130 Years Ago
April 6, 1894
Mrs. W. M. Cornwall and Mrs. C. A. Newberry are two of Alliance’s ladies who have taken the initiative among the gentler sex in bicycling. By next fall there will doubtless be more ladies here who have taken to that graceful and healthful pastime.
125 Years Ago
April 7, 1899
We have it direct from a prominent railroad official that there will be not less than 150 teams at work grading between here and the River by Monday next. Mike Elmore sent the first grading outfit to commence work the first of the week. It is stated that the road will be named the Nebraska, Wyoming and Western, and at present has no connection with the Burlington, though it may have later.
120 Years Ago
April 1, 1904
Alliance has cause for congratulation in the record of receipts at the postoffice for the year ending yesterday, March 31, for reason that it means that the Alliance office will be advanced from the third to the second class.
115 Years Ago
April 2, 1909
Telegraphic word was received in Alliance yesterday to the effect that Representative Chase’s bill locating a state normal school in Western Nebraska had been passed by the state senate, and in the final consideration was amended so as to appropriate $35,000 for such a school, instead of $25,000, as it passed the house.
110 Years Ago
April 3, 1914
The advisability of securing the services of an agricultural expert for the benefit of Box Butte county farmers was the subject under discussion at the meeting of the board of directors of the commercial club Thursday evening. The idea of incorporating the secretaryship of the new commercial club with that of an agricultural expert did not meet with the approval of the men present, as both offices will require all the time that can be devoted to them.
105 Years Ago
April 1, 1919
When Mr. and Mrs. F. F. Schwenson returned from a visit at a home of a neighbor Sunday night they caught a thief in the act of ransacking their home. The prowler had entered the house through a rear door and he had just started operations when the family returned. The only thing he took and the most valuable thing he could have taken was a gold watch of peculiar design which belonged to their son, Arthur Schwenson, who died while in the service of his country. The mother prized the watch as a keep-sake and she says she will pay a reward of $10 and no questions will be asked if the man who took it will send it back. The watch has two emblematic ribbons of different color across the back and a gold shield on the front.
100 Years Ago
April 1, 1924
A draft for $25,000 was received in Alliance Saturday and paid to Box Butte county farmers through a local bank for a shipment of 20 cars of hogs which were shipped out of here to Omaha on Saturday. There were 1,472 fat hogs in the total shipment and in addition 13 cars of fat cattle were shipped out one day this week.
95 Years Ago
April 2, 1929
Box Butte county is cramped for proper housing quarters for its prisoners, declared County Attorney Romig before the board of county commissioners at the regular weekly meeting at the courthouse this forenoon. There are only two cells, besides the dark cell, and these are overcrowded most of the time, it being necessary to quarter many of the county’s prisoners in the city jail from time to time.
90 Years Ago
April 3, 1934
Man Johnson, 41, sometimes resident of Alliance and believed to have been a former convict in both Idaho and Wyoming penitentiaries, was shot and killed in a fight last night with Mrs. Louise Perkins, 34, at the home of Nathaniel and Willie Spann. Mrs. Perkins, being held in the county jail today awaiting an inquest into the killing, told officers last night that she shot Johnson in self-defense.
85 Years Ago
April 4, 1939
Contracts for $57,442 worth of piping and auxiliary equipment were awarded by the city council Friday afternoon at a special session. No contracts were let for electrical and coal handling equipment, leaving an approximate $30,000 worth of equipment yet to be contracted for.
80 Years Ago
April 4, 1944
If “Prince Furniture” would come to Alliance, “Cinderella Housing” might wear her glass slipper to the party and all would be happy. As it is, the houses, completed and ready for occupancy, remain vacant, either because temporary tenants do not want to buy furnishings, or the furniture, particularly electric units, is not available. A second survey of the housing situation made Saturday by the Times-Herald reveals little change except that more houses are now available.
75 Years Ago
April 1, 1949
Apparently exhausted after bringing 10 new babies to St. Joseph’s hospital last weekend, the stork is hibernating somewhere. He hasn’t made an appearance at the hospital since last Monday. The tenth baby he brought within four days, coupled with inclement weather and a shortage of iron in his blood, forced the bedraggled old bird to take some time off. He’ll be back on the job soon, we predict. (In fact, we know it.)
70 Years Ago
April 3, 1954
Dr. Donald N. Taylor, local dentist, is the newly elected exalted ruler of the Alliance Elks Club. The formal installation service will be held at the regular meeting on Wednesday evening which will be preceded by a 6:30 p.m., Lenten dinner. He succeeds Everett Breck, Jr.
65 Years Ago
April 3, 1959
Alliance’s wayward Airport Administration Building plans and specifications were finally run down by City Manager R. W. Laing this morning. Laing talked with W. B. Boucher, district Airport Engineer for the Federal Aeronautics Administration in Lincoln and Boucher explained the delay in the plans being sent back to Alliance. Laing was expected to have the plans available for a bid letting sometime during the last week in March according to the information received then.
60 Years Ago
April 3, 1964
In a relatively light, uncomplicated meeting Thursday evening, the Alliance City Council took favorable action on two of four recommendations prepared by the Mayor’s Safety Committee. A planned joint Council, Museum and Park Board Conference for the purpose of taking action on the Knight Museum building was referred to, but that was not part of the agenda.
55 Years Ago
April 3, 1969
The Alliance Area Chamber of Commerce has reached one of its ten 1969 goals, a membership of 300. This was accomplished Wednesday afternoon with the signing of State Senator Leslie Stull as the 300th member.
50 Years Ago
April 3, 1974
A little less than a year ago, the first mobile home in the new Meadows Mobile Home Court was installed. Quickly, the 30 lots prepared for the court were filled with trailers. By November, another 29 spaces were opened, and again the court was quickly filled. On about May 1, another 41 spaces are expected to be opened in the court’s second expansion in less than a year, bringing the total capacity of the trailer park to 100 families.
45 Years Ago
April 2, 1979
Two who received awards as “outstanding” at the annual 4-H Leader Recognition banquet held in Alliance Friday night are Paul Phaneuf, who accepted the award on behalf of Panhandle Rural Electric Membership Association, declared the outstanding business for the year, and Mrs. Helen Iossi, the outstanding leader of the year.
40 Years Ago
April 3, 1984
Schools in Box Butte County were closed today as vehicular traffic was brought to a snail’s pace by 9-inches of wet snow. St. Agnes Academy was the only school in the county that started classes this morning, but within five minutes of arrival in their classrooms, students were sent home from the private school. The day care centers in the city did not open today, leaving some mothers tending their children in offices and places of business.
35 Years Ago
April 3, 1989
Last month, the Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announces that due to advancing technology, 190 weather stations will be closed within the next six or seven years. Charles Esmeier, weather specialist at the National Weather Service in Alliance, said it isn’t something that’s going to happen overnight. Esmeier said that a list was published of the 115 weather stations that would remain open. Alliance was not on the list.
30 Years Ago
April 2, 1994
Mention pet therapy and people might look at you as if you need a little help, but the residents at Highland Park Care Center know that it means they will soon be visited by a lovable pet. Pat Griffith, activities director at the facility, said that when she became the AD a year and a half ago family members occasionally brought pets to visit, but there was no formal pet visitation program.
25 Years Ago
April 3, 1999
At a press conference Tuesday, Gov. Mike Johanns, in conjunction with the Nebraska Rural Development Commission, presented plaques to 10 Nebraska cities for community accomplishment in 1998. Alliance’s Library/Learning Center was one of those top 10 projects honored.
20 Years Ago
April 2, 2004
Yesterday, April 1, a criminal complaint and an arrest warrant were filed by Special Prosecutor John Freudenberg, of Sheridan County, against Shell M. Tomjack, former director of the Chamber of Commerce in Alliance. According to Alliance Attorney Jon Worthman, the warrant was a formality and that he and Tomjack were aware that the filing, warrant and $50,000 bond were set for yesterday. The complaint filed in Box Butte County Court alleges Count I-Theft, a class III felony; and Count 2-Attempted Theft, a class I misdemeanor.
15 Years Ago
April 3, 2009
Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson announced yesterday that $47.2 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is now available to school districts across Nebraska to boost teacher training, childhood education, online learning, and address student academic achievement challenges. Alliance Public Schools received $216,001.
10 Years Ago
April 3, 2014
Earlier this week, the Alliance City Council introduced Patricia Jones as the new Adult Services Librarian. Also joining the staff recently, is Library Clerk MJ Vera, who has been with the team two months.
5 Years Ago
April 3, 2019
With only one bid on the table, and the clock ticking away, the Alliance School Board voted unanimously to approve a bid for $1.3 million to complete the HVAC renovation project at Grandview Elementary.
*Compiled from The Alliance Times-Herald Archives by staff.