130 Years Ago
April 7, 1893
Disastrous prairie fires have swept the south half of the county and a good portion of the sand hill country almost continuously since Monday. It is certain that the fire came from a considerable distance northwest of this locality, and borne hither and thither by changing winds of great velocity. Nearly the entire population of Alliance, even railroad employees turned out to backfire on the west side of the railroad track and prevent the fire from coming into town. The farmers lost animals and grain which will make putting in the spring’s crop a sore trial if not an impossibility.
125 Years Ago
April 1, 1898
Mollring Bros. Have attracted the attention of all by their show window this week. They have place therein a large Silver Tip bear. This animal has a decided history. She was killed in Beaver Creek canyon, about twenty miles from Newcastle, five years ago this winter, weighing over a thousand pounds dressed, and more than seven feet in length. Hank Mason, a settler in that locality fired three rifle bullets into the animal, and then a shell caught in the gun just as she was upon him. He poked the stock of the gun in the bear’s mouth, breaking some of her teeth, and ran for a tree nearby. As he climbed this his heel was bitten off by the enraged brute and later was bitten to death. As news reached Newcastle nine of the crack shots organized a party and trailed her with dogs. Succumbed to the wounds made by twelve bullets the bear fell to the lot of a brother-in-law of Fred Mollring, who had it mounted.
120 Years Ago
April 3, 1903
The painting of Mt. Ranier, as seen from Tacoma, Wash., which is displayed in a window at Darling’s store, was painted by Mrs. W. N. Howie, that section having been her home before coming to Alliance. It is to be sold at the bazaar given by the ladies of the United Presbyterian church. The proceeds will be place with the fund the ladies are raising for purchasing new seats for the church.
115 Years Ago
April 7, 1908
Volley Wilson was arrested this evening on a warrant charging him with assault with intent to kill. He is alleged to have attacked Lou Ray, a cowboy from the Spade ranch, striking him over the head several times with a revolver and inflicting severe scalp wounds. Wilson was arraigned before Judge Bullock this evening and his attorney asked for a continuance. In the meantime Wilson is at liberty, having furnished bonds for $200. The case will be heard sometime next week.
110 Years Ago
April 1, 1913
William J. Holmes, who was arrested a few days ago, charged with stealing a number of bottles of wine from a Burlington car, was arraigned before Judge Westover, entered a plea of guilty to burglary and was sentenced to not less nor more than one year in the state penitentiary.
105 Years Ago
April 5, 1918
The page from a time book caused the arrest of Fred Allen and Frank Trumble, two young men who were arrested in Crawford Thursday on a charge of robbing the Tom Stalos store of $139.50 worth of mackinaws, shirts, shoes, neckties and diverse, other sundry articles of wearing apparel and a small amount of cash. The following day the place where the men changed clothes was discovered. They stuffed the old garments under an old building in the west part of town and it was in their hurry that they dropped the page from the time book which contained the name of one of the men.
100 Years Ago
April 6, 1923
Chris Brown, was arrested two months ago when he chased his wife and the cook out of her restaurant on lower Box Butte avenue. Brown is back in jail. The police consider Brown a bad actor. He followed women around the depot and made a general nuisance of himself while passengers were waiting for trains. He was told to stay away from the station, but refused to observe the request. He was accosted by a Burlington officer and socked in the eye. In jail he presented a pathetic picture. His eye was swollen shut and the purple discoloration extended almost to his chin. Brown has a mustache like handlebars on a bicycle and he has the typical appearance of a comic-opera bandit. He has a bad temper and he wields a meat clever when he gets in an argument with his wife.
95 Years Ago
April 6, 1928
All women of whatever age possessing a head of fiery red hair will be especially honored by the Worley Studio during the next two weeks when they will receive free tickets to Clara Bow’s latest and spiciest picture, “Red Hair,” and a free photo of themselves.
90 Years Ago
April 4, 1933
Prospects for the erection of a brewery in Alliance to supply this section of the country with 3.2 beer, should the state go wet were outlined here Monday by Christopher J. Abbott, president of the Guardian State bank. The plan is quite feasible and ample finance would be available almost immediately if the state legislature votes in favor of beer.
85 Years Ago
April 5, 1938
Alliance high school musicians came off with third place in the unofficial class A sweepstakes ratings at the district contest at Scottsbluff. Scottsbluff was high in the unofficial ratings with 96 points. Sidney had 80, Alliance 71 and Chadron 15.
80 Years Ago
April 6, 1943
Mrs. Geo. M. Davis has received word from the war department that her son, Lieut. M. A. Davis, is reported missing in action in the Asiatic area since March 31. He was a navigator in the air force. He was a graduate of the Alliance high school, class of 1939, and was among the first to go overseas with the AEF in Africa and India. He wrote an interesting letter about the country and this was published recently in the Times-Herald.
75 Years Ago
April 6, 1948
Mrs. Robert Taft came to Alliance on Monday. She ate breakfast at the Alliance hotel and talked about her husband’s candidacy for the presidential nomination. Her husband is also traveling through Nebraska and the two will meet Tuesday night. J. L. Saylor, Box Butte county chairman of the republican committee, introduced Mrs. Taft. Also at the speaker’s table were Mrs. Grace Grantham, of the Young Republican committee of the country; Mrs. Reuben Knight, Mrs. May Boyd and Mrs. Edna Donald of Grand Island, national republican committee women.
70 Years Ago
April 6, 1953
Miss Ann Woodham, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L. B. Woodham, is on the Deans Honor Roll of Colorado Women’s College in Denver, Colo. Miss Woodham rates scholastically among the top 28 students at the school, which has an enrollment of 415.
65 Years Ago
April 7, 1958
Four traffic accidents happened in Alliance Saturday and Sunday. At 9:30 a.m. Sunday Aloysius Kelly and John A. Jelinek collided at Tenth and Flack. At 12:10 p.m. Sunday Mrs George Roe was parking at 716 Box Butte when a car door, owned by Carl Sward, parked to the right opened and did damage. At 5:37 p.m. Saturday Morris Zeller backed from the curb at 214 Box Butte and collided with a car driven by Harold Churchwell. At 6:25 p.m. Saturday, Jerry Lee Reynolds backed from the curb at 112 Box Butte and was in collision with a car driven by John W. Cover, Jr.
60 Years Ago
April 5, 1963
Businessmen were busy today stocking and decorating booths for the JayCee Home Show, both inside and outside the City Auditorium. More than $1,000 in prizes will be given away and the Coaches, instrumental trio from Alliance High School, and the Alliance High Band, will perform.
55 Years Ago
April 5, 1968
Shoppers at 38 stores in Alliance may win free prizes – including a grand prize of a new boy’s or girl’s bicycle – through prize tickets inside free plastic “Easter Eggs” to be distributed. The promotion is sponsored by the Alliance Area Betterment Committee, a division of the Area Chamber of Commerce.
50 Years Ago
April 5, 1973
Burglars entered four Alliance businesses Wednesday night, Police Chief V. R. Hutton reported today, saying he was particularly interested in the fact that none of the businesses showed any signs of forced entry. Dan Contonis of Gregory Insurance, located at 416 W. Third, said that very little was taken from the insurance office. Contonis said, probably less than five dollars. Mrs. Veris Brown reported that approximately $21 was taken from the cash register at the Kurl and Swirl Beauty Shop, located at 119 E. Fourth St. A vial of Demeral, a controlled drug, a coin collection and receipts were stolen from the office of Dr. O. L. Seng, located at 619 Box Butte Ave. Dr. A. G. Nuss’ office in the Seng Clinic was also burglarized. Dr. Nuss said that valuable coins were removed from a cabinet in the back of his laboratory.
45 Years Ago
April 5, 1978
Bob Phares Republican gubernatorial candidate from North Platte, was here for a campaign banquet. Phares, former mayor of North Platte, was the third Republican gubernatorial candidate to visit Alliance in the past two weeks.
40 Years Ago
April 5, 1983
A 14-member delegation from the People’s Republic of China visited Alliance to get a look at Burlington Northern Railroad’s operational and mechanical facilities. Interpreters as well as several high-level BN officials and two U. S. Commerce Department representatives were in Alliance on the tour.
35 Years Ago
April 7, 1988
City electrical employees Dave Walker and Roger Reed attach one of the city’s new warning system sirens to a utility pole before the pole was placed into the ground just northwest of the Softball Complex. City crews also installed another siren near the intersection of 18th Street and Emerson Avenue and the last siren is being installed today in the H.E.R.B. Addition. The city’s old civil defense siren was purchased by Burlington Northern and will be placed at the BN facility. The cost of the sirens is about $25,000.
30 Years Ago
April 5, 1993
Students who attend Dist. 40, located 16 miles north of Alliance on Highway 385, spent Friday night in school, reading. The special event was intended to promote reading among the students. Kayla Kulas, fourth grader, settles on her bedroll and reads her book.
25 Years Ago
April 1, 1998
Emerson School principal Dave Ocken received notice Monday morning that a $104,687 grant from the Nebraska Lottery would be awarded to the school, enabling it to provide a unique technology program for students. Sixty Apple eMates will be purchased for use by students.
20 Years Ago
April 5, 2003
Alliance High’s first-leg Stacy Langemeier takes charge of the distance-medley relay right away during last week’s Binfield Relays at Bearcat Stadium in Scottsbluff. The Lady Bulldog foursome of Stacy Langemeier, Jallyce O’Donnell, Marissa Rotness and Shelly Langemeier set an AHS record in the event (13:31.9).
15 Years Ago
April 5, 2008
The upper galleries of the Carnegie Arts Center are now featuring pieces of the 15th Anniversary Show. Works such as “Italian Coast” by Robert Peltz, Alliance, pastel; “Rabbitbrush” by Eveyln Smith, Wheatland, Wyo., watercolor, and “The Draughtsman” by Lynn Baker Edwards, Alliance, oil, are only a small sample of the 105 pieces on display.
10 Years Ago
April 6, 2013
New Children’s Librarian Barb Burke, who began in the position April 4, already has experience with the library, having been a clerk for about two years. Burke is looking forward to working directly with children, as well as developing programs for them.
5 Years Ago
April 4, 2018
Citizens of Alliance were left in the dark overnight after a line broke from a switch at the Western Area Power Administration substation, causing an outage that lasted roughly 10 hours.