130 Years Ago
Sept. 30, 1892
Mrs. B. M. Coutant has opened millinery parlors two doors north of post office and is now prepared to show the ladies of Alliance the finest line of pattern hats and bonnets ever brought to the city. Mrs. Coutant has been with the firm of D. B. Fisk & Co., Chicago, as trimmer for ten years, and recently returned from a two weeks’ stay, which time was spent in making exact copies of imported hats and bonnets, and desires to give the ladies of Alliance the advantage of eastern styles and her experience free of charge.
125 Years Ago
Sept. 24, 1897
A sad death was that of Johnny Myers, a young man just the prime of life. The deceased was engaged in hitching up a team, preparatory to commencing his morning work. The horses gave a sudden jump, knocking him down and the wagon passing over him. He was picked up unconscious, and expired in less than fifteen minutes. There was no mark whatever upon his body, but it is the opinion of the physicians that the wheels in passing over his abdomen caused internal hemorrhage.
120 Years Ago
Sept. 30, 1902
It has been discovered that the miscreant who threw a brick through the window of A. D. Rogers’ building several nights ago also attempted to cause the leakage of a large tank of gasoline. Four shots were fired through the side of the building in which the tank was located, but none happened to perforate the tank. Mr. Rogers thinks he has clues that lead to the identity of the party. Words fail to express the contempt in which honest people hold an individual who would resort to such disreputable methods.
115 Years Ago
Sept. 27, 1907
Saloon fixtures are being placed in the south room of the new Coors building. The building is now entirely complete and ready for occupancy. The same is certainly an ornament to Alliance, being one of the handsomest here, and the interior is modern and splendidly equipped in every particular. The Saloon fixtures come from Denver and are in red, being very handsome. Rumor is to the effect that the entire building will be opened to the public in the near future with Mr. Donahue, a former Newcastle restaurant and hotel keeper, but lately ranching as manager.
110 Years Ago
Sept. 27, 1912
The sidewalk in front of the Norton store was completed this week and now patrons can enter from either of the two entrances to the store. It has been a number of weeks since Mr. Norton started to work on remodeling his store front and the long delay has been rather irksome.
105 Years Ago
Sept. 28, 1917
Walter Vogel, a young rancher living west of town, received a fracture of the leg when his horse stepped in a gopher hole and rolled completely over on top of the rider. Mr. Vogel had started to his place to select a string of horses for the government inspection to be held at the stock yards next week. When the horse fell it rolled completely over twice and each time the young man was pinned underneath. When the rider tried to arise he found that his left leg was broken just below the knee. Mr. Jacobs, who was riding with him summoned help immediately and he was taken to the home of his mother. Dr. Copsey was called and the fracture was reduced.
100 Years Ago
Sept. 29, 1922
Six men, some of whom live in Alliance, were held up and robbed of cash and jewelry at the point of revolvers in the hands of two bandits on a freight train between Alliance and Hemingford last Tuesday night, according to their reports to local officers. Altogether the robbers secured about $85 in cash and took a gold watch and chain from one of the victims. The victims reported that an automobile was standing beside the road just west of the Third street crossing, at the west end of town, and that it was near this point where the robbers left the train. The victims were able to give a fairly good description of their assailants. From the description the officers believe the “job was done by local talent and two men, both of whom are well known in police circles.
95 Years Ago
Sept. 30, 1927
John Murphy appeared before County Judge Ira E. Tash on a charge of intoxication. “Oh I wouldn’t deceive ye, I’ll plead guilty,” he said when asked to make a plea to the complaint. Except for two cans of canned heat and an Irish brogue, Murphy was destitute. The judge sentenced him to ten days in the county jail and then offered to suspend sentence on condition that Murphy leave the city in ten minutes. “Five minutes is all I need,” said the defendant as he shook the Alliance dust from his feet and made a hasty departure from the courtroom.
90 Years Ago
Sept. 30, 1932
Cutting a hole in the back screen door and entering through a window, robbers sometime last night entered and robbed the Dew Drop Inn on West Third street of a radio and supplies of meat, milk and other foodstuffs. The robbery was discovered about five o’clock this morning by Jack Ranahan, proprietor, who notified police officers.
85 Years Ago
Sept. 28, 1937
Police struck another blow at the city’s chief trouble making neighborhood, the 109 Sweetwater barbeque, (you know the place) and swiftly dropped the proprietor, Arnell Embroy in the county jail. Embroy, pleading guilty to charges of gambling, will serve 30 days by order of Judge P. E. Romig.
80 Years Ago
Sept. 29, 1942
A raging fire that started from an oil burner razed the interior of Steve Cannon’s barber shop on lower Box Butte avenue yesterday morning, doing heavy damage to the frame building occupied by the shop and the Coney Island cafe. The fire broke out at about 9 a. m. and Fire Chief Don Adams, telling of the nature of the blaze, revealed that “the entire back room of the shop was an inferno when we arrived.” The oil burner was on a hot water tank in the back room.
75 Years Ago
Sept. 30, 1947
The week starting tomorrow, October 1, is National Newspaper Week. Newspapers should have a “week” of their own; they publish news of “weeks” for everybody else during the year. It is the usual thing for newspapers to talk about freedom of the press during this week and to quote historical remarks about a free press being a sign of a free people.
70 Years Ago
Sept. 30, 1952
Bobbie Weston, 21, local amateur fighter and son of Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Weston, was released from St. Joseph’s Hospital today. According to his physician, Weston’s condition is “fine” and he will suffer no permanent effects from his attack of polio. He is the last of four polio patients to be released from the hospital here.
65 Years Ago
Sept. 27, 1957
Billy Martin, former New York Yankee infielder and presently with the Kansas City Athletics American League baseball team, reportedly will be in Alliance next week for a short visit at the home of Mr. and Mrs. C. W. (Cy) Winkler, 516 W. 12th. With Martin will be Miss Gretchen Winkler, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Winkler, who is presently a stewardess for a major air line, Miss Winkler has been dating the famed baseball player.
60 Years Ago
Sept. 28, 1962
Three Alliance High Senior coeds were presented this afternoon as queen and attendants for the annual Homecoming festivities. The queen is Miss Phyllis Seim, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. O. A. Seim, and her attendants are Miss Judy Trank, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Warren Trank, and Miss Loretta Kozal, daughter of L. J. Kozal.
55 Years Ago
Sept. 29, 1967
A new police patrolman has been added to the Alliance Police Department, it was announced to the City Council Thursday evening. He is Kenneth G. Minich, 21. A graduate of Hemingford High School in 1964, his education also includes one year at Chadron State College. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth O. Minich of Hemingford, and he is married. Minich will begin work Sunday, according to the announcement, with his starting salary $325 per month.
50 Years Ago
Sept. 30, 1972
A well known country music and comedy show will open a two-week stay at the Wonder Bar in Alliance. It is the Bobby Ward Show featuring Ward, who has played with Johnny Cash, and Sandi Nelson. Ward and Miss Nelson are both singers and guitarists, and their act, according to show business reviewers, is one of the best. Roy Haines, manager-owner of the Wonder Bar, announces that the two will perform nightly from 8 p. m. until 1 a. m.
45 Years Ago
Sept.30, 1977
After waiting through more than a month of negotiations between city and county officials, the Alliance Police Department finally received clearance to proceed with plans to move into the new Regional Law Enforcement Center.
40 Years Ago
Sept. 29, 1982
Another milestone is noted this week at 307 Box Butte Avenue where Alliance’s singular men’s clothing store, The Famous Clothing House, has been doing business for 80 years. Robert W. (Bob) Youse of Clay Center, Kan. is the new owner-manager, taking over from J. W. (Hook) Keebaugh who has managed the popular clothing store in a shared ownership with Edward Knight, Alliance banker, for the past 30 years plus.
35 Years Ago
Sept. 30, 1987
The Carnegie Arts Center wants to see the old library building (The Alliance Public Library on 4th Street) restored, according to Gretchen Garwood. The building is across the street form Alliance’s Fire Station. From 1911 to 1980, the building served Alliance’s literary needs by providing the reading and research material for school children and adults. Mrs. Garwood said the building has been purchased by the Carnegie Arts Center. “Our goal is to preserve this historic old structure and convert it into an attractive and useful art center.”
30 Years Ago
Sept. 30, 1992
Juanita Mitchell, 17, of Alliance, has joined The Alliance Times-Herald staff as a part-time student reporter. Her “beat” will be the Alliance school system. Ms. Mitchell, a senior at Alliance High School, worked on the Spud last year and is continuing work here this year. Last spring she was inducted into the Quill and Scroll Honorary Society for High School Journalists.
25 Years Ago
Sept. 27, 1997
On September 12, over 50 people gathered in Central Park to celebrate the 85th birthday of Bill Riis, president of the Alliance Rural Fire Protection District. Riis has served as a member of its board for nearly half a century. He helped organize the rural fire protection district in the Alliance area in 1949. The decision to form the district came after the Alliance area suffered 50 to 60 wheat fires that year, according to Riis.
20 Years Ago
Sept. 28, 2002
Audrey Hanson is recognized by the Alliance Times-Herald as educator for the week with Spotlight on Education. She’s been in education for 3 years at East Point District 25. Audrey teaches grades 6, 7 and 8. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Earth Science in 1979. She originally wanted to work in the area of wildlife field and lab research. Her life took a different direction, and after staying home with her own children and teaching them, she decided to go into education.
15 Years Ago
Sept. 29, 2007
Gina Tolstedt, daughter of Keith and June Tolstedt of Alliance will be presented the Art Educator of the Year award from the Nebraska Art Teachers Association at the annual NATA Conference at Chadron in October. Tolstedt a 1974 graduate of Alliance High School attended Chadron State College for two years, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Northern Colorado in 1978, and Master of Arts degree from the University of Illinois. She teaches K-6 grades at Dundee Elementary School at Omaha.
10 Years Ago
Sept. 25, 2012
Farmers State Bank is expected to be finished sometime in October. The building on West Third Street had most recently housed Mr. Movies. Bank owners are remodeling the structure and have removed a building from the property (a former restaurant, originally a home) for expanded parking. The Dodge, Neb., based bank also has a location at Bridgeport.
5 Years Ago
Sept. 27, 2017
Sally Bryner, APRN-BC has just completed her orientation and is now on the medical staff of Greater Nebraska Medical and Surgical Services. She will begin seeing patients in Hemingford at he GNMSS Hemingford Clinic and at the Family Medicine Clinic in Alliance. Bryner earned her registered nurse license after obtaining her Bachelor of Science in Nursing form the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing in Scottsbluff. Later She obtained her Master of Science in Nursing from UNMC College of Nursing in Omaha and became Advance Practice Registered Nurse Board Certified (APRN-BC).