130 Years Ago
August 18, 1893
Freight train No. 46, east-bound, in charge of Engineer Pederson and Conductor Zollinger, struck some cattle belonging to E. P. Sweeney eight miles east of town Thursday morning at about one o’clock. The locomotive cars were piled in the ditch in the most indescribable confusion imaginable.
125 Years Ago
August 19, 1898
W. E. Hitchcock, and old time citizen of Alliance, ex-editor of Times, and now state agent for the Liverpool and London and Globe Insurance company, was in the city yesterday, en route home from inspecting company business in the Black Hills.
120 Years Ago
August 21, 1903
Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., the oldest son of the President passed through the city yesterday morning on No. 41, being accompanied by a secret service official, and going to Deadwood. There he will be the guest of Capt. Seth Bullock, who will take him for a hunt through the Northern Hills.
115 Years Ago
August 25, 1908
C. R. Fuller, former Alliance photographer who has been in business in Sheridan the past few years, was a passenger through here Saturday morning. He said he expected to end two years of neglect of Alliance by paying his numerous friends here a call soon.
110 Years Ago
August 22, 1913
The four victims of the kerosene explosion, at the home of Samuel Pitman of near Hemingford, were consigned to their last resting place at the Hemingford cemetery Thursday afternoon. Mrs. Samuel Pitman- the mother, aged about 32, burned from head to foot. Died after being placed in the St. Joseph Hospital, Alliance. Lois- aged 8, suffocated in cellar after escaping from the burning house. Kenneth- aged 5, burned to a crisp and found on floor of the kitchen. Gladys- aged 3, burned beyond recognition and not found until fire was extinguished. William- aged two months rescued by his father Samuel.
105 Years Ago
August 20, 1918
Because he failed to remove his hat when the Star Spangled Banner was strummed on the pianola at the Red Diamond pool hall last night, Jas. Washington received a blow on the head that felled him to the floor and he did not recover consciousness for nearly four hours. Washington and his companion stated that he was struck a second blow with the billiard cue after he had fallen to the floor. Washington was to have left for Camp Pike this week, but he will be unable to go because of the blow. He said he did not realize that the music had changed suddenly to the Star Spangled Banner.
100 Years Ago
August 21, 1923
One of the worst cattle stealing gangs organized in recent years in Nebraska has been broken up through the arrest of two of its members at North Platte, according to E. A. Hall of Alliance, in charge of the cattlemen’s protective department of the Nebraska stockgrowers’ association. E. E. Clark, special agent for the association, working under the direction of Mr. Hall, is responsible for the arrests and the recovery of the stolen cattle.
95 Years Ago
August 24, 1928
The big August Sale of Furs of the Rhoads’ store will begin tomorrow with a galaxy of attractive fur coats of all the pleasing styles. Warm luxurious smart furs are offered at some special prices that it will pay every woman to take advantage of.
90 Years Ago
August 22, 1933
Officers were still on the lookout today for Alfred V. Heckert, former Alliance youth, who yesterday broke and ran from Deputy Sheriff Fred Shelmadine in the courthouse where he was to be held in jail to await disposition of a case involving the asserted raising of a check.
85 Years Ago
August 23, 1938
Airplanes and pilots from western Nebraska and South Dakota will converge on the Alliance port Sunday for a big air show. One of the features will be dead stick and other stunt flying by Jack Westfall, a well known veteran pilot. Other pilots expected to be here with their ships are Everett Hogan, James Warren, Roy Krash, Bud Miller, Guy Miller, and D. Berkhard. On the program will be races, spins, stalls, loops, rolls, serpentine cutting and bombing.
80 Years Ago
August 24, 1943
Tonight the members of Elks lodge are giving a “going away” party to two members, Wayne Fredricks and Bud McGuire, who leave for the army Wednesday. All Elks and their wives are invited to attend.
75 Years Ago
August 24, 1948
Earl Osborn, 10-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Reuben Osborn, 516 Mississippi avenue, is receiving treatment for a serious injury to his left eye. The boy was accidentally struck in the eye by a B-B shot. He and a companion had clamped a shot gun shell in a vise and fired a B-B gun at the shell. They had removed the shot form the shell, but when the cap exploded it threw the B-B back into Earl’s eye. Dr. F. P. Sucgang is treating the boy for the injury. It will be some time before it will be known whether the boy will lose his sight in the injured eye.
70 Years Ago
August 22, 1953
A Times Herald news release informs Miss Shandra Roath, that her brother Pfc. Frank E. Roath of Alliance, was released by Communists in “Operation Big Switch” at Freedom Village, Korea.
65 Years Ago
August 23, 1958
The City Auditorium sniffs like a perfumery and looks like a rainbow today with the annual Alliance Garden Show. Fifty-seven exhibitors brought in hundreds of flowers and judges tagged them with ribbons. Mrs. E. L. Sink assists judge Mrs. Ida Fuhrer. Mrs. Wallace Hines is corresponding secretary of the Garden Club, show sponsor.
60 Years Ago
August 24, 1963
Two men were burned in a “freak flash fire” late Friday afternoon while working at the Co-Op Filling Station. They are Lyle Stone and Richard Collins. Both men received first degree burns on the face, neck, arms and hands. According to Harold Kirchner, the men were unloading gas and the fumes ignited from an electric impact wrench.
55 Years Ago
August 23, 1968
Gov. Norbert Tiemann named four men to the Potato Development Committee. They are Dwain Price, Hemingford, and Lawrence Baltus, Scottsbluff, representing shippers, and Dale Johnson Hemingford and James Irwin, Alliance, representing growers. The appointments were for two year terms.
50 Years Ago
August 24, 1973
As District Judge Robert Moran announced during the “Yellow Thunder Trial” here months ago, the Box Butte County district courtroom is to be air conditioned. The improvement will not only include that courtroom, but the entire courthouse, and it will soon become a reality. The central unit of the large air conditioner which will cool the courthouse was put in place Thursday by Merritt Heating & Air Conditioning, which won the project in public bidding in July for $59,400.
45 Years Ago
August 23, 1978
The “depot” of the Burlington Northern railroad, which has barricaded the south end of Box Butte Ave. for over 76 years, is slated for destruction upon the completion of a new division headquarters building in about 1980. Sentiment has been rising here to “save the depot.” It is close to the hearts of Alliance. From it an Alliance infantry company departed in World War I and in World War II. President Theodore Roosevelt addressed a large gathering from its balcony on a visit here in about 1907.
40 Years Ago
August 23, 1983
Trinidad Bean and Elevator Company Manager George Varvel said the improved Pinto bean storage area added to the company’s present facilities will be “close to completed Saturday night.” Varvel said the new bins, with a combined capacity of 16,000 bags, will increase their Pinto bean storage 15-fold and will speed the unloading and loading capabilities. Trinidad Bean has also added to its white been storage and handling facility.
35 Years Ago
August 25, 1988
Three weeks ago a pigeon walked into the front door of George Kochira’s shoe repair shop, “John’s Shoe Repair” in the 200 block of Box Butte Avenue – and wouldn’t leave. Kochiras said at first he didn’t want the bird and tried to release the pigeon. But it kept returning. So, he gave in to the pigeon’s will and placed a cardboard box on a shelf of the shop, above the finishing machines and shoe polishes.
30 Years Ago
August 23, 1993
Ace, owned by Maurine Roller, was chosen as the Geronimo look-alike Saturday during activities in the park. Geronimo was stationed at the Alliance Army Air Base and was trained to parachute jump in order to assist and protect his fellow paratroopers. Other winners at the contest for dogs and their owners included Teddy, owned by the Weingarts, who had the best trick and Lucky, owned by Peter and Ethan Stout, who was the Sweetheart of the 507th.
25 Years Ago
August 25, 1998
Nebraska Attorney General Don Stenberg was in Alliance today to meet with local law enforcement officials and to “touch base” with the people of the Panhandle. During an interview, Stenberg addressed such issues as the 1994 Nebraska Supreme Courts ruling on second degree murder and the copper lawsuit.
20 Years Ago
August 22, 2003
Alliance High School welcomed two new teachers to the district, Travis Hawk and Alicia Boller yesterday. Hawk will teach Sociology, lifetime skills and advanced weights, and will be the head football coach and head boys track coach. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science from the University of Nebraska-Omaha and Master’s in Administration from Wayne State. Boller will teach Speech, Drama and education and will coach speech, debate and theatre. She has a Bachelor’s decree in Broadcasting and received a teacher’s certificate in Language Arts through the Master’s program at University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
15 Years Ago
August 25, 2008
Saturday morning, many of the members of the Eagle’s Club rode out of town as part of a poker run. The day’s route had more than 40 bikers heading for Crawford and then to Harrison. From there, they would head south to Camp Hope at the River-Side Zoo, a Festival of Hope. Camp Hope is a place for cancer patients to spend a free and relaxing weekend attending seminars. At the camp, the Eagles presented a $1,000 donation for the Festival of Hope. From there, the Eagles rode to Bridgeport and then back to Alliance where they served a steak feed at the Eagles Club.
10 Years Ago
August 22, 2013
Julie Lawrence and Jenilee Woltman are ready to work together in their new roles. Woltman will be the new fair manager and Lawrence will be the event coordinator for the Box Butte County Fair.
5 Years Ago
August 25, 2018
Officers with the Alliance Police Department arrested a naked man found running in a field who trespassed on private property. Officers were dispatched to a vacant field south of the 1400 block of Hammond Lane. At approximately 9:51 a.m., when officers arrived, they observed a naked man running southbound through the field with his dog.