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The
first child born in Cheyenne county was Fanny
Fisher, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Joseph
Fisher of Sidney. She was born in
1869, as her parents had come to the county
some
time previously.
The
first cemetery was started when it was found
necessary to bury a white man killed by
the Indians.
A
log hut served as the first store building in
Sidney and was built by a man called "French
Louis".
It was located about four miles south
of the present town site, but when a station
was
established at Sidney on the railroad, he moved
the store to the town. Most of the stock
of goods at that time consisted of necessary
supplies and whiskey.
In
1868, Charles Moore built a frame hotel,
store and saloon , and about the same time Thomas
Kane built the second frame store building
and became the first postmaster of
Sidney.
The
name of Tom Kane stands out conspicuously
in the development of Sidney and
Cheyenne County, as he was naturally a builder
and pioneer developer, taking an
active part in all public affairs. He
was not only the first postmaster, but also the
first treasurer
of the county. He was instrumental in
the movement to have the county organized.
Mr. Kane was a prominent ranchman of this
district, located near Bronson
where he made good improvements, being among
the first to erect a good stone
dwelling house. As an early attorney
of Cheyenne County. He became secretary
of
the Cattle Association of Western Nebraska when
it was formed, taking part in the settlement
of many of the cattle disputes and difficulties
of the early days. When the railroad
tried to evade paying taxes, Mr. Kane seized
an engine on the track.
The
first saloon was built and started in the new
town of Sidney, by Dennis Carrigan.
Sidney
one time had twenty three saloons in one block
between First and Second Streets
west of Rose Street, Now Center Street. Now
there are none. The business died
of its own excesses and vice. Carrigan
went into other business and became one of the
progressive citizens, in later years. Saloon
business in a "cow town, was vastly different
from the same business in the mining rush. The
people to deal with were of a different
type and character.
The
first doctor to locate in Sidney who served
the town and a large part of Cheyenne County
was
Dr. Boggs, and Dr. J. G. Ivy,
physician and surgeon, came in the autumn of
1876.
The
only dental office in the town was run by the
Urmy Brothers.
N.
Grant and John Carrier were the first
men to run barber shops, the called "fashionable
barbers,"
soon followed by J. H. Surles and Charles
M. Rouse.
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