130 Years Ago
March 15, 1895
In a recent letter, A. B. Alexander of Osceola, Iowa, inquires: “What do the citizens of Alliance think of my proposition to put in electric lights.” He recently made a statement as to what he would do in this connection while here, and which appeared in these columns. He evidently means what he says, and if citizens of Alliance want electric lights they ought to accept his proposition, for we doubt if another such offer would be made from any other source.
125 Years Ago
March 16, 1900
The first poles for the electric light system were placed in position yesterday. It is announced that arrangements have been made whereby all-night service can be provided those who desire. Mr. Minnick is expected here next week with a force of men to commence active work on construction.
120 Years Ago
March 14, 1905
The Anti-Saloon league believes that the liquor saloon stands for lawlessness, and is an injury to its patrons, morally, physically and financially, and robs them of their manhood, the home of its peace and joy, and legitimate avenues of trade of the money that rightfully belongs to them. We believe the community would be happier and more prosperous if the liquor saloon were entirely abolished but we believe that the conditions are not at present ripe for the carrying out of our policy.
115 Years Ago
March 15, 1910
An editor away for a while left his paper in charge of a minister. During the minister’s stay in the sanctum the following letter came from a subscriber. “I know very well I paid my subscription to your paper the last time I was in town. If I get any more such letters as I received from you last week I will come in and maul h—l out of you.” The minister answered: “I have been trying to get that out of the editor for the past ten years and if you will come down and maul it out of him, then, my dear sir, I hae twenty members of my church I will get you to operate on.” – Exchange
110 Years Ago
March 16, 1915
A deal was closed Monday night whereby William King becomes owner of the Burlington hotel for a consideration of $18,000. Mr. King traded three quarter sections of land located just west of town and the balance in cash.
105 Years Ago
March 12, 1920
A representative of a western detective bureau was in the city today conferring with the local police in an effort to apprehend R. L. Livingston, alias Jack Richie, who is wanted at Casper, Wyo., for the murder last January of John Corbett, well-to-do rancher living six miles from Casper, who was found shot to death in his lonely shack, where he lived alone. According to a report of the sheriff at Casper, Livingston escaped jail at Rushville early in January, where he was being held on a charge of grand larceny.
100 Years Ago
March 10, 1925
Mrs Ed. Phillips, estranged wife of the Chadron-Alliance bus operator, is held on a $500 bond for trial in the district court on a charge of shooting with intent to kill following an altercation with her husband at his rooms in Chadron Sunday afternoon. The couple have not been living together for some time and he has had custody of their four-year-old son. Recently he declared his intention of moving to Alliance and taking the child with him. Mrs. Phillips called at his rooms Sunday to see her baby before he was taken to Alliance and when the husband saw who was at the door, he closed it in her face. She drew a small revolver and shot through the door, the bullet striking him in the stomach and inflicting a slight flesh wound.
95 Years Ago
March 14, 1930
Box Butte Woman Files Damage Suit: Claiming that the man to whom she was married in Utah in 1918, had falsely represented himself to be single and had given her a fictitious name, Pearl Eva Blackmer, a resident of Box Butte county, has filed suit in district court, seeking $10,000 damages and annulment of the purported marriage. Marting P.. Gridley, whose true name, according to the petition, is Miner Paterson Goodrich, is the defendant.
90 Years Ago
March 15, 1935
Elmer Gebhart was fined $1 and costs of $4.63 in police court Wednesday, after pleading guilty to violation of a traffic ordinance.
85 Years Ago
March 12, 1940
Members of the park board will decide upon the location for the museum provided by the will of the late Dr. F. M. Knight, it was decided Friday night at a meeting of the city council and park board with R. E. Knight and E. M. Knight, executors of the estate.
80 Years Ago
March 13, 1945
Alliance’s air future was discussed when testimony and exhibits of four route applications for air service to this city and others in the north-central section of the nation were presented by Western Air Lines before the Civil Aeronautics Board, meeting in Des Moines, Iowa, yesterday to review applications of several carriers.
75 Years Ago
March 14, 1950
Good manners and courtesy have as much a part in traffic as they have at the dinner table, according to T. C. Gregory, chairman of the Alliance Safety Council. Many drivers are downright discourteous, according to observations of members of the council. They speed around corners in the residential area with tires screeching to the discomfort of mothers with small children playing outside. They cut sharply after passing, steal the right of way at intersections, poke down the inside lane of four lane streets, fail to observe many traffic rules.
70 Years Ago
March 17, 1955
Private fliers of five states and two teams of jet fighter pilots have their navigation charts oriented on Alliance this Sunday. And thousands of Northwest Nebraskans will be treated to a spectacular and varied program of flying. The reason for this activity is the public dedication of Alliance’s new VOR aviation radio facilities, one of three new stations installed by the state.
65 Years Ago
March 17, 1960
LaVern Flood, 27, of Alliance, was charged with breaking and entering today after he admitted breaking into Deit’s Liquor Store at 507 East 3rd Street during the night, according to Police Chief Doug Thomas. Flood was apprehended by city police this morning for questioning after night patrolmen noticed the broken door at the liquor store. The man admitted breaking into the store and taking three fifths and two pints of whiskey and signed a statement to that effect, Thomas said.
60 Years Ago
March 20, 1965
Six men entered pleas to criminal charges in District Court Friday afternoon before District Judge A. W. Crites and were sentenced. Five appeared together, on the same felony complaint of stealing chickens at 117 Sweetwater Avenue in Alliance March 16. All pleaded guilty in turn.
55 Years Ago
March 16, 1970
The Box Butte County 4-H Speech Contest had 61 participants Saturday. Brenda Jinks received the trophy given by the radio station in the senior girls division. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W.G. Jinks. Her speech title was Freedom’s Challenge.
50 Years Ago
March 19, 1975
A trial on three felony charges against Marlyn Schrader, also known as Joe Schrader, of Hemingford, was opened in Box Butte County District Court Wednesday morning with the selection of a four-man, eight-woman jury panel. Schrader is charged with larceny, receiving stolen property, and being an accessory after the fact.
45 Years Ago
March 18, 1980
New positions to be filled in the Alliance school system were approved during the Board of Education meeting Tuesday evening. Additional positions the board is asking applications for include an additional High School counselor, additional Middle School and High School special education teachers and an added Middle School instrumental-vocal instructor. These choices were made according to priorities because of budget limitations, although the school can utilize the 3 percent growth factor allowance in the 7 percent lid.
40 Years Ago
March 22, 1985
Anna Sumner, Middle School industrial arts teacher, found out the Burlington Northern materials warehouse would be interested in some safety posters. She told her students, who produced approximately 60. Bob Kubarek, assistant materials manager of the BN warehouse said the posters were displayed in the warehouse meeting room for two weeks. All the workers in the warehouse looked at them and voted which three they liked the most.
35 Years Ago
March 17, 1990
The Alliance Park Board is ready to begin a tree planting campaign in Alliance. According to Howard DeWitt, park board chairman, the tree campaign will begin in April. The campaign received the backing of the Alliance City Council Thursday evening. The park board is seeking assistance in the campaign through a grant application with the Peter Kiewit Foundation. The foundation is offering $500,000 in grant money to Nebraska cities for landscaping. The grant limit is $35,000; matching funds must be obtained from the general public before the grant is awarded.
30 Years Ago
March 16, 1995
The Alliance Public Library has announced a one-week “Leprechaun amnesty” on fines for overdue library books. Books returned between March 17 and March 25 will not be charged overdue fines. The week of “library amnesty” will allow patrons to “save the green” by returning long overdue books without a fine. “The luck of the Irish is with you starting on St. Pat’s Day, March 17,” said librarian Mavis McLean.
25 Years Ago
March 16, 2000
City Revokes Surcharge Contract With KN: The bulk of last night’s Alliance City Council meeting was a public hearing for the city’s P-0802 contract challenge concerning the surcharge for the ratepayers of KN Energy.
20 Years Ago
March 18, 2005
Miss Panhandle, Aimee Blauvelt, also former Miss Alliance, gave a speech Wednesday morning to fifth and sixth grade students at Alliance Middle School to spread her message of living drug and alcohol free. Blauvelt is competing for a fourth time in the Miss Nebraska pageant. She was a runner-up last year in the 2004 pageant for Miss Nebraska and said she did not think she would run again.
15 Years Ago
March 22, 2010
Many supporters and donors of Nebraska Boys Ranch, which first opened its doors in 1965, have been wondering for months about the future of the program. There have been many changes in recent months: lack of referrals, philosophical change by Health and Human Services, two reductions in staff, and the sale of the business office. This has led to hard decisions for Boys Ranch Director Stan Bills and the Board of Directors for the Snow-Fern Memorial Foundation into making some hard decisions.
10 Years Ago
March 19, 2015
Applications Available for BBGH High School Summer Intern Program: Box Butte General Hospital (BBGH) has had a successful high school summer intern program for 18 years. Prime examples of its success are the first two interns to participate in the program back in 1996, Dr. Josh McConkey and Betsy Bauman Horstman, R.N. Both have gone on to successful careers in the medical profession.
5 Years Ago
March 18, 2020
In an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19, schools throughout Nebraska’s Panhandle, including Alliance Public Schools, will be closed for two weeks. Superintendents met with the COVID-19 Unified Command and determined this course of action to be the best one to decrease the risk of spreading the disease.
*Compiled from The Alliance Times-Herald Archives by Christine Melcher