130 Years Ago
March 1, 1895
Drayman Harve Watson had the end of his thumb bitten off in one of the saloons one night this week. He undertook to thresh a man, who has been working for him, and the fellow commenced to make a meal, with the result above stated.
125 Years Ago
March 2, 1900
Mrs. Chaffey secured the position of “hello” at the central telephone station, and has been on duty during daytime for about a week.
120 Years Ago
February 28, 1905
Mrs. Tom Butler, wife of the foreman of D. J. Burke’s grading outfit, who gave birth about three weeks ago to a bright and healthy baby boy, suddenly became violently insane at about two o’clock yesterday morning. Windows were broken, other damage done, and it required the efforts of several persons to control the frantic and unfortunate lady. Opiates proved unavailing, and last night on the advice of physicians, it was deemed best to send her to a Lincoln hospital, where it is hoped with proper surroundings she may be restored to reason and health.
115 Years Ago
March 1, 1910
Life is a funny proposition. Man comes into the world without his consent and leaves it against his will. During his stay on earth his time is spent in one continuous round of contraries and misunderstandings by the balance of our species. In his infancy he is an angel; in his boyhood he is a devil; in his manhood he is everything from a lizard up; in his duties he is an utter fool; if he raises a family he is a chump; if he raises a small check he is a thief, and then the law raises the devil with him; if he is a poor man, he is a poor manager and has no sense; if he is a rich man he is dishonest, but considered smart; if he is in politics he is a grafter and a crook; if he is out of politic you can’t blame him as he is an undesirable citizen; if he goes to church he is a hypocrite; if he stays away from church he is a sinner and damned; if he donates to foreign missions he does it for show; if he doesn’t he is stingy and a tight wad.
110 Years Ago
March 2, 1915
“Dynamite Dan” the terrible miner from Butte, and more recently from Alliance, was found last night at eleven o’clock with the collar of his shirt just protruding from a lake of water in the city jail after he had succeeded in pulling down the water pipes while doing the “monkey tango” act on the bars.
105 Years Ago
February 27, 1920
H. R. Berry, a brakeman on a local freight running south of Alliance, was fined $50 and costs in justice court Thursday morning on a charge of having stolen on the train an overcoat belonging to a stockman who was en route to Kansas City stock show with a bunch of pure-bred cattle.
100 Years Ago
February 24, 1925
Thieves entered the rear window of the Alliance pool hall Saturday night and got away with $2 in cash and about $15 worth of miscellaneous items including a clock, cigars and tobacco. They attempted to open the cash register, but it stuck and they failed to get $35 in cash therein. Sunday the officers picked up three suspects and held them for investigation.
95 Years Ago
February 28, 1930
Motorcycle police booked two autoists on speeding charges Wednesday night and allege that they were trying to stage a race on Box Butte avenue following a dance that evening. The two drivers are George Coulter of Alliance and L. E. Kennedy of Ellsworth.
90 Years Ago
March 1, 1935
Boy! Page Mr. Barnum. If you can’t rouse him, get some other good showman. Albert Morava, rancher of eight miles west of Marsland, reports the birth of a calf at his place with two extra legs and a hump on its back. The calf, Mr. Morava says, sprouted the two additional legs from its shoulders, on leg being considerably shorter than the other and terminating in a tuft to resemble a tail.
85 Years Ago
February 27, 1940
Thirteen Boy Scouts from Alliance were among a group who were given advancements in rank Monday night at a court of honor at Bayard.
80 Years Ago
March 2, 1945
Two men, out of the state penitentiary on parole, were arrested in Alliance yesterday afternoon by State Patrolman Frank F. Klanecky and Police Chief Doug Thomas on a charge of car theft. They are Henry Stertz, 42, and Louis Loseke, 34. Loseke has been in the penitentiary twice, one for forgery and again for auto theft. He was paroled Nov. 15. Stertz has been out on parole only two weeks.
75 Years Ago
February 28, 1950
The stork in charge of deliveries to St. Joseph’s hospital is a weary bird today – in one of the briskest rushes ever to visit the maternity ward, 12 new babies arrived from Feb. 23-26.
70 Years Ago
March 1, 1955
Postmaster Clyde Yardley retired effective Monday, and Floyd Gowin took over today as acting postmaster. Yardley said he has no plans at present, but may take a vacation and then look around for possible work. He has been postmaster at Hemingford since his appointment in mid-1933 and is of retirement age now.
65 Years Ago
March 3, 1960
When Passenger Trains 41 and 44 cease running after Saturday between Alliance and Lincoln, trucks operated by Arrow Freight Lines will start hauling mail, express, milk and baggage newspapers, between the two cities.
60 Years Ago
March 2, 1965
Plans to extend the West Tenth Street surfaced highway 21 miles to connect with a similar surfaced road in Scotts Bluff County were advanced at the annual road hearing of the Box Butte County Commissioners Monday.
55 Years Ago
March 4, 1970
Measles in the Alliance Senior and Junior High Schools has reached epidemic proportions here today. According to Supt. Stanley Wilcox there are 136 students out of two schools. Of this number 84 are out from North and 52 from South High. Tuesday there were 15 students in the two high schools sent home with the disease and this morning four more broke out in schools and were sent home. Wilcox said apparently the three elementary schools were escaping this round at the present time as all report normal attendance.
50 Years Ago
March 4, 1975
Alliance Rotarians heard City Manager Robert Placek predict an increase in electric rates in the future and give a favorable report on the new refuse collection system now in use. Placek told the regular weekly meeting of the Alliance Rotary Club that the cost to produce electricity for the city has shown a steady raise over the years and additional costs to be announced shortly will make an increase in rates necessary.
45 Years Ago
March 3, 1980
The Hemingford Police Department has no new clues in its investigation into a Saturday evening abduction of a 25-year-old Alliance man who was forced at gunpoint to drive to Scottsbluff. Authorities identified the abducted man as Richard Van Wagner.
40 Years Ago
March 3, 1985
Panhandle Motor Sports, Inc. (PMS) plans to install a drag strip on the Alliance Municipal Airport’s west taxi-strip as soon as the city of Alliance gets permission from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for approval to use the strip. According to Leonard Peterson, member of PMS, in addition to the taxi-strip needed on which to race cars, 40 acres of land is needed to accommodate the competitors, spectators, official’s tower, return road and concessions.
35 Years Ago
March 3, 1990
Leprechaun races and a blarney contest are scheduled for Saturday, March 17, St. Patrick’s Day. The leprechaun races are for kids ages 3 to 12 on Box Butte Avenue between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Kids will be asked to ride their tricycles, big wheels or bikes through an obstacle course.
30 Years Ago
March 1, 1995
Two young women from Alliance have been selected to tour with the widely acclaimed music group, Up With People. Melody Duran, 19, and Kim Hofmann, 22, will tour with Up With People for the year 1996.
25 Years Ago
March 2, 2000
Based upon recommendations by the architect for Box Butte County Hospital’s main expansion project, the purchase and installation of the first three dialysis stations will be delayed and be completed as part of the first phase of the main expansion project. By contrast, if the stations were completed ahead of that, the other construction would disrupt the dialysis users.
20 Years Ago
March 3, 2005
A high-speed pursuit involving the Box Butte County Sheriff’s Office, Alliance Police Department and Nebraska State Patrol ended yesterday afternoon with the arrest of a Lexington, Neb., man. According to a BBSO press release, at about 3:30 yesterday afternoon, four units from the BBSO and two units from the APD attempted a felony stop on a maroon 2001 Dodge pickup that had been stolen out of Rockville, Neb. The vehicle reportedly contained three firearms.
15 Years Ago
March 5, 2010
City Begins Tearing Down Sunken Gardens: The work began Wednesday morning. A City crew has started the tedious task of dismantling the decorative but disintegrating structure around Central Park’s Sunken Gardens.
10 Years Ago
March 4, 2015
The Alliance City Council passed and adopted Res. 15-16 at their regular meeting Tuesday night, approving the recommendation of San Francisco-based Boutique Air to the Department of Transportation (which has final say) to provide Essential Air Services for Alliance.
5 Years Ago
March 4, 2020
A patient at Regional West Medical Center is being tested for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and has been placed under Person Under Investigation (PUI) status per the CDC guidelines and the Nebraska State Epidemiologist’s recommendation. Regional West handled the case in the same way they manage other diseases that require airborne precautions and monitoring.
*Compiled from The Alliance Times-Herald Archives by Christine Melcher