130 Years Ago
July 3, 1896
It is really astonishing the amount of wool that has been shipped from Alliance during the past two weeks. Almost every day several large wagon loads are brought in.
125 Years Ago
July 5, 1901
An old couple stopped in the city Monday without funds. The saloons and several other business houses each contributed $2 and sent them on their way rejoicing.
120 Years Ago
July 6, 1906
The Fourth of July celebration provided by Alliance in the year 1906 may be characterized in many respects as the most successful of any of the several ever held here during the eighteen years’ existence of this place. Nearly a hundred railroad tickets were sold each from Bridgeport and Hemingford, besides the large number of people who drove here.
115 Years Ago
July 7, 1911
Miss Blanche MacDonald, the Alliance lady, who has been working for the European trip in the World-Herald contest, received telegraphic news this morning from the World-Herald to the effect that she had won first place in this district, and advising her that the party would leave Omaha Wednesday, July 12, on their European tour.
110 Years Ago
July 7, 1916
After five hours’ wrestling the Joe Stecher-Ed (Strangler) Lewis wrestling match was called a draw by the referee. Lewis was on the defensive throughout the match.
105 Years Ago
July 5, 1921
A midnight wedding ceremony, with Ralph E. Bridges of Morrill, Neb., and Miss Margaret A. Fahey of Denver as the principals, was performed by County Judge Tash at the courthouse Saturday night, or rather Sunday morning, as it was nearly 1 o’clock when the “knot” was finally tied.
100 Years Ago
July 6, 1926
Miss Ruth Stanton leaves the first of August for Honolulu, where she has accepted a position in the high school work on the island of Hawaii. Miss Stanton has taught in the grade school of Alliance for two years and in June received her A. B. degree at the state university.
95 Years Ago
July 7, 1931
A special train of several cars went through Alliance last Thursday on its way to the “dude ranch” country near Sheridan, Wyo. It was filled with people from New York state who will spend the summer living the life of western cowboys. There is about one special train every week going through here carrying easterners to the “dude ranches.”
90 Years Ago
July 3, 1936
Plans are under way for Alliance citizens to pay their respects to the city’s “biggest business,” the Burlington, during the second annual Railroad Week, which will be observed here and in thousands of cities over the nation, July 13 to 18.
85 Years Ago
July 4, 1941
Hundreds of curious citizens continued to be drawn to the site of the train wreck near Yale today and yesterday to watch the efforts of two large wreckers to right the overturned locomotive and get it bak on the tracks. A wrecker was summoned here from Lincoln to aid the Alliance wrecker in moving the 200-ton locomotive.
80 Years Ago
July 5, 1946
Fred W. Shanks, gunner’s mate, first class, Alliance, Neb., is serving aboard the USS Antietam, a carrier which has returned to the Marianas Islands after a six-week cruise into Asiatic waters with task force 77 of the Seventh Fleet.
75 Years Ago
July 6, 1951
At one stage of the fire at Ale’s Women’s Apparel Shop early Wednesday morning, spectators thought the flames had broken out of the basement and into the upper part of the store. The heavy smoke billowing up in front of the store and in front of a red neon sign gave the appearance of flames.
70 Years Ago
July 6, 1956
The Nebraska Railway Commission has granted the Burlington Railroad permission to temporarily remove two Sunday passenger trains between Alliance and Lincoln – and the Alliance Chamber of Commerce and the Western Nebraska United Chambers of Commerce have protested the action.
65 Years Ago
July 6, 1961
The labor supply in the Alliance area continues high for this time of year, according to Harold McClary, manager of the Nebraska State Employment Service here. He also reports, however, that of the 150 persons actively seeking work, 80 or more than half are women.
60 Years Ago
July 6, 1966
Seven rural Box Butte County school districts have announced they will provide Educational Television for their pupils in the 1966-67 school year, County Supt. H. N. Murray has reported.
55 Years Ago
July 6, 1971
United Parcel Service, a national package delivery company which has been operating in portions of the state for several years, will open interstate service to Nebraska residents everywhere in the state today. In order to provide service to any address in Nebraska, the company has established operating centers in Alliance, Sidney, McCook, North Platte, O’Neill, Norfolk, Grand Island, Lincoln, Beatrice, Omaha and Valentine.
50 Years Ago
July 8, 1976
The Alliance Indian Council (AIC) has been notified by the Nebraska Regional Medical Program that AIC will receive $10,000 funding for the local medical aide program, extending the program at least to June 30, 1977.
45 Years Ago
July 7, 1981
The wheat harvest combine camps will be opening today in Alliance and Hemingford. Test Combining for wheat moisture is expected to begin on Tuesday.
40 Years Ago
July 7, 1986
The Alliance City Council was briefed by Alliance City Manager Wolfgang Bauer during an emergency meeting at noon Monday to discuss what steps are next for the city after a power outage left some 9,920 residents in town and rural customers without power for nearly 24 hours.
35 Years Ago
July 6, 1991
Ruben Pauly studies his chainsaw sculpting project as the saw motor deafens him. In the shade of his backyard, he positions the bar of his 4-year-old Craftsman chainsaw into the wood’s tight crevices to take off a few shavings and slice off large hunks – anything that doesn’t look like a bear. He is working on a log, part of which is buried two feet in the ground.
30 Years Ago
July 3, 1996
A recent mistake in figuring the high school honor roll led to some questions about the number of students being honored. The original senior list contained 116 of the 147 graduating, nearly 79 percent of the class. The revised list was smaller with 74 names.
25 Years Ago
July 5, 2001
Box Butte General Hospital and Alliance Volunteer Fire Department will celebrate Emergency Medical Services (EMS) with an open house from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. this Saturday, July 7, in front of the hospital’s new emergency room. Firefighters and emergency medical technicians will perform a mock roof rescue and aerial truck demonstration.
20 Years Ago
July 6, 2006
The perceived threat of a man cruising Alliance streets looking o abduct local juveniles has been discredited. On June 19, it was reported to police that an attempted abduction had occurred in the area of East Eighth Street and Sweetwater Avenue. After an extensive search and contacting possible witnesses, officers found that there was some information that was questionable.
15 Years Ago
July 2, 2011
Beginning the weekend of July 4, Alliance Police officers will start wearing non-traditional uniform shirts. The polo shirts will be dark blue with bright sky blue. The objective is for the public to see officers in a more approachable light, especially during hot summer months and Heritage Days as officers walk downtown for security.
10 Years Ago
July 5, 2016
Peltz Companies hosted a presentation and demonstration of their Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) Pavement in Alliance on Thursday morning, giving designers, engineers, and other construction professionals the opportunity to see what the product is about and ask questions.
5 Years Ago
July 7, 2021
A drug bust led to one man being arrested for distributing drugs throughout the community, leading law enforcement to seize Fentanyl pills and methamphetamine. While executing the warrant, one man was taken into custody, and officers seized methamphetamine, 75 Fentanyl pills, more than $2,000 in cash, a firearm and a vehicle in the process.
*Compiled from The Alliance Times-Herald Archives by Christine Melcher