130 Years Ago
December 8, 1893
The creamery project has been talked so often in Alliance that it seems almost useless to make further effort in this direction. However, it is being agitated once more and there is no reason why it cannot succeed yet. Mr. W.H. McCullough, representing P.M. Sharples, of Council Bluffs, an extensive manufacturer and dealer in creamery supplies, has been in the city some days giving the subject a thorough investigation as to possibilities of success here.
125 Years Ago
December 9, 1898
The city council met Wednesday evening, transacting the usual routine business, allowing bills, etc. A resolution was passed, in effect, that no minors would be tolerated in or around the saloons hereafter, alone or in company with parents, and that if not strictly enforced all gambling would be stopped and the law against the saloons enforced in every particular.
120 Years Ago
December 8, 1903
Sharp words between two range riders in the employee of Richards & Comstock Saturday evening culminated Sunday morning in the stronger of the two men being dealt a blow from behind with a piece of two-by-four about five feet long. The back of the victim’s skull was crushed and split in three directions. He was brought to Alliance on No. 45, reaching here at about 11:00 o’clock, and at once taken to a surgeon’s office. The depressed pieces of skull were raised, but consciousness never came, and the unfortunate died at 12:10, almost before the work of the surgeons could be finished. There is no doubt as to the perpetrator, and he will probably receive just deserts for his murderous and cowardly action.
115 Years Ago
December 8, 1908
Mrs. W. W. Norton and Mrs. Nellie Hillier take leave of Alliance this week for the winter, Southern California being their destination. Mrs. Norton will visit with her son. Ward, who has been in Los Angeles some time, and they will be joined there by Mr. Norton about the first of the year. The latter has certainly been working hard many years, and a few months’ rest in that salubrious clime will make him good as new.
110 Years Ago
December 5, 1913
The Alliance public school enrollment, exclusive of the two parochial schools, has reached 810, which is the highest in the history of the local schools for the end of the third month, except November 1910 when 828 was reached. There are exactly 160 in the high school at present, which surpasses all previous record. The average attendance for November was 708. There were only 14 cases of tardiness reported out of a possible 28,322, thus giving the Alliance youngsters a punctuality per centage of 99.95 per cent, probably no equalled before in this part of the state.
105 Years Ago
December 6, 1918
That the Burlington proposes to spend $200,000 in needed improvements in Alliance during the coming year was the statement made by Superintendent G. L. Griggs at a meeting of the community club members at the court house Tuesday evening. A new power plant costing $100,000 is one of the many things the road will construct.
100 Years Ago
December 7, 1923
Cobwebs are hanging in the police court and the ink is dry in the well. The watchman of the night reported at 3 a.m. that all was well and two shovelfuls of dirt would cover everybody on the streets. The program of rigid law enforcement seems to be having its effect. At any rate there is no outward evidence of gambling or drinking and the after-midnight roisterers are keeping well concealed if they are putting anything over, according to the police.
95 Years Ago
December 7, 1928
While little Katie Luft, 17-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Luft of Lincoln, Neb., is the object of a search that is extending into neighboring stated, the girl is believed to be on a farm between Bayard and Minatare. She left her home in Lincoln a week ago Tuesday to come to Alliance to visit an aunt. She failed to arrive in Alliance at the home of the aunt, according to press reports in Lincoln papers.
90 Years Ago
December 5, 1933
Assurance of at least a ten-year lease, if not municipal ownership of the local airport, was given at an informal gathering of the city council last night to meet the requirements of the federal government preliminary to a probate expenditure of from five to ten thousand dollars for improvements. The Chamber of Commerce has had a year-to-year lease on the airport for the past four years, but the federal government’s plan contemplated “municipal control” and nothing short of that.
85 Years Ago
December 6, 1938
Alliance board of education members, holding their regular monthly meeting last night, viewed coolly a request by the Public Works administration that they raise the minimum wage rates for certain classifications of labor to be employed on the high school addition project. The board had fixed minimum hourly rates of 80 cents for glaziers, 85 cents for structural iron workers, 60 cents for lathers, 40 cents for terrazzo helpers, and 50 cents for mortar mixers. PWA requested that these rated be raised to $1.00 for glaziers, $1.00 for structural iron workers, $1.32.25 for lathers, 75 cents for terrazzo workers, and 60 cents for mortar mixers.
80 Years Ago
December 7, 1943
High school students voted with a preponderence in favor for a recreation center in Alliance, many of them stating we want “a place to go to be off the street.” A poll of nine questions was taken by the student council sponsored by Principal Roy Nelson. The stack of answers piled high before the group which worked late Monday night.
75 Years Ago
December 7, 1948
Early Saturday evening a quick blizzard struck this district and raged for two hours, piling up snow and causing minor damage to a city power line. Winds that reached an estimated 50 miles an hour drifted the snow and made driving hazardous but the storm ended shortly before midnight with no accidents reported in the city or county.
70 Years Ago
December 8, 1953
The Alliance Board of Education emphatically reaffirmed its stand against state aid to education in Nebraska Thursday night and refused to offer an opinion to the State School Boards Association on a broadened tax base or on a severance tax on oil and gas. The question of state aid to education and taxes popped into the meeting when Board President Rex Myers reported on a district meeting of the School Boards Association held at Scottsbluff last Thursday.
65 Years Ago
December 6, 1958
Discussion of fire safety in Alliance Schools, study of results of a recent series of educational development tests, and several minor items occupied the School Board at its regular monthly meeting Friday night.
60 Years Ago
December 6, 1963
Two of Box Butte County’s 4-H Automotive Club leaders stand with a framed certificate of recognition for the State. The award was given the three clubs in the county for an outstanding 1963 program.
55 Years Ago
December 6, 1968
State Senator Elect Leslie Stull of Alliance submitted his resignation as Box Butte County Commissioner to the office of the County Clerk today, to become effective Dec. 20. A committee of three county officials: Clerk Eunice Rhein, Treasurer Gwen Warthen and County Attorney Laurice Margheim has the responsibility of naming a successor to Stull to represent the Second District on the Commission.
50 Years Ago
December 6, 1973
A two-alarm pre-dawn fire this morning destroyed the Alliance Loan and Investment building at 121 Box Butte, but firefighters from the city’s volunteer department kept the blaze from spreading to adjoining buildings. Fire Chief L. E. (Bus) Overstreet said the fire apparently started in the rear of the building, but that the cause had not been determined.
45 Years Ago
December 6, 1978
A plan to deal with discipline in the classroom was explained to the Alliance School Board Tuesday night by Middle School Principal Larry Grosshans and the discussion which followed its unveiling shows that careful planning and the cooperation of teachers, administrators and parents will be needed to make it successful.
40 Years Ago
December 6, 1983
First there was the federal report on education, “A Nation At Risk.” Then Gov. Bob Kerrey’s Task Force on Excellence in Education released its findings. In just a few months, an Alliance educational task force will produce its own evaluations and recommendations. Several Alliance residents are looking at programs from elementary academics to administration as part of the advisory task force the Board of Education formed early this fall.
35 Years Ago
December 6, 1988
Burlington Northern (BN) Railroad officials from Alliance and Denver met with Alliance area business representatives Monday evening to discuss how local merchants can capture more of the railroad’s materials supply business. About 50 people attended the 90 minute meeting, according to Bill Joplin of the BN’s governmental affairs office in Denver.
30 Years Ago
December 6, 1993
The Alliance High School Mock Trial team won district competition in Gering Saturday by defeating Gering, the defending state champion. Coach Patricia Jones said this is the first time the Alliance team has qualified for state competition. Members of the team are seniors Amy Rasmussen, Jason Ritter and Brande Lontine and juniors Mike Nerland, Travis Hofmann and Macala Carter.
25 Years Ago
December 7, 1998
After reviewing a range of computer difficulties described by County Assessor Marilyn Lore during their regular meeting this morning, the Box Butte County Commissioners approved the purchase of a new computer for her office by a 2-0 vote. Commissioner Susan Lore abstained.
20 Years Ago
December 9, 2003
Odyssey Research, a new company recently opened in Alliance, is conducting clinical research on people who have been diagnosed with West Nile disease. “This research is to assist in the development of more accurate screening and testing procedures,” Shell Tomjack, Alliance Chamber of Commerce executive director, said.
15 Years Ago
December 5, 2008
The Alliance City Council welcomed a new member and reorganized at their regularly scheduled meeting last night. Councilman Fred Feldges was sworn in as the newest council member, Ralph Yeager was elected president of the council (ex-officio mayor) and Lori Rowley was elected vice-mayor.
10 Years Ago
December 6, 2013
Sometimes, even after law enforcement officers have done everything they can to make a conviction, cases just come to a dead end. Classified as “inactive,” it doesn’t mean they are simply forgotten. Box Butte County Sheriff Tammy Mowry said cases can become inactive when all leads have been exhausted, or there is not enough evidence for a conviction, but they can be reopened if new evidence arises.
5 Years Ago
December 5, 2018
The Box Butte County Commissioners unanimously approved retaining Lincoln attorney Victor Cobalt in recovering an estimated $76,000 owed to the county in taxes. Deputy County Treasurer Val Bell explained the taxes are owed on a parcel currently in Chapter 11 bankruptcy.