130 Years Ago
February 9, 1894
At the meeting of the city council Tuesday evening the following business was transacted: Ordinance No. 37, to license and regulate billiard halls and ball alleys, was read the first time. R. C. Noleman entered a complaint against a large hog pen, as an existing nuisance in east part of town which was referred to the marshal.
125 Years Ago
February 10, 1899
Over $500,000 will be spent during 1899 by the Burlington road in improvements to its track, roadbed and bridges west of the Missouri River. Foreman Dick Rivett and the wrecking gang have been rather busy for the past week. Saturday several cars in train 47 were derailed and tipped over in the east end of Alliance yards. Sunday Train 48 broke a journal on a car four miles west of town, and Monday night Train 46 was wrecked by a broken rail at Bingham and several cars went into the ditch.
120 Years Ago
February 5, 1904
Republicans to the number of a score or more gathered in the Council chamber last evening for the purpose of forming a Roosevelt club. On motion, the club was named the Roosevelt Republican club of Box Butte County.
115 Years Ago
February 5, 1909
As will be noted by reference to the official proceedings of the City Council at its session of Tuesday night, the much-mooted question of a sewerage system for Alliance is now moving toward definite accomplishment. A special election will be held on Tuesday, March 9th, for the purpose of voting bonds.
110 Years Ago
February 6, 1914
At the end of January, according to the figures submitted this week to the school board by Supt. Pate, there had been more different pupils enrolled during the first five months of the school year than for any similar period in the history of the local schools. The year’s enrollment to Jan. 30, 1914 was 879 against 855 three years ago and 854 one year ago.
105 Years Ago
February 7, 1919
“If we must die, then let us die celebrating.” This is the plan of the Congregationalists at Antioch who will dedicate their new parish house and club house next Wednesday night. There are countless rumors that Antioch is approaching a comitose condition and that it is soon to bear the mysterious title of the lost city. But Rev. Deans, organizer and builder of the new club house, says: “Let’s die with a smile and a song.” Antioch is not doomed. All of those potash plants will operate; they cost too much money to allow them to lie idle.
100 Years Ago
February 8, 1924
The State of Nebraska wants bids on the work of building the new highway between Alliance and Hemingford. The county commissioners may decide to bid on the job and build it with local labor. They have been considering this, but there is a heavy responsibility attached to the job.
95 Years Ago
February 8, 1929
Public dedication of the new Odd Fellows hall will be held Friday, February 15, with members of the grand lodge present to take part in the ceremonies.
90 Years Ago
February 6, 1934
The minor subjects of spelling, penmanship, music and art are to be restored in the junior high school for pupils in the upper half of the seventh and eighth grades by the employment of an extra half-time teacher for the remainder of the school term, it was decided by the school board at its regular monthly meeting last night. A number of complaints from parents had reached both the board and Supt. H. R. Partridge recently because the subjects were temporarily discontinued at the start of the second semester.
85 Years Ago
February 7, 1939
The contract of H. R. Partridge, superintendent of schools, was extended for three years by members of the board of education at their monthly meeting Monday night. Partridge is serving his 16th year as superintendent. In renewing his contract, board members commended him for his administrative ability and efforts to raise the scholastic standing of the schools.
80 Years Ago
February 8, 1944
Alliance USO cut a huge birthday cake and a twin cake to match Sunday evening in celebration of its third birthday with William Pittam wielding the knife. Three service men lined up to get their portions with a cup of coffee. Hundreds of men were served in this feature of a two-day celebration.
75 Years Ago
February 8, 1949
About 90 per cent of the boxholders on the six rural routes out of Alliance received their mail from regular carriers this morning. While carriers are not reaching all of the boxes, arrangements have been made so that boxholders not accessible to the mailmen get their mail by other means.
70 Years Ago
February 8, 1954
The Kansas-Nebraska Natural Gas Company is ready to move into Alliance and—if the City Council and the people are willing—the private utility will be supplying this city with natural gas by this Fall.
65 Years Ago
February 7, 1959
Three farm burglaries in the area were apparently solved today with the arrest of two young men, one of whom gave Sheriff Matt Berg a signed statement admitting the crimes. Merchandise taken in the three burglaries was valued at approximately $700 by Berg and included tools, guns, household items, radios, a television set, gas and other items. All the missing articles have not been recovered as yet.
60 Years Ago
February 7, 1964
Alliance’s king-size airport, built during World War II and used to train glider-borne infantrymen, then turned over to the city when its combat mission was accomplished, received almost the full attention of a regular City Council meeting Thursday evening. Two airport matters were considered. First, the Council favorably discussed the lighting of a third runway. And second, the Council viewed with a Chamber of Commerce delegation present at the meeting the matter of removal of a flight service station from Scottsbluff which has been servicing the Alliance Airport.
55 Years Ago
February 7, 1969
A group of ranchers, mainly from the Hemingford area, has “invoked” a predator control program with the cooperation of the Box Butte County Commissioners, it was announced here today. The action has raised some protests, it was added.
50 Years Ago
February 8, 1974
Eighteen projects costing an estimated $468,100 in the next six years make up the street improvement program adopted by the City Council following a public hearing Thursday night.
45 Years Ago
February 7, 1979
The Box Butte County Commissioners went into executive session for about 35 minutes Tuesday afternoon to discuss personnel problems within the road department. Although no dismissals were announced, Commissioner John Ditsch called the session an “in-house cleaning” and said that changes would be made should the problems persist. No specifics were released.
40 Years Ago
February 7, 1984
Representatives of the Alliance Area Chamber of Commerce will attend a convention committee meeting of the Sandhills Cattle Association in Merriman tonight in an attempt to persuade the committee to bring the association convention to Alliance this spring.
35 Years Ago
February 7, 1989
In an effort to unite eastern and western Nebraska, the Beatrice City Council has voted unanimously to join forces with the Panhandle town of Alliance as the state’s third pair of sister cities. Alliance Mayor Eva Knight proposed the idea to Beatrice Mayor Bob Sargent.
30 Years Ago
February 7, 1994
The Relight Alliance Committee had received $9,480 in donations as of Feb. 3. This will allow the committee to order the initial phase of the new lights for the 1994 Christmas season.
25 Years Ago
February 6, 1999
During their meeting this coming Monday, Feb. 8, Alliance’s District No. 6 Board of Education will consider providing alternative school staff to the Nebraska Boys Ranch. Coupled with that proposal, the board also may act upon a teacher recommendation for the Alternative Education Program.
20 Years Ago
February 7, 2004
When Emerson Elementary School students returned from a three-day weekend, a rock wall filled a section of the gym that previously had been bare brick. Emerson became the second elementary school in Nebraska to add a traverse (climbing) wall.
15 Years Ago
February 7, 2009
Chamber Bucks were another successful part of the Alliance Chamber’s efforts to keep consumer money in the area with nearly $65,000 worth of certificates spent at Chamber members in 2008. The Alliance Chamber office views this as significant because studies have shown that for every dollar that is spent within a community that dollar circulates seven to nine times. The possible impact of that $65,000 multiplied by seven is $455,000.
10 Years Ago
February 7, 2014
During last night’s Tech Night at Alliance High School, Nebraska State Patrolman Monty Lovelace covered a range of Internet safety tips and what to do if a problem arises.
5 Years Ago
February 7, 2019
The Alliance City Council considered Res. 19-07 Tuesday night, “authorize the recommendation of Denver Air Connection to the Department of Transportation to provide Essential Air Service for Alliance. This will be a two year award for the service.” The airline is one of two to bid on the contract—the other is the current carrier, Boutique Air.