130 Years Ago
Dec. 9, 1892
Did you ever see as nice and large a line of underwear as W. W. Norton has this fall, and such low prices!
125 Years Ago
Dec. 3, 1897
James Durham, who has been employed as team master at Preston’s yard, fell from a pile of baled hay the latter part of last week and broke his collar bone. He will not condescend to do manual labor for a few months.
120 Years Ago
Dec. 9, 1902
W. F. Cody, Buffalo Bill, passed through here the other day on his way east and goes from there to Europe to spend two years with the show, after which he says he will retire from the business. He thinks Cody the gateway to the National park, and has contracted for the erection of an addition to his already fine hotel in Cody.
115 Years Ago
Dec. 10, 1907
The placing of the new curtains at the opera house has been accomplished, they having arrived the last of the week. There are seven of them and they make a decided change to the appearance of the house, and are in keeping with the general improvement that has been in progress under the management of Harris & Broome.
110 Years Ago
Dec. 10, 1912
The night before Thanksgiving, fifteen chickens and a big fat turkey were taken from the Kreneck chickenhouse. The loosers made an examination the next morning and found tracks in the snow leading up to the henhouse and also leading away from it. The tracks were followed and lead into a house in the same neighborhood.
105 Years Ago
Dec. 7, 1917
Jack Riordan has purchased the lease held by Percy Rolfson on the King Billard Parlor and he has taken charge of the business. Mr. Rolfson is arranging his affairs with the expectation of joining the army as a stenographer, a position which he is well qualified to fill. As Mr. Rolfson is clerk of the city of Alliance, the mayor will have to appoint a clerk to fill the unexpired term.
100 Years Ago
Dec. 8, 1922
A license to operate the pool and billiard tables in the Alliance Pool Hall was granted to Jim Casoris by the city council at the regular semi-monthly meeting last night. The license was revoked about a month ago. It was then held in the name of Sam Zeros. Mr. Castoris was given to understand that he must conduct his place in an orderly manner and within the law else his license would be immediately revoked.
95 Years Ago
Dec. 6, 1927
Officers are still on the lookout for a tall roughly-dressed individual who attacked and robbed Mrs. R. E. Sayers near Fourth and Big Horn at about 6 o’clock Thursday evening as she was on her way home from town. The man grabbed the sack of groceries she was carrying, struck her on the face and knocked her against a tree.
90 Years Ago
Dec. 6, 1932
Here’s one instance where an alleged theft may afford the perpetrator some benefit. Babe Wax of Hemingford is charged with stealing a bible. The bible was among some other effects, including clothing taken from Mrs. E. Stockham.
85 Years Ago
Dec. 7, 1937
C. E. Loessner, an Alliance railroad engineer, caused peace officers in two states a little uneasiness Sunday. The sheriff at Hot Springs found a car with a Box Butte county license pulled off the road and apparently abandoned between Hot Springs and Edgemont. He notified Chief C. A. Laing here. Investigation showed the license was issued to Mr. Loessner. No one responded to a call at the Loessner home. Railroad officials were consulted. Then somebody looked at the record and found it was Mr. Loessner’s day off. Somebody else remembered that he went rabbit hunting.
80 Years Ago
Dec. 8, 1942
Five cases of diphtheria have occurred in Box Butte county during the past 12 months, according to the Registered Nurse in charge of the district health unit here. The Health Department of the state is using all means to prevent the spread of such diseases, but individuals should assume the responsibility of obtaining personal protection. Immunization can be performed by any physician, and is not expensive.
75 Years Ago
Dec. 9, 1947
Harassed mamas last Saturday had a nice gift from Jim Hughes of the Alliance theatre. Jim was ‘host’ to several hundred kids at a special morning program of cartoons and for a special treat Jim gave each youngster a candy bar. Kids were scarce on the streets for several hours, giving their mamas plenty of time to get in some Christmas shopping without a bunch of nosy little Juniors tagging along.
70 Years Ago
Dec. 12, 1952
Two lamp posts in the 400 block on Box Butte Avenue were demolished in an accident this morning, and two strands of the downtown Christmas decoration were draped low. A beam on a Newberry Hardware Company truck hooked a light cord holding Christmas decorations across the street and the pull on the wires snapped the light posts about two feet above the pavement.
65 Years Ago
Dec. 7, 1957
Mrs. Hazel Abel of Lincoln, former United States Senator from Nebraska and the 1957 Mother of the Year, will be the speaker at the Alliance Branch of the American Association of University Women. The tea will be at the Central School multi-purpose room.
60 Years Ago
Dec. 7, 1962
Arthur A. Flores, 19 of 114 Platte, pleaded innocent in Justice Court here on a charge of leaving the scene of a personal injury accident. The complaint alleges that Flores was the driver of a car which struck and injured Grover Horned Antelope in the 100 block on West Sixth Street. City Police reported that Flores had stopped his car and had engaged in an argument with Antelope, a pedestrian, previous to the accident. Both parties had two companions at the time. Officers said after the car had struck Antelope, Flores drove west to Emerson Street before going to the Police Station voluntarily to report the accident. Police found Antelope in the street with severe leg injuries and numerous other abrasions.
55 Years Ago
Dec. 7, 1967
Sgt. Tom Flores is at home at 114 Platte Avenue in Alliance on a 30-day furlough after a year of combat as an infantry squad leader in South Vietnam. He will return to Fort Carson, Colorado to be stationed for duty in January, and plans to go to college after completing his two-years next spring. A 1965 graduate of Alliance High School where he was a member of champion cross-county, wrestling and track teams, he is the son of Mr. and Mrs. D. A. Flores.
50 Years Ago
Dec. 8, 1972
Terry Dobson is the new plant manager of the garment industry plant here. Dobson is moving here from Seattle, Washington where he managed a Down Products Corporation plant. This latter corporation which also has plants in Denver is the manufacturing arm of Woolrich which in turn handles the marketing.
45 Years Ago
Dec. 7, 1977
Peltz Construction & Steel Building Company of Alliance has been named a Stran Professional Builder, a newly-created designation representing the highest degree of professionalism among the company’s worldwide builder network.
40 Years Ago
Dec. 4, 1982
Five Woolrich employees were given corsages Friday morning to mark their 10 years of work for the Alliance company. The employees are Eleanor Romick, Rita Kusek, Dixie Garton, Polly Magdaleno and Mary Lou Bush.
35 Years Ago
Dec. 1987
Nebraska’s next legislative session starts the first week in January. Sen. Scofield, representative of the 49th District, conducted an informal “town hall” meeting at The Elms restaurant Wednesday night. The major concern was education. Sen. Scofield said she likes the relaxed setting of a town hall meeting because it allows people to come in, ask their questions, make their statements, express their concerns, and leave without feeling uncomfortable.
30 Years Ago
Dec. 5, 1992
The Alliance High and Alliance Middle School’s marching bands are known for the excellence they have achieved during recent years. However, not as well known are those behind the scenes who make the two bands work: the Rischlings. Dick Rischling attended Chadron State where he received his bachelor’s degree in music. He later started taking graduate courses from both Chadron State and the University of Nebraska at Kearney until he earned his master’s degree. His father Bill Rischling was hired to help Dick with the Middle School band. He also started fifth grade band in all three elementary schools. The retirement of Bill was filled by yet another Rishchling. Dave, like his older brother Dick, attended Chadron State and the University of Nebraska at Kearney where he received his bachelor’s degree in music.
25 Years Ago
Dec. 9, 1997
The Box Butte County Sheriff’s Department expanded this week with the addition of Deputy Curtis Schipper. Before applying for the position in Alliance, Schipper was a deputy for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department in Fairbury. He said the two departments are the same size and use similar methods.
20 Years Ago
Dec. 7, 2002
The Knight Museum’s 8th Annual Christmas Tree Festival began today with a range of designs, including Noah’s Ark, model train cars, snowmen with candy canes and roses. The trees, decorated by museum patrons, will be awarded Friday following a silent auction. Fifty trees are on display throughout the museum.
15 Years Ago
Dec. 6, 2007
Shana Brown administrative specialist for the city of Alliance, recently had a photograph selected for the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum calendar. The city of Alliance Parks Department is “an affiliate site for the arboretum.” She said the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum has helped fund landscaping at the learning center and redoing Central Park’s sunken gardens two years ago. They provided the grant fund for us this year to plant a bunch of trees in the cemetery. When she first found out that one of her pictures had been chosen for the calendar, she was excited. The picture was taken east of Sallows Conservatory, looking south toward 10th.
10 Years Ago
Dec. 7, 2012
Alliance Postal Clerk, Marlene Rose assists Donna Meier in shipping another 48 packages destined for individual military men and women from our area who are stationed overseas and stateside. With the help of many other patriotic volunteers and donors, Meier, organizer of the Box Butte County Soldiers Support Group, lovingly continues to fill care packages from home with both necessities and Christmas treats for those who serve in the military – now totaling 513 packages.
5 Years Ago
Dec. 2, 2017
Matt Harris presents Mara Anderson, director of the Alliance Recreation Center, a check on behalf of Wells Fargo. The grant funds will be used to install a temperature control system in the child watch room. She stated that the room is “freezing cold in the winter and super hot in the summer.” A split duct system will be installed in order for the ARC to make sure kids are safe and comfortable.