Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Research - Sidney, Nebraska


Traveling in Nebraska this summer? You should visit the Sidney Public Library if you are in western Nebraska. Located at 1112 12th Avenue in Sidney, the library's summer hours from Memorial Day to Labor Day are Monday-Thursday 9 am to 6:30 pm and Friday, Saturday 9 am to 6 pm.

The library houses the extensive genealogical collection of the Cheyenne County Genealogical Society. They also have microfilm of the Sidney Sun and Telegraph newspapers from 1873 to the present.

The history of Sidney and the surrounding area is interesting. The area was a passage way for many major trails west, such as the California-Oregon Trail, Overland Trail and the Sidney-Deadwood Trail. Sidney was a major outfitting stop when gold was discovered in the Black Hills. It became a division point for the Union Pacific Continental Railroad in 1867. This resulted in the establishment of Fort Sidney which was a working fort from 1867 to 1894. It is estimated that in 1876 and 1877, 1,500 people arrived and departed Sidney daily going to the Black Hills. Many brushed elbows with famous people such as Wild Bill Hickok, Butch Cassidy, Sam Bass and Calamity Jane.

Begin your search in the Sidney Public Library, explore Sidney and have fun with the history of western Nebraska.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Nebraska Maps


Old and new maps enhance genealogical research. Who doesn't like maps? If you are researching in Nebraska, be sure to check out the map collection at the University of Texas at Austin online.

They are in JPG or PDF format. The collection also contains a Lincoln 1901 map, Nebraska City 1920 map and one for Omaha in 1920. It is interesting to see how small Omaha was in 1920.

There are many maps available at the Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR) Map Library. These include county maps and historical maps. Some are large, so be prepared for the time they may take in downloading.

Links to Nebraska maps, some plat and township maps, can be found at NebraskAccess. Some of these are in the early part of the 1900s.

Have fun locating Nebraska maps on Internet. They will add interest to your genealogical research!