130 Years Ago
December 21, 1894
F. B. Dismer informs us that he has made arrangements whereby he takes possession of the bakery fixtures of Mrs. Richardson the first of the week and will start in the basement of her building with a general supply of bread, cakes, pies, etc. Mrs. Richardson contemplates engaging in the confectionery business again.
125 Years Ago
December 22, 1899
The travel that Alliance now attracts was shown Tuesday morning, when seventeen persons alighted from only one of the coaches of the train.
120 Years Ago
December 13, 1904
J. M. McCracken returned to Alliance Saturday, and has again reported for duty on the road. He informs us that Mrs. McCracken is now an inmate of the Sulpho-Saline sanitarium at Lincoln, having undergone a serious surgical operation there on the 3rd. inst. Alliance friends will be glad to know that she rallied nicely and is showing every indication of making a rapid and complete recovery, and is expected to be able to leave the hospital about two weeks hence.
115 Years Ago
December 17, 1909
Remember the Alliance fire boys will give their annual dance at the Phelan opera house Friday evening, December 31, 1909. The best music will be furnished and every effort will be made to make the affair the most successful one of the season.
110 Years Ago
December 18, 1914
A new stre will open in Alliance Mar 1 in the room next to the First National bank formerly occupied by the Bee Hive. It will be owned and controlled by Barrett Bros., who operate a chain of stores all through this western country. The stock will consist of dry goods, clothing, men’s and women’s furnishings and ladies’ ready to wear garments.
105 Years Ago
December 16, 1919
Plans are still being laid for the pulling off of two big wrestling events in Alliance during the next few weeks, some delay begin caused on account of the severe storms of the past two weeks. A. B. Wheeler expects to meet Lee Scott, of Ansley in a finish match at the Imperial and later to meet Mr. Oliver, a fireman on the Sterling division, who, having heard of Wheeler’s success, decided to take him on.
100 Years Ago
December 19, 1924
What railroad man will first realize what the flying machine means? What railroad man expecially will first realize what the flying machine will do to the passenger traffic of the great railroads on all long hauls? In less than twenty years the trip will be made by flying machines in six hours and with absolute safety. How many Americans will devote four railroad days to a six hour flying trip? Not many.
95 Years Ago
December 17, 1929
Those who have not secured their automobile drivers licenses have only to January 1 to get them without submitting to a more rigid examination, according to County Treasurer Cora M. Lewis. After the first of the year each applicant must undergo a physical and mental examination.
90 Years Ago
December 21, 1934
The monthly payroll of the Burlington to families living in Alliance is $65,000. Checks distributed every 15 days has been “fatter” during the past few months and will enlarge again in January. On April 1 another boost in salaries is to take place and the remainder of the 10 percent increase will be effective.
85 Years Ago
December 19, 1939
Drilling is going ahead at a rapid clip at the Hall deep test well southwest of Alliance with practically all of the trouble that had been caused by sand and water cleared up, it was said today by C. L. Price, in charge of operations. The hole has now been sunk to more than 400 feet, and three shifts of men are at work, sinking the well still deeper.
80 Years Ago
December 19, 1944
Two small children were found cold and crying in a locked car parked in front of the postoffice Sunday night. They were found by the police, who said that they had been crying for at least half an hour. Police were unable to get to them, and said that their parents had evidently left the children in the auto while they attended the picture show.
75 Years Ago
December 23, 1949
Alliance’s bid for the proposed Air Force Academy took on the form of a boom today as Air Secretary W. Stuart Symington announced in Omaha that “Nebraska has the same chance as any other state” and a proposed location at Mad. Neb., was rejected by the Omaha Chamber of Commerce.
70 Years Ago
December 18, 1954
The Alliance Post Office is shifting into higher gear daily as the Christmas mail rush mounts. Friday the post office put 24,100 pieces of outgoing mail through the canceling machines, and an average of 780 packages is mailed daily now. The total cancellations (out-going) for December this year are 157,720.
65 Years Ago
December 18, 1959
Spending of $8,750 dring 1960 was approved by the Alliance City Council for additional lighting of the East – West runway at the Alliance Municipal Airport. The move was spurred by an announcement from the Department of Aeronautics that 18,000 in federal allotment would be lost unless acted upon at once.
60 Years Ago
December 15, 1964
Tentative placement of display and complete arrangement categories for the new Alliance Knight Museum were made Monday evening at a meeting of the Museum Board held at the home of Mrs. Nella Johnstone. Articles will be displayed in four categories – pioneer, Indian, prehistoric, and historical of Box Butte County.
55 Years Ago
December 15, 1969
The “Meals on Wheels” project in Alliance got underway this noon. According to Miss Anna Murphy, she and John O. Barry took meals to two recipients.
50 Years Ago
December 17, 1974
Trucks to the left of them, trucks to right of them, and a huge truck to the back of them disgorging packages on a conveyor belt keeps a full crew busy at the Alliance United Parcel Service headquarters. They are sorting incoming packages and putting them into four route trucks, two on either side for delivery.
45 Years Ago
December 18, 1979
Progress is being made on the Low Rent Public Housing Unit in north Alliance, according to Howard Duncan, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) inspection architect from Scottsbluff.
40 Years Ago
December 18, 1984
The Board of Trustees approved the purchase of two items of equipment, a circadian EKG monitoring system for $15,000 and a total hip system for $21,500, during its regular meeting in the Box Butte General Hospital private dining room Monday evening.
35 Years Ago
December 20, 1989
St. Agnes Academy students in kindergarten, first grade, second grade, third grade, and fourth grade sing the opening song “Gotta Get A-Going.” The Christmas program was held Tuesday in Holy Rosary Catholic Church. The program was titled “The Greatest Christmas Card In The Whole Wide World.”
30 Years Ago
December 15, 1994
The Alliance Fire Department will be transporting elderly persons who are confined to local care centers home on Christmas Day so they can spend the holiday with their families.
25 Years Ago
December 17, 1999
At last night’s regular meeting, Alliance’s City Council agreed to allow fireworks to be used by the citizens during the New Year’s Eve celebration for the end of the millennium.
20 Years Ago
December 18, 2004
Four members of the Alliance Volunteer Fire Department are now certified Hazardous Material (hazmat) technicians – John Dahlberg, Nick Hinman, Matt Broderick and Brad Schrum.
15 Years Ago
December 19, 2009
A generous community has caused on downtown thermometer to rise despite falling temperatures. With the donation of $1,500 from Ellen and Charles Lierk of Thiele’s Pharmacy and Gifts, United way of Western Nebraska has now reached its fall 2009 campaign goal of $75,000 to help fund non-profit organizations in Alliance, and throughout Box Butte County.
10 Years Ago
December 17, 2014
Every year at Grandview Elementary, second graders get to take a trip into the past. But rather than focusing on historical figures, the students take two weeks to discover their own heritage through “Who Am I?” Teachers Cindy Mracek, Natalie Adam and Jennifer Lauder are their guides on this journey.
5 Years Ago
December 18, 2019
At a special meeting on Dec. 12, the Alliance City Council voted to move forward with a plan to expand the Public Works facility and to ell property located at 1200 Flack Avenue, purchased in 2018 for $320,000, which was meant to house multiple city agencies under one roof.
*Compiled from The Alliance Times-Herald Archives by Christine Baum