130 Years Ago
Aug. 5, 1892
Cal Sutherland, a ranchman fifteen miles south-west of town, had the misfortune to have a barn burned Tuesday of this week, and is now mourning the loss of a valuable horse and three sets of harness. The fire was started by a little son playing with matches.
125 Years Ago
Aug. 6, 1897
One of Alliance’s citizens has been called upon again to suffer a loss by burglary. Tuesday morning when E. G. Wait opened his jewelry store he found that nocturnal visitors had carried off property to the value of about $200, consisting of some half dozen watches undergoing repair, small clocks, jewelry, etc. Investigations showed that the thief had cut through the back door and reached inside to slide the bolts securing the door. The mood of our people is just about right to make certain that when the guilty party in some of the numerous depredations hereabouts is brought to light the fullest punishment of law will be meted out to him.
120 Years Ago
Aug. 1, 1902
A little boy was knocked down and injured by a bicycle scorcher at the Rumer corner last night. Scorching on the streets after night should be stopped or one of these times, and indignant parent may be around, and wear the scorcher’s bike out over his frame before the marshal interferes.
115 Years Ago
Aug. 2, 1907
While Ray Reed was unpacking a case of china at Lockwood’s store one day this week he discovered a young chick packed away in the hay. Now the question is where did the chick come from. Everyone in the store swears that they had nothing to do with bringing it there and all claim that it came with the crate of china. Anyway the chick was a perfect specimen of the barnyard fowl and Ray has taken it home to raise as a pet.
110 Years Ago
Aug. 2, 1912
Gertrude Jackson was fined $50 and costs for whipping her husband, Tom Jackson, a porter in the Budweiser Corner. The trouble started when Gertrude imbibed a little too freely of the cup that cheers and it wasn’t late in the evening when she and Tom were having a rough house. Finally Gertrude, who is a militant woman, grabbed a handy beer bottle and began belaboring her husband who was soon bleeding and rushing to the police station for help. The city marshal was told of the trouble, but advised to stay away from the infuriated woman for the present at least. But the officer proceeded at once to the Jackson home, and walked in. Gertrude was in bed, and defied arrest insolently telling the officer “no law can touch you when you’re in bed.” He told her to get up and when she refused, dragged her out and took her to jail.
105 Years Ago
Aug. 3, 1917
After an exhaustive hearing before Judge Tash, the case of the State vs. L. R. Roezell, in which James Malone was the prosecuting witness, was dismissed. The trouble started because of chickens being permitted to run at large. Mr. Roezell testified that he tried to drive them off his garden when Mrs. Malone threw bricks and bottles at him and drove him home. Mrs. Malone testified that Mr. Roezell came into her yard and without cause or provocation hurled bricks at her and used cuss words. The state was unable to establish a preponderance of evidence and the judge dismisses the case.
100 Years Ago
Aug. 1, 1922
Rather than pay a fine of $25 and costs of $8.40, imposed upon him in police court on a charge of being drunk, Arthur McCann a baker at a local hotel, chose to “work it out” for the city and is now employed at various odd jobs about town, which free board and lodging at Chief Jeffers’ “hotel” at the city hall. McCann was taken in tow by Night Marshal Cal Cox. McCann it was reported, was negotiating the street with considerable difficulty, the sidewalk being apparently too narrow for him. When escorted to the hoosegow, the officers reported that the odor of hooch emanating from McCann’s cell was strong enough to curl the hair of a wooden Statue.
95 Years Ago
Aug. 5, 1927
A fire at the Mike Banjoff place in South Alliance took as its toll shortly after 11 o’clock Wednesday night a barn, a new Whippet automobile, a Ford truck, a ton of coal, some kindling wood and numerous articles. The barn in which the vehicles and other property were housed was completely razed.
90 Years Ago
Aug. 2, 1932
James Dunbar, a sheepherder from South Dakota, came to Alliance Saturday and while in an intoxicated condition wandered into the ladies’ rest room at the court house and proceeded to go to sleep. The janitor attempted to get Dunbar out, but he got quarrelsome and declared he had “paid rent for the room and he was going to stay there.” Officers were called and Ed Thompson, deputy sheriff, responded. When Dunbar refused to move, the deputy took a leather-loaded stick and proceeded to play “Show me the way to go home.” Dunbar understood that argument and he sobered up sufficiently to accompany the officer to the city jail.
85 Years Ago
Aug. 3, 1937
Alliance escaped by a mile being struck by a tornado Friday afternoon which ripped up the machine shed on the Leo Kastner farm, three and a half miles east on highway No. 2, and wrecked four hog barns on the George Neuswanger feed lot a mile north of town. “Several who saw it said it looked like a huge black funnel, about 300 feet wide at the lower end,” Kastner reported. “It traveled from the southeast to the northwest and those who saw it said it divided south of town, part going west and part northwest.”
80 Years Ago
Aug. 4, 1942
Ted Weems and his Merry Men are coming to Alliance Saturday night, the local dance committee announced today, thus securing one of the biggest of the big name bands for local dancers. With the famous band director will be his well-known specialty artists, including Elmo Tanner, whistler – extraordinary, Perry Como, Orm Downes and Billy Blair. The orchestra is a show in itself, and the seats in the balcony of the auditorium will be on sale to anyone who wishes to listen. Admission will be $1.50 per dancer plus tax, and $1 each plus tax for those in the balcony.
75 Years Ago
Aug. 1, 1947
Timothy Iron Bear, 23-year-old, pleaded guilty at a preliminary hearing to first degree murder in the ranch house deaths of J. W. Stollar, 60-year-old rancher, and his 58-year-old wife, Grace. The South Dakota resident, appearing before County Judge Clarence Benshoter, also pleaded guilty to the theft of the Stollar automobile. He was bound over to district court without bond.
70 Years Ago
Aug. 2, 1952
James A. Reed, 15, was treated at St. Joseph’s Hospital this morning for an injury received when he fell on a pitch fork handle at the George Foskett ranch. His injury was not serious, but painful, according to his physician.
65 Years Ago
Aug. 3, 1957
Judy Deihl, 17-year old Cozad girl who was the lone survivor of a plane crash north of Bingham July 19, has plenty to occupy her time these days in St. Joseph’s Hospital here. Her room is being filled with gifts from all over the United States. Judy was in the plane crash that killed her father and mother Mr. and Mrs. Merrit Diehl, and the pilot, Milo German. She spent 36 hours trapped in the wreckage before rescuers located her.
60 Years Ago
Aug. 6, 1962
William (Billy) Rohrbouck, 13, son of Mr. and Mrs. William J. Rohrbouck was fatally injured Sunday in a bicycle-car accident six miles north of Alliance on Highway 2. The driver of the car, Rex Klinginsmith, 38, of Grand Island, told State Patrolman Mike Frerichs that he sounded the horn but the boy’s bike continued into the path of the car. Billy never regained consciousness and died eight and a half hours after the accident.
55 Years Ago
Aug. 3, 1967
Judy Edwards, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Edwards of Alliance, will graduate from Bryan Memorial Hospital School of Nursing Aug. 6. In September, she plans to enter the Army to serve two years as a nurse.
50 Years Ago
Aug. 3, 1972
Dominick Farro, a State of Nebraska employee from Bridgeport, suffered a severe break in the thigh this morning when hit by a pickup truck in a mishap 10 miles west of Hemingford on Highway 2. According to Fire Chief Bob Duncan of Hemingford, Farro was working on the road where re-oiling is being done and he stepped out in front of the pickup. He was thrown into the ditch. Farro was brought to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Alliance by the Hemingford Emergency Unit.
45 Years Ago
Aug. 1, 1977
Airman Keith W. Stricker, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jerry W. Stricker of Alliance, has graduated at Lackland AFB, Tex., from Air Force basic training. The airman, who is remaining at Lackland for specialized training in the security police field, studied the Air Force mission, organization and customs and received special instruction in human relations. Airman Stricker is a 1977 graduate of Alliance High.
40 Years Ago
Aug. 5, 1982
Thirty-eight Camp Fire youth members won top honors in the 10th annual Camp Fire national Art Competition. Michele Heinz of Hemingford, 14, won an honorable mention for her photograph of a landscape scene. Her parents are Mr. and Mrs. Louis Heinz, Jr.
35 Years Ago
Aug. 4, 1987
The Startler Brothers will perform this Saturday with two performances at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. at the grandstand at the Box Butte County Fair. The Startler Brothers are: Phil Baisley, Don Reid, Jimmy Fortune, and Harold Reid. Tickets are $12. The fair marks the continuing effort by the fair board to bring “big-name” entertainment to the fair. Last year country-western fans were treated to the humor and outstanding guitar/banjo picking of Hee Haw star Roy Clark.
30 Years Ago
Aug. 3, 1992
Two individuals were arrested in connection with an assault involving a firearm. Samuel A. Jones, 22, Ashby, confronted two seventeen year-old Alliance males at the corner of Sixth and Box Butte beside the Slagle Memorial Library. Jones who was carrying a rifle, accused the two of taking his beer. One of the 17 year-olds took the rifle from Jones and hit him over the head with it. Jones was taken to Box Butte General Hospital. The seventeen year-old was arrested and charges of second degree assault, a Class IV felony, have been recommended to the county attorney. The youth was released on a personal recognizance bond. Jones was arrested and is still in custody. Charges of second degree assault and terroristic threats have been recommended in his case.
25 Years Ago
Aug. 8, 1997
Fourteen young women competed in the 1997 Box Butte County Fair Queen Contest at the fair grandstand in Hemingford. The 1997 Fair Royalty: Queen Maggie Zochol, First Attendant Kim Ahrens, Second Attendant Mandy Ensign and Miss Congeniality Holly Bell.
20 Years Ago
Aug. 3, 2002
The cannas are in bloom at the Box Butte County Courthouse. This is the second year that Buildings and Groundskeeper Marvin Toedtli has planted the bulbs on the Courthouse lawn. The bulbs, originally from Toedtli’s home. Toedtli said the cannas will continue blooming until fall and will produce seeds. He will remove the bulbs in early September, before first frost, and store them in the basement of the Courthouse until next spring. Besides attracting the eyes of passer-by, the tall flowers also seem to attract wildlife. Toedlti said he found humming birds in the bright flowers.
15 Years Ago
Aug. 1, 2007
Dr. Terri Myers will join Drs. David Isom and Jaime Dodge along with PA s Steve Rolls and Larry Isom at Alliance Family Medicine the first week of September. She is originally from ranch county near Atkinson in North Central Nebraska between O’Neil and Basset. Her parents the LeMunyans, are cattle ranchers. Myers graduated from medical school in May 2004 from the University of Nebraska Medical Center at Omaha, and completed her three-year residency track for Family Medicine residency at Regional West in Scottsbluff in June of this year.
10 Years Ago
Aug. 3, 2012
During a special dedication ceremony, Air Force veteran Richard Collins and his brother Dave Collins donated a bench in honor of Pvt. Edward Collins who died in battle in the Philippines during World War II. This memorial bench and many others will give visitors to the Nebraska State Veterans Cemetery a place to remember and grieve for their loved ones.
5 Years Ago
Aug. 5, 2017
With construction finished at its new location. Bomgaars began its Grand Opening Celebration with a ribbon cutting through the Alliance Ambassadors. “This store is 36,000 square feet. Our old facility was 12,000, so we tripled the size of the facility,” said Alliance Bomgaars Operations Manager Rick Penkava. Penkava holds roughly 10 years with the company, telling us that there were only 42 stores when he first started. Since then, the company has 82 stores within six different states, based out of Sioux City, Iowa.