Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper

Good Old Days – 04-04-14

Compiled By The Sidney Sun-Telegraph Staff

These stories from the past first appeared in The Sidney Telegraph. Original writing is preserved, though some stories were shortened for space reasons.

100 YEARS AGO

'Rain And Snow Soak Cheyenne County'

April 4, 1914

A dandy snow and rain visited this section Monday lasting until Tuesday night. It fell gently and was all water, benefitting the soil by continuing its perfect condition. Such a precipitation came the week previous. Let the good work go on.

75 YEARS AGO

'Measles Prevalent In Nebraska This Year'

April 4, 1939

Another measles year is here, says Dr. P. H. Bartholomew, director of the state health department. To date there have been 714 cases of measles reported compared to 248 at the same time last year. There were 308 cases in March and 237 in February, compared to 166 and 66 in the same two months last year.

Chickenpox shows a slight decrease from 689 to 597, and other decreases are: Diphtheria 36 and 72; influenza, 33 and 101; meningitis, C. S., 9 and 29; scarlet fever, 508 and 644; tuberculosis, 41 and 47; whooping cough, 59 and 122; gonorrhea, 177 and 269 and syphilis, 212 and 230.

Increases were noted in poliomyelitis with 3 to date this year and 2 at the same time last year; smallpox 95 and 70;and 6 cases of typhoid fever this year, the same as last year.

50 YEARS AGO

'Latest Oil Discovery Has Good Potential'

April 1964

Nebraska's latest oil discovery in the southwest corner of Cheyenne County gives every indication of being a significant find.

Drilled on state-owned land in Sec. 16-12-52 by Sage Oil Co. and Baumgartner Oil Co., the well flowed ten barrels of oil in five hours during a recent test, with a total recovery of 43.93 barrels of oil in 26 hours and a potential natural gas volume estimated at one million cubic feet per day.

While this amount of oil recovery is not indicative of a large producer, production by flow test is uncommon in western Nebraska and the real potentiality of the well will be better determined when

it is put on the pump.

Sage and Baumgartner staked the drilling site within a half mile of the Hendricks Field, but with the knowledge that it is separated from the field by unsuccessful drilling. It is likely that the well will be put to pump tests before any further drilling will be scheduled there.

The well that will attract the most attention in the Nebraska oil patch once it gets started is Midwest Oil Co.'s No. 1 Schou in Cheyenne County, which will be a south offset to a recent discovery, the No. 1 Lieber. Midwest has spotted the well but is expected to drill it as a 'tight hole' because this was the procedure used while the Lieber was being drilled. This particular area as been in special focus because it borders Sioux Army Depot and efforts were made to persuade the Army to open up at least a small acreage in the depot for drilling. The Army refused. Location for the No. 1 Schou is NE NW Sec. 199-15-49.

25 YEARS AGO

'Glover Group Unveils Plans For New Park'

April 3, 1989

Plans for a new Sidney city park immediately west of McDonald's at Interstate 80 are moving ahead and a 'proposal may be ready to go to City Council and the City Planning Commission within weeks,' according to Glover Group President Dick Dodge.

The three acre site will be donated to the city by the Glover Group, its present owner. A modern locomotive, freight car and caboose will be the center of attention at the park, but there will also be a picnic ground, an equipped playground, restrooms, a gazebo and walkways.

Dodge said the caboose will serve as a Sidney information center and will display many locally manufactured products such as Tuf-Wear' boxing equipment, T-shirts that Dave Mowry imprints, and some of the Cabela's wooden products that are made in Sidney.

Glover already has the freight car that will be displayed. Dodge said the Burlington Northern Railroad is looking for the needed locomotive and the Union Pacific is working equally diligently to secure a locomotive.

A length of track will be laid down at the park site and the three train units will be transported there on a Filsinger Excavating Company low bed trailer.

The locomotive's engine will be removed to lessen its weight, Dodge said.

Dodge said the idea of the park is "to get I-80 motorists to stop, learn about Sidney and want to go into town."

10 Years Ago

'Construction Is At Slowest Start In Seven Years'

April 6, 2004

Construction in Sidney is at its lowest pace after the first quarter in seven years.

Through March, the City of Sidney has issued 40 permits with a value of just $544,135.

That figure includes permits for two new homes, the second slowest start in the past seven years.

In March, 21 permits were issued, valued at $387,396. That includes two for single family residences. The value of those two homes amounted to $323,360 of the value of the permits issued last month.

After the first three months of 2003, permit value was $2,067,388 and permits had been issued for 14 new single family homes. The year ended with the second highest value on record for Sidney: $15,532,622. Starts were made on 38 new homes last year.

The 2004 building pace is the slowest in Sidney since 1999. After the first three months of 1999, permit value was $678,895, including four single family home starts. That year ended with permits valued at $10,814,861 and 12 new homes.

In 1998, permit value after the first quarter was $977,000 and five new homes. The year ended with permits valued at $10,013,310 and 63 living units constructed in Sidney, including 15 single family homes.

Sidney's record year for construction, 2001, had permits valued at $3,664,901 after three months, including six for new homes. That year ended with a permit value of $20,201,270 and 35 new homes.

Construction got off to its fastest start in Sidney in 2000, when permit value through March was $4,441,390. Ironically, no new permits were issued for new homes during that period. The year ended with a permit value of $14,240,135, third high on record here. Twenty new homes were started that year.

The permits issued for new homes in March were for those at 548 Deaver Drive and 536 Deaver Drive.

Other March permits included:

Residential alterations at 194 East Drive, 1736 Dorwart Drive, 1329 Rose; and 1044 11th Ave.; erect fence at 158 Virginia Lane, 2412 Dawn Drive, 241 West Drive, 1403 Osage; and 1010 22nd; install carports at 1809 Jack Lane and 1332 Country Club.

Garage at 1714 Dorwart; build deck at 2413 Deaver; driveway and walk at 1534 Newton; storage building at 932 Olsen; Commercial building at 1 Cabela Drive; youth camp alteration at 2040 Ft. Sidney Road and church alteration at 2622 11th Ave.

 

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