†Sidney was the place to be! Sidney is still the place to be every 2nd Saturday in June for Gold Rush Days. It’s “The Toughest Town on the Tracks”! In 1867 when gold was discovered in the Black Hills, The Sidney-Deadwood Trail was the shortest route to take to get to those gold fields. It also linked Sidney with military outposts and Indian agencies. Sidney became a trailhead for cattle drives going both East and West. As a result, a wide variety of people passed through Sidney including cattlemen, such as the Blocker Brothers. Chuckwagons, longhorns and cowboys were a familiar sight. All this activity attracted some not so welcome characters, like the noted horse thief, Doc Middleton. Every day there were gunfights and fistfights. Sidney had a front street lined with saloons, gaming halls, boarding houses, and the world’s first all night theatre. So be careful if you stop in Sidney, you’ll enjoy what Gold Rush Days has to offer and you’ll want to return every year.