The story of the church in Cheyenne county is a romance of life in this section of the country. For the first few years after the building of the railroad, there were no towns and Sidney was small. The lack of permanent settlers made church activities of necessity supported almost entirely by outside contributions, and there were not many of these from 1869 to 1875. The "Panic of 73" and the difficulties of obtaining funds are still clearly remembered by the oldest settlers.

It was about 1876 or 1877 that signs of a larger and permanent town became noticeable in Sidney. Elder T. B. Lemon of the Methodist Episcopal church brought a fearless minister of rather erratic tendencies into what

was then considered the wilderness of sin of Cheyenne county and in the language of the time, "turned him loose." There was a man in Sidney at the time, a former judge, who said that if a church was established in the town he would move out. The minister heard of the remark and accepted the challenge. He began his work among the lowly and unfortunate but he was so earnest that people went to hear him. He gained in popularity, and within two years had raised funds among the people to buy a building in the wildest district. The house which was a dance hall to that date, was renovated and remodeled, and the firsl Methodist church was established by 1879. By this work this abode of sin and crime, became consecrated ground. As he had promised, the judge left Sidney after the church was founded and went to the Black Hills; later he became a changed man and a pillar of tin* Methodist church in the home he adopted. Rev. Turner was minister in 1881. A little later Leslie Stevens tilled the pulpit.