130 Years Ago
December 27, 1895
A new and novel entertainment will be given at the St. Matthew’s club rooms next Thursday night. It is to be a phonograph concert, and by the use of an attachment the music may be heard throughout the room, and the rendition of a large number of celebrated selections by renowned organizations thus transmitted to the audience.
125 Years Ago
December 28, 1900
Chas. Brinkman and bride, whose wedding last week was chronicled by this paper, sent TIMES a generous supply of wedding cake.
120 Years Ago
December 29, 1905
H. G. Pardey came over from Scottsbluff to spend the holidays with his family and visit with his Alliance friends this week.
115 Years Ago
December 30, 1910
Geo. D. Darling has commenced the storing of caskets and other stock in the basement of new Wood-Reiman building, which he expects to occupy with his entire store in the near future.
110 Years Ago
December 31, 1915
Police Matron Sharpe had a serious experience last Tuesday morning. She took what she thought was cough syrup at about 10 o’clock in the morning but it proved to be a bottle of dry cleaner, largely composed of turpentine and ammonia. A doctor was called immediately but her throat and mouth are badly burned.
105 Years Ago
December 28, 1920
The ice harvest opened this morning and 34 Alliance men have been employed to help with the work. The ice will be taken from the big overflow at Marsland and most of it will be stored in the big houses at Alliance. The work will last two or three weeks.
100 Years Ago
December 29, 1925
Box Butte County has paid $268 in bounties for coyotes since a new state law providing for such went into effect last April. County Treasurer, Cora M. Lewis, has paid for 134 coyote hides at the rate of $2 each after warrants had been issued by the county clerk.
95 Years Ago
December 30, 1930
Repairing of the damage caused by the recent jail break in the county jail will be started immediately, Sheriff George Jones said Monday. To guard against future escapes many improvements in the equipment of the jail will be made.
90 Years Ago
December 27, 1935
Police have been unable to get a line on the man who slugged and robbed James Marta of this city late Monday night near the railroad tool sheds on East Third street and it is probable that the missing man has made good his escape.
85 Years Ago
December 27, 1940
Christmas was Christmas for more than 500 Box Butte County youngsters because of the toy repair shop set up each year by the American Legion. Approximately 1,200 toys were delivered to that many youngsters on Christmas Eve, making merry an occasion that otherwise might have been bleak.
80 Years Ago
December 28, 1945
City councilman Charles Podhaisky looks for increased activity in building new homes in Alliance in the spring. The new federal housing project will establish priorities on building materials for single or multiple dwelling units costing $10,000 or less.
75 Years Ago
December 26, 1950
Another man says he’s going to buy an eraser and use it on some of the many Christmas cards he received this year. Then he can use the cards next year for mailing purposes. Says people send out so many cards now-a-days that they surely can’t remember which card they sent to whom.
70 Years Ago
December 29, 1955
The Alliance Volunteer Fire Department has been busy the last couple of days preparing for its 52nd annual public New Year’s Eve Ball. The firemen have been sacking up about 1,000 bags of confetti.
65 Years Ago
December 29, 1960
Two holiday babies arrived at St. Joseph’s Hospital, however, only one was born on Christmas Day. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Nelson are the parents of a daughter, Deborah Lynn, born early Christmas morning, Grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Severn Nelson and Mrs. G. M. Peterson, all of Alliance.
60 Years Ago
December 29, 1965
Bids are being sought by the Nebraska Educational television Commission for the construction of a transmitter building for Alliance Channel 13, three miles east and one mile south of Angora.
55 Years Ago
December 30, 1970
St. Joseph’s Hospital announced here it is not continuing its Home Health Agency program which provided health care at the home of aged persons not sick enough to go to the hospital.
50 Years Ago
December 26, 1975
Millions of America’s lowest-paid workers will be eligible for immediate pay raises when the federal minimum wage law jumps to $2.30 per hour on New Year’s Day.
45 Years Ago
December 27, 1980
Unseasonably warm weather has enabled builders to progress much farther than usual on projects underway in Alliance, but permit activity in December at the Alliance building and zoning office has dropped almost to a standstill.
40 Years Ago
December 25, 1985
The executive vacancy in the Alliance Area Chamber of Commerce which has existed since Nov. 15 has been filled temporarily. As announced by Fred Caventer Thursday, Carol Lindsay has agreed to serve as the temporary Chamber of Commerce secretary until a decision is made on hiring a permanent full-time secretary.
35 Years Ago
December 26, 1990
Establishing a minimum to medium security prison in the Alliance area raises questions and concerns among residents. However, George Watson, chairman of the Chadron State College criminal justice department and Loren Froehlick, CSC professor of psychology, agree that were a prison to be built near Alliance, there would be little to no risk to the people.
30 Years Ago
December 27, 1995
About 200 people have added their names to a list of possible employees for a telemarketing firm interested in setting up shop in Alliance. Ellen Lierk,, Box Butte Development Corporation executive director, said the list is encouraging and gives “solid proof” that Alliance would be an excellent choice for the firm’s owner.
25 Years Ago
December 26, 2000
The dialysis unit is complete and was turned over to the Box Butte General Hospital staff a week ago Monday, Dec. 18, Jim Parks, the hospital construction supervisor, announced last week.
20 Years Ago
December 28, 2005
Squirrel Causes Power Outage Again, Monday: “An inquisitive squirrel caused a fuse to blow,” Dick Cayer, Alliance Street, Sanitation and Engineering Dept. director, said yesterday about the cause of a power outage Monday around 9 a.m.
15 Years Ago
December 29, 2010
On Dec. 27, following a three-day bench trial, Box Butte District Court Judge Brian Silverman awarded Brad Green, 53, Alliance, $1,000,000 for injuries sustained while he was in the care of Box Butte General Hospital (BBGH). Though the total amount to be awarded was listed as over $3,000,000, Nebraska law requires a $1,000,000 cap on the judgment.
10 Years Ago
December 30, 2015
The Box Butte General Hospital Board of Trustees met Monday, Dec. 28, and learned from BBGH CEO Dan Griess, FACHE, that the hospital is in the process of moving into the new addition. “Finally, we’re starting our move … Finally with an exclamation point!” he said. The first department to move is the Pharmacy, which began its transfer to their new pharmacy on the second floor of the addition.
5 Years Ago
December 30, 2020
I wish to nominated Patricia Jones as 2020’s person of the year for the Alliance Community. I feel this person is qualified because: Patricia Jones has been an active volunteer since moving to Alliance to teach at the high school more than 40 years ago.
*Compiled from The Alliance Times-Herald Archives by Christine Melcher