130 Years Ago
Dec. 23, 1892
A. Winburger, who recently started a tailor shop in the Bank of Alliance building, wishes it to be known that he has come to Alliance to remain. He is independent of any other firm, runs business on his own hook, and pays for everything he buys. I am able to give the public the benefit of a long experience at tailoring, and a square and honest deal, and request people to give me a fair show, and not be prejudiced by talk of competitors.
125 Years Ago
Dec. 24, 1897
From the sworn statement of the conductor of the train on which Fred Hiller met his death it appears that he was a brakeman thereon, and standing on the first of three cars that were being pushed by the engine, hence was the first to go into the river. He fell about twenty-seven feet.
120 Years Ago
Dec. 24, 1902
Miss Marie Rasmussen, until recently employed as stenographer and typewriter in the office of the Guarantee Fund Life association, left the first of the week for Willow, Nebr., to visit her parents, and was undecided as to whether or not she would return to Alliance.
115 Years Ago
Dec. 24, 1907
W. S. Ridgell who has conducted a bowling alley in this city during the winter months for the past several years with much success is preparing to open an alley about the first of the year. He has secured the basement of the Zbinden-Miller block and the carpenters are now busily engaged in laying the alleys.
110 Years Ago
Dec. 24, 1912
Charged with having committed adultery, George Wheeler, a Burlington employee, was arrested Saturday and jailed. He was unable to give bond in the sum of $100. His preliminary hearing is set for January 3. One of his two wives tells authorities she will be satisfied with issuance of a divorce.
105 Years Ago
Dec. 21, 1917
Liberal responses have been made to the plea for assistance in the last issue of the paper in behalf of a woman and her five children. They have secured two rooms, coal and provisions have been provided and several bundles of useful clothing have been left at the George Darling store. Where all was once despair there now shines a ray of hope; instead of a Christmas alone and without sufficient of this world’s goods to make life worth while, there is now an abundance of Christmas cheer and all because the woman knows that somebody cares. It is a worthy cause and when people of Alliance know that this is the case – they always respond. Let everyone who can, share their store with this worthy family of a mother and her little ones.
100 Years Ago
Dec. 22, 1922
So far, no one has been able to open “the treasure chest” at the Holsten drug store, in the “key contest” which started several weeks ago. Keys were given with each 50 cent purchase, each key being of a different pattern, and today is the day when someone who holds the lucky key will have a chance to open the chest and claim the $125 set of Community Plate Silverware. Someone has the master key. Is it you, or the other fellow?
95 Years Ago
Dec. 20, 1927
Sam Lucky, serving a life term in the state penitentiary for the slaying of Ed Hayes here on September 6, 1916, last Friday stabbed and seriously wounded two guards at the pen at Lincoln. Authorities are investigating Lucky’s mental condition and are keeping him in solitary confinement.
90 Years Ago
Dec. 20, 1932
A crushed right chest, four broken ribs and a punctured right lung were suffered by F. G. Baker, 56, when he fell more than 30 feet from the incline of a coal chute in the local railroad yards while making repairs on the trestle. Baker is a married man and lives with his family on East Tenth street. Baker is an employee of the bridge and building department and was working with Arthur Kimblow on the chute incline when in some unknown manner he slipped and fell. He struck an iron pipe extending from the chute framework about four feet from the ground and it was this that caused his internal injuries.
85 Years Ago
Dec. 21, 1937
Before a capacity crowd in the high school auditorium, the high school band under the direction of F. Vallette Hill made its debut at the School Improvement association meeting. The debut was most successful, the work of the whole ensemble showing that Mr. Hill has performed wonders within his few months here.
80 Years Ago
Dec. 22, 1942
Don Woodley, member of the high school basketball team, had the misfortune to break an arm while working at the Cover-Jones garage yesterday.
75 Years Ago
Dec. 23, 1947
Early Sunday morning thieves broke a window in Carl Smiley’s service station on East Third street, stole some flashlights, two .22 rifles and a quantity of pennies.
70 Years Ago
Dec. 22, 1952
Two Alliance men will leave January 7 for induction into the Army at Denver. The two are David Romick Jr., 21, and William Weisgerber, 20.
65 Years Ago
Dec. 21, 1957
Alliance gets feature treatment in the December issue of The Counselor, monthly magazine of the Securities Acceptance Corporation. A 15-page spread with numerous pictures of Alliance buildings and scenes covers the town thoroughly in regard to history, business education, recreation, agriculture and other civic assets. W. B. French, manager of the Alliance SAC office at 112 West Third, said 2,500 copies of the magazine are available for distribution in this area. Several thousand other copies are going to SAC offices in 11 states, plus many big insurance and industrial companies.
60 Years Ago
Dec. 21, 1962
Quick work by the Alliance Volunteer Fire Department saved a major fire in the 100 block on Box Butte Avenue. As many Christmas shoppers watched, the firemen took control of a blaze in the second floor of the Western Hotel in about 20 minutes and prevented its spread beyond two rooms and a hallway. The fire, of undetermined origin, was shooting flames 10 feet outside a second-floor room when the department arrived.
55 Years Ago
Dec. 21, 1967
Separate fires did considerable damage at two ranches Wednesday night in the Alliance-Antioch areas. At approximately 7:15 p.m., fire was discovered in a barn of the G. M. Peterson Land and Cattle Co., which is leased by John Freiberger. This ranch is located on Hickory Route about 18 miles southeast of Alliance. The barn was a complete loss as was an estimated $2,000 worth of saddles and other riding equipment and also a caterpillar tractor. The electricity had been off at the ranch site all day and no water was available to fight the fire. Another fire, at approximately the same time, broke out in a trailer and room used as a bunkhouse at the Jim Potmesil ranch, north of Antioch. This ranch also had been without electricity all day so no water was available to fight the fire.
50 Years Ago
Dec. 22, 1972
Joan Blondell, Hollywood actress and her daughter Ellen arrived in Alliance on Trans-Nebraska Airlines. The two came to Alliance enroute to a Christmas program involving the daughter of Ellen and Chuck Hayward, Joannie, 11, who is attending a rural school in Grant County near the Dean Hayward ranch. Miss Blondell and Ellen will spend several days visiting here.
45 Years Ago
Dec. 21, 1977
Dick Boness knew he was going to be spending time on basketball courts this winter. But he was planning on running up and down them as a referee, not sitting on the sidelines in a coach’s role. Boness, who coached the AHS football team to a 4-5 record this fall, learned Bob Morris planned to resign as Alliance High’s basketball coach at Tuesday night’s School Board meeting. And that’s when Boness was asked to take over as the Bulldogs’ mentor.
40 Years Ago
Dec. 22, 1982
The Alliance Board of Education approved the appointment of Marcy Giles as the new Alliance High School vocal music director and Beth Young as music director for Alliance Middle and Elementary Schools.
35 Years Ago
Dec. 21, 1987
Alliance Police Chief Thomas D. Lowther announced Monday morning he will be leaving his position as chief of the Alliance Police Department. He has accepted the position of police chief in Forest Grove, Oregon.
30 Years Ago
Dec. 19, 1992
Alliance High School has many organizations that donate time and effort to making school a more interesting place. Of these, one of the most beneficial is the AHS Student Council. Student Council is a student government organization whose purpose is to organize activities and to promote the best interests of the students. This year’s “Stu Co” has a new sponsor, social science instructor Al Lawrence. The officers are Angie Smith, president; Anne Hjersman, vice-president; Tami Hawk, secretary; and Kari Hoegrel, treasurer.
25 Years Ago
Dec. 20, 1997
His red suit is cleaned and pressed and Dobby Lee is ready for another Christmas of listening to children’s requests as they sit on his knee. Dobby Lee’s family moved to Alliance in 1923, when he was 2 years old. Some of his earliest Christmas memories are of downtown decorations strung from street lights, although many of his favorite recollections are from playing Santa Claus for local children. Lee began playing Santa Claus in the early ‘50s after talking to former Alliance resident Keith Kemper about it. “Keith Kemper got so busy he couldn’t do it, so he talked me into it. It had to be 42 or 43 years ago.”
20 Years Ago
Dec. 21, 2002
The Alliance Volunteer Fire Department Child Passenger Seat Fitting Station has recently received its second-year grant from the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety. “Before we received the original grant, we had initiated a pilot program in mid-2001,” AVFD Public Information Officer and Child Passenger Safety Technician Garry Bauer said. Since receiving the first grant in 2002, the fitting station has installed or educated caregivers on how to install more than 240 car seats.
15 Years Ago
Dec. 21, 2007
Becci Thomas was presented with a plaque this morning in recognition of her service and dedication to the Knight Museum, Sallows Military Museum and other entities in Alliance. The plaque was presented during a reception that included Museum Partners, city employees, city council members and museum employees among others.
10 Years Ago
Dec. 21, 2012
Friends of Carhenge board members Marcia Buck, Kendra Schott, and David Pearse attended the City Council meeting last night to ask that the City consider taking over the care of Carhenge.
5 Years Ago
Dec. 20, 2017
There were two candidates that applied for the two empty seats on the Box Butte County Board of Commissioners extension board. Both Kevin Horn and Gale Burke were appointed.