130 Years Ago
August 3, 1894
Harmony can hardly be said to have been the most prominent protuberance of the county republican convention held in Box Butte county for this year 1894. A few minutes before eleven o’clock—the hour stated—Chairman I. E. Tash marched up the aisle to the table provided for the presiding officer and calling the thirty or forty delegates present to order, proceeded to read the call as prepared by himself and Secretary Tracy. Immediately after Iddo Joder was elected temporary chairman and in a few remarks thanked the convention cordially, after which J. H. H. Hewett was named for temporary secretary.
125 Years Ago
August 4, 1899
The county officials of Box Butte county are once more established in permanent and pleasant quarters, the change being made Wednesday from the room which they have occupied in the Syndicate block since the county seat was moved to Alliance to the court house. The county commissioners convened Tuesday and carefully examined the building which had been moved from Hemingford.
120 Years Ago
August 5, 1904
An unfortunate runaway resulted in the killing of the team of John Kinney, a drayman, at the railroad crossing in East Alliance today as No. 41 came in. Kinney and some boys were in the wagon—a light express—when the team started running. About a hundred yards from the crossing, the tongue of the wagon struck the ground, and the occupants were all thrown out, but escaped unhurt. The horses broke loose from the vehicle, which was somewhat demoralized, and ran to the railroad crossing, stopping with their heads toward the approaching train.
115 Years Ago
August 6, 1909
Wednesday afternoon at about four o’clock our city was startled by the ringing of the fire bell and blowing of the whistle. The fire was found to be in the barn and out building of the John Carlson property in the north and west part of our city. The fireman arrived promptly on the scene, but were unable to handle the fire as quickly as they should have, owing to the lack of water pressure, which was largely due to the fact that many of the water users around town were watering lawns during the fire. At time of fires water users should at once shut off the water, as the use of a number of small streams around the city greatly decreases the pressure and make fires a great deal harder to get under control.
110 Years Ago
August 7, 1914
At a meeting of the Merchants’ Federation held in the city hall Thursday night the proposition of opening a wholesale grocery house in Alliance was discussed and a committee of two L. H. Highland and A. J. Lunn, were appointed to meet with the directors of the Commercial club next Monday with a view to arranging the preliminary details and if possible get in touch with several men who are desirous of operating such an establishment.
105 Years Ago
August 8, 1919
The council meeting of Wednesday night was one of the most interesting and important sessions to the residents of Alliance, for many months past. Most important among the business matters to be considered was the passing of the ordinance providing for a city manager of Alliance, and the determination of the duties, salary, authority, etc., of the city manager.
100 Years Ago
August 8, 1924
Dollar Day—the quarterly bargain event by the Alliance merchants—will be held on Thursday, August 14. About 30 stores will have special bargains for that day, detailed announcements to be made in the Thursday issue. Economical shoppers will watch for the ads and select the items in which they are interested.
95 Years Ago
August 6, 1929
Gun play in which Federico Reyes, about 30, was shot just below the left hip put a sudden end to a Mexican jamboree in Reyes’ bunk car in section hands’ row in the Burlington railroad yards shortly after midnight Sunday. Ignacio Garabray, 24, alleged assailant of Reyes, is in the city jail and officials state that charges will be filed against him.
90 Years Ago
August 7, 1934
Please of guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit a felony were expected at their arraignment today of two strangers in Alliance who are accused of attempting a clever swindle of money from the Nebraska National bank Saturday. But for the clever detection and quick action by Frank Covey, local manager for the Western Union their plan might have netted them $280.
85 Years Ago
August 8, 1939
A crowd, estimated at nearly 10,000 persons gathered at the Alliance municipal airport Sunday for the thrilling and appropriate dedicatory ceremonies which served to officially open this city’s new, mile-square landing field—western Nebraska’s largest and most modern. Nearly a score of planes, ranging from little one-place private ships to the huge bi-motored Inland Airlines transport, lined the north edge of the field as the show got underway and later blackened the sky as hundreds of air-minded citizens took educational flights.
80 Years Ago
August 8, 1944
With Alliance stores getting most of their fresh meat from Omaha packers, prospects for a meat famine here this week developed as all Omaha A. F. of L. over-the-road truck drivers walked off their jobs Sunday, involving 41 terminals in the tie-up. Local merchants were informed yesterday their usual Wednesday shipment of fresh meat, which must come by truck, had been cancelled.
75 Years Ago
August 5, 1949
This afternoon the City of Alliance light plant reached a new milestone. Mayor Lee Strong pulled a switch that started the big new 5000-kilowatt turbine generator unit into operation. With that motion, a two-year plant expansion plan reached completion. The utility plant now has a total of 9000 kilowatts in plant capacity, an ample supply to take care of the city’s growing electric current needs for several years.
70 Years Ago
August 7, 1954
Severe burns received in a bottle-gas explosion north of Whitman Friday morning have proved fatal to a ranch worker, Calvin Paul Owens, 30, and his adopted son, Douglas Wayne Wright Owens, 5. The Alliance American Legion Post has started a drive for funds, clothing and household goods for Mrs. Owens and two other small children who survive. The Owens home was burned to the ground by the blast and resulting blaze and Mrs. Owens escaped by jumping from the house, she had dropped Steven Paul Owens, 2 ½ months old, from the window into the arms of their father.
65 Years Ago
August 7, 1959
Frontier Airline officials said here this morning the shuttle flight replacing the 6:15 a.m. Omaha flight, which will be dropped here September 1, will leave Alliance at 9:22 a.m. and arrive in Lincoln at 1:05 p.m. and in Omaha at 1:40 p.m. The flight will originate in Denver and stop at Cheyenne, Scottsbluff, Alliance, North Platte, Grand Island, Lincoln and Omaha in that order.
60 Years Ago
August 7, 1964
Alliance voters probably will vote on the controversial dog leash ordinance at the general election in November. Ahead of noon today, it was reported by an Alliance attorney who is assisting persons in charge of circulating a petition to bring the issue to vote, that it appears enough signatures have been secured.
55 Years Ago
August 7, 1969
Wheat farmers in Box Butte County will receive an estimated $1.4 million in wheat certificate payments, according to Willard Johnson, director of the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Office in Alliance. He said that about 60 percent of the payments for the 1968 crop have been mailed from his office, and the remaining ones haven’t come in from the computing center in Kansas City, Mo.
50 Years Ago
August 7, 1974
The Hemingford Village Board of Trustees met Tuesday evening and approved the budget for the coming year. The budget approved is for $271,814.59. Of this amount $46,595.89 will be raised by taxes. Although the approved budget is lass than last year’s of $311,763.12, the required mill levy will be higher.
45 Years Ago
August 7, 1979
Teachers’ in-service schedules and the student programs schedule was reviewed and approved by members when the Education Service Unit Number 12 board met Monday evening in the Times-Herald building. The in-service schedule, presented by ESU 12 Director Joan Kollars, consists of four speakers who will present programs to area teachers on various subjects which they are considered authorities.
40 Years Ago
August 7, 1984
In the evening of his first day as city manager of Alliance Monday, Wolfgang Bauer addressed the Council and city department heads with the message that changes are needed in fiscal operations, and he plan to lead in the direction of “a philosophy change.”
35 Years Ago
August 7, 1989
Concern for the safety of electrical crews Sunday morning prompted the City of Alliance to postpone a scheduled city-wide power outage, according to Steve Stone, deputy electrical superintendent for the City of Alliance. The city had scheduled a power outage from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. in order for crews to move some switch gears and other equipment from the Cody Substation to the new West Tenth Substation.
30 Years Ago
August 6, 1994
Jana Schefcik, one of the local artists who is participating in the Carnegie Arts Garden Walk, has been painting this week in Marvin and Kathie Toedtli’s yard. The garden walk will take place Sunday afternoon; the paintings will be sold in a silent auction at the conclusion of the event.
25 Years Ago
August 6, 1999
Opening at 7:05 p.m. Thursday, the first public hearing on the proposed $14.7 million City of Alliance 2000 budget became extremely brief when no citizens came forward to speak. Four minutes later, after Councilman Bernie Girard raised possible budget issues for the city landfill, Mayor Dan Kusek declared the public hearing closed.
20 Years Ago
August 7, 2004
Being an industry that is determined by the weather is not always a good industry to be a part of and this year’s weather patterns have greatly affected the agricultural industry. Because of the weather pattern, many crops are behind schedule during this year’s growing season compared to other years. The winter wheat harvest is almost complete, according to Mike Fastnacht, Farmers Cooperative elevator manager in Hemingford. The harvest is about 95 percent complete, with most of the farmers trying to get their crops out while fighting the recent rains that have come through the area.
15 Years Ago
August 7, 2009
Thursday night at the Alliance City Council meeting, the council postponed decision on requests from Rich Otto, financial advisor with Edward Jones. Otto requested that the city waive dump fees in reference to the construction project at Fifth and Box Butte, and also that environmental cleanup be paid for. Otto is constructing a new building at the corner, the former site of the Drake Hotel. He said that before he bought the lot city staff told him that there was some stuff still under the ground, but that it was done “minimally to code.” He was also told this at later dates when he asked.
10 Years Ago
August 7, 2014
It was a night of fun and awards Wednesday night at the Box Butte County Fair grandstands, and in the end, Ashleigh Galles of Hemingford was announced as the 2014 Fair Queen. The 18-year-old daughter of Jeremy and Melissa Galles entertained earlier in the evening with a fair-inclusive version of “Be Our Guest.”
5 Years Ago
August 7, 2019
After two heartbreak losses to Bennington at the Class B State Tournament, the Alliance Spartans brought their season to a close, clenching the title of state runner up.
*Compiled from The Alliance Times-Herald Archives by staff.