Blast from the Past February 1, 2023

130 Years Ago

Feb. 3, 1893

Don’t forget the Palace Jewelry store when you want anything in the way of fine watch repairing or elegant jewelry.

125 Years Ago

Feb. 4, 1898

Engineer Sam Franklin reports the arrival of a “little un” of the sterner sex at his home Sunday. All parties are doing well except Sam, and there are still hopes of his recovery.

120 Years Ago

Feb. 3, 1903

A. L. Field, the first county judge of Box Butte county and one of the pioneer business men of Alliance, was here over Sunday. Judge Field registers from Omaha now and is a traveling salesman for an Omaha firm.

115 Years Ago

Feb. 4, 1908

Oscar K. Barnes, an old newspaper man homesteading in the vicinity of Mitchell, came in last night, leaving his family on the claim, and will work for a time in the mechanical department of the Times, while Charles Wallace, who has been here the past six months, goes to his homestead in Central Sioux county to commence residence and improvement thereof.

110 Years Ago

Feb. 4, 1913

Confessing his guilt Saturday afternoon, Stanley Nailer was sentenced by Judge Westover to a term in the state penitentiary of Nebraska for not less than two nor more than fifteen years. He was taken to Lincoln by Sheriff Cox Sunday morning. Nailer was charged with having criminally assaulted one of the daughters of Mr. and Mrs. E. V. Cramer, of this city.

105 Years Ago

Feb. 1, 1918

Negotiations are under way with a large Minneapolis concern for the erection of a starch factory in Alliance. Three-fourths of the required capital of $20,000 has been pledged and a local business man left this week to investigate the workings of the Minneapolis plant with the intention of subscribing the remaining $5,000 if he is satisfied with the work. The erection of the starch factory in this city would solve the potato problem as well as provide a good market for the spuds. Small culls, frost bitten tubers and those afflicted with the scab and dry rot can be used in making starch.

100 Years Ago

Feb. 2, 1923

Julius Birkel, rancher living about 12 miles south of town, just over the line in Morill county, who became decidedly “hard boiled” when Alliance and Bridgeport officers raided his ranch last Sunday and arrested him on charges of illegal possession of a still and liquor.

95 Years Ago

Feb. 3, 1928

Forty years ago today, February 3, 1888, the Burlington railroad officially opened the Alliance station and announced its readiness to receive passengers and freight.

90 Years Ago

Feb. 3, 1933

Suit for $50,000 damages as result of personal injuries alleged to be permanent and $200 damages to an automobile has been filed in Box Butte county by Dr. George Hand, local physician, against Fred W. Harris, cashier of the Alliance National bank. The suit is the outgrowth of an automobile collision said to have occurred on November 30, 1931.

85 Years Ago

Feb. 1, 1938

A series of Sunday afternoon musical programs has been arranged by F. Vallette Hill and Miss Constance Cruickshank, music directors at the high school.

80 Years Ago

Feb. 2, 1943

Staff Sgt. Harold Glarum, son of Mr. and Mrs. L. J. Glarum of Alliance, was one of three who parachuted safely to the ground Monday just before their bomber crashed near Placerville, Calif., killing Capt. Lawrence T. Wagner of Troy, Kas., and Tech. Sgt. Robert L. Morris of Ardmore, Okla.

75 Years Ago

Feb. 3, 1948

Mrs. Josephine Walker, a former Box Butte county resident, has written the words and music to a song entitled “Nebraska” which has recently been published in Los Angeles. She formerly resided at Hemingford, and is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Miller.

70 Years Ago

Feb. 3, 1953

Miss Doris Ruth Hohlfeld, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. M. Hohlfeld, won second place in the Nebraska Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizenship essay contest. The state winner was Miss Lucigrace Switzer, a Grand Island High School senior.

65 Years Ago

Feb. 1, 1958

The Alliance Co-Operative Association stages its annual Good Neighbor Night Monday evening, and the public is invited to join the festivities – everything free. The program includes entertainment, lunch, dancing and a 30-minute story on the growth of the Consumers Cooperative Association. Bob Carmody, manager of the Co-Op Food Store, will be master of ceremonies and Joe Kirchner, Co-Op manager is general chairman.

60 Years Ago

Feb. 1, 1963

Petitions are circulating in Alliance to place the name of Dr. Robert J. Morgan, prominent physician and surgeon, on the April 2 ballot for re-elections to the School Board. Dr. Morgan now is president of the board and completing his first 6-year term.

55 Years Ago

Feb. 1, 1968

An Alliance man, Henry Clay McMillan, 66, was injured in a one-car accident 4.3 miles east of Antioch at 5:55 p.m. Wednesday, according to a State Safety Patrol report. McMillan was westbound on Highway 2 in his car when it struck an icy stretch. The car left the read on the north side and rolled end-over-end, Patrol Troopers Phil Kuenle and Morris McKillip stated in their report.

50 Years Ago

Feb. 1, 1973

Building progress is being made at the site of the new Electric Hose and Rubber Co. plant here despite harsh weather the past several months. Workmen can be seen on top of the structure near the truck crane securing the large metal beams in place. The expansion will add 60,000 square feet of floor space to the 30,000 feet in the present building.

45 Years Ago

Feb. 1, 1978

Ronald Sterr is welcomed with a plaque for his firm from four members of the Alliance Chamber of Commerce “Ambassadors:” Frank Knight, Dan West, Lenia Wiseman and Howard Wiseman. Sterr is manager of the newly-opened Commercial Federal Savings and Loan branch located at West Third and Toluca in Alliance.

40 Years Ago

Feb. 1, 1983

Jolene McGinnis, a part-time secretary for Home Health Service, has been named as the Alliance Jaycee Jills’ “Outstanding Young Woman” nominee for 1983. McGinnis will go to North Platte to take part in the competition for “Outstanding Young Woman of Nebraska,” one of roughly two dozen candidates vying for the title.

35 Years Ago

Feb. 2, 1988

Douglas B. Edwards, Times Herald production manager announced his decision to leave Alliance. He will become the director of operations at The Sheridan Press in Sheridan, Wyoming. He also works as consultant for the Seaton papers in Lead, Deadwood and Spearfish, South Dakota, Colby and Goodland Kansas and Sheridan, Wyoming, helping install and maintain the computer or bookkeeping departments.

30 Years Ago

Feb. 2, 1993

Archie Lawrence lays brick around the elevator housing on the east side of the Carnegie Arts Center Monday afternoon. He is using brick salvaged from the old St. Joseph Hospital/Gerontology Center.

25 Years Ago

Feb. 2, 1998

Tanner Sherlock feeds Little Bit, a week-old lamb, with a baby bottle in his back yard in the 600 block of Laramie Saturday afternoon. The Sherlock family raises lambs on a farm outside of Alliance. Little Bit is a twin that was born smaller and rejected by the ewe. After he is old enough to eat grain the lamb will be able to live with the other sheep.

20 Years Ago

Feb. 1, 2003

Darron Boltin eats lunch with his son, Nick, a kindergartner at St. Agnes Academy, this past Wednesday in the school’s gym. Parents joined their children for chicken and noodles to celebrate Catholic Schools Week, Jan. 26-31. Daily activities included a school assembly with a proclamation by an Alliance City Council member and musical performance, an all-school mass, open house, home boys basketball game, artist-in-residence program and construction of a giant whale, large enough for students to walk inside.

15 Years Ago

Feb. 2, 2008

Students at Alliance Middle School celebrated successes yesterday. Several activities were planned for the students. Kathy Lybarger teaches dance moves; Tyson Dowler, Christian Rivera, James Vermilion and Andy Hardin show off their singing talent with karaoke; Taylor Mack and Chris Goodell compete to see who is the best guitar player; and Linda Shellabarger helps Shellie Bolinger make spirit jewelry to show her support for the school. Katie White said she felt the day went well, and was grateful for community volunteers who helped provide a few more activities for the students.

10 Years Ago

Feb. 1, 2013

Award recipients at Alliance Chamber Banquet included Farm Family of the Year Jenny and Kevin Oligmeuller and Winnie Rust; Ambassador of the Year Jessica Fryda; Lifetime Service Award Harold Johnson; Large Business of the Year Alliance Public Schools represented by Rita Moravek and Alan Cornish; Friend of Tourism the Alliance Rifle Club represented by Guy Heilscher; Volunteer of the Year Patricia Jones and Small Business of the Year the Alliance Theatre.

5 Years Ago

Feb. 3, 2018

Alliance elementary students attend a basketball camp at Alliance High School. Instructors passing along their unique skills were Alliance High School basketball players. AHS basketball standout MaKayla Davidson, teaching second graders Xavier Rodriques and Trayton Rasmussen.