In 1869 and 1870, cattle were wintered in the country now' comprised in Cheyenne county though the ranges had been used before that time for oxen. For a number of years no taxes were levied against the cattle, no investments in real estate were necessary and the profits were large. Later the cattlemen and ranchers had to pay their taxes to the organized counties adjacent. They had no benefit from them and no enforcement of the laws and in order to accomplish this it was evident that county organization should be established.

County organization began to be talked over when the Union Pacific began building west through what is now Cheyenne county and the history of the county, and the town of Sidney, are so closely associated that they will be written together.

Sidney and Cheyenne County

The story of Cheyenne county and Sidney begins in 1867 when the Union Pacific Railroad reached the site of the present city.

On December 13, 1867, the United States established Sidney Barracks, a sub-post of Fort Sedgewick, Colorado Territory.

On November 28, 1870, it became an independent post.

The first purpose of the soldiers at Fort Sidney was to protect the builders of the railroad; four troops of the Third and Fifth United States Cavalry were stationed there and a portion of the Third Infantry for a time but they were later sent to another post. General Dudley was in command of Sidney Post and remained two years before being relieved by Genera] Merritt. A companv of soldiers was stationed at or near the present site of the town of Lodgepole and another twenty miles west, where Potter is now located. In the middle eighties troops from Vancouver and other Pacific coast garrisons were sent