130 Years Ago
January 26, 1894
The Alliance schools are progressing very satisfactorily this season, the enrollment now being about 340. The teachers are laboring under some disadvantage on account of the scarcity of seats, however, which are entirely taken in two of the rooms and pupils are slightly crowded in all departments.
125 Years Ago
January 27, 1899
The question as to where the county offices will be moved is being generally discussed of late. Some favor upstairs in the Syndicate block, with the opera house room for court purposes; others placing the office in the middle store room downstairs. Geo Bell’s new building has its share of adherents, for either downstairs or the addition of a second story. The vault at Hemingford could then be torn down and re-built here at moderate expense and the county officers would be nicely provided for.
120 Years Ago
January 26, 1904
Two machinists are busily engaged riveting the new steel cells in the county jail. Inspection shows this to be a mighty “secure” outfit. The metal throughout is of layers of both hard and tough steel, which is thus neither brittle so that it can be broken, and yet can not be drilled with the best tools.
115 Years Ago
January 26, 1909
During the week’s session of district court favorable progress has been made, but owing to the extraordinary number of cases on the docket for this term, it will likely be ten days or two weeks before adjournment.
110 Years Ago
January 23, 1914
At the close of the present week, the new Central school building will be re-occupied by the classes that were transferred to the High school and Emerson buildings after the fire of Dec. 18, 1912. The expectation that the move would be made at the end of the first semester was not fulfilled as the contractor did not have the building ready until one week later. Commencing next Monday, all six rooms on the main floor and four rooms on the second floor will be occupied, leaving the two north rooms on the second floor unoccupied for the present.
105 Years Ago
January 24, 1919
Paving ten blocks of Alliance streets seems highly probable as one of the after-the-war activities which this city will undertake as a means of providing employment for the men who will soon be seeking work. The only stipulation raised was that the lead water service should be installed before paving was laid and this is one condition that must be complied with else it will be necessary to constantly open the paving to repair the iron water mains which are rapidly giving way.
100 Years Ago
January 25, 1924
Alliance is to have its land office for at least another year. The house of representatives decided January 22 to eliminate from the interior department appropriation bill a section providing for abolishment of 21 land offices on July 1. Robert G. Simmons, congressional representative from this district has advised The Times-Herald that of these 21 offices, only one has really been saved, and that Alliance’s.
95 Years Ago
January 25, 1929
Alva Roach, a long time resident of Alliance and vicinity, was arraigned before Judge Tash in county court Tuesday afternoon, on a charge of receiving and concealing stolen property. He pleaded not guilty. County Attorney Romig, called as a witness, Troy Davis, who testified that he burglarized the Proudfit general store at Angora on the night of January 3. He said that he told Roach that the articles were “hot,” which in the argot of thieves means stolen.
90 Years Ago
January 23, 1934
Despite the inroads of depression, the city of Alliance during 1933 experienced a “good financial year” by living within its income, knocking a big chunk out of its bonded indebtedness and providing for itself a lot of other things out of light and water department earnings.
85 Years Ago
January 23, 1939
Cleo Steggs of Survey received emergency treatment at Alliance last week after having accidentally swallowed a considerable amount of gasoline. Steggs’ car stalled on the highway east of Lakeside and he attempted to open the plugged fuel line by blowing into it. Overcome by the gasoline, he was found by passing motorists and taken to Alliance, where he was treated by Drs. H. A. Copsey and J. F. Kennedy.
80 Years Ago
January 25, 1944
A throng of army men and workers at the Alliance Air Base lined up before the judge of the police court last evening, each man with a ticket for failing to stop at the newly erected sign on East Third. This is the road to the base and much traveled. Due to the habit of drivers and the fact that the sign had been erected Monday, Chief of Police Laing gave them warning and told them to spread the news that a stop sign had been placed there in the interest of the safety of school children.
75 Years Ago
January 25, 1949
Box Butte county has 45 rural schools in operation for the 1948-49 school system. To these small frame and stucco buildings scattered over the county 475 children are attending elementary classes this year. There are 57 rural districts in the county. Two have no school buildings. Ten are not holcing schools this year. Combinations proposed.
70 Years Ago
January 25, 1954
A meeting of all Mothers March workers will be held tonight at the Alliance Hotel at 7:30. The Mothers March, held annually to help raise money for the March of Dimes drive in Box Butte County, will be held on Thursday night of this week. The entire town will be canvassed in one giant march by mothers of the city.
65 Years Ago
January 24, 1959
If Alliance is interested in obtaining a franchise in the Nebraska State League, baseball enthusiasts here must be represented at the annual meeting of the Class D rookie loop at Kearney February 8. Secretary Ernest Quiltmeyer of Lexington said today that Alliance would be welcome at the meeting, when a realignment undoubtedly will be in order. The Washington Senators have pulled out of Superior and the Boston Red Sox out of Lexington. The New York Yankees will decide within the next week if they will operate again at Kearney.
60 Years Ago
January 25, 1964
Alliance’s new school superintendent, Marven M. Rosen, and his wife and three children have moved to Alliance. He succeeds the late Gene Morrison, who died in November. Roen, who officially begins his duties here Monday, has been visiting with numerous businessmen this week and “getting acquainted” in general with the town and school system.
55 Years Ago
January 25, 1969
Judson Cornette of Alliance was named president of the Box Butte Agricultural Society at its meeting Friday evening and the directors set August 13-17 as the dates for the 1969 Box Butte County Fair.
50 Years Ago
January 24, 1974
Some people think it’s a long time until May 12, but that date should be anticipated now by every citizen in the State of Nebraska. May 12 is the primary election in the state; at the same time, many school districts will elect board members and cities will select representatives to their official governmental bodies.
45 Years Ago
January 24, 1979
Meeting in regular session Tuesday afternoon, the Box Butte County commissioners declared the county a disaster area, nominated a person for the Greater Nebraska Health Systems Agency board vacancy and approved purchases for the Sheriff’s Department. In a resolution written by County Attorney Paul Empson and unanimously approved and signed by the commissioners, Box Butte County was officially declared a disaster area. According to commissioner estimated, the county has spent $41,300 in storm related operations.
40 Years Ago
January 24, 1984
Dean Forney of Alliance has just received a “low-number” “Nebraska Lifetime Permit” to hunt and fish within the state. The permit is inscribed on a wallet-size brass plate which he may carry, or mount on a plaque. It’s serial number is No. 2, thus presumably the second to be issued in the state as the result of legislation passed in 1983.
35 Years Ago
January 25, 1989
Alliance and Box Butte County emergency personnel are hoping to use Tuesday night’s school bus accident drill as a learning tool for the real thing. Alliance Fire Chief Bud Taylor, Jr., Alliance Police Chief Bob Jatczak and Box Butte County Civil Defense Director Lt. Loren Guthrie are expected to meet Thursday to assess the drill and attempt to work out some of the problems encountered.
30 Years Ago
January 24, 1994
The Veterans Service Office and County Road Department office will move Saturday, Jan. 29 from their present offices to 815 Flack. The new building is handicapped-accessible.
25 Years Ago
January 23, 1999
A dusty rural road stretching between Berea and US Highway 385 will be transformed into an asphault expressway, following the State’s approval of a construction bid. The low bid, of $7,192,268. 95 for the Berea North project was submitted by Werner Construction of Hastings. This project will include construction of an overpass at Berea and paving 9.5 miles of County Road 65, north to Highway 385.
20 Years Ago
January 23, 2004
During last night’s Alliance City Council meeting, councilmember Dan Kusek requested two expenditures from the Community Betterment Contingency Fund, more commonly known as Keno money. The first, which was unanimously approved, was for $10,164 and will be the city’s share of matching funds for a grant that was awarded to the city for $40,654. This grant is specifically to design and install landscaping on Third Street. Also, Kusek tabled his request for $10,000 to be used to initiate an Emergency Alert System through the cable television system.
15 Years Ago
January 26, 2009
Though a far cry from the Blizzard of 1949, Alliance residents saw plenty of snow accumulation this weekend. Estimates this morning put the total accumulation at about six to eight inches, though the snow was still falling.
10 Years Ago
January 24, 2014
Box Butte County’s unemployment rate was at or near four percent for the final quarter of 2013 according to Nebraska Department of Labor numbers. Three Panhandle counties have higher rates than Box Butte with two counties below three percent.
5 Years Ago
January 23, 2019
The Alliance School Board took up the issue of the track sewer line, which has been a topic of discussion since the Alliance City Council said they wanted to revisit the issue after the new councilmembers were sworn in. The school board agreed to sign a resolution with the city of Alliance to resolve the issue of the sewer line.