SIDNEY, Neb. (KOLN) – There are only three buildings left from the original Fort Sidney in western Nebraska, and one of them is the Post Commander’s Home.
We caught up with Mary Brumage to talk about the Post Commander’s Home. She is the board president of the Cheyenne County Historical Association, and the group has worked over the years to keep the attraction open for visitors.
“The Post Commander’s Home was the heart of Fort Sidney,” Brumage said. “Fort Sidney was created in 1867, and it actually started up on the bluff in town at a place called Camp Lookout.” About two years later, the fort moved to its final location, which is just south of present-day downtown Sidney. “The reason for the fort was to protect railroad workers, as efforts were underway to build the transcontinental railroad,” Brumage said.
Fort Sidney played a role in other big events over the years, including the Gold Rush, as people headed from Sidney up to the Black Hills. It played a role in the Indian Wars, and Army Surgeon Walter Reed served at the military hospital at Fort Sidney.
As for the Post Commander’s Home, when people visit the building, they will be stepping back into the 1800s. “Anything inside the building is from no later than 1890,” Brumage said. “You are going to walk in, and you are going to feel like you stepped into a time warp. A lot of the furniture is original to the building, because it was sold when the fort was abandoned. The commanders either left furniture or sold it, and so the children’s beds on display here for example, are from the original officer’s quarters.”
The three buildings that remain at Fort Sidney are the Post Commander’s Home, the Married Officer’s Quarters, which currently serves as the Cheyenne County Museum, and the Powder Magazine.
If you would like to tour these sites, including the Post Commander’s Home, you are encouraged to stop by. “On our website we have a map that will get you here, and we have signs outside of town pointing you this way,” Brumage said. “We are not open all the time, but if you want to visit, please check out and use the phone numbers on our website or on the door. We are happy to come down and to give a tour any time.”
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