130 Years Ago
January 4, 1895
The stock of bibles for the bible society arrived last Friday and are kept at Field’s drug store. They are excellent typographically and in binding, and it is really a wonder that the American Bible society can furnish them for the ridiculously low prices asked. We are under obligations to the society for a handsome copy presented this office.
125 Years Ago
January 5, 1900
H. C. Armstrong went to Omaha Tuesday night on business, or as he expressed it, “To buy a whole car of Wedding Boquet Whiskey.” Well, considering the extensive scale on which he does business, we shouldn’t wonder if that is just about what he will do.
120 Years Ago
January 3, 1905
The eldest son of John Strasak, one o the pioneer residents of this section, informed us while in the city last Saturday that John had been quite ill of late with stomach trouble, but was now recovering.
115 Years Ago
January 7, 1910
The home of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Albro in this city was the scene of a family reunion New Years day, when a bounteous dinner was served to some fifteen people.
110 Years Ago
January 1, 1915
Gas for cooking. Sounds good, doesn’t it? J. C. Martin, representing the Gas Construction company of Omaha, is in the city this week investigating the possibilities of erecting a gas plant in the city and furnishing the citizens with fuel, heat and light.
105 Years Ago
January 2, 1920
Many people in Alliance attended parties of various kinds Wednesday evening, in nearly every case, the program being so arranged that the guest would watch the old year out and the new one in. There were dancing parties and card parties; near beer parties and liquor parties; automobile parties and fides pedes parties; theatre parties and church parties – in fact all brands and denominations of parties were represented.
100 Years Ago
January 6, 1925
If you were to direct the activities of Alliance during 925, what would be your chief endeavor? Would you extend the paving, improve the parks, beautify the present park, build more sidewalks, work for the completion of the Potash highway, gravel more county roads, encourage the farmers to greater diversification of activities, encourage the establishment of wholesale houses, build a warehouse, a flour mill, a municipal play ground – or w would you do? Some of these things can be undertaken, but not all of them in any one year. There will be more of a chance for success if the program is favored by a majority of the people.
95 Years Ago
January 7, 1930
Jack Dailey, an alleged old offender on liquor charges, went up against the barbed wire in Police Judge Highland’s court yesterday afternoon charged with illegal possession of liquor. The case was the outgrowth of a raid last Thursday afternoon when 11 pint bottles of fiery moonshine whiskey were seized by the state, county and city officers.
90 Years Ago
January 4, 1935
Daily telephone conversations in Alliance during the past few months have averaged 8,374, meaning that more than one call is made each 24 hours for many more persons that the total population.
85 Years Ago
January 5, 1940
Alliance citizens who paid their electricity bills this week got nice surprises in the form of checks for interest on their meter deposits. The last interest payment was made in 1936. Within the next few weeks, the city will be ready to refund the $10 deposits for he extra meters in the residence district.
80 Years Ago
January 5, 1945
Sheriff Dan Hoppes said today that he expects to finish his investigation of suspects in connection with the wanton destruction of property at the Alliance Country Club. He has the names of 22 boys compiled with the aid of some of the group brought in fr questioning and who confessed their guilt.
75 Years Ago
January 6, 1950
Bank deposits in Alliance are down approximately $700,000 from 1948, figures released by the two banks this week reveal.
70 Years Ago
January 3, 1955
The 1955 campaign for polio-fighting funds was on the march today in Box Butte County. Cards were being distributed to Alliance school children under the direction of Mrs. Thelma Merritt, school nurse.
65 Years Ago
January 4, 1960
Has anyone seen a big radio antenna in the vicinity of Lakeside? The Panhandle rural Electric Membership Association is looking for one that was torn from a 330-foot tower during the recent windstorm in this area. The antenna, measuring 8 feet high and 11 feet across, apparently became ice-coated and the high wind tore it loose from its mounting, carrying it away.
60 Years Ago
January 4, 1965
For the third year in a row, the Alliance Salvation Army post began serving hot lunches to school children who would not have them otherwise. The children had milk, chili, eggnog, peaches and bread and butter.
55 Years Ago
January 2, 1970
The Alliance City Schools Activity bus, acquired in Chicago in August, is in Rapid City, S. D. for repair according to Dr. Stanley Wilcox, superintendent of schools. The bus is scheduled to be ready for a City Schools driver to pick up Wednesday in time for the overnight trip the Alliance High basketball team will make next weekend to North Platte and McCook.
50 Years Ago
January 4, 1975
The Alliance City Schools new Vocational Shop Building is nearing completion and is expected to be available for use soon. Construction is by Peltz Construction and Steel Building Co. of Alliance with Jack Beers of Lincoln as the architect.
45 Years Ago
January 4, 1980
Discussed at the Alliance City Council meeting Thursday was the news circulated by the Nebraska Municipal Power Pool that Alliance is one of thee towns in the Unites States selected for “a site specific study dealing with the technical, operational and economic readiness of solar thermal electric power technology in a range of less that 10 megawatts.”
40 Years Ago
January 4, 1985
The Alliance City Council in a move to help promote industrial development in Alliance will consider at its next meeting a proposed ordinance which would increase commercial and residential electrical rates by 4 percent to help lower industrial rates to six of Alliance’s industrial users.
35 Years Ago
January 3, 1990
The Box Butte Development Corporation has announced that it is pursuing talks with Proctor & Gamble about the possibility of raising psyllium in Box Butte County. Proctor & Gamble uses psyllium in Metamucil and plans additional food items in the near future.
30 Years Ago
January 7, 1995
During the last few weeks Alliance High School has been installing hardware which will allow AHS students and staff to travel the information super highway. All the computers in Leonard Hartman’s computer room will be connected to INTERNET by the end of this week. INTERNET is a collection of world wide computer networks.
25 Years Ago
January 3, 2000
UPS Plane Lands At Alliance Airport: Moments before a DC-8 United Parcel Service plane’s cockpit filled with smoke somewhere above western Nebraska on New Year’s Eve, the three crew members were joking about Y2K. Their New Year’s Eve plans had suddenly changed to a night at the Alliance Country Club and a stay at the Day’s Inn hotel.
20 Years Ago
January 4, 2005
Alliance Public Schools board members in last night’s board meeting unanimously approved one student from Hemingford to attend APS beginning next fall and one APS student to attnd District 2, Minatare Schools. Also approved was Alliance High School junior Hannah Watson’s request to graduate semester early contingent upon her completion of all requirements.
15 Years Ago
January 2, 2010
At 10:22 a.m. the morning of New Year’s Eve day, the Alliance Volunteer Fire Department responded to a structure fire on the 900 block of West 2nd Street. A 100-foot long by 32-foot wide personal workshop and storage building owned by Marvin and Phyllis Pebley had smoke rolling into the cold morning sky.
10 Years Ago
January 3, 2015
After many years of planning, organizing, and building we are finally in the year of completion of the hospital addition. We, here at Box Butte General Hospital, welcome 2015 with open arms!
5 Years Ago
January 8, 2020
An Alliance man is facing a plethora of charges, including attempted murder, arson and child abuse, after allegedly starting a fire at his residence with the intent to kill his roommate.
*Compiled from The Alliance Times-Herald Archives by Christine Melcher