130 Years Ago
February 14, 1896
The Alliance Milling Company is now comfortably installed in an office upstairs in the Fletcher block.
125 Years Ago
February 15, 1901
There has been no let up in the erection of new residences and business houses in Alliance all winter. Quite a number of houses are now, during this the longest cold spell of the season, under course of construction, and we are informed that several more are to be put in the mechanic’s hands at an early day.
120 Years Ago
February 13, 1906
Alliance has much better mall facilities since the change of time and addition of another through train. No. 44 now reaches here at 2:55 in the afternoon, and patrons of the post office can get eastbound mail left at the office before 2:30 out, thus making twelve hours quicker service than waiting for the night train.
115 Years Ago
February 14, 1911
Playgoers in Alliance will welcome the return of this favorite show company. Aringtons have always been popular with Alliance playgoers and no doubt the opera house will be crowded next week. The opening play will be “The Lost Paradise.”
110 Years Ago
February 18, 1916
The Alliance high school boys’ team defeated the Chadron normal team in a spirited contest at Chadron last night. The score at the finish stood 15 to 13 in favor of Alliance. Donald Spencer, at forward, played a stellar game for Alliance and netted eight of the fifteen points made.
105 Years Ago
February 15, 1921
Fresh eggs have dropped to 35 and 40 cents a dozen in local stores and once more they form an important part of the average man’s meal. During the past year or two only the wealthy could partake of “ham and eggs” and the sight of egg on a man’s whiskers was evidence of wealth beyond one’s wildest dreams.
100 Years Ago
February 16, 1926
Alliance was the mecca of practically all leading stock raisers of this section of the state Monday when they attended a meeting held at the courthouse to discuss a uniform system of eradicating the scabies and other diseases from their herds.
95 Years Ago
February 17, 1931
Alliance high school will present an operetta “Once in a Blue Moon” Wednesday night in the high school auditorium at 8 o’clock, admission 35c. This operetta includes over 111 voices of boys and girls in high school under the direction of Miss Dellyse Wright and Miss Lillian Calvert.
90 Years Ago
February 11, 1936
A fire believed to have been caused by flying sparks from a chimney destroyed part of the roof and attic of the large house belonging to Mrs. M. J. Murphy, at 420 Laramie, early Monday afternoon. It was the second time firemen had been called to the residence in three days. The first fire occurred in the basement and resulted in little damage.
85 Years Ago
February 14, 1941
Quick launching of Alliance Welding school was assured this morning when a telephone call to Superintendent H. R. Patridge from State Supervisor Howard Gorham gave the project the “high ball”. The first class of 20 will start at 7 a.m. Wednesday, February 19. C.T. Pickens, welder and former teacher of welding, will have charge of the first class.
80 Years Ago
February 15, 1946
Box Butte County’s quota of poisoned bait to be used in the control of grasshoppers this year has been set at 150 tons, according to estimates of entomologists of the University of Nebraska. The experts estimate that a total of 665 tons will be needed in the state as a whole, with the greater part needed in western Nebraska.
75 Years Ago
February 14, 1951
The Alliance board of education Tuesday night granted the teachers in the Alliance city schools a cost of living raise of $25 per month effective February 1 to the end of the school year in August 1951. The boost amounts to an increase, over salaries, of $175 for the 1950-51 school year.
70 Years Ago
February 17, 1956
Retail sales volume in Box Butte County gained 12.9 percent from 1948 to 1954. The was revealed today in a report by the Federal Census Bureau. Its 1954 census of business for this county included 170 stores which listed sales of $17,077,000. This compared with the 1948 report of 157 stores which had sales of $15,132,000.
65 Years Ago
February 15, 1961
District Judge Albert W. Crites, at 10 a.m. today, signed a new temporary restraining order which prevents the City of Alliance from pursuing eviction proceedings against Municipal Airport Operator Byron J. Appleby until a February 17 hearing can be held.
60 Years Ago
February 15, 1966
In a special ceremony at the Box Butte County District Courtroom at 4:30 p.m. today, newly-appointed 16th Judicial District Judge Robert R. Moran will take the oath of office. Today he announced a new schedule of motion days.
55 Years Ago
February 16, 1971
In an economy move here Monday evening, Educational Service Unit 12 board members voted unanimously that it is unable to retain a full time administrator and continue current programs because of budgetary limitations. It also voted not to give other staff salary raises. Because of this, the motion continued, present Administrator Hugh Pursel will not be rehired.
50 Years Ago
February 14, 1976
Alliance Police made 19 arrests in January on charges of driving while intoxicated, the highest monthly total since June 1975 and almost triple the number of DWI arrests from December, according to the department’s activity report for the first month of the year.
45 Years Ago
February 11, 1981
Residents of the Alliance area will soon receive this year’s edition of one of the most widely-used reference books, the telephone directory. Northwestern Bell began distributing new Nebraska-South Dakota Regional directories to Alliance and surrounding northern Panhandle communities today.
40 Years Ago
February 10, 1986
If your car sounded a little sluggish this morning, it had a reason to be. The mercury in Alliance dropped down to -30 at 5:52 this morning giving Alliance the coldest spot in the state and a shot at national honors. Alliance’s record-low was much colder than most parts of Alaska as Anchorage had an overnight low of 10 and Fairbanks was 11.
35 Years Ago
February 15, 1991
Because of growing inventories and softening in both the hydraulic and industrial markets, Dayco will be laying off about 15 employees but 170 will remain in force, according to Gene Sanders, Dayco plant manager. Sanders told the Times-Herald Friday that next month the scheduled production will be down approximately 200,000 units.
30 Years Ago
February 22, 1996
Eight unites with 32 firefighters responded to a fire in a double-wide mobile home at Rainbow Acres just before 6 p.m. Tuesday. Two juvenile boys started the fire for lighting in a container about the size of a frying pan, said Tammy Mowry, chief deputy sheriff for Box Butte County. There was no structural damage or smoke damage to the trailer.
25 Years Ago
February 14, 2001
Perhaps the most significant segments on this Thursday’s, Feb. 15 City Council meeting will come near the end the most extensive agendas in quite a while. A decision whether to maintain the Alliance Airport’s major runway at its 9,201-foot length, or trim it back, will be the 14th item.
20 Years Ago
February 16, 2006
A past Alliance high School principal and former Odyssey Charter School principal who was forced to resign amid allegations of inappropriate behavior with female staff members now has been suspended from his job at Coronado High School pending an investigation by Clark County School District officials.
15 Years Ago
February 17, 2011
Feb. 20-26 is national Through With Chew Week and promoted as an excellent time to call attention to smokeless tobacco use in Nebraska and encourage users to quit. Quit kits are available by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
10 Years Ago
February 20, 2016
Winds whipped through the Panhandle last night, and reports this morning included damaged fences, doors ripped off hinges and downed limbs. Only a few power outages were reported in the area.
5 Years Ago
February 17, 2021
On Thursday, the Alliance Police Department announced the Feb. 8 arrest of a 42-year-old woman who was employed at Highland Park Care Center. A press release issued by the department explained an investigation into the report of controlled substances being stolen.
*Compiled from The Alliance Times-Herald Archives by Christine Melcher