130 Years Ago
April 24, 1896
A number of the floors of business houses have received a coat of oil this week. The oil used is a new kind, having been introduced here by Ed. Mollring. It retains all of the dust so that in sweeping a floor covered with the oil no dust will rise in the room.
125 Years Ago
April 26, 1901
The work of printing a new telephone directory for the Auburn Telephone Construction Co. is just being finished at this office. The Alliance exchange now numbers 260 phones – a matter of much surprise to newcomers. This is due however to two facts: The splendid service furnished and the enterprise of our people.
120 Years Ago
April 27, 1906
The fire at the depot Monday and partial destruction of the building has aroused public interest in the project of a new and modern brick and stone structure that would reflect credit to the city and attract the attention of the traveling public to the importance to which Alliance has attained as the metropolis of Western Nebraska.
115 Years Ago
April 28, 1911
Nice progress is being made by Contractor S. C. Reck in the construction of the Creamery addition. Manager Spencer now has all the machinery on the ground required for the refrigeration plant.
110 Years Ago
April 28, 1916
The pea green rooming house has been completely remodeled and changed into a first class boarding house with rooms. Mrs. H. H. Jenkins is managing the place and has changed it into one that is a credit to the town.
105 Years Ago
April 29, 1921
Three of the largest civil suits recorded in the local district court have been filed against the Alliance Potash company by Herman J. Krause, president of the company, and R. M. Hampton, vice president, for the aggregate amount of $247,833.63.
100 Years Ago
April 30, 1926
A new gasoline filling station and a store are being established at Third and Platte by Leo Kesterner. The station will be strictly up-to-date. The office of the station will be in the front part of the building occupied by the store.
95 Years Ago
April 28, 1931
Alfred H. “Fritz” Smith, 64, paid a $100 fine and costs before County judge Ira E. Tash last Saturday forenoon when he pleaded guilty to a charge of transportation of liquor. He was with Miss Cleo Carsons and Miss Mary Ann Foley when the former was killed and the latter seriously injured on the Hemingford highway a week ago.
90 Years Ago
April 24, 1936
Willie Spann, who has had more trouble with law than you can shake a stick at, is in court again. It is double trouble for her this time. County Judge Romig fined her $100 on each of two counts alleged sale of liquor without benefit of license following a hearing Wednesday.
85 Years Ago
April 25, 1941
Fifteen months ago, through the alertness and foresight of the late E. V. Black, Alliance applied for and obtained the first non-college pilot training school allotted in Nebraska under the civilian pilot training program. Twenty-one pilots have been already trained as this city’s direct contribution to one of the most crucial needs of national defense.
80 Years Ago
April 26, 1946
The Silver Star, one of the highest awards made by the United States to its fighting men, has been awarded posthumously to John W. Henderson of Alliance. Henderson, a private in the 32d Infantry Division, which was responsible for freeing a large portion of the Philippines from the Japanese, was killed in action on Leyte Island December 16, 1944.
75 Years Ago
April 27, 1951
Floyd Stone, chairman of the Alliance committee studying the possibility of creating rain by cloud-seeding, said today that first contacts with farmers in Sioux, Dawes, Sheridan and Box Butte counties appear to be favorable.
70 Years Ago
April 28, 1956
The value of products sold in 1954 by operators of 707 farms in Box Butte County was $8,747,304, according to a preliminary report of the 1954 Census of Agriculture published by the Bureau of the Census.
65 Years Ago
April 28, 1961
Some 900 track fans saw history made early this afternoon at Bulldog Stadium here when Jim Kettelhut ran the fastest 880 yards ever achieved by a Nebraska high school athlete. His time was 1 minute, 56.9 seconds under perfect weather conditions.
60 Years Ago
April 30, 1966
Alliance is ahead of the required 5-a-day boardings by the Civil Aeronautics Board with a total of 169 boardings on Frontier Airlines so far this month.
55 Years Ago
April 29, 1971
Representatives from the community, the American Indian Center, the Office of Economic Opportunity, the Panhandle Mental health Center and the Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor from Scottsbluff met here Wednesday to discuss starting a “Half Way House” for alcoholics in Alliance.
50 Years Ago
April 28, 1976
While negotiators have been unable to reach agreement on terms for 1976-77 contracts, Alliance teachers are being offered contracts calculated on base pay of $8,300.
45 Years Ago
April 25, 1981
Alliance Mayor Mike Garwood mailed more than 275 letters Friday to civic leaders of the community and the adjacent rural area urging their assistance in promoting the use of Pioneer Airlines in travel to Denver and Rapid City and beyond. Flights to Rapid City were granted for a year’s trial by the Civil Aeronautics Board.
40 Years Ago
April 23, 1986
Members of the Alliance Airport Authority grilled GP Express Airline President George Poullos on a variety of topics Tuesday night. Poullos was present to discuss the current status of the airline in Alliance.
35 Years Ago
April 26, 1991
Created by Jim Reinders, Alliance’s Carhenge has not met with universal approval in the local community. To some people it’s art, to others a hazardous eyesore, but be that as it may, the city has gained national and international fame for the re-creation of Stonehenge.
30 Years Ago
April 25, 1996
Hemingford High school sophomore Shae Brost won the national power lifting title Saturday in the 97-pound weight class. Shae also broke her personal best record when she lifted 203.75 lbs. In the squat, bench-pressed 94 lbs. And deadlifted 252 lbs.
25 Years Ago
April 28, 2001
On June 12, Becky Abold and other teenagers from across the United States will travel to a city in Venezuela with Teen Mania Ministries. The group will work with the local residents in light construction such as repairing and painting churches in the area.
20 Years Ago
April 26, 2006
Yesterday in Box Butte District Court, former Box Butte County Fair Jane S., who stole over $73,000 from Box Butte County Agricultural Society between Dec. 4 2002 and Jun 21, 2005, was sentenced to an indeterminate period of 36 – 60 months at the Nebraska Department of Corrections.
15 Years Ago
April 25, 2011
The Sallows Arboretum and Conservatory is the new home for one of the most rare and endangered plant species originating in the Sandhills. On behalf to the Conservatory, Sandy McCarthy made it her mission to acquire the plant. According to a study done, blowout penstemon is the rarest plant endemic to the Great Plains and is the only officially endangered plant species in Nebraska.
10 Years Ago
April 25, 2016
Alliance Times-Herald sports editor Kyle Cummings knew he had been nominated for the Nebraska Press Association’s Outstanding Young Nebraska Journalist Award though thought the honor would go to someone else. With the second place winner announced, Cummings had not long to wait before hearing his own name Friday as first place winner.
5 Years Ago
April 28, 2021
An Alliance teen faces many years in prison following a drunken night involving attempted robberies, child abuse, reckless driving and attempted assault. Kolton F., 18, of Alliance, was taken into custody by the Alliance Police Department on April 10, according to an Affidavit for Custody filed in the case.
*Compiled from The Alliance Times-Herald Archives by Christine Melcher