130 Years Ago
August 18, 1893
Postmaster Nichols has leased the McCullough room, next to W. W. Norton’s store, for one year and will move the post office therein as soon as permission is received from the department at Washington, probably within two weeks. He expects to carry a good stock of stationery and have the room fitted up in elegant shape.
125 Years Ago
August 19, 1898
Frank Krula is the name of a Bohemian living around Hemingford somewhere who was placed in the lock-up, because he was drunk and would not go home. This person came to Alliance several days before, picketed his horses out on the prairie and began to imbibe freely. Two little girls accompanied him. They were left without care or a place to stop, and the team was nearly dead for lack of water when brought in yesterday. The little children were found lying behind a saloon about two o’clock Thursday morning – probably as near the drunken brute as they dared to go – and were taken to a hotel for the balance of the night, and fed.
120 Years Ago
August 18, 1903
The ball game between the barbers and the bar-keepers Sunday was one of the most ludicrous of the season. The score resulted 7 to 13 in favor of the barbers. There was “special inducements” at third base. We have not obtained the “line-up.”
115 Years Ago
August 18, 1908
Miss Maggie Barry commenced the work of remodeling her hotel yesterday morning, having in view fitting the same with a hallway and other changes that would fit it for use as an exclusive lodging house if desired. Gregory Zurn is doing the work.
110 Years Ago
August 15, 1913
Judge Zurn is happy. For over a week the lawn at the city hall has needed cutting and business was so slack at the court that the judge began to worry for fear he would have to cut said grass himself. Just as things were getting desperate the goddess of luck smiled on him in the shape of one Fred Peters, who over estimated his capacity for booze and was thrown in jail. The judge sentenced him to cut the grass and otherwise clean up the place in lieu of a $1 fine and costs. Things are in good condition, now and will be for several days.
105 Years Ago
August 16, 1918
Elvis Wilson, a young man employed on the John Lunsford place, nearly lost his life in a runaway accident when his team ran away and his foot was caught in the wheel of a mowing machine. In this perilous condition he was dragged over the field and only a miracle saved him from being crushed to death. A gash five inches long was cut in his hip and the bone was shattered. It was necessary to remove part of the hip bone. His left leg was cut and his entire left side and back were so lacerated and bruised that for a time doubts were held for his recovery.
100 Years Ago
August 17, 1923
When Mrs. Mike Banjoff, in South Alliance, opened her eyes about 1 o’clock this morning, she was surprised to find a man standing in the middle of the room. Her husband was at her side and she awakened him, but before he was fully aroused the intruder had fled.
95 Years Ago
August 17, 1928
When Officers Barnum and Bollerup came upon John Nissen, harvest hand and truck driver very early Wednesday morning, he was sleeping off a jag in the middle of the front yard of an East Third street residence. Nissen had passed out from the effects of overindulgence in strong waters. He was aroused and thought somewhat belligerent was subdued and escorted to the city jail.
90 Years Ago
August 15, 1933
Young and old will enjoy Alliance’s first annual dog parade. Prizes are offered by local merchants. In addition to the prizes, every kid who enters a dog in the parade will be given a matinee ticket to the Imperial theatre and an ice cream cone by the Alliance Creamery. If your dog grabs your cone, you may be given another one.
85 Years Ago
August 16, 1938
A bullet discharged accidentally from a .22 calibre bolt action rifle fatally wounded Theodore Buckley Myers, 15, Alliance high school junior, in a bunk house on the Turcott ranch southeast of here last Thursday afternoon. Young Myers and a friend, Roy Roberts, 15, of Alliance, were examining each other’s guns and Roberts had just picked his up to show to Myers when it went off, sending a bullet into the youth’s abdomen on the left side. He died on arrival at St. Joseph’s hospital form internal hemorrhage.
80 Years Ago
August 17, 1943
The skating rink that has been operated by H. P. Coursey on the second floor of his building at Laramie avenue and West Third street will close tonight. The building has been leased to the government for a term of seven years under the HOLC plan. Work of remodeling the second floor into 17 apartments will start very soon.
75 Years Ago
August 17, 1948
When a small boy is given a brand new balloon it’s a big event in his life. That was true Saturday afternoon when Roger Davies, 3-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Lee Davies of Hemingford, was in Alliance. He had a balloon and was sitting in the family car on West Third street when a gust of wind caught the balloon and jerked it out of his hand. He climbed out of the car and ran into the street directly into the path of an automobile driven by Benson Vandel of Houston, Texas. The small boy was struck and knocked down. He was rushed to the Slagle clinic where Dr. Joseph Kunel examined him for injuries. But except for scratches, bruises and fright, the lad was not hurt. He never did get that balloon, either.
70 Years Ago
August 15, 1953
The 50-year-old Alliance Junior High School building has sounded its last bell and held its last class. The Board of Education, at a special meeting Friday night condemned the building for further use and voted unanimously not to open its doors to Alliance school children on August 31. Superintendent Schindler said, shifting of classes in Central school, Grandview and Emerson would provide the necessary space. The proposed new Junior High building is not expected to be ready for occupancy before the beginning of the 1955 term of school.
65 Years Ago
August 16, 1958
Marlene Engel, 17, of Hemingford is Queen of the Box Butte County Fair. Her attendants are Patsy Fisher, 17, of Hemingford and Nancy Overstreet, 17, of Alliance. Two other big winners Friday were Shirley Messersmith, 13, who showed the champion beef animal and also was champion beef showman. Mary Brown claimed another dual championship in the dairy class. She showed the champion animal and was champion showman.
60 Years Ago
August 19, 1963
Mother Monica has been named superintendent of St. Agnes Academy and Mother Carmen who completed six years as mother at the Academy will return to Alliance and head the staff at St. Joseph’s Hospital.
55 Years Ago
August 16, 1968
Fair Queen Susan Sheldon presented Dan Hall, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. B. Hall Jr. of Alliance, with the senior-horsemanship trophy at the County Fair.
50 Years Ago
August 16, 1973
Mrs. Curt (Pamela) Griffith is the new animal control officer for Alliance. She has been a resident of Alliance for 15 years, attended high school here, and her husband is employed by the city as a lineman. The Griffiths have two children.
45 Years Ago
August 16, 1978
Investigator Ken Jordan and Officer Jim Young of the Alliance Police Department, recovered stolen items after receiving information about the stolen property and obtaining a search warrant. The items recovered are tires from Neil’s Truck Service, Cover-Jones and Cody, Nebr., and a stereo that was taken from the Elm Trailer Court.
40Years Ago
August 16, 1983
The eight Yard of the Week award goes to Jim and Marci Moran of 729 Homestead. This is the last Yard of the Week for the summer. At the end of September, a Yard of the Year will be announced by the Alliance Clean Community System. It will be selected from the summer’s winning yards.
35 Years Ago
August 15, 1988
The 63rd edition of the Box Butte County Fair has come to an end. Fair organizers are calling it a success even though featured entertainer Crystal Gayle was hospitalized and unable to perform as scheduled. The fair was highlighted by two performances from Razzy Bailey and Bobby Bare.
30 Years Ago
August 16, 1993
John Bartels exhibited the grand champion steer at the Box Butte County Fair. It sold for $2.70 per pound, the highest price paid for any of the beef at the 4-H and FFA auction. The steer weighed in at 1,225 pounds and was bought by Grocery Kart of Alliance.
25 Years Ago
August 17, 1998
Country music singer Mark Wils sings a song from his new album during the Box Butte County Fair stage show Saturday evening. Wils sang his first Top 10 song, “Jacob’s Ladder,” as well as his recent No. 1 single “I Do (Cherish You).”
20 Years Ago
August 16, 2003
Stan Wilcox allows “God” to remain as he paints over graffiti on the east approach to the pedestrian underpass below BNSF railroad’s tracks. Wilcox, working with Keep Alliance Beautiful, first painted over the words with a brush, then planned to use an electric sprayer to paint the entire underpass. Charles Krantz provided the sprayer and Alliance Lumber donated 10 gallons of paint. Wilcox works as a conductor for BNSF and has spent time this summer between railroad trips removing graffiti throughout the community.
15 Years Ago
August 18, 2008
Steve Folchert will start his first year as the principle at Grandview Elementary. Forlchert graduated from St. Patrick High School in North Platte, then did his undergraduate and graduate studies at Chadron State College. He has been with Alliance Public Schools for 16 years. He spent 11 years as a fifth grade teacher. He also taught one year of sixth grade science before becoming the middle school assistant principal for three years.
10 Years Ago
August 16, 2013
Thursday evening at the Knight Museum and Sandhills Center, Senator Deb Fisher conducted a listening session, to address concerns at the local level. Fisher began by speaking briefly of some of the issues in Washington, D.C.
5 Years Ago
August 15, 2018
Shanna Weaver is presented with the Round Robin award Friday at the Box Butte County Fair. The seven top 4-H showmen compete to see who is the best. Each 4-H contender shows their respective animals for a shot at the title.