130 Years Ago
April 27, 1894
Considerable excitement was caused last Tuesday forenoon by fire alarms. A high wind was blowing and someone saw smoke issuing from the back door of C. Shetler’s meat market. The fire company rushed around with their nice new red truck, frantically looking for something to hook and ladder to find that it was all caused by the smoke from a big kettle of grease.
125 Years Ago
April 28, 1899
The county commissioners met in special session today, and the contract for the sale, removal and delivery of the Hemingford court house was signed by the parties thereto. Work will commence within a week or ten days. The court house will be located on the east side of Box Butte avenue, across from F. W. Lester’s residence. This is a convenient location. The price to be paid by the county for the court house, removed and prepared for occupancy is $1,500, and the site, which is a quarter of a block, will cost $400 more; total $1,900. Of this amount $1,200 is to be paid this year and the balance—$700—next year. This is a bargain for the county and the commissioners are to be commended for making the deal.
120 Years Ago
April 22, 1904
Mr. W. E. Hushaw, representing the American Bank Protection Co., of Minneapolis, completed the first of this week the installation of a device in the First National Bank at a cost of about $600 that is calculated to show perfection and utility of mechanical contrivances of the present day. This is a burglar alarm that has been completed during the past two years, and it is so perfect in every detail that it is doubtful if the most skilled professional burglar could defeat the same if given all the opportunity desired to previously inspect it.
115 Years Ago
April 27, 1909
A runaway caused by an automobile made affairs lively on main street for a short time Saturday, and a large crowd quickly gathered. Mr. Johnson was driving a team belonging to M. F. Nolan. The animals became uncontrobllable colliding with Tom Shrewsbury’s buggy at the Mallery store hitching rack. Both vehicles were badly damaged.
110 Years Ago
April 24, 1914
The building committee of the Alliance lodge of Elks awarded a contract to Rose & Peterson, of Kansas City, for plans and specifications for their proposed new home at a special meeting held Thursday morning. The building will cost in the neighborhood of $16,000.
105 Years Ago
April 25, 1919
Auto licenses of the vintage of 1918, headlights without dimmers, some without any lights and the main street sidewalks blocked with kids in push-carts—these are some of the things which make life a burden to officers and civilians alike. The Times has been asked to tell the folks to “cut it out” in a voice that is rasping and sour and the request has been backed by the promise that arrest would follow the notice. But it won’t. The Times has been fooled too much on this same tack before. An officer asks for a notice in the sheet and he thinks his obligation ends there. Therefore, and in all good faith, go your best—the Times doesn’t care. It will take a good and sufficient surety bond to back up these claims before any more of them will be published as facts. The Times dislikes to have its promises—even when made in the name of others—forgotten. And some of those former pledges must be made good before we will clutter up the columns with new ones. Lest they have been forgotten, we will mention them in order: “shovel your snow or be arrested,” “go to work or go to jail,” “get a new 1919 license or pay a fine,” “comply with the dimmer law or pay a fine,” “kids keep off the backs of automobiles,” “minors stay out of pool halls.” Space forbids mention of the rest.
100 Years Ago
April 25, 1924
It cost Tom McCardle $40 to take the county’s new road grading outfit from the Barney Halber place to Hemingford. He had his choice of paying for all the damage he did to locks and equipment, loss of time to the county and other expenses, or going to jail, and he elected to pay the costs. McCardle is a sub-contractor on the Alliance-Hemingford road and he was told that the county had an old road grader that he could use if he could find it. McCardle admitted that he knew he had no right to use the outfit, but thought he could get a few days’ work done without being found out.
95 Years Ago
April 23, 1929
While the poor gobblers, who bought brick paving at gold brick prices several years ago, are still sweating and swearing under a 7 per cent interest load, comes now the city manager to declare that the state has agreed to buy the Alliance paving bonds at an interest rate of 4.6 per cent. And the entire sum can be paid off by each individual property owner at any annual interest paying date.
90 Years Ago
April 24, 1934
Within a few days petitions will be circulated in Box Butte county in an endeavor to secure a number of signers equal to 10 percent of the number of voters who cast ballots at the last general election asking that the county manager form of government be submitted as a proposal to the voters at the election this fall.
85 Years Ago
April 25, 1939
The Alliance Livestock Commission company got off to an auspicious start Friday afternoon when approximately 1,500 head of livestock went under the auctioneer’s hammer. The company announced today that sales will be held at its ring every Friday afternoon.
80 Years Ago
April 21, 1944
City Manager Clarence H. Hoper gave the Merchants’ committee, Thursday, a survey of the financial structure of the city of Alliance as related to the cost of light and power. He reviewed the present bonded indebtedness, post war planning, depreciation and building a backlog of reserve for replacements.
75 Years Ago
April 26, 1949
A large raccoon was captured in front of the Alliance theater Monday night by Police Officer T. H. Duckworth. The animal was confined today in a wooden basket at the police station. According to a tag attached to the top of the basket the raccoon is “held for investigation and trespassing on city property.” Police Chief Doug Thomas said this morning that the raccoon is quite tame, and he believes it may be someone’s pet. If no one claims it within the next day or two the police will take it into the country and release it.
70 Years Ago
April 24, 1954
The Doane Agricultural Company this morning turned over to county officials their reappraisal figures on all taxable real estate within the corporate limits of Alliance, Hemingford and Berea.
65 Years Ago
April 24, 1959
The Alliance City Council turned the taps off at the American War Dads Club Thursday night. That is, there will be no more beer served unless the club comes up with a qualified manager acceptable to the Council by May 1 when the present beer license expires.
60 Years Ago
April 24, 1964
Acting Alliance Postmaster Paul Kosmicki has received notice of changes which must be placed into effect May 4, including Saturday afternoon closing of window service, and the elimination of Tuesday parcel post deliveries. May 9 will be the first Saturday afternoon of the cut-off.
55 Years Ago
April 24, 1969
The Box Butte County Board is one of several opponents of four bills heard by the Revenue Committee today which are designed to provide a safety valve for counties now bumping the property tax ceiling.
50 Years Ago
April 24, 1974
Sheriff Don Underwood pleaded innocent in Box Butte County District Court this morning to a charge of failing to conform to jail rules. Underwood has been charged with violating a jail rule requiring exercise for prisoners “at least one hour each day outside the jail if weather permits.”
45 Years Ago
April 24, 1979
Salaries for the next school year were given a boost by the Alliance board of education at a regular meeting Tuesday evening. Salary actions included a 7 percent raise for teachers salaries, and a $400 increase in the base salary (for beginning teachers with a bachelor degree) to $9,700. The Alliance schools has a certified staff of 118 people.
40 Years Ago
April 24, 1984
The City of Alliance received one bid, $416,043 from Peltz Construction Company, for the Box Butte Avenue street improvement project. The bid, opened this morning by city clerk Cleo Richmeier and Colin Halterman, director of public works, was broken down into two divisions.
35 Years Ago
April 24, 1989
YMCA board of directors should be able to announce their selection for a director by June, according to Ellen Lierk of the YMCA selection committee. She said there will be a closed meeting Thursday where the 14 applications will be rated.
30 Years Ago
April 23, 1994
Emerson Elementary fifth graders will attend “Water Wonders” on Tuesday, April 26, at the Scotts Bluff County Fairgrounds at Mitchell.
25 Years Ago
April 24, 1999
With the events in Colorado fresh on everyone’s minds, there’s no doubt that we’re all asking a similar question: What if that happened here? To ease your mind, both the Alliance Public Schools system and members of Alliance’s emergency response community report that they are as ready as can be expected for future disasters.
20 Years Ago
April 24, 2004
A donation to ensure a cool church during sweltering summer days formed the basis for a complete renovation of Holy Rosary Catholic Church. Parishioners have been gathering for mass in the Parish Center gym since work began March 1.
15 Years Ago
April 23, 2009
On Tuesday, the local business owners of Alliance began answering their phones, often taking more than one call from telemarketers working for PCA Securities. By early afternoon, the Chamber of Commerce, the Times-Herald and the Alliance Police Department had been informed of the frequent and sometimes strange calls.
10 Years Ago
April 24, 2014
A new spa and salon is now open on West 10th Street in Alliance. Pure Spa and Salon is owned and operated by Tess Holthus. Holthus is an Alliance native.
5 Years Ago
April 24, 2019
The John G. Neihardt Foundation is pleased to announce the winners of the Young Poets contest for 2019. First place winners were Uriah Little Hoop from Alliance High School and Clara Kendrick from Irving Middle School in Lincoln.
*Compiled from The Alliance Times-Herald Archives by staff.