 3.1 miles away); 385 Gold Rush Byway (approx. 3.2 miles away); Cheyenne County (approx. 4½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sidney.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. The Sidney-Black Hills Trail

Also see . . .
1. Sidney-Black Hills Trail (Wikipedia). Excerpt:

The Sidney Black Hills trail connected Sidney, Nebraska, Sidney Barracks, and the Union Pacific Railroad with Fort Robinson, Red Cloud Agency, Spotted Tail Agency, Custer City, Dakota Territory, and Deadwood, Dakota Territory between 1876 and 1887, when it was replaced. It competed with the Cheyenne Black Hills Stage Route to supply the gold mining fields of the Black Hills prior to the construction of the Cowboy Line railroad
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 12, 2023

3. Lincoln Highway Marker
(located beside the historical marker)
in Northern Nebraska in 1887, which linked the Black Hills by rail to the rest of the world.

(Submitted on August 19, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Sidney Black Hills Trail Summary. Excerpt:

In 1876, while Sidney was a seemingly insignificant railroad town, it offered great potential as the main departure point for miners. First of all, a trail had already been forged from Sidney as far north as the Red Cloud and Spotted Tail agencies by military troops and freight wagons. In addition, the route was well patrolled by military troops marching between Fort Sidney and Fort Robinson in northern Nebraska.

(Submitted on August 19, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on August 19, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 18, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 750 times since then and 54 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 18, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.