130 Years Ago
April 14, 1893
The fourteen-year-old daughter of Thomas Langford, living some eight miles west of town was at home alone when she saw the fire sweeping down upon her father’s claim. With the coolness of an older brain, she went to the well and drew water. First she soaked her own clothes, then carried the water and threw it on the window seals and doors and as far up on the house as she could reach. Then dragging the wagon as near to the house as possible, she brought the horses from the barn and tied them to it. Next she drove the seven sheep, the turkeys and chickens into an old cellar, and kept them there until the fire had swept over the place with its devastating power, burning the barn and outbuildings as it went, but leaving the house unharmed, thanks to the forethought and promptness of the young girl.
125 Years Ago
April 15, 1898
The opening of W. D. Rumer’s new Chicago store was arranged in grand style. The large room was handsomely adorned with flowers and potted plants, and all the windows had some appropriately characteristic decoration. Chocolate was served to the guests, and a flood of harmony came from the piano to soothe visitors. One of the nicest and freshest looking stocks of groceries that ever reposed on the shelves of an Alliance store was placed to advantage in the rear part of the establishment. Mr Rumer has one of the neatest and most complete trade emporiums in the state.
120 Years Ago
April 14, 1903
Remember President Roosevelt will be in Alliance the evening of Saturday, April 23rd. It is an opportunity of which all should avail to see and hear the nation’s honored executive.
115 Years Ago
April 10, 1908
Another most deplorable accident occurred yesterday afternoon that will result in the maiming for life of another of the railroad boys. Passenger 41 leaving here yesterday afternoon with Sam Tillett at the throttle and D. E. Byrne assisting him as fireman. Just before entering the tunnel at Belmont, Engineer Tillett noticed Fireman Byrne in the gangway. On reaching the other end of the tunnel the engineer discovered that his fireman was missing and promptly stopped the train, and in company with the other train men went back through the tunnel. They found Byrne about thirty feet inside the tunnel with several severe bruises and wounds and one limb badly mashed, the entire train having passed over his leg just above the ankle. He was taken aboard the train and hurried to Crawford, that being the closest place to get medical assistance.
110 Years Ago
April 11, 1913
Philip Thomas, son of J. W. Thomas, editor of the Herald, ran away from home, Sunday night in company with Chas. Coltrain, who had been employed in Brown Barber shop as porter, and although the Sheriff’s office has sent out bulletins asking that the two boys be held if seen, nothing definite has been learned so far regarding their movements. The Coltrain boy is about eighteen years of age and the Thomas boy is younger. The former is an orphan and the nephew of Mr. Brown.
105 Years Ago
April 12, 1918
The difference between stealing and taking was emphasized in county court this week when Mrs. May Banjoff was tried for stealing $3,000 pounds of coal from a derailed car in the yards. Mrs. Banjoff averred that she did not steal the coal, she just took it; meaning, no doubt, that railroad property is anybody’s property and its no crime to take it. The judge levied a fine of $10 and the costs, which was paid. He did it more as an object lesson to the foreigners than because the railroad officials pressed the case.
100 Years Ago
April 13, 1923
The $5,000 bungalow belonging to Ernest A. Herbert, northeast of Alliance, burned to the ground from a fire which started in the roof, probably from a defective chimney. Mrs. Herbert was the only member of the family at home when the fire started. Mr. Herbert was at work in a field near the house, but he was able to save only a small portion of the household furniture.
95 Years Ago
April 13, 1928
Harry Thiele, vice president, was chosen president of the Alliance Rotary club for the coming year. He will succeed Percy Cogswell as president. Ray McCall was elected vice president, and H. R. Partridge was re-elected secretary.
90 Years Ago
April 14, 1933
Several hundred Alliance and rural children will participate in an Easter egg hunt at the playgrounds near the city park. Alliance merchants have contributed the eggs and a number of special prizes. Each store that is giving a special prize will be given a number and that number will appear on one of the eggs. The child that gets an egg bearing a number can refer to the list below, take the egg to that store and claim his special prize. 1. Theile’s. 2. Holsten’s. 3. Times-Herald. 4. Reuler’s. 5. Schads Bakery. 6, 7. Piggly Wiggly. 8, 9. Sugar Bowl. 10. J. C. Penney. 11. Imperial News Stand. 12. Woolworth. 13, 14. Brininger’s. 15. B & B Shoe Shop. 16. Keep-U-Neat. 17. Watteyene Shoe Shop. 18. Alliance Candy CO. 19. Corner Grocery. 20. Nu-Way Cleaners. 21. Safeway Store. 22. Brennan Bros. 23. Klindworth Beauty Shop. 24. Mallery Grocery. 25. Rhein’s Hardware. 26. Chamber of Commerce. 27. Purity Bakery. 28. L. B. Murphy. 29, 30. Fox Imerial.
85 Years Ago
April 12, 1938
Betty Lou Steil, 13-year-old Alliance Junior High school pupil, won the Box Butte county school spelling championship in the district courtroom at the court house Saturday afternoon. After more than an hour of spirited competition, the field of 28 spellers narrowed down to Betty Lou and Patty Podhaisky of St. Agnes Academy here.
80 Years Ago
April 13, 1943
Men must ride – especially and if there are no “hitches” or public conveyances, then your car will do. If you haven’t been in the habit of locking your old bus when you leave it parked at the curb, start doing it. Rev. C. L. Wiseman reported to police that his car was missing Saturday night and it was later found parked on a street in Scottsbluff. A ‘37 Ford coupe belonging to Leonard Perkins was found in a ditch near Chadron, where it apparently had been abandoned by “joy riders.” “One of these days we’ll catch up with these punks,” said a local officer, “and we’ll whoop it to ‘em.”
75 Years Ago
April 13, 1948
Zoan Hoffman, an eighth grade student at Alliance Junior High school, is the 1948 champion speller of Box Butte county. She won this honor after she spelled down 21 other contestants. Second place went to one of her classmates, Wayne Anderson, also an eight grader at Junior High.
70 Years Ago
April 13, 1953
Mildred Burke, regarded as one of the world’s top female wrestlers, will headline a show at the City Auditorium here on May 16. Announcement of the all-girl wrestling show for that date was made at noon by Dick Schafer, representing the sponsoring American Legion.
65 Years Ago
April 12, 1958
St. Agnes Academy will celebrate its 50th anniversary on April 26. The Academy was founded in 1908 by Father William McNamara, pastor of Holy Rosary Church in Alliance at the time. A bequest of $15,000, left by his sister, Agnes, and a purse of $25,000 from the parish made the original building possible.
60 Years Ago
April 12, 1963
The JayCee Cattle Capital Sprints, sports car races, will be held at Alliance Municipal Airport Saturday and Sunday, June 1 and 2, it was announced at a meeting of workers Thursday night by Chairman Duane Worley.
55 Years Ago
April 12, 1968
Box Butte County Attorney Laurice Margheim said today that an investigation of the death of Mrs. Fred A. (Loretta) Mann is continuing here, and that he expects to file charges Monday. A coroner’s inquest called in the death resulted in a finding by a 6-man jury that Mrs. Mann’s death April 10 was the result of blows struck by a blunt object sometime after noon on April 9.
50 Years Ago
April 12, 1973
Five Alliance High School science students who will present papers to the Nebraska Academy of Affiliated Sciences Friday in Lincoln are: Kathy Saylor, Debbie Ackerman, Deanne Petersen, Nancy Langner and LeeAnn Fiebig.
45 Years Ago
April 12, 1978
Paul M. Hefti, Chairman of the Board, President, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Guardian State Bank and Trust Co., announced today his retirement from the position with all Abbott banks effective Dec. 31, 1978. In making the announcement, Hefti said, “with my recent illness I feel it necessary at this time to proceed to select my successor so that I may orient and train him for the management position.
40 Years Ago
April 13, 1983
Tressa Pierson shakes hands with Shiela the dog during a visit Tuesday afternoon to St. Joseph’s Gerontology Center. City of Alliance humane officer Tammy Mowry has been bringing dogs into the health care facility the past five months as part of a program to give residents contact with animals. The Alliance program is patterned after similar ones practiced in larger cities across the country.
35 Years Ago
April 11, 1988
Former Times-Herald Publisher Keith D. Kemper will receive special recognition during
commencement at Chadron State College on Saturday, May 7. Kemper, who served on the Board of Trustees of Nebraska State Colleges 1979-84, will receive an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters. Kemper served as publisher of the Alliance Times-Herald for 17 years before assuming the same position with the Sheridan, Wyo., Press on April 1.
30 Years Ago
April 13, 1993
Lucas Bourn, 19, was uninjured but his 1984 Mustang received $1,200 in damages in a rollover accident at 9:27 p.m. Monday. Bourn was westbound on a county road, one mile west, when he swerved to avoid a deer. Nebraska State Trooper Tim Wangler was the investigating officer.
25 Years Ago
April 13, 1998
Christie Hill rescues four dogs from an abandoned house on the east side of Highway 385 between Angora and Highway 26 junction. Connie Stairs of Alliance first found the dogs when she was driving to Scottsbluff. “She almost ran over two of them, so she followed them back to the house to check it out,” said Hill, an Alliance dog groomer. “There was dog feces about three feet deep in there,” Hill said. “Someone had knocked holes in the drywall, put chains around the logs and padlocked them to the dogs. When I saw those guys, the tears just rolled. I expected them to be thin, but not like that.” Hill, Stairs, Cari Tyler and Jackie Sanderfield, all of Alliance, each took one of the dogs.
20 Years Ago
April 12, 2003
Lindsay Reiber, an Alliance Middle School seventh grader, is awarded second place for her pastel “Dreaming,” displayed at the Carnegie Arts Center’s 10th Anniversary Show. She also had two other pastels accepted for the show “Rufus” and “Learning to Write.” Among the top entries were First Place – Oil and Acrylic “Headin’ Home,” an acrylic by David Dorsey and Third Place – Oil and Acrylic “Pond of Prosperity” an oil by Jana Schefcik.
15 Years Ago
April 12, 2008
A group of Alliance citizens are trying to create a dog park in town. Though not formally organized yet they call themselves the Alliance Dog Owners Group, or A-d.o.g. They are waiting for approval from the city to have the park, and a location for it, before moving ahead with formally organizing the group and raising funds.
10 Years Ago
April 12, 2013
Alliance High School recently sent several students to compete in the Chadron State College Scholastic Contest. Among those competing are Ryan Waggener, Bethany Baker, Veronica Duran, Haley Henton, Colton Rolls, Kaegan Hill, Dawson Johnson, Austen Fults and Andrew Edmonston.
5 Years Ago
April 14, 2018
Crews began demolition of the old Alliance City Pool, located at 16th and Cheyenne. The pool opened in 1970 and was forced to close after the summer of 2004 due to an unrepairable underground leak. Generations of children and adults spent summers at this city pool making memories that are still cherished today. Although it sat empty for over a decade many consider the destruction a sad sight to see.