130 Years Ago
August ll, 1893
Another pest, said to be the “army worm,” has struck this valley and is doing much damage to the wheat, oat and other crops. There are millions of them and the ground in localities is literally covered with them. They strip the leaves from the wheat stalk, without apparent injury to the head, but they strip the oat entire of leaves and head, and in places have attacked the corn. The Sidney divide is said to swarm with them, while wagons passing along the road crush them by the thousand.
125 Years Ago
August 12, 1898
Herman Krause came in from the ranch Wednesday evening with the index finger half severed from his right hand as the result of an accident with a sickle-bar. Drs. Bellwood fixed it up and he was able to return home the next morning.
120 Years Ago
August 7, 1903
A fire was set with apparently evil intent in the basement under Eph Corneal’s saloon last night. The fire department was on the scene before any damage resulted.
115 Years Ago
August 7, 1908
Judge Berry has planned to open a plunge bath in this city that he thinks will be a very popular resort. Work has begun on the excavating Wednesday. He proposes to have the plunge made about forty by sixty feet in size. It will be about three feet deep in the shallow end and about six foot at the deepest. The same is to have a concrete bottom and sides. Two bath houses will be erected and the resort will be made ready as soon as possible.
110 Years Ago
August 8, 1913
During Tuesday evening’s storm, lightning hits F. M. Broome house at the corner of Laramie and Seventh. The bolt hit the west gable of the residence, ran the length of the roof, ripping off shingles, then dropped down into the bedroom where it tore off some plastering, drilled holes in the wall, struck the phone wire and passed into the ground. The house was filled with smoke and the smell of sulfur. If a fire was started, it was speedily extinguished by the big rain storm.
105 Years Ago
August 6, 1918
A message from the war department was received here at noon directed to Mrs. Charles Calmers, living near Alliance, announcing that her son, Christopher R. Polston was severely wounded in action on the western front during the advance of the American troops in the Soissons-Rheims salient.
100 Years Ago
August 7, 1923
Ward (“Tex”) Maupin, held in the Box Butte county jail to await trial for the theft of R. L. Johnstone Ford coupe, made his escape early Monday morning. By filing through one of the bars over the window to the corridors of the cell room and squeezing through a space no larger than six by eight inches out upon the skylight. From the skylight, he was able to enter another room and go down the stairs and leave the building through a window of the washroom.
95 Years Ago
August 10, 1928
Marvin Culp, 802 Misssouri, young aviation student, had a narrow escape from death about 5:30 p.m., Thursday, when, following an accident north of the Davidson corner, he was pinned under his Chevrolet coupe for more than a quarter of an hour. He was released by farmers working in nearby fields and other automobile drivers. Cut about the head, shoulders, arms, legs and chest, he was taken to St. Joseph’s hospital, where this morning he is said to be resting easily and in no danger.
90 Years Ago
August 11, 1933
Two women in a party of four from Alliance sustained injuries yesterday afternoon when a car driven by Miss Ella Hood overturned in a roadside ditch near the Dakota-Nebraska line. Most seriously injured was Mrs. E. E. Saxton who is in St. Joseph’s hospital with a fractured right leg, right hip and fractures of the right side of the pelvis. Mrs. Elizabeth Cornu and Mrs. Lena Crawford, also passengers in the car, escaped with superficial hurts. The three passengers in the car had gone to sleep, it was said, and in the monotony of the ride it was believed that the driver perhaps dozed for a moment and the car overturned in the ditch.
85 Years Ago
August 9, 1938
Thrill will be piled on thrill Sunday afternoon when the American Legion presents “Wild Bill” Cathorn and his Death Riders at the amusement park. One of the biggest thrills will come when Wild Bill, driving at terrific speed, crashes his automobile through a blazing wall of fire with “Luckie Jackie,” America’s foremost woman stunt rider, perched on a motorcycle on the car’s hood.
80 Years Ago
August 10, 1943
Last Thursday 21 men from Box Butte county were inducted into the service. The men inducted into the army are: Joyce R. Anderson, William M. Bignell, Halvert T. Finnell, Wayne C. Fredrick, Estile J. McGuire, Walter R. Metz, jr., Thomas E. Percival, Robert G. Peterson, Raymond L. Rachetts, William J. Rohrbouck, Clare V. Sward, Edward C. Vaughn and Charles A. Woods. The six going to the navy are: Edker Cherrier, Marion Fowler, Raymond Garnica, Duane Iossi, Homer Todd and Harold Weldin. Those now in the marines are Russell E. Dennon and Robert Minnick.
75 Years Ago
August 10, 1948
True Miller, one of the early pioneers of this district, Sunday lent a Times-Herald reporter a copy of the North-Western Times dated Aug. 4, 1887. This newspaper was published by H. D. Fetz and W. E. Hitchcock. Later in 1887 they moved their publication office from Nonpareil to Alliance.
70 Years Ago
August 8, 1953
Alliance merchants are making it possible for children throughout the city to see the Bailey Brothers
Circus by purchasing tickets and presenting them through individual store programs. The entire Kiwanis share of the proceeds will go toward the club’s under-privileged children’s program. Three performances will be given at the high school athletic stadium. Among the acts are Lou Pillow and his trained bear which performs on roller skates, the Duke Family Jugglers, girls of the aerial ballet, the world’s smallest elephant, a balancing ladder act, and the clowns.
65 Years Ago
August 9, 1958
Forty or so Alliance teenagers Friday afternoon dug into the task of starting a teen center. They swept and mopped rooms formerly occupied by the War Dads Club above Andy’s Liquor Store in the 100 block of West Third. Mrs. Arthur Shimp, who has worked for months to organize the teen center, said the next order of business is to sign up members and collect dues, 50 cents a month. We will buy paint and equipment as the money comes in,” said Mrs. Shimp. The club can use donations of quiet games, pool and pin pong tables, chairs and tables, books and magazines.
60 Years Ago
August 9, 1963
A Broken Bow building firm, Brown and Denesia, Inc., has started work on the remodeling of an additional 50 apartments at Good Samaritan Village, the Rev. Karl Berg, manager at the Village, announced today. Building roofs are being renewed by the Twin City Roofing Co. of Scottsbluff. Both firms are hiring Alliance labor.
55 Years Ago
August 10, 1968
Monday morning marks the opening of Alliance’s new Gibson Discount Center at 4th and Box Butte. Gibson’s is locally owned and operated by Blaine McVicker. The new owner moved to Alliance from Sterling, Colo., where he was associated in the Gibson operation.
50 Years Ago
August 9, 1973
Rosa Lee and Gordon Hoff, owners of the Alliance Floral, announced today that they would furnish all the landscaping, trees and scrubs, for the new hospital when it is erected. Everett Weed, owner of Weed Construction Co., has offered his services to assist with the new hospital landscaping work.
45 Years Ago
August 9, 1978
The Mighty Thomas Shows began setting up its carnival rides Wednesday morning in preparation for a 5 p.m. opening. All the 4-H exhibits were entered at the Box Butte County Fair Wednesday with judging beginning in the garden, home living, engineering, foods, agriculture and miscellaneous divisions. Livestock judging begins Thursday with the swine, sheep and dairy divisions. The Fair Queen Contest will be held Thursday night at 8.
40 Years Ago
August 9, 1983
Communications Workers of America Union Local 7406 President Bill Woods pickets the Northwestern Bell Telephone Company’s Alliance office at 510 Box Butte Monday as part of the nation wide strike against the Bell System. Woods children, Carla and Bonnie marched back and forth on the sidewalk with their father. Striking telephone workers have been picketing the business office and the work center at 423 Burlington during business hours.
35 Years Ago
August 9, 1988
John Weare, 11 ½, member of the Sandhill Raiders 4-H Club, son of Leroy and Jean Weare, considers himself almost an expert on model rocketry. It’s his favorite 4-H project, anyway. He plans to enter several projects in the Box Butte County Fair this year. “I like so many, I don’t want to take one, I want to take them all,” said Weare. His favorite projects are model rocketry and photography.
30 Years Ago
August 7, 1993
“Welcome Back Boys!” will be the theme of the Army Air Base Parade to be held Saturday, Aug. 21, at 10 a.m. Categories for parade entries will be color guard and flags of organizations, dignitaries, floats, bands, children and grandchildren of veterans, and military entries.
25 Years Ago
August 10, 1998
Farmer’s Cooperative has taken in over four million bushels of wheat this harvest season. For the first week and a half of harvest, farmers and harvesters in Hemingford waited up to six hours to dump their loads in what Jim Baer, elevator manager, said was the biggest harvest he’s ever seen. In Hemingford, over 2.5 million bushels have been received.
20 Years Ago
August 9, 2003
Erik Erickson, son of Gary and Meredith Erickson of Alliance, has been named to the Dean’s List at Southeast Community College. He will be a sophomore in the 2003-04 school year in the Human Services program at Southeast.
15 Years Ago
August 9, 2008
Yesterday morning at the 2008 Box Butte County Fair Beef Show, Shaylea Hinojosa showed off her beef exhibitor skill and won the award for Overall Champion Beef Showman. In the Box Butte Show Thursday, Aaron Jespersen took both the Senior Champion Showman and the Overall Championship Swine Showman awards.
10 Years Ago
August 9, 2013
The 2013 Box Butte County Fair Queen Court are: Queen Ali Iossi; First Attendant Christa Horn; Second Attendant Paige Phillips and Miss Congeniality Brianna Ridenour.
5 Years Ago
August 8, 2018
Merle Travis Peterson performs one of numerous Johnny Cash songs Friday evening in downtown Hemingford. Peterson, along with Fel Torres on drums and John Sporman playing double bass. The Cold Hard Cash Show, formed in 2005, “is an innovative tribute to the music of Johnny Cash and The Tennessee Three,” according to its website.