130 Years Ago
August 30, 1895
We learn that the medicine man is intending to fold his tent and depart with his panacea to heal ailing humanity elsewhere.
125 Years Ago
August 31, 1900
When Postmaster Paradis stepped in the front door of the office at 6 o’clock last Saturday morning he stared in amazement and rubbed his eyes to see if they were as wide open as the back door. It was reality and fragments from the door of the safe and debris scattered about the floor made evident at once that the office had been robbed. The safe had been blown open, two shots being required.
120 Years Ago
September 1, 1905
Report reaches the Times of an Alliance boy killing eighty grouse last week. Every true sportsman will keep a watchful eye to compel the enforcement of the game law and take special interest in prosecuting offenders. A lesson ought to be taught some of these law breakers.
115 Years Ago
August 30, 1910
An alarm of fire was sounded early Monday morning. The blaze was in the James Graham grocery store. The fire did but little damage owing to the efficient work of the fireboys. Judging from the evidence it seems that the fire must have been started by mice and matches.
110 Years Ago
August 31, 1915
An action in which damages in the amount of $20,450.00 are asked, was instituted in the district court on Friday by Mrs. Mary A. Kinsley against the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad company. The suit grows out of an accident sustained by Mrs. Kinsley upon the station platform at Hemingford in December, 1914, and the company is asked to compensate her for the injuries.
105 Years Ago
August 31, 1920
The water pipe for the main extensions in the eastern part of the city have been shipped and are scheduled to arrive this week. The contract for laying the 2,200 feet of main has been let to Ed Young, a local plumber, and it should be completed in the next few weeks. The new extensions will include the new community houses and part of Fairview addition.
100 Years Ago
September 1, 1925
Horace Anderson signed a complaint in county court Saturday night charging Cliff Hubbell with assault. The men had an argument over school affairs and Anderson says Hubbell struck him over the head with a shovel.
95 Years Ago
September 2, 1930
A complete ground school course will open at the municipal flying field southwest of the city, under the direction of the Rapid Airlines Corporation, according to W. W. Davis, local manager of the corporation.
90 Years Ago
August 30, 1935
An application to PWA for a federal grant of $86,000 to be used along with $103,000 worth of pledged future earnings of the plant itself to modernize and improve the Alliance municipal power plant was authorized by the city council at its meeting Thursday night.
85 Years Ago
August 30, 1940
Equipped with a stalk of corn 13 feet tall, F. L. McAnich won the $2 Dollar Day prize for the tallest stalk brought to the Times-herald office on Thursday. Several others approached the McAnich display, but none reached the 13-foot mark except his.
80 Years Ago
August 31, 1945
A combination of 40 more pump irrigation wells in Box Butte County, plus an equivalent acreage of sugar beets on the new Mirage Flats irrigation project could mean a sugar factory for Alliance, it has been pointed out.
75 Years Ago
August 31, 1950
A 7-year-old farm youth “who wanted to see the rocks crushed” admitted today that he had placed two large rocks on Burlington Railroad tracks here. A diesel freight hit the rocks the other night and the crew halted the train, thinking a rail had broken.
70 Years Ago
September 2, 1955
Nearly 100 teachers from Alliance’s city, parochial and rural schools were finding out this afternoon what makes this community tick. This is the first annual Business-Education Day of the Alliance Chamber of Commerce.
65 Years Ago
August 30, 1960
Reverend William Goldbeck, of the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, Inc., is scheduled to arrive in Alliance this afternoon to inspect the chimney Town Housing Project, proposed by Alliance as a site for a home for the aged.
60 Years Ago
August 30, 1965
The Burlington Railroad announced here today that it plans to file an application with the Interstate Commerce Commission seeking removal of Passenger Trains 31 and 32 between Alliance and Casper, Wyo., on October 31.
55 Years Ago
September 1, 1970
A felony case in District Court here was continued today because the main witness for the state failed to appear. In the case Samuel V. R., 28, of Pine Ridge, S.D., is charged with stabbing Adam S of Alliance on May 30 “with intent to would, maim or kill.”
50 Years Ago
August 30, 1975
Another fast active sale was held Friday at the Alliance Livestock Auction Co., with higher prices on a light run. A total of 1,400 head of cattle were sold and the market showed considerable strength over the previous week.
45 Years Ago
August 29, 1980
Thirty-four-year-old Dave Kimmel of Alliance has been named area Outstanding Young Farmer-Rancher for 1980-81 by the Alliance Jaycees.
40 Years Ago
August 31, 1985
The Alliance Volunteer Fire Department has a couple things planned for the Labor Day weekend. In keeping with the spirit of MDA giving, they will have some trucks downtown stopping traffic to collect money for “Jerry’s kids.”
35 Years Ago
August 30, 1990
The recent Friends of the Library book and bake sale brought in $1,700. Mavis McLean, director of the Slagle Memorial Library said the money will be used to help fund a large number of services currently being offered at the library.
30 Years Ago
September 2, 1995
During the first semester at Alliance High School new computers will be installed in every classroom. These computers were purchased with $207,182 of state grant funds. The new hardware will plug every classroom into the information superhighway.
25 Years Ago
August 31, 2000
Recent visitors to Box Butte General Hospital have been faced with significant changes in how they must access the facility due to the changes in entrance locations. Many Box Butte County residents have questioned why both sides of the facility are being worked on at the same time, creating the confusion with the entrances.
20 Years Ago
September 1, 2005
In the late afternoon of Wednesday, Aug. 31, Alliance Police officers responded to the area around the Pamida Store concerning a report of a man with a gun, according to Alliance Police Chief John Kiss. The suspect, identified as V. E M., 66, of Alliance reportedly confronted employees inside Pamida, brandished a handgun and pointed it at several employees.
15 Years Ago
September 1, 2010
An Alliance man has been bound over to Box Butte District Court for arraignment on Sept. 15. According to court documents, Christopher M, 31, is charged with aiding and abetting attempted second degree assault, a Class IV burglary, a Class III felony; and terroristic threats, a Class V felony.
10 Years Ago
September 1, 2015
After a year off, the Party on the Prairie returns west of Alliance for the 12th year of Toadstock. This week the site for the show, which runs through Labor Day weekend, is transforming from a few acres of grassland just north of County Road 67.
5 Years Ago
September 2, 2020
Within the past week, two students of Alliance Public Schools tested positive for COVID-19, as the virus spreads throughout the region. On Aug. 26, Superintendent Dr. Troy Unzicker confirmed that a student at Alliance Public Schools tested positive for COVID-19, although the student was not physically in the school. On Aug. 29, an elementary student at Alliance public Schools tested positive for COVID-19.
*Compiled from The Alliance Times-Herald Archives by Christine Melcher