Paul Cresap was elected to head the Sidney Chamber of Commerce in January 1954. He replaced N.N. Lund, the 1953 president. Cresap of the law firm Sanders, Cresap & Koch had been a director of several chamber projects over the years.

The Sidney Chamber president announced the new work slogan "Building a Greater Community" for the 1954 year. Fifteen points would be stressed for the year. 1. Promote and develop all phases of agriculture - continue present programs. 2. Frontier Airline service to all communities proposed. 3. Central highway development; adequate financing of Montana highways. 4. Oil industry locations; promote good relationship; service to the industry. 5. Freight rate reductions; work with the State Freight Rate association. 6. Stronger retail and wholesale trade events. 7. Cooperate with local industry and promote new industry. 8. Community planning with all concerned; full use of the tax dollar. 9. Maintain and improve educational, cultural and civic stand. 10. Preserve and improve recreation and youth activities. 11. Maintain the office as an information center. 12. Publicize Sidney, the county and cooperate with our neighbors. 13 Be watchful on state and national legislative matters. 14. Carry on the many established permanent projects. 15. Include good ideas from membership clinics and accept suggestions toward building a greater Sidney.

Oil (Madison) continues to be big news as the Beagle Land and Livestock No. 1 Well came in 11 miles northwest of Sidney.

File Savage Warriors won the District 2 Class C Tournament for the first time in the history of the school. Members included, front from left, manager Wayne Wuest, Bert Rice, Warren Prevost, Steve Rice, Tom Sluiter, Phillip Prigan and Coach John Cornish; back, Garry Basso, Duane Brese, James Hedegard, Richard Stordahl and James Jimison.

In February the routing of the Sidney-Circle road by way of Lambert and Richey, known as the north route, was confirmed.

Witt Veterinary Hospital was completed in February. It was located on North Central Avenue, adjacent to the north limits of Sidney. Present day it houses B & G Production Services owned by Rocky and Martha Gorder.

In March, for the first time in the history, Sidney High School won its first Class A Southern Divisional basketball championship over Livingston. Helena edges Sidney for the state's Class A title.

At their April meeting, the sportsmen club made plans to develop the Crane Lake project.

Dr. P. C. Gaines of Montana State College addressed the 1954 senior class during commencement in May.

In June, Gene and Clint Fulkerson of the Fulkerson Funeral Home, Plentywood, purchased the main building of the Sidney Greenhouse. They remodeled and enlarged this into a modern funeral home to serve Sidney and the surrounding territory. Mr. and Mrs. Clint Fulkerson moved to Sidney. Fulkerson, a veteran of World War II, operated a funeral home for the U.S. Army in Sydney, Australia, for one year prior to his return to the States.

The grand opening of the new swimming pool was held July 2, 1954.

The Sidney Moose Club held the state convention July 29-31.

The Sidney Public Library board announced the new location of the library, 301 W. Main.

The 37th annual Richland County Fair and Rodeo had no outside gate admission and free exhibits for the 1954 fair.

Frontier Airlines' Day was held Saturday, Sept. 11, 1954. Gov. J. Hugo Aronson and Frontier President C. A. Myhre, Denver, were the dedication speakers. Over 2,000 people attended the event.

In October, 100 Sidney businesses offered a weekend bargain bazaars for shoppers. Prizes offered included 2,000 pounds of sugar, 2,000 pounds of flour, butcher calf, an air trip to Bismarck and a palomino quarter horse colt.

The Canadian-United States-Mexican Highway Convention was held in Sidney. They urged early construction of the missing links, the Sidney-Wibaux and the Ekalaka-Alzada sections of the vital international route.

The Christmas shopping season opened Nov. 27 with the sixth annual window prize-shopping event.

The year closes in December with more oil talk as an oil rig was erected on the Dennis Dynneson farm, 12 miles northwest of Sidney, for the third drilling test in the Brorson area. There were two producing wells on the Carl (brothers) Dynneson farm in the Madison level.

Footnote: Information provided by the MonDak Heritage Center's archives. Previous years can be found on the Herald Web site www.sidneyherald.com/herald_facts