Compiled by Mary A. Mercer
1870s- Settlers began arriving.
1881– Newlon P.O. est.; area’s
first town, 4 miles south of Sidney
1881- O’Brien Stage Stop
opened.
1881- Newlon P.O. est.; first settlement in the area, Wm.
Newlon, Postmaster
1883– Ridgelawn Stage Stop and P.O. est. 6 mi.
north of Sidney
1884– Tokna P.O. est. 1 mile west of
Savage
1887-- First Sidney school (log bldg. on south truck
route)
1888– Sidney P.O. est.; Maggie Crossen, Postmaster
1889- Peter and Bertha Andersen arrived from Denmark
1889- Montana
Territory became the State of Montana
1895- Oldest house in Sidney,
built by Dr. J.C. Stockwell
1897- Log Town Hall built at approx. site
of Chamber of Commerce
1898- Enid P.O. est., Lossie Dawe,
Postmaster
1898- First Dawson Co. Fair at Town Hall
1899- Plans for first church (Methodist), dedicated in 1901
1902- Sidney
School—frame bldg on approx. site of Lincoln Apts.
1904- Fairview P.O.
est., Lou Newlon postmaster
1905-09- Lower Yellowstone Irrigation
Project completed
1906- Dr. R.A. Morrill hired as physician for above
construction crew
1906- Earl Varco arrived from
Minnesota
1906- Augustus Vaux from Minnesota established lumber yards
in area
1907- Cars began arriving in Sidney (Billy Combes had auto
agency, for one)
1908- 4-room, 2-story frame school built on present
Central School site
1908- Commercial Club organized (fore-runner of
present Chamber of Commerce
1908- Sidney Herald began
printing
1909- Dr. J. S. Beagle arrived also from
Minnesota
1909- Turner Drug opened on No. Central
1910- Savage P.O. est., Clark Brook, Postmaster
1910- Crane P.O. est.,
Severt Knutson, Postmaster
1911- Sidney incorporated!
1911- Lambert P.O. first est. at Fox Lake, L.C. Cummings, Postmaster
1912- Northern Pacific built to Sidney
1912- Sidney School burned to the
ground
1913-Temporary frame school built on Central Ave. , so. of
present Thiruds
1913- Two lift bridges constructed at Fairvew and
Snowden
1913- Russell Miller Milling built
1913- Numerous
buildings completed downtown
1913- Masons organized
1913- Sidney Woman’s Club organized, now disbanded
1913- Sidney volunteer
fire department organized, Fred Hurst, chief
1914- Dawson Co. divided,
Richland Co. formed, naming Sidney county seat
1914- Eastern Star
organized
1915- Johnson-Mercer Hardware organized; became Johnson
Hardware in 1929
1915- Niehenke Blacksmith Shop opened and still
operating
1916- Sidney Chamber of Commerce organized
1916- Two-story brick school built on present Central School site (grades
1-12)
1916- First Sidney High School graduation with six
students
1916- Sidney Hospital built
1917- Sidney Drug
opened
1917- U.S. joined Allies to fight WWI, "the war to end
wars"
1918- Tragic flu epidemic; dozens died
1918- Nov. 11
Armistice signed; since 1954 called Veteran’s Day
1919- First library
in Yellowstone basement, Mrs. Varco in charge
1919- Farm Bureau
organized; sponsored first Extension Service in county
1919- American
Legion and Auxiliary formed
1920- First Richland County
Fair
1922- Devastating tornado, killing Mrs. Andrew Olsen at
Ridgelawn
1922- Girl Scouts organized
1925- Holly Sugar
factory moved here
1925- Kiwanis organized, Carl Brattin first
president
1925- Sidney Country Club organized
1925- John
Marman established Reynolds Grocery
1926- Cub Scouts
organized
1928- New Richland County Courthouse
completed
1928- Farmers Union organized
1930s- Hard times
for many in Sidney and surrounding areas
1930s- Baseball popular
sport
1930- Ladies Golf Club organized
1936- Sidney High
School built (grades 9-12), presently Jr. High
1936- Old building then
contained grades 1-8
1942- KGCX Radio moved here in 1942; quit
broadcasting in 1993
1944- Moose Lodge organized with Bennie Dawe, Sr.
at the head
1945- Women of the Moose organized
1945- Veteran’s of Foreign Wars organized
1946- VFW Auxiliary
organized
1946- Knights of Columbus organized
1946- Deaconess Hospital changed to Community Memorial; now Sidney Health
Center
1948- Eastern MT Experiment Station opened
1948- Lion’s Club organized
1949- Elks Club organized, Tad Sanders
Exalted Ruler
1949- Lalonde Hotel built on Central
Ave.
1949--Original Central School building torn down and new one
built on site
1951- Devastating flood on Easter but no loss of
life
1954- Jaycees organized
1955- Jayceens
organized
1956- KUMV-TV arrived in the area—huge community
effort
1957- Senior High with grades 9-12 built near south truck
route
1958- MDU coal generating plant built
1960- Local man,
Don Nutter, was elected governor
1961- Big celebration --50 years
since Sidney incorporated
1961- Richland Homes built
1962- Gov. Nutter tragically killed in plane crash
1962- Westside
Elementary K-6 built on W. 5th St.
1964-Huge 50th anniversary celebration -- Richland County formed from Dawson
1965- USDA Northern Plains Agricultural Research Station opened
1966- Sidney Public Library built; expanded in 1986
1972- J.K. Ralston
Museum & Art Center est. in basement of old hospital
1975- Courage
Enough I , Mondak Family Histories published (up to 1925)
1980s- Oil
boom and bust
1984- Mon-Dak Heritage Center built on 3rd Ave. S.E.
1980s- Fantastic record of Sidney Eagles—Class A
championships in 1982, ’84, ’87,’88, ’89, ’90, ’91, ’92, ’93!
1987- New Sidney Post Office built
1993- Hospice program introduced; Katie
Pust, Coordinator
1996- Courage Enough II published
(1925-1960)
1996- New Sidney Hockey Dome built with massive volunteer
effort
1997- Central School changes to grades 3-6; Westside to
K-2
1997- Bozeman Soil Center added to Sidney complex; Neal Spencer,
Superintendent
1999 - Latest addition to Sidney Health Center,
including chapel
