Gold Rush Byway
Fort Sidney Museum and Post Commander's Home, NE

In 1867, building the Union Pacific railroad was dangerous work, even under the best of circumstances. Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho war parties made the arduous work even more dangerous. Fort Sidney was the military's response to these attacks. It was built to give protection to engineers and railroad crews working on the transcontinental Union Pacific railroad. Many of the troops stationed there took part in the Battle of Wounded Knee. It later became a major jumping-off point during the Black Hills gold rush with freight heading north to the gold mines, and millions of dollars worth of gold heading south. Today, you can enter the living quarters of the Fort's Officers and Post Commander.