A Blast from The Past

Sidney's 13th Annual Gold Rush Days gets underway Friday in Legion Park. The events planned will bring people of all ages a blast from the past.

In 1874, when gold was discovered in the Black Hills, Sidney and its railroad were considered the shortest transportation link to Deadwood, S.D. The gold brought in funds for the city, but also brought in many famous faces who wanted the gold without the hard labor.

In the Rush of 1876 several towns in Nebraska vied to be the major supply point for miners headed to the hills. While Sidney was a seemingly insignificant railroad town, it offered great potential as the main departure point for miners.

With the construction of Camp Clark Bridge, built by Henry T. Clarke, located about three and a half miles west of the present site of Bridgeport. The bridge provided a crossing over the North Platte River for what became the Sidney-Black Hills Trail. The trail provided access for freight wagons, stagecoaches and other vehicles headed to and from the Dakota gold fields, from the Union Pacific railway trailhead at Fort Sidney, Nebraska.

At the height of the bonanza, Sidney had 40 saloons, including 23 in one block, and some 1,500 people were arriving and departing daily, according to some reports. Gambling and other vices were said to be rampant, causing an Omaha newspaper to label Sidney as "the wickedest city in the U.S." It's reported that "it was nothing at all for the man to be killed every night in a dance hall operated by a fellow named Joe Lane."

For the past 12 years, modern-day adventurers have re-kindled that same spirit with Gold Rush Days, a weekend trip into the past where young and old can get a glimpse of the 19th century.

A campfire will kick off the 13th celebration on Friday June 10 at 5 p.m. A reenactment by the Colorado Trailblazers will follow the kick off and the Sidney Chamber will host its 5K Walk/Run at 8 p.m. Locals are encouraged to bring hot dogs and marshmallows for the campfire cookout and story telling happening through out Friday evening.

Saturday's events begin with a country breakfast at 7:30 a.m. and the National Anthem. Then tales of history, gunfights, fistfights, saloons, gaming halls, boarding houses, and the world's first all-night theatre will be accompanied by music, entertainment and reenactments through though out the day.

Church services with old time hymns will wrap up the weekend Sunday morning at 10 a.m.

Entertainment includes, gold panning, canon firing, black smithing, woodworking, coopering, treadle sewing machine sewing, butter making, skinning and tanning, a pie baking contest, petting zoo, wagon rides, a traveling snake oil salesman, candle making, food vendors and other old time amusements.

Ramona Joyce, event organizer, said there will be bus tours from the park to the Fort Sidney Museum and Boot Hill.

All Gold Rush Day events will be held in Legion Park in Sidney and are free to the public. For a full list of events and times go to http://www.sidneygoldrush.com.