130 Years Ago
February 21, 1896
Uncle Hiram says of his luck: “If it rained soup I’d be caught with a fork in my pocket.” Opera house, February, 24th.
125 Years Ago
February 22, 1901
During the administration of W. O. Barnes as chief of the fire department, a large calliope whistle was ordered, with the understanding that the city was to bear one-half the cost. The whistle arrived last Saturday, and it is pronounced the warmest thing in that line by connoisseurs of whistles. And why should it not be when it was billed at $150.00.
120 Years Ago
February 20, 1906
There has been much doing about the Tompkins cafe since Saturday. It seems when the place was taken in charge a month ago by the Tompkins, Frank mortgaged his team and some other property besides, allowing Mrs. Tompkins to run the place in her own name. Since then she has been collecting the cash and evidently intends to keep it. She is stated to have several hundred dollars in her possession and the help and numerous bills are unpaid.
115 Years Ago
February 21, 1911
Another of the landmarks of pioneer days will soon be gone from Alliance, this time it being Holy Rosary Catholic Church, constructed in 1893, which is left a mere shell by the action of the fire fiend. The alarm was sounded shortly before 3 o’clock Sunday morning, and though the flames were extinguished after more than an hour of hard fighting, what remains is worthless for rebuilding.
110 Years Ago
February 25, 1916
If Alliance has not needed a clean-up then why all the activity of the past week? Why has every out-going train carried its quota of harlots, gamblers and crooks? Why have other places been placed under police surveillance during the past week? All of this activity but serves to strengthen the contention of the Times that Alliance was sorely in need of a genuine cleaning.
105 Years Ago
February 25, 1921
George Stafford, John Bayer and Wayne Reddington, all well known in Alliance, escaped from county court Wednesday morning without a fine– the first case in months where a man charged with a violation of liquor laws got off scot free. The reason for this was that there wasn’t quite sufficient evidence to convict them.
100 Years Ago
February 26, 1926
Box Butte county has shown up remarkably well in the payment of auto license fees for this year in spite of the bad roads which have delayed many from getting to the courthouse to attend this duty. The annual report received by County Treasurer Cora Lewis from the state department is ample evidence of this county’s good standing.
95 Years Ago
February26, 1931
Hot ashes and a small amount of trash started a small blaze at the home of Charles Fullmer at 320 Platte avenue Wednesday morning. No damage resulted. Firemen with chemicals quickly responded and extinguished the blaze.
90 Years Ago
February 18, 1936
Firemen were called to the home of J. H. Kane, 1003 Big Horn, at 3 a.m., Saturday to extinguish a fire caused by overheated oil and the explosion of a 5-gallon can. The alarm occurred during a temperature of 16 degrees below zero. Oil was stored in a container near the furnace in the Kane basement.
85 Years Ago
February 21, 1941
Preliminary approval of a WPA curb and gutter and sidewalk program to cover the whole east side of the city was given by the city council at its regular meeting Thursday night. The program would be the most extensive carried on by the city in several years. In addition to installing curbs and gutters in the entire area, there has been some talk of paving Grand avenue.
80 Years Ago
February 22, 1946
With all funds reported, Phil Grove, county polio drive chairman, has announced a total collection of $1,139.07 in the county. Alliance contributed $1,078.69, Hemingford $34.10 and rural communities and schools $26.28.
75 Years Ago
February 21, 1951
Edward Knight of the Alliance National Bank, who is in the East on a trip with his family attending Masonic events, said before he left Alliance that he was invited to attend the breakfast at which President Truman spoke this morning. Knight said that he would attend the affair if his schedule permitted.
70 Years Ago
February 24, 1956
This weekend when Times-Herald newspaper boys make their regular collections in Alliance, they will give subscribers a chance to pay for some “extra newspapers.” These extra newspapers will come off the presses of the Free Europe Press to be sent by balloon across the Iron Curtain to people who otherwise would be deprived of free-world news.
65 Years Ago
February 22, 1961
Students in the new merged school district west of Alliance, No. 44, will have a new school building by next September. Voters in the district approved the project Tuesday in an election held at the West side Hall. The vote was 51 for and 34 against or a percentage of 66 2/3 for the project.
60 Years Ago
February 22, 1966
True Temper Corporation of Cleveland, Ohio, today announced tentative plans to open a new division in Alliance. In making the announcement to The Times-Herald, Ray T. Gutz, President of the True Temper Corporation, said that his firm was presently working on a purchase agreement with Western Bottlers’ Inc., to purchase the present building on the Alliance Industrial site.
55 Years Ago
February 24, 1971
An agreement on contract terms for the Alliance public school teachers has been reached by the process of formal negotiations. Eighty teachers voted on a tentative proposal here Monday night, and a majority favored an option giving a $6,500 base salary over one which would have given a $6,450 base and $5 per month toward health insurance.
50 Years Ago
February 21, 1976
Alliance city employees installed new-style street lights in the 200 block of West Fourth St. this week. The light elements contain high-pressure sodium which emits a white-gold glow. City Manager Robert Placek said citizen response is invited to the new lights as the city is contemplating their use, or mercury vapor (blue hue) lights as those in use around St. Joseph’s Hospital in upcoming replacement programs.
45 Years Ago
February 18, 1981
The Alliance Board of Education voted Tuesday night to drop out of the Big Ten Conference leaving only North Platte, McCook and Scottsbluff the remaining western Nebraska school teams in that conference. By a 5 to 1 vote, with Archie Lawrence casting the only dissenting vote, the board voted to drop out of the conference.
40 Years Ago
February 17, 1986
An early morning fire Saturday destroyed a mobile home in the Meadows Trailer Court which resulted in $7,000 in damage, according to Alliance Fire Chief Roger McGrath. Three people in the mobile home at the time of the fire were not injured. Identity of those people in the mobile home were not released.
35 Years Ago
February 23, 1991
Although current Burlington Northern trains run without cabooses, the little steam locomotive and car, on the corner of 18th Street and box Butte, has been without a caboose for more than 10 years. But not for much longer, according to Deb Dopheide, director of the Knight Museum. “We are in need of a group of volunteers who will sandblast and paint it before it can be accepted,” she said.
30 Years Ago
February 24, 1996
The Make-A-Wish Foundation which helps terminally ill or life-threatened children has helped 16-year-old Ryan H get a computer he could not have gotten himself. Ryan was born three months prematurely, is blind and has cerebral palsy, but the reason he got the computer was a lung disorder.
25 Years Ago
February 22, 2001
Two Alliance beauty salons were broken into late Tuesday or early Wednesday. Alliance Police Department Sgt. Rich Goodenberger said that evidence collected at both Jules and Company and The Cutting Edge indicate that the same person was responsible for both break-ins.
20 Years Ago
February 24, 2006
Starting today, several youths in Alliance will help take a stand against world hunger by participating in a 30-hour famine. The event, sponsored by World Vision, is designed to help raise awareness about the devastating effect hunger has. Participants are scheduled to gather at Holy Rosary Parish Center at 6 p.m. today, but are asked to begin their fasting at noon.
15 Years Ago
February 22, 2011
The Alliance High School Academic Decathlon competed at the state finals at Creighton University in Omaha Friday and Saturday. Alliance earned three medals, and earned the trophy for the highest point totals of medium schools. In two months, the team will represent Nebraska in the national online competition for medium schools.
10 Years Ago
February 25, 2016
Wednesday in Box Butte District Court, Tanner L., 26, Alliance, was sentenced to three years probation for a Class IV felony possession of a controlled substance and a Class I misdemeanor attempted criminal mischief.
5 Years Ago
February 24, 2021
On Monday, the number of Panhandle residents who have received the COVID-19 vaccine reached 9,373, as Panhandle Public Health District updated the vaccination timeline to match the state’s timeline.
*Compiled from The Alliance Times-Herald Archives by Christine Melcher