Magazine Article Review: Justice on the Tracks, How Sidney earned its reputation as Nebraska's toughest frontier town in the Fall of 1875

Justice on the Tracks, How Sidney earned its reputation as Nebraska's toughest frontier town in the Fall of 1875 by Loren Avey, Nebraska Life Magazine, Flagship Publishing, Timnath CO, September/October 2025, pp 22,23.

This short article tells a very interesting story about a murder and a double lynching.  Three en were arguing in town, Chuck Patterson, his friend Joe Reed and livery owner Robert W. Porter.  Patterson drew on Porter and three quick shots left Porter dead.  Sheriff John Ellis quickly arrested Patterson and placed him in jail.  Porter was well liked and had lots of friend being the livery manager.  By the next day a group of 40 men had gathered at the Capitol saloon owned by Cornelius "Con" McCarty.  They worked up quite an anger and with the sheriff out of town they stormed the jail.  The lone deputy did not put up a resistance and they took him out and hung him from a telephone pole.  They then returned to the saloon to celebrate their deed.  Ellis returned in the meantime and cut Patterson down.  He was not dead.  He was taken back to the jail.  When the mob heard this they returned to do the job again.  Ellis put up a resistance and they beat him into submission.  The hung Patterson again, making sure this time.  Sheriff Ellis shortly left town for good and the lead of the mob, Cornelius "Con" McCarty, took his position. 

Chipeta wife of Ouray

 Chipeta is the wife of the Ute Chief Ouray.  She was his confidant and adviser.  She was born Kiowa APache but was raised with the Utes in Colorado.  She was always an advocate for peace in negotiations between the Utes and the U.S. government.  She influenced her husband a great deal.  She attended many tribal councils with her husband.  Women were usually not accepted at tribal councils but Chipeta was always welcome.  She also attended a peace conference in Washington D.C.  After the negotiations of 1880 the Uncompahgre Utes were forced to leave Colorado by the U.S. Army.  They had not taken part in the Nathan Meeker affair but were caught up in it anyway.  Ouray passed away before they were forced to move, but Chipeta was forced to Utah.  She felt betrayed by the government.  They had promised her a house like what she had in Colorado with Ouray.  She was given an unfinished home so returned to living in a teepee.  

1880 peace commission to Washington, Chipeta on right next to Ouray.  Carl Schurz is also seated.  This peace commission resulted in the removal of the Tabeguachi/ Uncompahgre Utes and the White River Utes from Colorado.

Western Shoshone Mary and Carrie Dann, Nevada

 Mary and Carrie Dann were Western Shoshone Native American activists in fighting the federal government over land issues and grazing rights.  They were sisters.  They did not feel they should have to pay grazing fees for land that was Native American land.  The contention is the Shoshone did not give away their land but granted rights to Whites to pass through only.  

Ute Chief Colorow

 Ute Chief Colorow was born Comanche.  When just five years old there was a battle in northern New Mexico and he was kidnapped Muache band of Utes.  He had red skin so was given the nickname Colorado, which was pronounced poorly, Colorao with the d swallowed and when heard by White people was pronounced and spelled Colorow.  Colorow as a youth tra veled throughout Colorado.  He participated in a couple battles against Arapaho, one near Aspen where he was declared a hero, and another near Golden Colorado.  This battle was so severe the valley was abandoned after.  

By 18868 Colorow was a sub chief of the Northern Ute.  He was involved in treaty negotiations.  Despite this White settlers continued to encroach upon Ute land and the treaty negotiations favored the Whites.  Colorow began to not trust the government.  He signed the treaty of 1878 identifying himself as a Yampa and Grand River Ute.  Nathan Meeker tried to force the Utes to be farmers by with holding the agreed upon food allotments.  Colorow tried to negotiate for peace, but Colorow stabbed Meeker in the mouth for lying.  This resulted in the deaths of Meeker and about ten others.  It also resulted in the Battle of Mink Creek where Ute warriors ambushed an intervening military force.  Meeker's wife was held hostage.  The final result of this was that he and his people were forced to leave Colorado, as were the Uncompahgre who were not involved.  The forced removal became the Northern Ute's trail of tears.  Colorow was removed to the Uintah and Ouray Reservation in Utah.  He would return to Colorado to hunt as per treaty agreement, but this made Whites nervous and lead to Colorow's War.  The Buffalo Soldiers from Fort Duchesne had to intervene between the Ute and the Colorado local militias.  

In later life Colorow suffered from obesity, diabetes and kidney failure.  He died of pneumonia in 1888.  His body was buried by the White River.

African American Biography: Mary Fields aka Stagecoach Mary

 Mary Fields was born a slave in Tennessee.  She was emancipated at the end of the war.  She first found work as a chamber maid on a steamboat on the Mississippi River.  She then worked for Judge Edmund Dunne.  After Dunne's wife died he sent Mary and his five children to live with his sister Mother Mary Amadeus Mother Superior of the Ursuline Convent.  Mother Amadeus was sent to Montana, and Mary followed when she learned she had pneumonia.  She nursed her back to health, but her ways were a bit rough for the Catholic mission (swearing and going to saloons etc) so she was asked to leave.  She opened a tavern, but went out of business within a year as she gave too much away.  In 1895, at the age of 60 she won the contract for a star route with the U.S. post office.  Although a contracted employee, she is the second woman and first African American woman to have such a position.  She is very diligent in her job.  She preferred to drive a stage, with a gun under her robe.  If there was too much snow, she had snow shoes and would carry the mail on her back.  Mary was a large woman, six feet and 200 pounds.  One time she held off a pack of wolves who had caused her to turn her coach.  However she was able to right it the next day.  Mary did not marry.  However she loved babysitting and would often be paid to babysit.  She retired from the mail service after eight years.  In 1912 her home burned, but the townspeople helped her rebuild.  Michael Hearst wrote a song of her life, "Stage Coach Mary."

Comanche Cynthia Parker the Mother of Quanah Parker

 Cynthia Parker was a white girl who was adopted into the Comanche Tribe.  In 1836 at the Fort Parker Massacre she was captured by the Comanche.  She was about eight at the time.  She was adopted by a family and married the chief, Peta Nocona.  They had three children together, two boys and a son.  Her oldest son was Quanah Parker who became the last chief of the Comanche.  In 1860 Texas Rangers tracked her down and captured her in Comanche country.  They killed her husband.  She and her daughter were taken captive.  After 24 years they were returned to Parker family members.  People thought they were rescued.  Cynthia Parker thought she was again captured.  When her daughter, Topsanna died form pneumonia Cynthia Parker joined her shortly as she refused to eat.  The song "Run" by Tophouse is about her life.  Her son had her body moved to the reservation.  She and her husband are both buried in Fort Sill Oklahoma with their son.  Topsanna's body was also reinterred with them.  

Western Women: Fox Hastings Rodeo Performer

 Fox Hastings' specialty event in the rodeo was bulldogging, a sport traditionally left to men such as Bill Pickett.  She started her rodeo career at the age of 16.  Bulldogging is better known as steer wrestling today.  It once involved biting the cows lip so they would stop fighting.  She also participated in bronc riding.  She was a trick rider and could ride a horse standing up.  She said, "If I can just get my fanny out of the saddle and my feet planted, there's not a steer that can last against me."  She traveled from California to New York demonstrating her rodeo skills.  In 1987 she was inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.  In 2011 into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.