Cutline: October 14, 1991: These youth were honored at the 4-H Achievement Banquet Sunday night in Hemingford. From left to right the honorees are Sheri Magnuson, State Veterinary Science Award and delegate to the National 4-H Congress in Veterinary Science; Allyson Messersmith, Outstanding 4-H Member; Karina Dye, Herdsmanship Award; Sondra Krejci, I Dare You Award; Jennifer Lauder, All Around Home Ec Award; and Jon Katen, I Dare You Award. Photo by Julienne Gasseling.
130 Years Ago
October 16, 1896
Dr. H. H. Bellwood was summoned seven miles northwest of Hemingford to a very peculiar case in that of a seven-year-old son of Grant Alexander last night. The little fellow has just recovered from an attack of diphtheria, but was suddenly stricken with paralysis, and the prospects for his recovery are by no means good.
125 Years Ago
October 18, 1901
The football game on the Alliance grounds last Sunday resulted in one of the biggest farces imaginable. This was no fault of the Alliance team however. The soldiers from Ft. Robinson seemed to imagine that football was a matter of secondary importance to boozing. It looked as if they were not going to come to the grounds at all and when they did, about three-fourths of the aggregation were too drunk to do anything but act the clown.
120 Years Ago
October 19, 1906
Marcus Frankle, of the Famous, is making arrangements to so enlarge his store that he will have what he characterizes as the largest and most modern exclusive clothing store in the west, aside from a few of the large cities.
115 Years Ago
October 20, 1911
Mrs. C. C. Huckes spent a few days in Alliance last week having some dental work done.
110 Years Ago
October 20, 1916
Box Butte County is this month marketing a potato crop that, at a conservative estimate, means an average income of $1,250 to each farm in the county. The average acreage to the farm, according to an estimate by the county agent, is 25 acres.
105 Years Ago
October 18, 1921
Who’s the most popular girl in Alliance? A contest, open to all young ladies in Alliance and vicinity, will be held during the St. Agnes Academy bazaar at the roof garden October 25, 26 and 27. The contest will be decided by votes and the prize for the winner will be on exhibition at Glen Miller’s store.
100 Years Ago
October 19, 1926
A man came over from Rushville Saturday and complained to the sheriff that another man had taken his team and wagon, his wife, his dog and all his personal belongings and came to this city. A search disclosed that they had departed for Gering and the man took up the chase.
95 Years Ago
October 20, 1931
Missing the conveniences and advantages which a banking institution offers to a community, the people of Hemingford and vicinity met in a mass meeting at the Hemingford opera house Saturday evening and discussed what can be done to form some sort of cooperative banking plan or the setting up of some workable credit association.
90 Years Ago
October 16, 1936
Construction of the long-waited West Third Street underpass will begin Monday, it became known with the arrival here this week of C. W. Cunningham, construction superintendent for the George W. Condon company of Omaha, successful bidders for the subway contract.
85 Years Ago
October 17, 1941
Plans for a city-wide Halloween celebration in Alliance are being made by the Boy Scouts, Camp Fire Girls and the WPA Recreational Council. While the complete program of events has not been released, the committee has announced two dances, one for the ‘teen-age boys and girls at the Armory, and one for the high school boys and girls at the Auditorium, following the football game that evening.
80 Years Ago
October 18, 1946
The citywide cleanup of trash and rubbish being done by crews and trucks of the City of Alliance is progressing efficiently but slowly. The efficiency of the job is shown by the fact that three city trucks have been kept busy for two days hauling rubbish from alleys and from backyards.
75 Years Ago
October 16, 1951
Parking meter violators, when they come to the police station to pay the nickel fine for over-parking, are usually told by the desk sergeant to “come in again.” Police don’t know whether this greeting does any good in the cutting down of meter violations, but most everyone goes out with the comment: “I hope not.”
70 Years Ago
October 17, 1956
The City Recreation Department is preparing three major activities for coming weeks – the annual Halloween parade and parties, leathercraft classes and a series of bi-weekly public dances.
65 Years Ago
October 20, 1961
The City Council voted to increase fees in two classifications of Municipal Golf Course memberships at its meeting Thursday night. The resident $50 family membership will be raised to $65 a year if more than one member of the family plays, and the non-resident fee of $25 will be raised to $35 if more than one member of a family plays.
60 Years Ago
October 17, 1966
The Alliance Furniture Co., owned by Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Ericson, is going out of business. All persons visiting the firm during the sale may register for $900 worth of free gifts. The Ericsons have been in business in Alliance for 32 years.
55 Years Ago
October 18, 1971
The City Council approved a contract with Kansas-Nebraska Natural Gas Company to extend a 2 inch gas line from the True-Temper plant to the Municipal Airport. The gas line is needed to provide natural gas to an agriculture equipment manufacturing plant operated by Gordon Keeley.
50 Years Ago
October 21, 1976
A “pre-lease plan” for condominium-type apartments was explained to the advisory board at the Good Samaritan Village Wednesday evening. Bill Clapper, a representative of the Medical and Retirement Development Corporation, made the presentation.
45 Years Ago
October 21, 1981
An Alliance couple has filed a $100,000 claim against the City of Alliance and the county because the Alliance Police Department detained their 13-year-old son for 18 hours in the county jail without notification.
40 Years Ago
October 22, 1986
The Alliance school board participated in a writing proficiency exercise similar to the one which might be given high school students. The demonstration was during the regular meeting Tuesday.
35 Years Ago
October 17, 1991
The Box Butte County Prison Task Force voted 23-0 to pursue bringing a prison to the Alliance area. “The vote was to recommend to the Box Butte Development Board that it pursue Box Butte County as a site for the medium correctional facility,” said Ellen Lierk, executive director of the BBDC and chairman of the Task Force.
30 Years Ago
October 14, 1996
Alliance’s new fire chief, John Yoakum, is a public servant by nature. That’s why he chose the sometimes dangerous profession. “I want to be able to help people,” he said Saturday before leaving for Lincoln to make moving preparations.
25 Years Ago
October 17, 2001
Threats of anthrax, suspicious envelopes, terrorist attacks and hoaxes are situations that area law enforcement, AVFD and the Alliance Post Office may have not been called upon to address in the past, except for isolated cases. Nevertheless, each of the entities is aware of the situation across the country, and they are taking the necessary precautions and are answering the concerns of the Alliance-area public.
20 Years Ago
October 18, 2006
Living in Alliance means living near the BNSF Railway. This awareness of trains extends much further for railroad employees and enthusiasts. Some even create their own rail lines complete with detailed scenery on a layout. One of the largest layouts in the area will be on display this weekend during an open house for a model railroad club.
15 Years Ago
October 19, 2011
The Municipal Building and adjoining fire hall are in the early stages of long delayed renovations, including the installation of a modern heating and ventilation system, updates of the electrical system to accommodate the new system, and tuck-pointing of the bricks and roofing.
10 Years Ago
October 20, 2016
On one of the first pages of my earliest childhood scrapbook is an Alliance Times-Herald picture clipping of me playing tee-ball. I have my eyes closed mid-swing in the photo. Since that picture was taken journalism looks a bit different. Readers have begun demanding news quicker and easier; changing the landscape of journalism as we know it.
5 Years Ago
October 20, 2021
High school juniors from Alliance were participants in The American Legion County Government Day on Monday. The program is established to provide high school students with the opportunity to learn about how their local government works.
*Compiled from The Alliance Times-Herald Archives by Christine Melcher