130 Years Ago
August 4, 1893
Wm. James started with a bunch of horses yesterday for the Oklahoma country and will endeavor to supply that market with horseflesh. He expects to be gone thirty days or more.
125 Years Ago
August 5, 1898
Sheriff Sweeney returned from Gering with W. H. Walker, a prisoner. The charge against Walker is that of obtaining money under false pretenses. Walker claims that in 1895 in this city in Hough’s saloon he lost $90 at the gaming table, and gave Hough in payment for the same a check the next morning on the Bank of Gering. The prosecution sets up the charge that Walker drew a check for $90, which was cashed at the saloon, and that whether or not Walker gambled it away afterwards cuts no figure. The check was protested when presented to the Bank of Gering and officials said that Walker had never had a deposit there.
120 Years Ago
August 4, 1903
Francis Lockwood very fortunately escaped permanent injury by reason of and accident last Saturday evening. She and a companion were in the northwestern part of the city, driving Miss Francis’ horse to the heavy delivery wagon of the store. She had climbed to the back of the animal, and the horse trotting jolted her off. One of the shod hoofs of the horse struck her in the back of the head and both wheels of the vehicle passed over her body. She was picked up unconscious, bleeding profusely from the severing of one of the arteries of the skull, and although her body is a mass of bruises and she is confined to her bed, she will recover in due time without any ill effects.
115 Years Ago
August 4, 1908
Mrs. R. N. Patmore was in Alliance today from the northeast ranch country attending to business matters and visiting with many friends. Incidentally she says that the new frame school house in Dist. 130 is now complete and that church services were held there last Sunday. She is the director for that district.
110 Years Ago
August 1, 1913
A. Hadley, one of the old timers of the county, had the misfortune to lose a valuable matched team by lightning during last Saturday’s storm. Three horses were in the field and started for the water tank just as the storm broke. The mare in the lead was instantly killed and the next horse was stricken with lockjaw, so that it had to be killed. A yearling colt was severely shocked but will recover from the effects of its injuries. The horses were thrown over a three strand barbed wire fence by the lightning, but the fence was not broken, although several posts were splintered.
105 Years Ago
August 2, 1918
What will probably be one of the most pleasing and highly instructive entertainments ever seen in Alliance will be the appearance Sunday evening of Princess Rahme Haider, descendant of a long line of princesses of ancient Syria. One of her most popular lecture recitals, “Under Syrian Stars,” will be delivered on the lawn of the M. E. Parsonage.
100 Years Ago
August 7, 1923
Jealous of the attention of a local woman, augmented by a quarrel in a poker game caused the death Friday afternoon of Fred Ellis, 36, a local man who has been employed by the Burlington for the past six years. Lenzey Robins, a man who came here from Denver about two months ago, is wanted by the officers for the killing. The murder occurred at the corner of First street and Sweetwater avenue about 3 o’clock Friday afternoon in the presence of a number of men who were loitering around the dance hall owned by Willie C. Spann.
95 Years Ago
August 3, 1928
“Strong walls do not a prison make,” once sang a poet, and Amelia Irwin, 19-year-old bad check artist, successfully demonstrated Wednesday night that the poet knew his rutabagas. The Irwin girl staged a daring escape from the woman’s room of the Box Butte county jail about 9 o’clock that demonstrated not only her gameness and resourcefulness, but the fact that the county bastile needs bigger and better cell equipment for its woman prisoners.
90 Years Ago
August 4, 1933
Alliance will probably get its first glimpse of the Burlington’s new 100-mile-an-hour train, now under construction, late this fall, according to Vice President Flynn in a newspaper interview. Mr. Flynn said that “The Zepher,” the name chosen for the “bullet train” at the suggestion of a 10-year-old boy, will make a tour of the entire Burlington route and will pause for inspection by the public at principal towns in each section.
85 Years Ago
August 2, 1938
Perry Pollard, 19, of Lakeside, made his first solo airplane flight Sunday after approximately nine hours of instruction under Ralph Burton, manager of the Alliance airport. He is probably the youngest pilot in this part of the state. Young Pollard will continue to work toward a private license and hopes to have his own plane eventually. He also has ambitions to enter commercial air work.
80 Years Ago
August 3, 1943
Clarence Yort, one of the more seriously burned of the Hemingford volunteer firemen in the gasoline blaze at Hemingford Friday, died at 11:30 this morning. The other five, four of whom are in St. Joseph hospital, are reported as “doing nicely” by attending physicians and have good chances for recovery.
75 Years Ago
August 3, 1948
Two men were instantly killed Sunday near Hemingford when their plane power-dived into the ground. No cause of the accident has been determined. The men Orvil Perkins of Newport, Ore. 37 and his father Irving S. Perkins, 65, of Hay Springs. The younger man was piloting the plane. Both bodies were mangled by the crash and the plane, an Ercoupe all-metal craft, was a total wreck.
70 Years Ago
August 3, 1953
David Best, 19-month old son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert O. Best, 1015 Sweetwater, was released today form St. Joseph’s Hospital where he was taken Saturday evening after being found unconscious in the lagoon of the City Park. Bill Coleman, 16, son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Coleman, found the boy and immediately called the first aid emergency unit.
65 Years Ago
August 2, 1958
Everett Lyle, formerly of Alliance, visited Friday in Alliance. He had not been here since 1936. Lyle built the first swimming pool in Alliance back in the 1930’s and operated it for several years before the present Municipal Pool was built. This pool was located at 12th and Mississippi. He now lives in Seattle, Wash., where he is in the plate glass business.
60 Years Ago
August 2, 1963
This is the night that advance tickets for the Ice Royal go on sale and Alliance Boy Scouts will be going door-to-door in a canvass of the town to promote the indoor ice show for Diamond Jubilee, Inc. The show is set for afternoon and night performances August 10-11.
55 Years Ago
August 1, 1968
Joseph H. (Joe) Brungard, prominent Alliance barber and sports enthusiast, died at St. Joseph’s Hospital Wednesday afternoon. He was 69. Mr. Brungard barbered on West Third Street and on Box Butte Avenue from 1927 until March 1 of this year, when he sold his shop and retired. After retiring and until his last illness he was downtown almost daily and frequently substituted at his former barber chair.
50 Years Ago
August 2, 1973
A visit was paid to the Alliance Jack and Jill Store by Gus the Longhorn for the summer circus sale. Gus was brought to Alliance by Rainbow Bread, and has traveled through 26 states covering 100,000 miles. The steer’s horns span 6 feet, and he weighs 1,700 pounds.
45 Years Ago
August 3, 1978
The jury began its deliberations in the trial of Richard G. Zlomke, 22, charged with shooting with intent to wound, maim or kill, carrying a concealed weapon and possession of a firearm by a felon. The charges stem from the May 28 shooting of Walter Woods, 38, at 2nd and Box Butte.
40 Years Ago
August 2, 1983
“This is going to be another big year for the 58th Box Butte County Fair.” Betty Phillips, president of the board of directors of Box Butte County Fair, said. “We have some top entertainment and one of the newest up and coming stars of television will be here on Friday, Aug. 12 for two big shows,” The Fair president was excited about the top performer, Louise Mandrell.
35 Years Ago
August 2, 1988
The Alliance Volunteer Fire Department will sponsor a steak dinner tonight at the Jack & Jill parking lot. Proceeds from the dinner will go toward the fountain fund and a new blood pressure monitor for the Alliance Emergency Unit.
30 Years Ago
August 3, 1993
Robert Rapp, 30, has assumed the post of assistant director of the Box Butte Development Corporation. He replaces Denise Saxton. Rapp recently received his master’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in telecommunications from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
25 Years Ago
August 3, 1998
Alliance Publishing Company Inc. has announced the purchase of The Gordon Journal, the local weekly paper in Gordon, Nebraska, effective Saturday, Aug. 1. Alliance Publishing Company Inc. also owns the Alliance Times-Herald.
20 Years Ago
August 1, 2003
Irene Seidler is Box Butte General Hospital’s patient representative. A retired RN and nursing instructor for Western Nebraska Community College, Seidler, 71, went back to work at BBGH during September 2000. Patient satisfaction is her top priority in effort to maintain high standards and quality at BBGH.
15 Years Ago
August 2, 2008
Three local members of the Panhandle Quilt Guild were winners in the 2008 Oregon Trail Days quilt show. Local winners are, String Scraps of Spring by Machelle Sterkel, which won first place in the Challenge, Art-New division. Sydney Roosa in the Challenge, Old-1930’s category received second place with the Cat Quilt. Spring Tulips by Roosa, earned first place in the miniature category. A special award of Queen of Scraps was given to Elaine Moore, who stitches a lot of scrap quilts.
10 Years Ago
August 2, 2013
Kelley Dickerson sings while strumming the guitar with Shon Townsend while performing “LA. Freeway” by Guy Clark Thursday evening during the weekly concert at the library.
5 Years Ago
August 1, 2018
Miss Alliance Outstanding Teen titleholder Chloe Blumanthal was crowned Miss Old West Balloon Fest Outstanding Teen on Saturday evening in Mitchell.