130 Years Ago
Oct. 28, 1892
Jackson Bros. is the place to get a lunch or a first class meal. Oysters served in every style and all kinds of game in season. The lunch counter is conducted by W. H. Bates, one of the finest culinary artists, who is equaled by few and excelled by none. Give them a call.
125 Years Ago
Oct. 29, 1897
A couple of verdant youths with a vita scope advertised to reproduce the Corbett-Fitzsimmons fight in the opera house Wednesday night. The audience was so small that they returned the admission money and gave no performance, departing eastward where there are more suckers.
120 Years Ago
Oct. 31, 1902
Since Alliance has her full quota of youth mischievously inclined, and tonight is Halloween a special force of police and watchful care of property owners will doubtlessly not entirely suffice to prevent the successful accomplishment of some of the playful pranks usually perpetrated by precocious youth.
115 Years Ago
Oct. 29, 1907
Miss M. Harding, sister of Mrs. Hickox, has accepted a place as clerk in the Alliance land office for three months or more, the department having allowed extra clerical help to assist the officers in their endeavor to bring all of the old accumulated work entirely up to date.
110 Years Ago
Oct. 29, 1912
Victor Pinnell, a German, employed on the Krause ranch was in town Saturday and after mingling with the boys awhile became intoxicated. Then he imagined he was just about the best scrapper that was ever entered in the list of white hopes, and although Deputy Sheriff Jeffers tried to tell him otherwise, Pennell had to be shown, and gave the officer a tussle. Mr. Jeffers was also disposed to do a little showing and it wasn’t but a few seconds until Pinnell was walking toward the city jail, all the drunken enthusiasm gone. He was fined $5 and costs and paid.
105 Years Ago
Oct. 30, 1917
Monday afternoon Ralph Chaplain a waiter at the Alliance hotel, was arrested on a charge of fornication in response to information filed by H. P. Coursey. A week ago Chaplain appeared at the Coursey home and rented a room, saying that his wife would be there in a few days. A few days later Miss Verna Cook, also connected with the hotel, arrived at the Coursey home and took up her residence as “Mrs. Chaplain.” It is alleged that they lived together as man and wife but were never married. Chaplain furnished a $160 cash bond and was released. Tuesday morning he was rearrested on a charge of theft filed by J. M. Miller, proprietor of the hotel. The second complaint is that he took the $160 from the safe at the hotel a week previous to his arrest and then used it to pay his bond.
100 Years Ago
Oct. 27, 1922
An original oil painting, valued at $1,000, produced by Thomas Webb, celebrated New York artist, is on display in a window of The Famous store and is attracting a great deal of attention from lovers of art. The painting represents the famous Gordon coats, handled by The Famous store, and depicts two young men and a young woman, the latter seated at the wheel of an automobile. The colors are artistically blended and the picture is a real work of art. It was sent out by the Gordon Ferguson Fur company of St. Paul Minn. It is being shipped from St. Paul to the Goodman-Neil company at Greeley, Colo., and was loaned to The Famous store for six days.
95 Years Ago
Oct. 28, 1927
Rhoads’ big annual yellow tag sale starts off Saturday morning with exceptionally good values in fur coats, cloth coats, dresses, silk underwear, gloves, hats, raincoats and other wearing apparel for women, misses and children. The offerings are of high quality and are being presented at very reasonable prices.
90 Years Ago
Oct. 28, 1932
Everett Richardson, itinerant with a criminal record, was arrested at Hemingford Tuesday afternoon by Sheriff Jones and Officer E. N. Watt and is being held in the county jail on a charge of impersonating a federal officer. Richardson lived in a small house on the edge of Hemingford with his wife and 13-year old nephew. During the past two weeks, officers, charge, he has been threatening Hemingford people while posing as a federal officer and that he attempted to “frame” an officer by saying he had insulted Mrs. Richardson, a hard-looking person in her own right. Federal Officer Green is expected today to take charge of Richardson as impersonating a federal officer is a serious offense. It is also charged that Richardson abused the nephew and didn’t allow him to attend school. Sheriff Jones says Richardson is wanted in South Dakota on a charge of forgery.
85 Years Ago
Oct. 29, 1937
A dozen apples cost Herman DeVall of Omaha a jail sentence of five days at hard labor here Wednesday. He was arrested by railroad detectives who charged that he took the apples from a freight shipment. DeVall told County Judge Penrose E. Romig he took them because he was hungry.
80 Years Ago
Oct. 27, 1942
Edward Jelinek, farmer near Alliance, was seriously injured Saturday afternoon when his clothing became entangled in the power-takeoff mechanism of the tractor and potato digger he was operating. He was brought to St. Joseph’s hospital where Dr. O. L. Seng treated him for seven broken ribs, bruises and internal injuries.
75 Years Ago
October 28, 1947
Sometime Monday night a robber broke into rear windows at the Alliance Steam Laundry and also at the Keep-U-Neat Cleaners, stole some cash and some clothing. At the laundry he opened the till and took about four dollars in small change. At the cleaners he stole some men’s clothing including a new suit and a sports jacket. There was 10 dollars in the cash register but he did not take it. Chief Doug Thomas checked the broken windows for finger prints.
70 Years Ago
Oct. 31, 1952
The North Ward intermediate grades of the Hemingford schools are starting their “Save the Children Crusade” on Halloween. Instead of asking for “tricks or treats,” tonight the pupils have adopted the slogan “Some Clothes for the Children’s Crusade.” The clothing – that can be used – is being asked of the citizens to be sent to needy people in South Korea, Europe and our own country. It’s tricks or old clothes tonight.
65 Years Ago
Oct. 28, 1957
Flu hit Alliance with a wallop over the weekend – after skirting around the Panhandle for a couple of weeks. There were 581 students missing from all schools today. School Supt. L. E. Morrison reported 436 students out – most of them apparently with flu or some illness – in all the city schools. In the grade schools 204 were absent this morning. The Junior High was hardest hit with 162 out – more than one-third of the total. The High School missed only 70. The total city school students out was over 20 per cent. St. Agnes Academy reported 145 absent out of 453 enrollment from first grade through high school this morning. Neither of these figures includes the kindergarten which meets in the afternoon.
60 Years Ago
Oct. 26, 1962
A storage shed at the home of Warner Jordan, 916 Missouri, was totally destroyed by fire early this afternoon. Members of the family were eating lunch when a neighbor reported the shed ablaze. Firemen, called at 12:45 p.m. had no chance to save the frame structure. Another shed nearby, owned by Robert Lawrence, also was severely damaged when the blaze spread. Several trees also were burned and scorched by the flames before firemen brought the fire under control. No estimate of damage or origin of the fire was immediately available.
55 Years Ago
Oct. 27, 1967
The City of Alliance acted Thursday evening – by speeding Ordinance No. 1145 to passage with rules suspended – to clear the way for the sale of a lot at 411 Niobrara Avenue to the Nebraska Brand Committee as a building site. It was reported at the meeting that the NBC “has indicated its interest in purchasing the city-owned lot” at a price of $5,000. As prepared the ordinance will become effective 30 days after its publication in The Daily Times-Herald.
50 Years Ago
Oct. 26, 1972
Six candidates for Unicameral posts from Districts 43, 47 and 49 will appear on the Educational Television Network Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. The program was taped in Alliance on October 11 for the Tuesday night showing. Participating are Incumbent Senator Leslie Stull of Alliance, and Kenny Hutson of Crawford, in the 49th District; From District 43 are Incumbent Senator Otho G. Kime of Valentine, and Floyd Burkinshaw of Jamison; From District 47 are Incumbent Senator Robert L. Clark of Sidney, and Stanley R. Juelfs of Kimball. Moderator for the program is Mrs. Amos Koester.
45 Years Ago
Oct. 26, 1977
Charles Lierk and Kay Bandel of Alliance accept the “All-Nebraska Community” plaque from Lt. Gov. Gerald Whelan at the Nebraska Community Improvement Program Awards banquet held in Lincoln last weekend. Lierk is serving as Alliance NCIP chairman, and Mrs. Bandel is Alliance Chamber of Commerce executive director. Alliance received other awards, including first place in the Class V division (for cities over 5,000 population), a certificate for completion in the NCIP program, and honorable mention in “recreation and leisure time activities.” The plaques, and scrape book prepared for the contest are now on display at the Chamber office. Alliance also won $450 as part of its prize, and a decision will be made later on how to spend it for some community project.
40 Years Ago
Oct. 26, 1982
Republican candidates running for state and federal offices were in Alliance Monday afternoon in an attempt to ensure a Republican victory at next Tuesday’s general election. Governor Charles Thone, Congresswoman Virginia Smith, Senate hopeful Jim Keck, Attorney General Paul Douglas, State Treasure Kay Orr and State Auditor Ray A.C. Johnson were all in Alliance as part of a Republican caravan making a whirlwind sweep through western Nebraska.
35 Years Ago
Oct. 26, 1987
Six distinguished Nebraska journalists have been inducted into the Nebraska Press Association Newspaper Hall of Fame. The induction, held Saturday at the UNL College of Journalism, also marked the inauguration of the Reading Room as the official Hall of Fame. The new inductees are: Gene Kemper, late publisher of The Alliance Times-Herald. Glenn A. Buck, late publisher of The Nebraska Farmer. Tyler Edgecombe, late publisher of The Geneva Signal. Ruth Best Pagel, former editor of The Neligh Leader. Joseph R. Seacrest, former editor of the Lincoln Journal. Lester A. Walker, former publisher of The Fremont Tribune.
30 Years Ago
Oct. 27, 1992
There is a “time machine,” operated by Mavis Dauphinee, on the corner of Flack and Fourth Street, called the Friends and Neighbors Book Exchange. A multitude of ways to escape from the present reality into any realm, any time, any situation can be found in her little store. For seven years now, Mrs. Dauphinee unfolds card tables outside her store front each morning, then goes about her daily routine of bringing out boxes of books. She hit on the idea of starting her own book exchange when living in New York where she worked at a book store.
25 Years Ago
Oct. 28, 1997
“Only in America,” Santos Lopez, CMT field producer, said after he saw Carhenge for the first time. “There is nothing more American than big cars.” A Country Music Television film crew was in Alliance Monday filming Carhenge for an upcoming 1997 Countdown special. Paul Phaneuf and LaVern Faber of Friends of Carhenge were present for the filming and will be seen on the special giving information about the history of Carhenge and its formation. Filming took two hours and the crew returned to take a picture of the sunset on location. The segment featuring Carhenge will be aired on CMT on November 27 at 6 p.m.
20 Years Ago
Oct. 31, 2002
It has been said that when you go to a movie at the Alliance Theatre you should wear a jacket. Sometimes it is rather cool in the old building downtown on Box Butte Avenue. Many people think. Well it is an old building. It must be hard to keep warm. But, is the problem really a heating issue, or are there unearthly visitors chilling the living interlopers with their grave presence? According to the records, the first building constructed on the site was the Charter Hotel in 1903, Gerald Bullard, owner of the theater, said. “In 1912 or ‘15, they built the first theatre. It was called the Imperial Theatre and operated as vaudeville theatre that showed the occasional silent motion picture. In 1938, after about 18 months of remodeling, the theater became known as the Alliance Threatre. Today, the main auditorium and the balcony are much the same as when they were designed in 1937.
15 Years Ago
Oct. 26, 2007
Todd Nordeen district wildlife manager at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s Alliance office, received the Wildlife Biologist of the Year award from the Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies at the Commission’s meeting at Fort Robinson State Park near Crawford on Oct. 25.
10 Years Ago
Oct. 26, 2012
Thursday night for a standing-room only audience at the Knight Museum and Sandhills Center, Becky Herian displays a bit of history during the Heritage Seekers program “The Potash Boom . . . And Bust.” Herian and Ken Messersmith shared stories, pictures and items from the plant and lakes near Antioch, shedding light on the area where now stand only the ruins of the former structure.
5 Years Ago
Oct. 28, 2017
St. John’s Piecemakers placed the fruits of their labors on the pews at St. John’s Lutheran Church this week. The group made 216 full sized and 17 baby quilts in the past year. In addition to quilts donated to Pillars for the Park, Horspice and St. John’s Preschool, some will be given to Doves, The Mission Store, Western Community Health Services and graduating seniors for the congregation. The rest will be shipped to Lutheran World Relief for worldwide distribution as needed.