130 Years Ago
July 24, 1896
When R. C. Noleman went home Monday night to his deserted domicile he at once noticed that things had been turned Topsy-turvy during his absence. Up-to-date he has not commenced legal proceedings against the intruder, for the reason that he soon discovered that a lightning bolt had came down the chimney and damaged the plastering pretty badly in every room of the house.
125 Years Ago
July 26, 1901
Daniel W. Hughes, dispenser of congealed water to the inhabitants of this borough, would like it mighty well if the finder of a large new canvas and bucket, lost about a week ago, would return same.
120 Years Ago
July 24, 1906
Iowa millers are buying milling wheat in Box Butte County, Nebraska. Watkins Feagins & McCorkle of Alliance shipped 2,500 bushels of wheat to the Woodbine Milling Company, Woodbine, Iowa, last week and the buyers declare it is the best wheat they have found.
115 Years Ago
July 28, 1911
Wm. King of this city made purchase Wednesday from Local Agent James Keeler of a twenty horse power, torpedo body, five passenger, Flanders automobile, same being for use at the King ranch near Angora.
110 Years Ago
July 28, 1916
Thirty members of the I. W. W. were arrested in the railroad yards Thursday afternoon and six of them were put to work on the streets. The balance of the gang were told to take the first train out of town and they did.
105 Years Ago
July 26, 1921
The new lens laws governing the use of headlights on automobiles went into effect today all over the state and the county and city officers are preparing to see that they are strictly enforced. “The officials are ordered to arrest anyone found driving an automobile with headlights that are not in conformity with the regulations of the state department of public works.”
100 Years Ago
July 27, 1926
Many beautiful designs have been submitted by local people for the model house to be erected this fall by The Times-Herald. Dr. Lee Farmer has submitted a design that meets with approval and many of the ideas may be incorporated in the new home. A barrel ceiling for the living room and a dome ceiling for the sun parlor are especially appealing.
95 Years Ago
July 28, 1931
Police Officer George Barnum munched so hard on a sandwich the other day that he almost swallowed his front teeth. The sandwich contained a nice juice piece of ham and Officer Barnum started to bite into it. He sank his teeth in the bun – but that was as far as he was able to get. He looked down at the sandwich and there was his front row of incisors still embedded in the ham.
90 Years Ago
July 24, 1936
The first of the steel which will be a part of the new city hall and auditorium was hoisted into place Wednesday and the skeleton of the building began to take visible shape. Eight massive steel columns which will support the roof and the balcony of the auditorium were erected with the aid of a municipal utilities department truck.
85 Years Ago
July 22, 1941
If you have any old aluminum that can be spared for the national defense program, place it on your front porch Friday afternoon at 4 o’clock, when the Boy Scouts and Camp Fire Girls will make a door-to-door collection in every block in the city.
80 Years Ago
July 26, 1946
Two Alliance Country Club golfers will go to Omaha next week to take part in the state sand green tournament. They are Dr. F. P. Sucgang and Lou Henderson.
75 Years Ago
July 27, 1951
One member of the local literary set has come up with this: Spring has sprung, Fall has fell; Summer’s here, It’s hotter than last summer. (The above is with apologies to Ye Tabber.)
70 Years Ago
July 27, 1956
Interested persons from Alliance, Hemingford and the surrounding area decided Thursday night to help the Salvation Army buy the Presbyterian Church and manse for a new headquarters. An option has been taken on the Presbyterian property at Seventh and Box Butte Avenue.
65 Years Ago
July 24, 1961
Three vending machines were reported stolen from the Alliance Laundromat at 403 Black Hill sover the weekend, according to the Alliance Police Department. Carpenter said the machines cost $89 apiece and were all three fastened down.
60 Years Ago
July 25, 1966
Bernard Briggs, prominent Alliance and Antioch rancher and world-wide hunter, returned home Sunday from a month’s shooting in Uganda, Africa. Briggs and two Colorado men took the trip and Briggs returned home with 18 trophies.
55 Years Ago
July 28, 1971
The County Sheriff’s office is looking for a two-ton truck that was stolen Friday evening from the Alliance Combine Camp. The 1963 blue and white truck belonged to O. P. Epps of Oklahoma, according to Deputy Leonard Benzel.
50 Years Ago
July 27, 1976
Burlington Northern officials in the regional offices located in Denver Tuesday released to The Times-Herald an updated employment report for Alliance showing the minimum growth at 850 more employees by 1980.
45 Years Ago
July 29, 1981
More than $1,000 in pledges to cover Phase II expenses were pledged within 24-hours after property owners and business firms in the central business district of Alliance received letters from the Downtown Improvement Committee, it was reported to The Times-Herald today. Several weeks ago, the Clark Enersen Partners completed the first phase of a study for improving the downtown business district.
40 Years Ago
July 28, 1986
Alliance’s recent problems with a failed 30-megawatt transformer at its Cody Avenue Substation has made the picture clearer on one of the city’s summertime power problems. According to Alliance Utilities Manager Randy Hitchcock, the use of five mobile transformers by the city has shown that the local irrigators are not to blame for the city’s power problems.
35 Years Ago
July 27, 1991
In the face of hard economic times, most people tighten their belts, cut back on expenses, and make do with what they have. The climate in the Nebraska Panhandle has many times offered less than favorable opportunities for existing enterprises much less new businesses. But for some Alliance people, the existing difficult economic times don’t bother them much.
30 Years Ago
July 26, 1996
Cracked and crumbling city sidewalks will soon receive attention. At its meeting Thursday evening, the Alliance City Council directed staff to proceed with the design of a sidewalk replacement plan. Upon completion it will be brought back to the council for approval.
25 Years Ago
July 28, 2001
Come July and August, the temperatures usually climb into the upper 90s and even over 100. As humans we can retreat into air-conditioning, but our animals are not so lucky, Sydney White, Alliance Police Department’s animal control officer, remarked yesterday. “Dogs and cats can literally die in 10 minutes if left in a car during hot weather,” she said. “That is Cruelty to Animals, and is punishable by law.”
20 Years Ago
July 26, 2006
Yesterday, the Alliance Volunteer Fire Department responded to five grass fires in about nine hours. Fire Chief Dave McCarty said the first fire call was received a 9:27 a.m. and the last at 6:33 p.m. Most of the fires were railroad right-of-way fires, McCarty said, and a couple of them were close to contractors that work on rail cars so ti was their property as well.
15 Years Ago
July 27, 2011
Building the “Best Hometown” is an admirable concept and justifiably a worthy goal. The “Shop Alliance first” concept promotes the growth and prosperity of local businesses while leaving allowance for new business to start without risk of urban decay.
10 Years Ago
July 27, 2016
Western Nebraska Community College will celebrate its 90th anniversary this Friday, July 29, with an alumni and friends reception from 4-6 p.m. at Newberry’s. WNCC Alumni Director Jennifer Sibal explained the event will be to welcome anyone who has gone to WNCC or the Alliance School of Practical Nursing or “any friend of our college.”
5 Years Ago
July 28, 2021
For saving the life of a swimmer at Big Blue Bay in Alliance, two lifeguards were recognized as heroes by the Alliance City Council during their meeting last Tuesday. Mayor Mike Dafney recounted the events by reading a proclamation, noting the actions of Brock Brass and Drew Varner on the afternoon of June 23.
*Compiled from The Alliance Times-Herald Archives by Christine Melcher