130 Years Ago
May 24, 1895
Two of the children of Ferdinand Seidler became possessed of some caustic last Friday and childlike transferred it to their mouths. It soon began to eat into their cheeks and tongues and, but for the fore-thought of their mother in giving them milk, which allayed the pain until they could be attended to by Dr. Lucas, the thoughtless act might have resulted very seriously.
125 Years Ago
May 25, 1900
S. M. Hey J. F. Yanders and J. E. Faidley had a hearing Monday before County Judge Wilcox on the charge of larceny from the railroad company. A quantity of brass, valued at $61, had been sold by the two latter to Hey, who is a member of the firm of Hey & Hey, Kansas City junk buyers. This was identified by the company as their property.
120 Years Ago
May 26, 1905
Nine Young People Finish at the Alliance High School Midst Life, Light and Felicitations of Friends: List of the Graduates For ‘05: Anna B. Reck, Alma P. Hamilton, Samuel P. Smyser, Byron L. Ufford, Karl W. Spacht, Parley F. Banks, Ada F. Simpson, Anna L. Kennedy, O Blanche MacDonald. Not a seat was vacant at the Phelan opera house last evening, and even the gallery was crowded with people that usually find room on the first floor.
115 Years Ago
May 27, 1910
Miss Rose Howard, a former Alliance lady whose home has been in Chicago the past few years, has returned and is the guest of Mrs. Mitchell, and is much surprised at the growth of Alliance in recent years. We have to say, if we might suggest, that those Chicago fellows have very poor taste all these years, and she ought not under any circumstances consider going back. Alliance is a lot better place, don’t you know.
110 Years Ago
May 25, 1915
The frantic search for Joe Putman, who has been missing since May 13, was brought to a close Monday afternoon when he turned up in Omaha looking well and apparently none the worse for his absence. Mr. Putman left his brother’s ranch about six miles east of town on the morning of June 13 with Omaha as his prospective destination.
105 Years Ago
May 25, 1920
H. L. Ormsby, ticket agent at the depot, knows now that the big war is over, but for a few seconds Friday afternoon he wasn’t so sure about it, for he had occasion to wonder if a German “Big Bertha” wasn’t again in operation. While waiting on customers at the window a sudden cracking sound was heard above and, looking up, he saw the entire ceiling of the ticket office loosened and ready to fall.
100 Years Ago
May 22, 1925
The motor vehicle law respecting front and tail lights will be enforced from this on. If you have faulty lights now is the time to get them in shape as the campaign will start Monday. Car owners who fail to observe the law will be served with a golden rule summons to appear in police court the following day. The parking ordinance will also be more stringent now that the summer season is here.
95 Years Ago
May 27, 1930
The Alliance Motor company makes an important announcement on page three of today’s issue. On August 2 they will give away a free Tudor Ford sedan to the people who take time to ride for 30 minutes in the new car during the next 60 days. There are no strings attached to the offer. The details will be explained to those interested when they call at the Ford salesrooms, corner of Second and Laramie avenue.
90 Years Ago
May 24, 1935
Joe Case of Alliance started eastward down the highway yesterday afternoon in the custody of Sheriff Frank Sweeney of Rushville, heading for the state penitentiary and the term of five years, to which he was sentenced by Judge Earl L. Meyer after pleading guilty to charges of robbery and assault. Case was the leader of the trio of Case, John Sherlock and Clayton Porter, which invaded the farm home of William Nietzki, 29 miles north of Alliance, on the night of January 15.
85 Years Ago
May 24, 1940
Facilities of the Alliance airport for the proposed army air training program were offered this week in a letter written by City Manager Clarence H. Hoper on behalf of the city and the Chamber of Commerce. The training of pilots is one of the main features of the huge national defense program placed before congress last week.
80 Years Ago
May 25, 1945
Soft drink manufacturers and bakers in Alliance who are big users of commercial sugar yelped this morning when a congressional food investigator in Washington stuck a six-inch vibration drill into the nation’s sweet tooth. The statement, sent out by The Associated Press, quoted the lawmaker who asked not to be named as saying that OPA is planning a drastic curtailment of industrial sugar which will cut manufacturers to half their 1944 supply, or less.
75 Years Ago
May 26, 1950
Alliance is the second-fastest growing city in Nebraska according to unofficial figures computed today by the Associated Press from preliminary census reports from major population centers. Only Hastings shows a greater percentage of gain since 1940, basing computations upon an Alliance figure of 7,800 reported two weeks ago.
70 Years Ago
May 25, 1955
A farm laborer whom Alliance police say has used three different names was held in the city jail today on a warrant charging forgery. The police arrested him Tuesday evening after the man had attempted to pass checks for $18 at several business houses, including the Ringside Bar and Reinie’s Liquor Store. The man has used the name Billy Joe Thomson, Billy Joe Hildebrand and Billy Joe Williams, police said.
65 Years Ago
May 24, 1960
Thefts of three cars in the past month in Alliance have been cleared up after the questioning of two boys, 14 and 15, according to Doug Thomas, chief of police. The younger boy told Chief Thomas that he had been involved in the theft of all three cars, including one which was wrecked. The older boy admitted being involved in one of the three thefts.
60 Years Ago
May 24, 1965
A trailer home owned by Mr. and Mrs. Ervin Wilkins and located at the V & W Trailer Court at the west edge of Alliance was totally destroyed by fire Saturday evening about 8 o’clock. According to the report from the Alliance Volunteer Fire Department, the fire resulted from a gas stove explosion. Mrs. Wilkins suffered minor burns from the mishap and was treated at St. Joseph’s Hospital.
55 Years Ago
May 27, 1970
AHS Class of ‘70 Breaks A Record: A class-size record at Alliance High School that has stood for 31 years is broken at last. The 1939 AHS Class had 155 members. This year’s graduating class, according to a listing approved by the City Schools board of education Tuesday evening, has 157. The 157 are scheduled to receive their diplomas at commencement next Wednesday, June 3, at the Community Building.
50 Years Ago
May 22, 1975
Memorial Day services are scheduled Monday by the veterans organizations and the Alliance Volunteer Fire Department. Most businesses in Alliance will be closed in observance of the holiday, and others will observe limited hours. City, county, state and federal government offices will be closed Monday.
45 Years Ago
May 24, 1980
A 79-year-old Alliance woman, Beulah Cooper, suffered two broken wrists and several minor abrasions in a pedestrian-vehicle accident here late Friday afternoon. According to an eye witness, Cooper was heading south through the crosswalk at Toluca and West 3rd when she was struck by a slow moving pick-up making a left-hand turn onto 3rd Street.
40 Years Ago
May 23, 1985
The City of Alliance is in an experimental stage of using water from the “sewer lagoons” to irrigate range land eight miles southeast of Alliance. The city recently purchased a “traveling gun” to the tune of $26,000 which has a four-inch hose connected to it which can travel up to one-fourth of a mile. City Manager Wolfgang Bauer said the “city isn’t sure yet what the water will do to the soil,” but it is hoping the University of Nebraska-Lincoln can do some testing of the experiment in the future.
35 Years Ago
May 25, 1990
Alliance Police Chief Bob Jatczak said his department is coping with the resignations of three veteran police officers and the retirement of one veteran police officer within the last month. He pinpoints money as the driving force behind those resignations. Jatczak noted that this kind of situation is not unique to the Alliance Police Department; it is a common problem nationwide.
30 Years Ago
May 24, 1995
For the past several years the City of Alliance has needed a better facility to serve as an animal shelter. The current shelter is located behind the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company in the 100 block of Cheyenne. The shelter’s size is inadequate for the number of animals it houses, and Pepsi employees have complained to the city about the noise produced by the animals in the shelter.
25 Years Ago
May 25, 2000
Keep Alliance Beautiful (KAB) is again offering their “mini-grant cleanup program,” made possible by grant funds received from the Nebraska Department Environmental Quality. This program is designed to give individuals and organizations an opportunity to raise funds while cleaning up designated areas and roadsides within Box Butte County.
20 Years Ago
May 28, 2005
Interim City Manager Doug Clark has spent several days getting acquainted with the people and the City of Alliance since he came to town this past Monday. He has used the week to meet with department heads, city employees, business people and has visited several of the facilities of the city including the Knight Museum and the Library.
15 Years Ago
May 27, 2010
A Memorial Day ceremony will take place at the Box Butte County courthouse lawn, by the Veterans Memorial at 10 a.m. Monday, May 31. According to Rebecca Morse, county commander for the American Legion, Congressman Adrian Smith and administrator for the State Veterans Cemetery, Allen Pannel, will be the featured speakers, with Richard Foland serving as the master of ceremonies.
10 Years Ago
May 28, 2015
Though the Alliance Public Library Youth Summer Reading program official start isn’t for a couple weeks, the library already has plenty of interested kids, demonstrated by more than 100 registrations Tuesday. The program which kicks off June 15, has divisions for preschool, K-2, 3-6 and 7-12, with interactive activities at 10 a.m. Wednesdays and plenty of chances to win prizes for reading.
5 Years Ago
May 27, 2020
“The people that were living in 1036 (Missouri Ave, the location of the fire) were just starting out in life. They’re actually getting married in three weeks. It’s not a way that anybody wants to start out married life together. But they are a pretty resilient couple. They’ll bounce back. It just took an emotional toll on the two young people they’re about to start their life together,” said Alliance Volunteer Fire Department Chief Troy Shoemaker describing how a multi-structure fire lives on Sunday evening.
*Compiled from The Alliance Times-Herald Archives by Christine Melcher