130 Years Ago
November 8, 1895
Some very heavy bets on election results were made in Alliance this year. Quite a good many people are short on cash as the result of too much confidence in the belief that Herncall would get fifty votes in Alliance precinct.
125 Years Ago
November 9, 1900
Mr. Bryan prophesied his own election two days before the day of the great battle. As a political prophet he is as great a failure as he is as a financial prophet.
120 Years Ago
November 10, 1905
Sheriff Ira Reed left yesterday, having in charge “Liquor Bill,” a well known character about the saloons here the past several years. “Bill” is one of those in life “more sinned against than sinning,” and had qualities that retained many friends. These bought him a good wardrobe and he was sent to the asylum at Lincoln by the county authorities.
115 Years Ago
November 8, 1910
The new frame store building of Drake & Barr are erecting at 511 ½ Sweetwater is nearing completion and they were able to move their meat market therein yesterday. The firm has been doing business sometime in the basement of the residence.
110 Years Ago
November 9, 1915
With the final settlement of the milk ordinance staring the city council in the face tonight’s session of the aldermen promises to be an interesting and a well attended one. This well meaning piece of city legislation has been twisted and warped by countless tellings until its own sponsor hardly recognizes it from the fanciful descriptions given out in heated arguments on the street corners.
105 Years Ago
November 9, 1920
True to the prediction of Alliance police officers the two bandits who staged a daylight holdup at Bayard a few weeks ago and who were arrested here and taken to the Morrill county jail at Bridgeport to await trial, escaped and have not been heard from since. Following their arrest here by local officers, the latter predicted that if they were taken to the Bridgeport jail they would escape before their trial.
100 Years Ago
November 13, 1925
The Alliance Chapter, American Red Cross, will make an effort on Saturday to raise the country’s quota of $350 for Red Cross work for the coming year. Local women will call for free-will donations and memberships in the organization on the streets during the day.
95 Years Ago
November 11, 1930
Thirty or more of the local stores have made plans to present a new model 1931 two-door Chevrolet sedan to some individual in the trade territory as a Christmas present on “Santa Claus Day” the day before Christmas.
90 Years Ago
November 8, 1935
Jackson Korrell, salesman, who said his headquarters are at Alliance, reported to McCook authorities that he was robbed of $28 by two holdup men on the highway east of McCook last Monday night.
85 Years Ago
November 8, 1940
Eyes of football fans in western Nebraska will be turned on Alliance Monday when the Bulldogs clash with the Scottsbluff Bearcats in their annual Armistice day classic. If the weather is right, the crowd may set a new record. It will be a crucial conference tilt with the loser out of the running.
80 Years Ago
November 9, 1945
Seventy-five years ago western ranchers fought prairie fires with plows, wet sacks and raw beef hides. Today they still use the same technique. Neighbors will see the smoke for a distance of 15 to 5 miles and will come as fast as their jalopies will clear the bumps to help put out the fire, but by that time the blaze has spread over a wide area and hundreds are needed to control it.
75 Years Ago
November 11, 1950
Winter is here officially. C. E. McCafferty, county school superintendent, has dug out his 12-pound buffalo hide coat and fur cap. When “Mac” blossoms out in the coat, that all but scares children off the street, you can bet your bottom – or top – dollar that cold weather has arrived.
70 Years Ago
November 12, 1955
Youngsters got welcome news from the city this morning. They can slide on Twelfth Street between Box Butte and Sweetwater without interference from cars. City Manger R. W. Laing said the street has been barricaded. It is hoped the youngsters will confine their sliding to that hill. In fact, sliding elsewhere on city streets is illegal.
65 Years Ago
November 11, 1960
L. E. Morrison, superintendent of the Alliance Schools, has received a notice of approval for the Notifier Fire Detection systems installed in the Alliance schools by the Sowerwine Company of Gering. The approval was received from Fred I. Otte, Deputy Fire Marshall. Two weeks ago Alliance was listed among several Nebraska cities which had not complied with new fire detection standards.
60 Years Ago
November 8, 1965
Approximately $76,000 will be mailed to 520 persons who were members of Christmas clubs at Alliance banks during the past year. Checks from the Guardian State Bank Club will be mailed Wednesday, and those from the Alliance National Bank will be mailed on November 15.
55 Years Ago
November 10, 1970
Von Tour Hereford, Inc., sold 52 bulls Monday at the ranch southeast of Alliance for $28,895. This is an average of $556. In addition, 13 heifers sold for $4,980 or an average of $383. Earl Henderson and Sons of Alliance paid the top price of $1,500 for Hinton Bro Dom, a bull calved September 26, 1969.
50 Years Ago
November 6, 1975
Eleven tracts of school land were leased Thursday at a school land lease sale held at the Box Butte County Courthouse. The sale will continue through Friday.
45 Years Ago
November 13, 1980
After two hours of listening to bids presented by Cornhusker Tractor Co. and Nebraska Machinery Co., the Box Butte County Commissioners Wednesday decided to give the bid for two new motor graders to Cornhusker Tractor. The two new A-550 Gallon motor graders will cost $195,032.
40 Years Ago
November 9, 1985
During the nine years that Lyle Shaughnessy has held the helm as Alliance’s Parks and Public Grounds Superintendent, he’s said very little about his accomplishments, but people in Lincoln are starting to take notice. Shaughnessy in the last year has brought home three awards to Alliance.
35 Years Ago
November 9, 1990
The City of Alliance will soon be taking sealed bids in connection with the sale of property the city owns near the corner of Fourth Street and Box Butte Avenue. The former Books Plus building was torn down last week after the city obtained ownership of the property from Scottsbluff businessman Dale Curran.
30 Years Ago
November 10, 1995
Former Box Butte County Sheriff Mike E. Frerichs was inducted into the Nebraska Sheriff’s Association Law Enforcement Hall of Fame Thursday. Several members of Frerichs’ family were present at the Nebraska Sheriff’s Association annual convention in Grand Island to accept the award.
25 Years Ago
November 10, 2000
Workshops sponsored by the Main Street Players have been conducted this week to Alliance’s students and performing arts adults. Molly Lyons, a professional actress and teacher from Seattle, Wash., has been conducting the classes. The elementary students wrote their own play, “The Missing Santa Claus,” in less than five hours.
20 Years Ago
November 10, 2005
Last night, a group of parents gathered at the Alliance Learning Center to learn how to keep their children protected as internet usage increases. Alliance For Teens sponsored the meeting.
15 Years Ago
November 10, 2010
November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, which provides the Box Butte General Hospital Diabetes Education Department a perfect reason to host their annual Mini Health Fair each year during the month of November.
10 Years Ago
November 11, 2015
Loyal Customer Becomes Owner: As one of Sam and Louie’s best customers, Chris Mills was sitting in his favorite stop enjoying a good meal and talking about how much he loves the restaurant. The current owner Samantha “Sam” Hall said jokingly “if you like it so much why don’t you buy it?” Chris began thinking about it and being the mathematician that he is he began to crunch the numbers.
5 Years Ago
November 11, 2020
With the steady increase in COVID-19 cases throughout the Panhandle, health officials have placed the region in the severe-risk category for the spread of COVID-19 just as new Directed Health Measures are taking effect.
*Compiled from The Alliance Times-Herald Archives by Christine Melcher