Here is Part Two of our Sidney, Nebraska adventure! We are seeing so much that we'll never remember it all without this blog! I'm trying to keep things short, but you know me and my love for research. I just can't stop!
Fort Sidney
We went to The Fort Sidney Officers Quarters and the Fort
Sidney Post Commanders Home. The Museum employee, Julie, was extremely helpful
and attentive. In 1867, track-laying railroad workers were raided by Native
Americans. The U.S. Army responded by building Fort Sidney. In 1875, gold was
discovered in the Black Hills, and Sidney became the starting point of the
Sidney-Deadwood Trail. Froom 1875 to 1881, population and crime rose to
legendary heights, and Sidney became known as one of the wickedest towns in the
west. It was also here that we learned about the Sioux Army Depot.
School-rooms in the early 1900’s always had a picture of the
President and an American flag.
A few months after the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor, the
U.S. Army picked a site near Sidney to provide additional storage for
ammunition. The mission was to receive, store, and issue all types of ammunition and military
supplies. It operated continuously for the next 25 years, serving the U.S.
during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The depot occupied
19,771 acres and included 801 reinforced concrete ammunition storage igloos, 22 general supply warehouses,
392 support buildings, 225 family living quarters, 51 miles of railroad tracks,
and 203 miles of roads. It employed between 625 and 2,161 civilian employees,
who worked alongside a small number of Army personnel.
The Sioux army depot was important to the World War II, the
Korean War, and the Vietnam War in that they delivered all over the country the
war materials that where needed. Sioux Army Depot's mission during its entire
history was the receipt, storage, and issue of all types of ammunition from
small arms to 10,000-pound bombs, all types of general supplies from small
automobile parts to jeeps, and various strategic and critical materials. Sioux
Army Depot was deactivated on 30 June 1967. The land was sold and today the
igloos are privately owned. The entries are so large that they are used to
store farm equipment and to rent out for storage. The are very thick-walled
concrete, and water-proof and temperature consistent, making them an ideal
place for storage. We are told the entrances are large enough to fit a combine
inside.
5.29.26
Ash Hollow Historical Park
Windlass Hill, located within Nebraska's Ash Hollow State
Historical Park, is an infamous landmark on the Oregon and California Trails.
Named after a winch device that pioneers used to lower their wagons, the steep
25 degree, 300-foot descent required travelers to "rough lock"
(chain) their wheels to prevent runaways.
Other Wagon Techniques: Wagons were lowered one at a time.
Pioneers locked the back wheels with chains so they wouldn't roll, and some
utilized ropes attached to trees or anchors to ease the wagons down.
Due to the steepness of the grade, the wagons could easily
travel at speeds that were not good for them or the livestock pulling the
wagons. They were slowed by locking the wheels, which prevented the wheels from
turning and increased friction.
Swales, eroded ruts and large depressions made by thousands
of west-bound wagons, are still visible on the landscape. Sweet spring water
made Ash Hollow a major stopover on the Overland Trail. Ash Hollow is named for
the grove of ash trees that pioneers discovered on their stopover. Road-weary
pioneers rested here and took time to repair wagons and harnesses, drink the
spring water and let their mules and oxen graze on the prairie grasses.
We hiked a paved, but very steep, trail with outdoor
exhibits along the ruts to the top of the hill. From there, we were rewarded
with a view of Ash Hollow and the Platte River. Good thing our ancestors were smart enough to stop at Wisconsin. We wouldn’t have been good pioneers and it would have
taken us a lot longer to get to Oregon! We would have been ready to retire by
the time we got there!
A thought on Nebraska… it’s flat, mostly treeless and always
windy!
Al went walking...At the Ash
Hollow State Historical Park Medicine Wheel, the colored poles represent the
Four Directions (North, South, East, and West) and their interconnected
attributes in Indigenous cultures. Collectively, the poles and the circular wheel remind
visitors of the cycle of life, the seasons, and the importance of finding
balance in all aspects of life (mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional).
We are still smiling!
We drove over an hour to see Chimney Rock, Jailhouse Rock, Courthouse Rock and Scott’s Bluff National Monument. Marley had to bark at the cow statues and all the other dogs. We saw it all and then drove to the top of Scott’s Bluff where Al went walking and then we had a picnic lunch before heading back to Mona.
Rising 325 feet above the North Platte River Valley in western Nebraska, Chimney Rock is an iconic geological formation. Famous as the most-mentioned landmark in pioneer diaries, it served as a vital milepost on the Oregon, California, and Mormon trails, signaling the end of the plains and the start of rugged mountain travel.
Courthouse Rock on the right and Jail Rock on the left.
Courthouse Rock & Jail Rock
Located near Bridgeport, Nebraska, Courthouse Rock and its
smaller companion, Jail Rock, are prominent monoliths made of Brule clay and
Gering sandstone. First documented by explorer Robert Stuart in 1812, these
natural landmarks served as essential navigational guideposts for fur traders,
pioneers, and gold seekers along the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails. Today,
the rocks are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Courthouse and Jail Rock are in the distance.
Scott’s Bluff National Monument
Scotts Bluff, Nebraska, is a towering 800-foot geological formation along the North Platte River that served as a major landmark for Native Americans, fur trappers, and over 250,000 westward emigrants. It was named after Hiram Scott. In 1828, fur trapper Hiram Scott, a clerk for the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, was abandoned by his companions after becoming ill or injured. According to legend, he crawled an astonishing 60 miles to the bluffs before perishing.
Between 1843 and 1869, Scotts Bluff was an important navigational waypoint and the second-most referenced landmark in pioneer diaries. It guided travelers along the Oregon Trail, California Trail, and Mormon Trail.
Scott’s Bluff also provided a vital corridor for the Pony Express (1860–1861).
While we were at Scott’s Bluff there was a man in period
dress explaining some things about pioneers on the Oregon Trail. Al and I both
noticed immediately that there were two brass items sitting on a chair that we
recognized. A fire starter and a match box. After he was done talking, we asked
about the two items and he went into detail telling us how they worked. I asked
if he knew where they came from and he said they were there when he started the
job. I asked to see if there were markings on the bottom and sure enough there was the TDC I was looking for. We told
him that my sister and brother-in-law made those! He was very interested in
where they came from and told us that he did some training in Wisconsin at
Hoofbeat Ridge and knew the area when we mentioned Sauk City and Waunakee.
