130 Years Ago
October 12, 1894
G. W. Sutton, one of Box Butte county’s oldest settlers, traded one quarter section of his land, eight miles north of town, for a farm near Fort Scott, Kans. Himself and family started overland for their new home yesterday. Mr. Sutton still holds a quarter of Box Butte soil however.
125 Years Ago
October 13, 1899
The democratic and populist conventions of Box Butte county met at the court house last Saturday, and succeeded in agreeing upon a fusion county ticket, on the basis of two democrats to one populist, as shown by the political make-up of the ticket.
120 Years Ago
October 11, 1904
Work was commenced yesterday morning at the site of the Palace livery barn at West Dakota Street and Cheyenne avenue, on a fine new brick stable that will arise Phoenix-like from the flames of the old landmark that was destroyed a couple months ago.
115 Years Ago
October 8, 1909
About forty ladies enjoyed the charming hospitality of Mrs. W. W. Norton at a card party given at her home yesterday afternoon. The game of five hundred was very much enjoyed by all. At the close of the game Mrs. W. W. Johnson as score keeper, proclaimed Mrs. Broome champion, with Mrs. Cotant a close second.
110 Years Ago
October 9, 1914
The Alliance land office has received notification of the restoration to Kincaid lands of several tracts, lying in eastern Scotts Bluff county, near Morrill, and in central and western Morrill county, all being north of the North Platte river. Some of these lands were entered years ago, and the remainder have been withdrawn from entry, under the provisions of the Reclamation law, because they might be irrigable or needed for irrigation purposes.
105 Years Ago
October 10, 1919
There is no need of any man going without employment if he really wants work. The Alliance Community Club has applications for fifty to one hundred men for work on farms, construction work in the city and work at the various potash plants. Since morning eight men have applied for work and they have secured good jobs at high wages. While there never has been a time when work was scarce, there are more available jobs just now than at any former time in the city’s history.
100 Years Ago
October 7, 1924
Dairy Day, Friday October 10, gives promise of being one of the red letter days of the year in Alliance. The city is planning to entertain hundreds of farmers and their families and to make the day one of manifold interest. There will be 10 heifers awarded to the farmers, and a big list of premiums by the cream stations and a five-act vaudeville show at the Imperial at which the farmers who register at the dairy train and their families will be guests of the chamber of commerce.
95 Years Ago
October 8, 1929
Gerald Burns, 19-year-old son of C. D. Burns of Cody, Neb., is in the St. Joseph hospital here with a severely injured back received in the football game at the fairgrounds Sunday between the Assumption Academy of Chadron and the St. Agnes Academy team of Alliance. The second lumbar vertebra is broken, according to Drs. Copsey and Walker, who are attending the unfortunate youth.
90 Years Ago
October 9, 1934
“Hurry, get me a wrench,” said Police Chief George Barnum to his aides Saturday evening, during a raid at the residence of Frank White at 109 Sweetwater avenue. The wrench was procured and some alleged moonshine liquor that was intended for the sewer via the dumping route landed in a glass container and will be used as evidence.
85 Years Ago
October 10, 1939
Deposits in the two Alliance banks have shows a sizable increase since June 30, figures prepared in answer to the national bank call of last week reveal. Deposits as of last week totaled $3,637,531 as compared with $3,295,061.
80 Years Ago
October 10, 1944
The first question of its kind ever brought up in county court here, and one of the most unusual court cases in Box Butte county history, was brought before County Judge Romig yesterday by Don Williams, attorney for Elmer L. Lawrence, to determine if a property owner has a right to ask for possession of his property occupied by the wife of a man in military service.
75 Years Ago
October 7, 1949
A serious shortage of laborers, potato pickers and other workers has developed in the Alliance area this week. H. V. McClary, head of the Nebraska Employment Service office here said there is an immediate need for 50 potato pickers and for at least 25 laborers.
70 Years Ago
October 9, 1954
The Alliance Rodeo may have expired Friday night. When only 15 persons appeared at the Drake Hotel to attend the annual meeting, the group assumed that the city in general is not sufficiently interested to continue the show which has been a feature attraction of the Alliance entertainment program for many years.
65 Years Ago
October 9, 1959
An impassioned plea for the City Council to purchase the old Presbyterian Church at the corner of Seventh and Box Butte was made to that group Thursday night by Mrs. Art Shimp. Mrs. Shimp, actibe as a spokesman for a delegation of 31 persons, including six or seven teenagers, urged the Council to buy the building and then aid in remodeling it as a youth center.
60 Years Ago
October 9, 1964
A total of 737 Box Butte County wheat farmers have signed up to participate in the 1965-crop version of the Johnson Administration’s controversial wheat adjustment program. The 737 growers control 84,000 acres of Box Butte County’s 86,000-acre wheat allotment for next year according to the ASC office here.
55 Years Ago
October 9, 1969
Alliance’s newest business, the Dairy Queen, owned and operated by Mr. and Mrs. Gaylord G. Wood, announces their grand opening this Friday and Saturday with a full page ad on Page 8 today.
50 Years Ago
October 9, 1974
Residents of the Hemingford School District 10 approved a $285,000 bond issue for a new gymnasium by a count of 295 to 183 Tuesday. The issue had been rejected three times previously by the same voters. However, the previous proposals had called for more extensive construction.
45 Years Ago
October 9, 1979
Dr. D. N. Taylor Sr. is being visited by one of his former patients this week. However, this time Tim Borg will be working beside Dr. Taylor, rather than sitting in the dental chair. Borg, a native of Alliance and son of Dale and Patricia Borg, is a preceptor for one week, working with Dr. Taylor Sr. at the Doctors Center Building. His Alliance practice is part of the final dentistry study before he is graduated in May.
40 Years Ago
October 9, 1984
Robert George Johnson of Alliance is scheduled to be arraigned today in U.S. District Court in Billings, Mont., on charges of violating state and federal wildlife charges. U.S. Attorney Pete Dunbar, in Billings, said the arrest came as a result of Operation Trophy Kill, which involved “intensive investigation and strong cooperation between the Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Colorado and Montana.”
35 Years Ago
October 9, 1989
Iron Rail Days brought Alliance residents to First and Box Butte to tour the locomotive engine, a wooden box car, and a caboose. Gary McGuire, on hand to talk about what the box car and caboose were used for, said the event was nice.
30 Years Ago
October 8, 1994
As a part of Fire Prevention Week the fire department went to the elementary schools and gave students a ride on a fire truck around town. They also spent time speaking to classes this week.
25 Years Ago
October 9, 1999
There is a drug problem in Alliance and Box Butte County, and it is affecting the area teens. According to Alliance Police Department statistics of 1997, there were 12 minors in possession of liquor; then there were 29 in 1998, and 17 in 1999, year to date. In 1997, 1998 and 1999 there were eight, 10 and five minor drug possessions respectively.
20 Years Ago
October 9, 2004
This year’s bean harvest is slow and the farmers are not happy about it. Currently about 30 percent of the bean crop is harvested. Normally at this time of year, farmers are wrapping up the bean harvest to get into the sugar beet harvest.
15 Years Ago
October 9, 2009
During the Oct. 8 City Council Meeting the council members conducted the public hearing of the Alliance City Comprehensive Development Plan, a 20-year plan to organize the future potential growth of the community.
10 Years Ago
October 9, 2014
John W. Miller, Alliance Public Schools Adult Education instructor, recently attended the 33rd annual Nebraska Adult Education Conference at Kearney Oct. 2-3. The theme of the conference was “Building a Foundation for Life.” Conference sessions covered the new 2014 GED exam, English-as-a-Second Language, college readiness, employment ready, utilizing volunteers, career pathways, literacy and citizenship.
5 Years Ago
October 9, 2019
At their meeting last Tuesday, the Alliance City Council voted to acknowledge receipt of a tort claim filed by High and Younes LLC on behalf of Roger Brown.
According to the letter from Frank Younes of High and Younes LLC included in the city council packet, he was exposed to legionella and giardia in water that was treated and supplied by the city of Alliance during a stay at the 1st Interstate Inn. Brown was staying at the 1st Interstate Inn October through late November 2018.
*Compiled from The Alliance Times-Herald Archives by staff.