130 Years Ago
May 12, 1893
One of the hobos accompanying the work train that stopped over night here last Saturday – imbibed a little too freely of intoxicating beverages and found his way upstairs in the Barney hotel building on Box Butte avenue. He tried the doors of several rooms and at last effected an entrance into one occupied by Albert Underwood, an employee in one of the brick yards. The occupant was awakened and found the intruder looking through his clothes. When he commanded the thief to desist, the latter threw down the clothes, leisurely traded hats and started for the door. As he refused to return the property, Underwood drew a revolver from under the pillow and fired just as the fellow passed behind the door, the ball going through the door and striking him in the hand. He beat a hasty retreat and in the morning called on Dr. Barr to have the wound dressed, leaving town with the train. This ought to serve as a lesson to the fellow.
125 Years Ago
May 13, 1898
Enoch Preston has a dog, and A. M. Fairfield seemed to think it would be a humane act to stick a pitchfork through it. Enoch told him that this “was the act of a coward,” along with some other strong language, and before the matter ended threw some kind of missile at Fairfield that made a large scalp wound in the back of his skull. The wound required several stitches, though Dr. Bowman said it was not dangerous. Judge Berry bound Preston over to the district court yesterday on charge of assault.
120 Years Ago
May 5, 1903
Miss Clare Phelan is going to show the world what a Box Butte country girl can do in the field of agriculture, and at the same time turn an honest penny for herself. She has planted about fifty-eight acres of potatoes on the old Friel farm, one mile north of town, and has confidence that she will be able to harvest a bountiful crop with equally as much profit as the sterner sex, even though labor demands a high figure in these prosperous republican times.
115 Years Ago
May 8, 1908
Two corpses came in from the west yesterday for shipment to burial places. They were the remains of James McClurg, destination Indianola, Nebr., and that of Martin Brighton for Cheyenne, Wyo. Both were accompanied by a number of relatives.
110 Years Ago
May 6, 1913
S. C. Reck lands contract to build the new Central School Building for $30,000. The structure, which is to be of pressed brick, is to be finished by December first. The contractor will use either Denver pressed brick or Alliance pressed brick. In the event the latter is used, the cost will be cheaper. The school board expects to hire a competent man to oversee the construction work and it will be his duty to see that the work from start to finish, in every detail, is up to specifications.
105 Years Ago
May 10, 1918
Mrs. Della B. Fortner appeared in police court with a request for a complaint against one of her neighbors, charging him with striking her on the head. She was referred to the city attorney. Just before she entered the office the neighbor had left on a similar mission charging that Mrs. Fortner struck him on the head with a broom stick. These things are so common in that neighborhood that the judge was bored and he did not hesitate to say so. This event was caused by Mrs. Fortner’s cow. The animal wandered over the neighbor’s garden, according to the neighbor’s version, and after twisting up his young trees and eating all his green onions and sauerkraut, it proceeded to tramp down his lawn. He took the cow to the city pound and while engaged at this heroic task he was belabored over the head with the business end of a broom. Mrs. Fortner said the cow was tied to a telephone pole and did not get on his yard – etc., addenda, enuncio, even forever. And the neighbor struck her in the jaw. Can you blame the judge when he has to listen to similar tales about nine days every week?
100 Years Ago
May 11, 1923
Virgil Darnell, 13-year-old son of L. C. Darnell of Duncan’s addition, was kicked in the head by a mule, but recovering, although he is not entirely out of danger. The lad entered the stable to feed the mule when the animal became startled and let fly with both hind feet, striking him in the head. Dr. Hand was called and the lad was taken to the hospital for an x-ray examination. The skull was not fractured, but there was evidence of brain concussion.
95 Years Ago
May 11, 1928
John Tschacher, 38, proprietor of the Commercial hotel at Hemingford, was bound over to the district court by County Judge Ira E. Tash Tuesday afternoon following a brief preliminary hearing in a case in which Tschacher is charged with shooting with intent to kill. The defendant is alleged to have fired the shot, on the morning of April 15 in the lobby of the Hemingford hotel, that critically wounded Joseph Burtle, 26, of Yakima, Wash.
90 Years Ago
May 9, 1933
The robbery of Mr. Jim Butler, rancher living 20 miles west of Alliance in Box Butte county, on April 17 of $237.50 in cash and a quantity of provisions was revealed today by County Sheriff Jones following the sentencing of three men to the penitentiary and reformatory by District Judge E. L. Meyer. They pleaded guilty. The three men, Oliver Dunlap, 21, his brother, Chester Dunlap, 24, and Edwin Wilkins, 24, all residents of the Hat Creek, Wyo., district, were sentenced by Judge Meyer.
85 Years Ago
May 10, 1938
Five Alliance high school students who won superior ranking at the district music contest will go to Omaha to enter the national contest. The students are Rex Mullender, drums; Percy Leonard, baton twirling; Dora Von Bargen, flute; and Charles Adams and Maxyne Hughes, vocalists. They will be accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. F. V. Hill and Miss Constance Cruickshank.
80 Years Ago
May 11, 1943
Twelve army officers and soldiers from the Alliance Army Air Base and three civilian employees of the sub-depot at Oklahoma City were killed when a twin-motored C-47 transport plane crashed at 9:39 Saturday night in a plowed field three miles east of downtown Oklahoma City. The officers and soldiers were members of the 434th troop carrier group under the command of Maj. Cullotson of Alliance.
75 Years Ago
May 11, 1948
The dream of many Western Nebraskans for cheap power became a near reality at 8:30 a.m. today when the construction crews of the Cater company of Kansas City set the first pole on the Panhandle Rural Electric Membership association’s lines. The event took place four miles north of Alliance at the Fred Nuss corner and the officers and most of the directors of the Panhandle REA were present. The Cater Construction company plans to drill 120 holes every day and set up to 80 poles daily on this first section of line, extending 121 miles east and northeast of the city.
70 Years Ago
May 9, 1953
Plans to honor Nebraska’s only repatriated prisoner of war and all other Korean veterans on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 16, were drawn up Friday evening. The day will be known as “Power For Peace Day” and will honor all veterans. Occupying the limelight, however, will be Pvt. Lester R. (Dick) Todd of Alliance, the state’s only returning POW in the recent Prisoner exchange, and all other area veterans of the Korean conflict.
65 Years Ago
May 10, 1958
Sonia (Tony) Underwood, 19, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Don Underwood of Alliance, escaped serious injury early this morning when the car she was diving left the road on the Highway 2 overpass at the east edge of Alliance. The car careened through five guard rail posts and landed on its top at the foot of an embankment.
60 Years Ago
May 11, 1963
The world-famous Harmonicats will perform tonight in the new Alliance Community Building. They are Don Lee, Jerry Murad and Al Fiere. The Harmonicats, stars of the Ed Sullivan show and many other highly rated television shows, are the first “big name” performers to be in Alliance since the Guy Lombardo dance held in Alliance eight years ago.
55 Years Ago
May 11, 1968
Interested persons can hear a talk this morning by U. S. Senator Joseph Tydings (D-Md) on Box Butte Avenue. He is coming to Alliance on behalf of the candidacy of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy for president. Tydings will arrive in Alliance airport at 9:30 a.m. and will be at the Kennedy headquarters across from the Guardian State Bank on Box Butte Avenue until about 11 a.m.
50 Years Ago
May 10, 1973
Newly appointed city animal control officer Elaine Steggs makes every possible attempt to find the owners of lost dogs. If the stray dog is untagged she tries to find them a new home. Miss Steggs calls the poor conditions of the animal shelter responsible for the quick killing of the dogs, saying that if the city had an adequate shelter the dogs could be kept longer and likely found new homes.
45 Years Ago
May 10, 1978
A closely contested race for the Republican nomination for County Sheriff and a surprisingly wide margin of victory for the passage of a $175,000 bond issue for new library highlighted the 1978 primary election in Box Butte County. Mike Frerichs, who served 32 years with the Nebraska State Patrol, defeated incumbent County Sheriff Bill Stairs by less than 300 votes in their race for the chance to meet the unopposed Democratic candidate, Angelo Martin, in next fall’s general election. Frerichs won 1,319 votes and Stairs collected 1,071 votes.
40 Years Ago
May 10, 1983
Civil Defense Surplus Assistant Administrator Ron Ward and Mark Shellabarger, administrator of Box Butte General Hospital discuss their order of Civil Defense surplus items with Alliance Box Butte County Civil Defense Director Thomas Lauder. The items, from CD shelters and warehouses, are being offered to the county, city and village government agencies, nursing homes, hospitals and service organizations.
35 Years Ago
May 9, 1988
Surfin’ USA, Catch The Wave was a success Sunday morning, following Hemingford High School’s Prom. The party was sponsored by the community with numerous people volunteering time, money and prizes to make the event a success. The Hemingford Fire Hall was decorated with beach balls, wind surfing boards, casino tables and a hot tub. And of course there was surfin’ music to entertain the nearly 95 students attending.
30 Years Ago
May 10, 1993
Ray Young, who is celebrating his 50th year as an organist, will present an organ recital at the United Methodist Church today. Young begin playing the piano when he was four years old and began playing the pipe organ when he was 14, at his church in Alliance.
25 Years Ago
May 11, 1998
1998 prom royalty was crowned during a ceremony Saturday night. Dean Gorsuch and Cassie Laue were crowned King and Queen; Clint Zurn and Amy Hellman, Prince and Princess; Josh Stewart and Tina Ibarra, Duke and Duchess; and Jason Merrihew and Starla Schmidt, Court Jesters. Nick Jones and Sydney Bignell were court attendants.
20 Years Ago
May 10, 2003
License plates strive to capture a state’s essence; and Alliance artist Greg Garrett’s vision of Nebraska was among three top license plate designs announced Tuesday by Governor Mike Johanns at a press conference in Lincoln. State residents will vote this month to determine the 2005 replacement for current Sandhill cranes/sunset plates.
15 Years Ago
May 10, 2008
Eric Lenz, director of public facilities for the city of Alliance, has been licensed as a city street superintendent. Lenz said he took a six-hour exam in Lincoln. Lenz said his licensing should give the citizens of Alliance confidence that the person in charge of planning street projects and construction has this level of training and education.
10 Years Ago
May 10, 2013
Deb Dopheide, director of Keep Alliance Beautiful, said she has had excellent experience in working with the Alternative Education students who also pick up recyclables from Alliance Public Schools and take it to the recycling center, and helped with the litter index this year.
5 Years Ago
May 9, 2018
The U.S. Air Force Brass Band form Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, performed at Alliance High School Friday evening. The free performance, sponsored by the Times-Herald, was well attended.