130 Years Ago
July 14, 1893
Chas. Eads and family had a narrow escape from electrocution last night about ten o’clock, when a flash of lightning ran down the chimney and struck the bed-post at Charley’s head. Splitting it into kindling wood, and then the festive spark jumped over to the children’s bed, tearing it to pieces. Nobody was seriously injured, although Charley did not know where he was at for a few minutes. Another bolt left its mark on the roof and chimney of F. M. Phelps’ house.
125 Years Ago
July 15, 1898
We are informed that J. P. Hazard, of this county, has invented a simple and ingenious device to be attached to hay rakes to prevent light and loose hay from working out into the wheels and from loosing between the outer teeth and wheels. He has recently returned from Omaha, where he has been to arrange for their manufacture, and has brought a few with him, with which he expects to demonstrate their utility.
120 Years Ago
July 10, 1903
Conductor J. M. McCracken had an experience last night coming east on Belmont hill that gives him cause for gladness that he is here today. He fell between the freight car at the end of his train and the engine, but caught one leg over the draw bar and hung head downward with his hands brushing the roadbed for several moments before able to raise himself and climb to a place of safety. He was brought to Alliance, and as his limb is badly sprained and wrenched it is probable that it will be sometime before he will be able to resume work.
115 Years Ago
July 10, 1908
The Forest Lumber Co. have commenced the work of putting in the new front at the south entrance of the Famous clothing store. It will of course be an exact duplicate of the show windows placed at the north entrance a few months ago, and they are certainly splendid for the purpose of showing goods and add much to the appearance of that store and block.
110 Years Ago
July 11, 1913
While returning to Alliance the other day, Joe Showalter hit a prime young steer with his Studebaker car and scattered sausage all over the country. Joe was going at a pretty good clip when the steer zig-zagged across the road in front of him and the road was narrow at this point, the steer went into the air like a rocket. It cost Mr. Showalter $30.60 besides a new pair of $15 lamps and he never got even a taste of steak.
105 Years Ago
July 12, 1918
The first demonstration of the Fordson tractor was given on the E. I. Gregg farm Wednesday afternoon and the new machine met up to all that had been vouched for it by the dealers. The Herring Motor company, of Des Moines and the distributors for Nebraska and their representative, Mr. Jones, was here to conduct the demonstration.
100 Years Ago
July 13, 1923
The final chapter was written in the Weaver tragedy, when funeral services were held for the slayer and his wife, the victim. Weaver stabbed his wife to death at Deadwood and hour after she had phoned the Alliance police to inform them that her husband was there. The fiend swallowed carbolic acid after committing the crime, but did not take enough to cause immediate death. He suffered for several days before he finally succumbed.
95 Years Ago
July 13, 1928
A light Ford truck, loaded with cream, and driven by young McCall, failed successfully to negotiate the corner at Fifth and Box Butte this morning and a can of cream was plastered over the sidewalk. The truck struck the car of Fred Plank, parked at the curb, and moved it over several feet, but apparently doing little damage aside from the fender. The truck was disabled.
90 Years Ago
July 11, 1933
William Plunkett was arrested by local police under suspicious circumstances, while officers were making a careful hunt for the prowler who had frightened numerous house holders for the past month. Plunkett was apprehended as he was running down an alley in the residence section. Plunkett was to be given a hearing in police court this afternoon. There have been no reports of prowlers since Plunkett’s arrest.
85 Years Ago
July 12, 1938
Ray Noble, Box Butte county farmer, was fined $5 and costs by County Judge P. E. Romig Monday on a charge of fishing without a permit. He was arrested by Leon Cunningham, game warden.
80 Years Ago
July 13, 1943
Eight men from the Alliance Army Air Base, including four officers and four non-commissioned officers, were instantly killed at 4:30 Saturday afternoon when two large C-47 transport planes on a routine group formation training flight collided in midair and crashed to the ground on the Louis Bowers ranch, 25 miles west of Hemingford on highway 87.
75 Years Ago
July 13, 1948
Merle G. Criss, 30, city lineman, was electrocuted in a tragic accident on West Third street this morning. He received a 2300-volt charge of electricity when the boom of the city power-line truck swung into a live wire. Criss and five other linemen, were setting up poles in the rebuilding of a length of the Berea power line. The accident occurred across the highway from the McElheny Implement Co.
70 Years Ago
July 13, 1953
“Sailor,” the year-old cocker spaniel dog of the Marion Kamerzell family, 1004 Laramie, arrived home Saturday night after almost a 200-mile walk. The Kamerzell family spent the Fourth of July weekend at the country home of his sister and family, north of Martin, S.D. The dog became frightened of firecrackers and they were unable to find him when they left for home. Outside of being a little thinner, tired and hungry, the dog was no worse for the wear of the tour.
65 Years Ago
July 12, 1958
Three men were sentenced to the Nebraska State Penitentiary from Box Butte County District Court. Judge E. L. Meyer sentenced an Alliance man, Eugene Iron Rope, to three years on a charge of fifth offense drunken driving. J. C. Williams of Grand Island was sentenced to two years in the penitentiary for issuing a no fund check. Benjamin Swimmer of Pine Ridge, S. D., drew an 18-month sentence on a parole violation, for intoxication. He had been paroled after being charged with uttering a forged instrument.
60 Years Ago
July 12, 1963
Glenn D. Swanson, 33, Alliance, was given a one-year sentence in Federal District Court Thursday on a charge of sending indecent letters and pictures through the mail. He appeared before Chief Judge Richard E. Robinson.
55 Years Ago
July 15, 1968
Dan Hodge, manager of Black’s Open Range in Alliance presents Ron Soester from Crawford a Resistol hat as an award. Soester is the 1968 Cattle Capital Rodeo’s all-around championship winner. Soester won money in the bareback, saddle bronc and bull riding events.
50 Years Ago
July 12, 1973
Max Gross, 40 of Broken Bow, entered a plea of guilty in Box Butte County District Court this morning to a charge of “larceny from a person” lodged against him in connection with the March 6 armed robbery of the Alliance Safeway Store. In the robbery here, Tom Morris, a Safeway employee, was handed a note at the cashier’s cage by an armed man telling him “a .38 is looking at you.” Morris was told to put the money from the cash drawers in a bag and he complied.
45 Years Ago
July 12, 1978
Mid Continent Companies, a St. Paul, Minn. Developer of apartments and townhouses, has announced plans for the development of a 108-unit apartment complex in the Lakefield Addition at Alliance. The project will include 54 one-bedroom and 54 two-bedroom apartments. It will incorporate laundry and resident storage facilities on each floor. Ground level apartments will feature walk-out patios. Upper level apartments will have balconies. The development will be the first in Alliance to incorporate a swimming pool and tennis court, according to Lakefield Realty.
40 Years Ago
July 12, 1983
Nebraska Third District Congresswoman Virginia Smith attended a noon Rotary luncheon at the Drake Hotel Monday. Mrs. Smith reported on a pending action that is before the Appropriations Committee, of which she is a member, and other congressional committees.
35 Years Ago
July 12, 1988
Anna Behm, will be 100 years old on August 7. She was the only one of Alliance’s six centenarians who was able to attend the Senior Citizen Appreciation Tea at the Eagles Club Monday afternoon. Mrs. Behm still lives in her own apartment at the Good Samaritan Village, and enjoys being independent.
30 Years Ago
July 12, 1993
On July 9, a group of Alliance High School students and three sponsors were scheduled to leave for a trip to France that had been in the planning stages since last year. However, instead of embarking on what could’ve been the trip of a lifetime, these people are having to take legal action because their money and the man responsible for it disappeared.
25 Years Ago
July 13, 1998
Two Alliance men were arrested over the weekend in conjunction with the recent vandalism to the new library/attendance center. These men are suspected of causing over $9,000 damage to the library/attendance center. Damage to the interior of the library included broken windows, holes in the walls, brick pillars broken or damaged and ceilings torn down.
20 Years Ago
July 12, 2003
The Carnegie Arts Center’s 10th Annual Garden Walk was attended by 120 people and featured seven Alliance-area gardens. The walk included refreshments along the route with musical entertainment provided by Chance Fritzler and Todd Rischling at the Northpark Estates gazebo. An art auction and lunch at the arts center concluded the fundraiser. The Garden Walk, along with the Winter Gala Dinner Theatre, are Carnegie’s two major fundraisers that apply to general operating expenses.
15 Years Ago
July 12, 2008
Ted Dowler of Alliance won $2,500 playing The $1 scratch game Mocha Moolah from the Nebraska Lottery. Dowler purchased his winning ticket from an Alliance outlet. The odds of winning the $2,500 top prize in Mocha Moolah are 1 in 210,000.
10 Years Ago
July 12, 2013
The Alliance City Council met last night in the School Board meeting room to discuss a number of items. The issue taking the most consideration was the discussion to amend the ordinance regarding cell phone towers to be built in all zoning districts.
5 Years Ago
July 11, 2018
Alliance DeMolay members wash vehicles Saturday at Safeway as they raise money to support Pillars for the Park. Pillars for the Park has been working to collect donations in order to install the pillars that once decorated the sunken gardens at the Alliance City Park.