130 Years Ago
July 7, 1893
Monday morning the citizens were roused by the usual clamor and the inside of the Regulator store was found a mass of flames. The building occupied by S. Griffeth with second-hand goods went up in smoke; also John Griffeth’s blacksmith shop. The blacksmith shop and stable were blown up with powder after they had caught fire. This makes the third large fire in eleven months.
125 Years Ago
July 8, 1898
A new cigar, manufactured expressly for the Red Light saloon by L. Buechsenstein and named “Dewey’s Victory,” has been placed on sale by Manager Armstrong. It has a handsome halftone picture of the establishment on the lid. Mr. A. has also placed in his cellar a refrigerating plant to force beer to the bar above that is said by those posted on such matters to be a very fine appliance for this purpose.
120 Years Ago
July 3, 1903
Cal Simpson, who is employed at the Standen meat market, will be “leery” of dead “critters” hereafter. One that he thought dead Wednesday evening kicked and caused Cal to execute an elaborately painful job of carving his own anatomy.
115 Years Ago
July 3, 1908
Miss Mayme Tyson who has been clerking at the Norton store for some time, has resigned and accepted a position as lady assistant in the office of Drs. Kreamer & Kennedy.
110 Years Ago
July 4. 1913
Alleging that his wife called him a “d——fool” and other names that are inconsistent with the spirit of true love, thereby causing him great distress of body and mind, William J. Colvin has brought suit in the District Court of Box Butte county for an absolute divorce from Carrie Colvin. He also claims that his wife has been very extravagant in the spending of his money. They were married here October 16, 1912.
105 Years Ago
July 9, 1918
Little Harry Sitzman, the four-year-old son of Conductor H. C. Sitzman, was struck by a Ford car while riding a tricycle at the corner of Third and Box Butte Saturday afternoon. The little fellow was crossing the street when run into by the car. The tricycle was completely demolished and the boy sustained a sprained ankle, a bruised shoulder and legs. The car did not pass over the boy at all, but the back wheel struck him. The injuries did not prove at all serious and the little fellow is able to be about as usual.
100 Years Ago
July 6, 1923
Lightning struck the house at the Ed Zochol place, fourteen miles north of Alliance, during the storm on the evening of the Fourth of July. No one was injured, but the flash caused some damage to the roof as it traveled along the chimney to the ground.
95 Years Ago
July 6, 1928
L. F. Powell, dairyman living three miles north of Alliance, has a narrow escape Tuesday afternoon, when during the electrical storm, a bolt of lightning struck a short distance from him. Mr. Powell was hurled about ten feet and stunned by the shock, but revived within a short time and was able to make his way to the house without assistance. The next morning, aside from a badly swollen right arm and other bruises, there were no bad effects.
90 Years Ago
July 7, 1933
Two United States department of agriculture men, who arrived at the station from different directions, declared that Box Butte county crops were the best they had seen any place on their tours. Inspector Clark, whose headquarters are in Washington, toured Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. Inspector Carl Quizenberry, also from the Washington office had traveled thru New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.
85 Years Ago
July 5, 1938
Four persons were injured, one seriously, when a car driven by Pat Coupens overturned twice Sunday afternoon near the Hans Jaggers ranch on the Hay Springs road. The injured were Coupens; his father, Joseph Coupens; Jay Collins, all of Alliance and E. Roe of Mitchell. The elder Mr. Coupens was the most seriously injured, suffering a fractured right collarbone, a compressed fracture of the spine and numerous bruises and abrasions. He was placed in a cast and his condition was described as “fair” today by Dr. J. F. Kennedy.
80 Years Ago
July 6. 1943
Mr. and Mrs. E. B. Minnick have received word from the war department that their son, Pfc. Jack, is held prisoner of war by the Japanese in the Philippine islands. Jack was attending Alliance high school when he joined the marines in 1939. His parents last heard from him in May, 1942, when he was stationed with fighting forces on the Philippines.
75 Years Ago
July 6, 1948
Western Nebraska lost one of its most picturesque pioneers in the death Saturday morning of Frank Stoldt, custodian of the Times-Herald building and retired railroad worker. As a boy he came to Western Nebraska from his boyhood home in Iowa. He punched cows on the range, carried mail with a horse-drawn stage coach from Gordon to Interior, S. D., and knew intimately the life of the pioneer.
70 Years Ago
July 7, 1953
Seven Box Butte County men leave tonight for Denver and induction into the Army. They are: Bob Chleborad, Jack Dalton, Neil Stumbaugh, Peter Cook, Rector Rubeck, Dale Trenkel and George Gilmore.
65 Years Ago
July 5, 1958
Ray Timbers of the 7-Up Bottling Company, reported that a window was broken on the east end of the building in what appeared to be a possible break-in attempt. The plate glass window was smashed and the door also had been kicked but entrance was not gained into building. Phil Mandelberg, of the Box Butte Equipment Company at 917 East Third, reported that a window in the ship washroom was broken and several parts were stolen off a tractor in the shop.
60 Years Ago
July 1963
Freedom Bells ring here at 3rd and Box Butte Thursday at 11 a.m. Rich Edwards is commander of American Legion Post No. 7 in Alliance and had charge of the citywide bell ringing ceremony. Many church and school bells and the fire whistle sounded at the 11 a.m. hour and chimed in for the observance that was held across the nation. Box Butte Avenue was decked out with flags as were many homes in the Alliance area. The bell used by the Legion was loaned to the organization by the Burlington Railroad.
55 Years Ago
July 5, 1968
Wednesday night shortly after 11 p.m. a 1964 model car missed a turn on a county road north of Alliance. The car, owned and driven by Michael M. Garwood, 18, was termed a total loss by investigating officers of the Nebraska Safety Patrol. According to the patrol, Garwood suffered injury to his left eye, chest injuries, fractured ribs, mild concussion and body lacerations. A passenger, David McCune, 19, also of Alliance, was treated and released from the hospital. Also injured in the mishap was another passenger, Steve Sorum, 17, of Alliance. Sorum had cuts on an elbow, his forehead and legs and suffered a mild concussion.
50 Years Ago
July 5, 1973
One of the directors of the Jaycees’ auto directory project, Mike McGinnis shows Chairman Dennis Stevens, Dr. Robert Stout, distribution chairman, and Public Relations Director Dave Anderson the new auto directory being printed by the Graphic Arts Department at The Times-Herald. Also contributing to the project were Dan Collins, sales committee, and Larry Morrison, layout chairman.
45 Years Ago
July 7, 1978
Craig Rust, 13, of Alliance landed a 30-inch, 9 lb. Walleye, and a 7 ½ lb. Striped Bass while boat fishing at Lake McConaughy. Bait used – Box Butte County worms, of course. Craig is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Bill Rust of rural Alliance.
40 Years Ago
July 6, 1983
Honored as Businessman of the month and Businesswoman of the Month this morning at the First Federal of Lincoln were Keith Lyster and Barb Cornette. Lyster joined J. C. Penney Co. in 1950 and worked for them until purchasing Rhoads Store in 1963. He is a member of the Lions Club and a long time member of the Chamber of Commerce Blue Coats. Barb Cornette has owned the Kurl and Swirl for four years and is a member of Soroptomist.
35 Years Ago
July 6, 1988
Dr. Martin A. Massengale, chancellor of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and Don S. Blank, D.D.S. District 6 NU Regent from McCook, will visit Alliance at The Elms at 3:30 p.m.
30 Years Ago
July 6, 1993
Ellen Lierk of Alliance was appointed by Governor Ben Nelson to serve on the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission. If approved by the Legislature she will replace Chard Hirsch, who resigned, for a term that expires June 30, 1996. The commission, commonly known as the Sunshine Committee, is the primary criminal and civil enforcement agency for the Accountability and Disclosure Act, which regulates financial disclosure and conflict of interests, political committee organization and campaign financing and lobbying.
25 Years Ago
July 7, 1998
Officials said sparks from a Burlington Northern Santa Fe train may have started a string of some 23 fires that kept fire departments bustling. Fire departments from Hemingford, Crawford and Alliance fought the fires in 95 degree heat Sunday over a 20-mile span. The largest of the blazes was about five acres.
20 Years Ago
July 3, 2003
Fireworks started the fire Tuesday at the Tracy Buskirk residence in the 1100 block of West 14th Street, according to results of an investigation by the Nebraska State Fire Marshall, with assistance from the Alliance Volunteer Fire Department and Alliance Police Department. Although the fire was confined to the garage, the entire structure has been condemned due to excessive smoke damage, AVFD Shift Firefighter/EMT Lt. John Dahlberg said.
15 Years Ago
July 3, 2008
The offices of County Clerk and County Assessor have two new deputies. Judy Messersmith and Michele Hamar were sworn in as deputies July 1. Judy is the new Deputy Clerk and Michele is the new Deputy Assessor.
10 Years Ago
July 5, 2013
Wednesday afternoon the film crew of Skyworks visited Alliance on its first stop of many in Nebraska. The British film crew is working in conjunction with NET, the University of Nebraska, the Nebraska Tourism Commission and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission to create an aerial documentary of Nebraska’s landscapes, parks, forests and monuments.
5 Years Ago
July 4, 2018
Pharmacist Dave Randolph cuts the ceremonial ribbon Monday morning at his new Alliance location at Third and Box Butte. Employees and the Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors were also on hand for the occasion. Randolph continues to operate Dave’s pharmacy in Hemingford, which had been Shaver’s Pharmacy for 44 years.