130 Years Ago
April 26, 1895
Bessie Stewart received a handsome bicycle last Saturday – a present from her father.
125 Years Ago
April 27, 1900
A supply of the new stamp books now manufactured for the postal department are in the hands of Postmaster Paradis. They are of two cent stamps, in sizes of twenty-four, forty-eight and ninety-six cents, retailing for 25, 50 cents and $1. The covers are of manila board, printed with postal rates and other information, and the stamps are separated by parafine paper to keep them from sticking in the pocket.
120 Years Ago
April 28, 1905
H. I. Lapham and neighbor, Mr. Moffatt, came to Alliance yesterday morning, and several hours after their departure the small boy-match-stable combination started a fire. The eight-year-old son of Mr. Lapham was the prime mover, and caused the destruction of the frame stable, the house only being saved after hard work on the part of the family, and the neighbors who gathered hastily.
115 Years Ago
April 29, 1910
True Miller and C. A. Richey of Marsland were attending to business matters in Alliance Wednesday. The trip to this city was made in Mr. Richey’s International automobile.
110 Years Ago
April 27, 1915
We have with us today, Mickey Farrell, “fighting guy” from Pennsylvania. Although Mickey is not in the habit of fighting for a living he’s always ready to fight when he and Bud Weiser meet. They met Monday night and so great was the disturbance that it was necessary for John Law to step in and straighten things out. Mickey Farrell will work for the city for a few days until his fine of five and the trimmings is paid up.
105 Years Ago
April 27, 1920
An alleged attempt at blackmail that rivals those in the story books was perpetrated in Alliance last Friday, according to the report of a local man who knows all of the details of the affair. A young woman of York, Neb., who made her home in Alliance for about a month several months ago, and her male companion were alleged perpetrators of the scheme, and the intended victim is a prominent citizen of western Nebraska who visits Alliance frequently and is well known here. He is reported to have come into possession of considerable wealth recently and this fact is believed to have been behind the attempt to extort $10,000 from him by the woman and her companion. The scene took place in a local rooming house at noon Friday. Shortly before that hour the intended victim received a telephone call from the young woman stating that she wanted to see him on important business and asking him to call at her room at the rooming house. He went to her room and as soon as he had stepped inside the door she threw her arms around his neck and demanded that he pay her $10,000 on the ground that he had ruined her reputation. At the same moment her male companion appeared and joined in the demand for the money, both of them striking the intended victim repeatedly.
100 Years Ago
April 24, 1925
A rattlesnake with 20 rattles, indicating an age of 22 years, was killed by Fred Knapp on the P. J. Knapp place just west of town Tuesday afternoon. The reptile was crawling just ahead of a team of horses working in the field and was attacked by two dogs on the Knapp farm. The snake struck a fox terrier over the heart and the dog died within five minutes. Another dog was bitten on the nose, but without serious results. Mr. Knapp then killed the snake. It was 4 feet long and 2 inches thick.
95 Years Ago
April 25, 1930
If you hear the tuneful notes of “Sweet Adeline” floating down the street some day next week don’t be deceived into thinking that somebody has been on another “bust.” It will be a radio equipped automobile from Schafer’s Auto Supply. Mr Schafer has received the first car-model Delco radio set and is now installing it in his car. It can be dialed just like any other set and operated while the car is in motion or standing still. Interference from car ignition does not bother this equipment. It’s a screen grid set and will provide a lot of entertainment for tourists or other car owners.
90 Years Ago
April 26, 1935
The man who dashed out of the Alliance National Bank building last Saturday night when his partner, Louis J. Klatka, was collared by Frank Abegg and later placed under arrest and a possible third party in the gang are still at large. At 2 p. m. today Klatka was given preliminary hearings on two charges, possession of burglary tools and possession of concealed weapons, both felonies. Represented by Harry Gantz, Katka had pleaded not guilty and bond was fixed at $1,000.
85 Years Ago
April 26, 1940
The Elks’ “iron lung” will be exhibited and demonstrated at Newberry’s Hardware store on Friday and Saturday, May 3 and 4, according to plans announced by the committee. Two nurses will be on duty during the two-day demonstration to explain the respirator to the public. During the week of May 6 it will be on display in the window of the store and following this it will be placed at St. Joseph’s hospital where it will be ready for immediate service.
80 Years Ago
April 27, 1945
Police Hunt Prowlers Who Attempted Entry: Officers were called to the C. W. Rathburn home at 424 Sweetwater Tuesday night by a report that prowlers had attempted an entrance. A search of the neighborhood proved fruitless. Police were told that someone had attempted to get into the house and had jerked the handle of the screen door in an effort to open it. They apparently became frightened and vanished.
75 Years Ago
April 28, 1950
Gene Ackerley, 27, now program manager of Radio Station KID at Idaho Falls, Ida., is the new general manager of KCOW, President Hans Jaggers of the Sand Hills Broadcasting Corporation announced today. Mr. Ackerley will assume charge of the Alliance station on May 15, replacing Charles Bilyue who resigned two weeks ago
70 Years Ago
April 27, 1955
Nearly 500 Box Butte first and second graders trooped into doctors’ offices this morning and there was scarcely a yip as they bared their arms for a shot of Salk polio vaccine. “Oh, there might have been a crocodile tear here and there,” said one physician, “but the kids were fine – dandy – no fuss.” So went the first in a series of three vaccinations of the new Salk vaccine which is expected to deliver a knockout to polio among millions of first and second grade children across the nation.
65 Years Ago
April 26, 1960
Alliance Doctor Takes Own Advice: Nebraska doctors took their own advice Monday and took it easy. The first day of their annual convention was given over to golf, bowling and target shooting. “I’m getting some of the outdoor exercise I advise all my patients to get,” said Dr. James F. Kennedy of Alliance.
60 Years Ago
April 27, 1965
Plans for the opening of the new Alliance Knight Museum will be discussed at a meeting of the Museum Board to be held at the Bernard Briggs home this evening. Finishing work is being done now on the new building located in City Park at Ninth and Yellowstone. A new tile floor has been installed, and work on the grounds near the building is being done. It is possible that the building will be ready for a public showing by Memorial Day, although there are many details to be arranged.
55 Years Ago
April 27, 1970
Alliance Jaycees estimated that about 1,800 people attended their annual Trade Fair, held during the weekend at the True Temper plant building on the Industrial Site. Judges awarded the title of Trade Fair Queen to Joline Akert, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Akert, an AHS Junior, and named Susan Hutton, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Verlin Hutton, runner-up.
50 Years Ago
April 30, 1975
A legal opinion based on the obscenity statutes will be received by the City Council during Thursday night’s regular session, according to the agenda prepared by city administration officials. The opinion will come from City Counselor Walt Metz. Council members were involved in an action last weekend to ban an X-rated movie at the Alliance Theatre although the city does not have an ordinance against pornography.
45 Years Ago
April 29, 1980
263% School Aid Raise Should Ease Taxes: An estimate of the Alliance Public Schools share of state aid received by Supt. Martin Petersen shows the 1980-81 payment will amount to $430,184 – this compares to $163,419 received in 1979-80. The estimate, received by letter from State Sen. Sam Cullan, is a 263 percent increase over last year, and should result in property tax relief within the local district. Funds for state school aid come from sales and income tax statewide.
40 Years Ago
April 29, 1985
Eugene Day says he is ready to become an anonymous member of society. He added it feels good to be home, and he wants to get started now on fixing up his home. Day was in a reflective mood Sunday as he talked about his plans for the future and recalled some of the activities of the past four months. He said the first thing he is going to do is to follow the procedures to legally change his name to Eugene Day. “Mayland Groo was left in Washington,” he said.
35 Years Ago
April 24, 1990
Two Alliance residents and one Rapid City man, formerly of Alliance, were involved in a plane crash April 20 in Eldora, Iowa. Greg Burri of Alliance was piloting his 55 Piper Tri-Pacer on a trip from Alliance to Waterloo, Iowa. He had taken off from Alliance at 4:20 p.m. Friday to take Don Berg of Rapid City, formerly of Alliance, to see his brother. Burri’s 13-year-old son, Neil, also was in the Piper. As the plane neared Waterloo, Burri noticed a slight irregularity in the fuel gauge. “I’m not sure what happened,” he said. “It seemed to me that it was a fuel leak but I’m not sure what. Until the investigation is over, it’s hard to say.” “The fuel gauge was reading low,” Burri said. “We tried to find an alternate airport and land. We found one at Eldora Iowa but had difficulty getting the runway lights to come on. We couldn’t get in contact with anyone.” By this time, it was about 10:00 at night. Burri flew low, trying to see the runway but couldn’t. “I tried to pull up to find another airport and hit some power lines,” he said. “Once we hit the power lines, I tried landing in a plowed field. I was half-way successful. It was still on it’s wheels but the plane was a total loss.”
30 Years Ago
April 27, 1995
An incident which caused a Box Butte County Noxious Weed Control Authority employee to be hospitalized Tuesday is still under investigation. The cause of Deb Planansky’s illness after the incident at the Box Butte County Weed Authority building Tuesday is still unknown. Mrs. Planansky is the week authority’s secretary. The Nebraska Hazardous Material Response Team (HazMat) is continuing test in an attempt to pinpoint the source of the incident. Mrs. Planansky was found lying by a desk in the office area after the Hemingford Emergency Unit received a call saying that she was having trouble breathing.
25 Years Ago
April 27, 2000
The Indian Mission Store will be closing its doors Wednesday, May 1. But, it’s said that when one door closes another one opens. On Thursday, June 1, the door that is opening is the Mission Store, Inc., at the corner of Sixth and Flack avenues. Late last fall the longtime director of the Indian Mission Store, Reverend Don Mink, approached the area’s ministerial association about having someone else take over the store. Father Paul Mottl of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church said that Mink had confided that he would be retiring in a few years and needed to become a little less active.
20 Years Ago
April 27, 2005
There are probably as many books, magazines and microfilm in the current Heritage Room of the Alliance Public Library as the 837 books that were in the entire Library born of the endeavors of the Alliance Women’s Club in 1909 in the basement of the old Opera House at Fourth Street and Box Butte Avenue. The story of how the library was started and literally thousands of other stories are found in a room that is probably no larger than 20 by 20 feet. On three sides of the Heritage Room are shelves that contain the history of Nebraska, genealogy, local historical authors, family histories, newspapers on microfilm, old Family Bibles, and rare books that are kept under lock and key.
15 Years Ago
April 29, 2010
They say it’s your birthday…. “Well, it’s my Birthday too” says Newberry, the Knight Museum and Sandhills Center’s horse mascot. Newberry will be celebrating his 101st birthday on May 6 at the Knight Museum and Sandhills Center located at 908 Yellowstone from 6:30-8:30 p.m. In conjunction with the Newberry’s party, a Newberry Saddle display by local collectors will be featured.
10 Years Ago
April 28, 2015
On Monday, Alliance High School students competed in the Class B Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) State Journalism Championship. Brian Gould, Sophia Sanchez and McKenna Romick are all members of the AHS school paper “The Spud,” and went up against 25 schools from across the state. Though Alliance tied for 20th place overall, Sanchez medaled in Entertainment Writing, taking fifth place and netting the Alliance team 12 sweeps points.
5 Years Ago
April 29, 2020
Since Former Public Defender Jon Worthman was arrested for possessing cocaine in January, the Box Butte County Commissioners have been looking for someone to fill the position as fees for court appointed counsel are adding up. At the board’s most recent meeting, Chairman Mike McGinnis announced that he has been in contact with someone who has shown interest in the position of interim public defender. “I did have a consultation with Mr. Joel Burke from Imperial, and he is interested in coming up and seeing us,” said McGinnis.
*Compiled from The Alliance Times-Herald Archives by Christine Melcher