Like Old Soldiers Sioux Army Base Faded Away at Midnight
The seventy five year history of Sioux Army Depot ends at midnight on Friday with little fanfare. The installation once employed over 2400 people and boosted Cheyenne County’s economy through pay rolls likely exceeding 125 million over 25 years. After Korea and changing warfare, defenses shuttered Sioux by 1964 and the Army relocated staff, with remaining property eyed by state entities and private developers for new uses.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Sioux
Sidney
Cheyenne County
Sidney Stern
Corps of Army Engineers
Nebraska
Colorado
Washington
Defense Sec. McNamara
Continental
United States
Uncle Sam
General Services Administration
Eleven Commanders Led Sioux In Twenty Five Year History
Sioux had eleven commanding officers over its twenty five year span. From May 1942 Col Harold J Preble led the Ordnance Department until July 1946. Subsequent leaders included Col Richard J Sothern July 1946 to Sept 1947, Col Harold E Hopping December 1947 to June 1948, Lt Col James O Baker June 1948 to August 1950, Lt Col James D Peterson August 1950 to July 1952, Col Luther D Smoak August 1952 to Sept 1954, Col Wayne L Wood October 1954 to June 1956, Col George C Abert July 1956 to June 1959, Col Harvey Bauer August 1959 to December 1961, Col Stanley Smiley December 1961 to April 1964, and Lt Col Cyril P Williams May 1964 to June 30 1967. Interim commanders served without full status. The base relied on civilians for much work and many retirees settled in Sidney and surrounding communities.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Sioux
Harold J. Preble
Ordnance Department
Richard J. Sothern
Harold E. Hopping
James O. Baker
Stanley Smiley
Cyril P. Williams
Sidney
Sidney Youth Council Hosts All Day July 4 Celebration
The Sidney Youth Council invites the public to a park event starting at nine a.m. with a fishing contest and continuing all day into the evening with foot races, a centennial show, square dancing, greased pig catching, food stalls, and a big noon picnic. A dance caps the celebration at the Safeway lot.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Safeway
Critical week for wheat as rust threat rises in region
Weather drives assessments of winter wheat across the region with rust spreading in damp fields and high humidity fueling rust risk. Heavy rains this spring and early July showers threaten test weight and lodging while late fields fill and irrigated areas need warmth. overall losses may be average with a possible good county crop still ahead.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Ivan Liljegren
Cheyenne County
Mr. Liljegren
Liljegren
Dalton
Potter
Two Governors To Hear Area Uneasiness On Highway Design
Nebraska Governor Norbert Tiemann and Wyoming Governor Stan Hathaway will attend a reception at Francis E Warren AFB in Cheyenne to hear Sidney leaders express discontent over the Interstate 80 design near Big Springs. Local officials fear the plan diverts western Nebraska traffic to Colorado, hurting the Panhandle region.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Nebraska
Wyoming
Big Springs
Ray Smith
Chappell
Sidney
Francis E. Warren Air Force Base
Cheyenne
Norbert Tiemann
Stan Hathaway
Sidney Telegraph
Panhandle
Colorado
Denver
Stan Larabee
J. L. Thorpe
Oil Well Ceremony Set For Sunday July 9
Dedication for the Mary Egging No 1 oil well monument will be Sunday July 9 at 2 pm. Marathon Oil installed a pump at the site four and one fourth miles south of Gurley on Highway 385, about seven and a half miles north of Sidney. The discovery on August 9 1949 ended 60 years of oil search in western Nebraska, yielding 225 barrels per day at 4429 feet. Rev John Stayton will preside. Msgr Anthony Egging will offer the invocation. Rolland C McCanne of Casper Wyoming will address as Marathon Oil division manager. Unveiling by Mrs Mary Egging. benediction by Stayton. Gurley Centennial Committee sponsors with Vernon Goranson chairing. Other Gurley members listed plus Ray Prickett of Boulder Colorado.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Mary Egging
Nebraska Panhandle
Marathon Oil Company
Gurley
Highway 385
Sidney
Nebraska
John Stayton
First Methodist Church
Msgr
Anthony Egging
Grand Island
Gen
Wareren Wood
Gering
State Historical Association
Rolland C. McCanne
Casper
Wyoming
Stayton
Gurley Centennial Committee
Ver
Two Burlington Passenger Trains End Service in July
The two Burlington trains serving Sidney, Nos 33 and 34 between Alliance and Denver, will end operations after July 7 with ICC approval. The CB&Q station in Sidney reported the decision Sunday, noting the trains carried few passengers and were unprofitable, while freight service remains unaffected. Most communities along the line protested, but the move stood. The railroad cited aging equipment as a factor in the discontinuation.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Burlington
Sidney
Alliance
Denver
Interstate Commerce Commission
Cb&q
ICC
Black Hills Army Depot Closes After 25 Years Of Operation
CHADRON The Black Hills Army Depot near Edgemont Igloo South Dakota shut down at midnight Friday ending a 25 year run. Opened in 1942 the facility once employed 1400 people and paid over four million dollars in payroll. Remaining payroll workers drop to 112 with 26 caretakers staying 15 months. Officers Maj Walter Garthwaite and Lt Robert Hulbert reassigned to other bases. The site housed 913 housing units and 1200 buildings within its 33 square mile area.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Chadron
Black Hills
Igloo
S.D
Edgemont
Army
Walter Garthwaite
Jefferson Proving Grounds
Madison
Ind
Robert Hulbert
Ft. Hayes
Columbus
Ohio
Sid ney Missile Flight Directions
Dedication of the Sidney Missile Flight will occur tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. ten miles northwest of Sidney on the Sioux Army Depot grounds. Buses depart Sidney at 12:15 p.m. and 1:45 p.m. from the Chamber of Commerce on 8th Ave, capacity 40 per bus.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Sidney
Sioux Army Depot
Chamber of Commerce
8Th Ave
Frontier Airlines sees 128 boardings at Sidney Airport in June
Sidney Airport reports 128 Frontier Airlines passengers boarded in June per manager Dale Kindred. Weather woes include foggy mornings rain and low ceilings affecting flights.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Frontier Airlines
Sidney
Dale Kindred
Weather warns June drought ends with soaking Nebraska plains
The Weather Bureau reports June rainfall across Nebraska was above normal with Sidney at 9.66 inches and Grand Island over 14 inches, Offutt Base 16.85, while hail damage varies by county though crop prospects remain mixed as storms linger into July. Farmers seek dry skies to save the wheat, but uncertainty persists.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
United States Weather Bureau
Sidney
Nebraska
Grand Island
Lincoln
Offutt Air Force Base
Kimball County
Banner County
Deuel
Cheyenne County
Weather Bureau
Jude
Panhandle Forecast Warns of Scattered Thunder Showers
Fair conditions today and tonight with widely scattered thundershowers in the afternoon and evening. Lows near 50 to 60, highs Tuesday around 80 to 90, rain chances 20 percent today and tonight, 30 percent Tuesday. Five day outlook shows temperatures 2 to 7 degrees above normal with frequent day to day changes, highs near 90.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Panhandle
Also Mentioned on This Page
Sioux Army Base
Youth Council
Sidney Youth Council
Sidney City Park
Cil
Jaycees
Fats Iss
The
Sidney Jaycees
Sidney Historical Association
George Niekum
Tech
Western Nebraska Vocational Technical School
Nebraska University College of Agriculture
High Plains Agricultural Research Station
Clifford Bathchelder
Omaha
George H. Fleming
Fern Orme
Stanley Matzke
Milford
George Gerdes
Batchelder
Sen
Fleming
Collleagues
Non Goranson
Henry Hinrichs
Virgil Schmacker
Elmer Freudenberg
Roland Waite
Roger Sorge
Myrtle Higgins
Vernon Goranson
Allen Lessman
Ray Prickett
Boulder
Colo
Black Hills Depot
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!