130 Years Ago
Jan. 13, 1893
Beck & Newberry have commenced the erection of a frame building 16 X 32 on the lot south of the City Bakery and expect to be rustling for hardware trade in a few days again.
125 Years Ago
Jan. 14, 1898
W. C. Mounts has at his barber shop one more element of metropolitan ease and airs – a gentlemanly porter, by name Joe Hunter, who takes especial pride in a “shine” in which ones image is reflected, or chasing the slightest “speck” of dust from wearing apparel.
120 Years Ago
Jan. 9, 1903
The partnership between Keeler Bros., conducting the Checkered Front livery barn, has been dissolved by mutual consent, and James Keeler will hereafter conduct the business. He informs us that new capital will be invested and the business built up to the highest possible standard.
115 Years Ago
Jan. 10, 1908
Walter Virgin, until recently manager of the Forest Lumber company, took his departure Tuesday night for Kansas City and other places in that section. He will visit relatives for a time and then go to Idaho, where he will be identified with the extensive lumber interests of J. C. Weeter.
110 Years Ago
Jan. 10, 1913
A person can profitably spend an evening at the Alliance library, where a fine selection of the current magazines are always in the rack. The librarian has kindly furnished the Times with a list of these magazines, as follows: Review of Reviews, North American Review, World’s Work, Outlook, Harper’s Weekly, Scientific American, Popular Mechanics, Saturday Evening Post, Ladies Home Journal, Women’s Home Companion, Youth’s Companion, St. Nicholas, McClure’s, National Farmer, and Christian Science Journal. Mrs. C. C. Smith will tell stories to the children at the Public Library Saturday at 1 o’clock.
105 Years Ago
Jan. 11, 1918
A shocking tragedy occurred in the railroad yards at ten this morning when J. J. Dean, a switch man, was caught between two cars of coal and crushed to death almost instantly. Clifford Sward, the only eye witness to the accident, was helping Dean set out a bad-order car on the switching track. The last words Dean uttered were: “Hand me the hooks,” and Sward complied with his request. He then stepped back to give the signal to the switch man near the engine, but owing to the heavy fog of steam and smoke the engineer did not see the stop signal for the front of the train moved back and caught the unfortunate young man in the abdomen and crushed out his life, without his uttering a sound. Sward was facing the engine and did not realize that his friend had been killed until he turned around.
100 Years Ago
Jan. 12, 1923
Protection against cattle thieves, the chief reason for forming the Nebraska Stock Growers’ association in the early days of the cattle industry in Nebraska, will again be made the chief activity of the state association. This action is made necessary by the alarming increase in cattle stealing which has been going on for the past two years.
95 Years Ago
Jan. 10, 1928
Oscar Caldwell who is alleged to have drawn a gun on Roy E. Hackett, switch man in the local railroad yards, pleaded guilty to a charge of provoking an assault, when arraigned before Police Judge Highland. It is alleged that the gun was pulled when Hackett directed the moving of a bunk car in which Caldwell was living while working on a railroad construction gang.
90 Years Ago
Jan. 10, 1933
Joe Shumik, Alliance trucker, was at liberty again today after a relative paid a $10 fine and guaranteed the payment of $5 court costs which were assessed against Shumik by Police Judge Jeffers on charges of disturbing the peace.
85 Years Ago
Jan. 11, 1938
Leo Kastner was found not guilty and dismissed Monday afternoon in police court on a charge of selling groceries on a Sunday. Testimony was to the effect that Kastner sold a few small articles such as bread and milk from his home on Saturday. Magistrate Wayne Huston held that such was not a violation of the ordinance.
80 Years Ago
Jan. 12, 1943
Definite announcement was made this week that the old city hall building, constructed in 1904 and occupied by city officials until March 1937, will be torn down to make way for a new $88,000 U. S. O. building. The old city hall was constructed of native “Betzold” brick, and occupied late in 1904. The belfry atop the building contained the curfew bell, which was removed about 1920.
75 Years Ago
Jan. 13, 1948
M. J. Webb of Sterling, Colo., arrived this week to become manager of the Safeway store, relieving M. G. Bowman, former manager, who is taking a years leave of absence due to ill health. Mr. Webb has been manager of a large Safeway store in Sterling for the past several years and will move his family to Alliance as soon as a suitable residence is available.
70 Years Ago
Jan. 12, 1953
County Attorney Bob Moran said at noon today that he would arraign Gilbert Walking Bull, 22-year-old, in county court this afternoon on car theft charges. The youth was arrested early Saturday morning in a car owned by Cecil Beal, 608 Laramie Avenue, after an 8-mile chase with Highway Patrolman Robert Lewis at speeds up to 95 miles an hour. Walking Bull came to a halt on Highway 19 south of Alliance after Patrolman Lewis hooked bumpers with the speeding machine while they were traveling 90 miles an hour. Walking Bull locked himself in the car, but came out peacefully when Lewis approached the car with his pistol drawn. The arrest was made just north of Angora.
65 Years Ago
Jan. 10, 1958
Mrs. Ernest Carlson, 408 Hudson, apparently escaped serious injury when hit by a car this morning at Third and Box Butte. She suffered a sprained ankle, head lacerations and bruises, and is being kept in St. Joseph’s Hospital for observation. The driver, Keith Gerald Armstrong, 22, 723 Big Horn, was going south on Box Butte and turning east onto Third when his car hit Mrs. Carlson. She was walking north across Third Street. Armstrong told police that he was blinded by the sun and did not see Mrs. Carlson.
60 Years Ago
Jan. 11, 1963
During December Alliance set a new record for that month with 122 passengers using Frontier flights. This was a 65 percent increase over December of a year ago.
55 Years Ago
Jan. 10, 1968
Bruce Vogel, who was 7 years old Tuesday, lost the end of the index finger on his left hand while opening a birthday present. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert L. Vogel, and the accident happened as he was attempting to open a package just prior to a party in his honor. He was using a knife ordinarily used for cutting frozen foods and it completely severed the end of the index finger at the first joint and cut the next finger.
50 Years Ago
Jan. 11, 1973
Paul Peterson, manager of the L. B. Murphy Co., here, was elected president of the Alliance Area Chamber of Commerce at the board meeting here this week. Mrs. Virgil Hatch was elected vice-president.
45 Years Ago
Jan. 10, 1978
A farm strike rally has been scheduled for 7:30 p. m. Sunday at the Community Building at Alliance High School. The rally is being sponsored by the Alliance Chamber of Commerce and local members of the American Agriculture Movement.
40 Years Ago
Jan. 11, 1983
Something for everyone – that’s what Director of Adult and Community Education Lonnie Sherlock wants people to know about this semester’s adult and community education classes. The majority of the classes start the week of Jan. 17, Sherlock said. He encourages people who want to take a Chadron State College course to sign up immediately.
35 Years Ago
Jan. 10, 1988
Congresswoman Virginia Smith tells members of the Rotary, Kiwanis and Lions Clubs about the work done in the 100th Congress. She attended the Monday noon meeting at the Elms Restaurant.
30 Years Ago
Jan. 11, 1993
What was a hub of activity a century ago – the Phelan Opera House (a.k.a. Syndicate Block Building) is expected to once again become a busy place. Jean and Lou Franchetti have purchased the building on the corner of Fourth Street and Box Butte Avenue form the Syndicate Block Building partnership managed by Dan Dickinson, native of Alliance now living in Gering. Dickinson’s great-grandfather was one of the original owners of the building.
25 Years Ago
Jan. 14, 1998
Casper Brixius was elected chairman of the County Board of Commissioners at the boards regular meeting Tuesday on a 2-0 vote. Don Hanson was chosen vice chairman.
20 Years Ago
Jan. 10, 2003
The McCarroll’s Motel is being transformed into a complex of four buildings for the Northwest Community Action Head Start and several other programs.
15 Years Ago
Jan. 11, 2008
The Alliance Chamber of Commerce Ag Committee recently hosted a fundraiser to establish a scholarship fund for agriculture-orientated students graduating this spring. Cork Taylor was awarded the grand prize of a Bush Hog UTV. Taylor has donated the UTV to the Nebraska Boys Ranch.
10 Years Ago
Jan. 11, 2013
Box Butte County Sheriff Tammy Mowry conducts the sale of the former Central School property, Lot 28, Friday morning. Though a few locals showed up with an interest in who might buy the building, the only bid came from Midwest Management, in the amount of $13,200. That bid covers taxes in the amount of $8,217.57, plus $2,959.23 in interest as if Oct. 17, attorney fees in the amount of $1,151.38 and costs in the amount of $336.98. As of Friday morning, there was no information available as to what the firm plans to do with the building.
5 Years Ago
Jan. 10, 2018
Hannah Gerth works the station as a Public Safety dispatcher at the Alliance Police Department. Public Dispatchers work 8-hour and/or 12-hour shifts proving they work hard to make sure the city is kept safe.