130 Years Ago
September 8, 1893
The city council held its regular session Wednesday night. About the only business transacted, outside of allowing several bills, was the instruction to the marshal to stop all gambling. That was a proper step.
125 Years Ago
September 2, 1898
A great many people are making the mistake these days of attaching war revenue stamps to letters in lieu of postage stamps, and as a result Postmaster Paradis holds an unusually large number of written messages from senders who have not complied with law.
120 Years Ago
September 1, 1903
Guy Hague, riding at a rapid rate from the ranch to the hay camp, had nearly reached his brothers and waved a word of greeting without seeing a wire that caught his horse’s foot. Man and animal went rolling several feet. Guy never recovered consciousness, having struck the ground with such terrific force, causing congestion of the brain and injury to the lungs.
115 Years Ago
September 8, 1908
The sheriff of Dawes county paid Alliance a visit, bringing with him a man who was placed in the Box Butte county jail. In a fight this man is alleged to have stabbed a man in the back with a knife. Both men are reported as having been employed in an eating house there. The sheriff brought the prisoner to this city for protection.
110 Years Ago
September 5, 1913
Jack Miller, the well known rancher, living south of Alliance, was seriously injured, by being kicked by a colt. Mr. Miller went up behind a suckling colt and gave it a slap, to have it move aside and the young animal kicked him, its hoof finding lodgement in the lower part of Mr. Millers abdomen. The blow produced a hemorrhage in the lower bowel. While the injuries are serious, they are not believed to be dangerous.
105 Years Ago
September 6, 1918
Captain Jack Miller will have charge of drill work Friday night at the armory and a full attendance is desired. Here is an opportunity for men who will soon see service to get the rudiments of military drill. Everybody come, nobody barred.
100 Years Ago
September 4, 1923
Alliance and Box Butte county police authorities witnessed a rather unusual spectacle at the court house, when Sheriff Charles W. Fletcher of Holton, Kas., staged a battle with James C. Emery of Omaha, representing United States District Attorney Kinsler of that city, for the possession of the two men and women arrested Thursday of last week by Acting Chief of Police Oberlin, when suspicions that the quartet were riding in a stolen automobile proved correct.
95 Years Ago
September 7, 1928
An aged man giving the name of Franch and hailing from the eastern part of the state was seen roaming through the streets, only in his underwear. He was evidently suffering from a temporary spell and two men accompanied him to his room, where he was later given medical attention. Severe pains in the back of his head were complained of and after treatment he made a quick recovery. He was not demented, neither was he intoxicated. After his recovery he could remember nothing of the escapade.
90 Years Ago
September 8, 1933
All of the pioneers of this section, especially those in Box Butte county, are being invited to gather in Alliance on Sunday, September 17, for a notable occasion in which they may feel that they have a part. On the afternoon of that day will be dedicated the W. E. Spencer memorial sod house now being completed in the city park and in the evening will be organized a Box Butte County Historical society.
85Years Ago
September 6, 1938
John Coupens of Alliance suffered cuts and bruises in an automobile accident three miles north of Wheatland, Wyo., in which a Scottsbluff girl was killed and two other Scottsbluff young people were critically injured. Dorothy Stegman, 21, was the girl who was killed. Juanita Richardson, 20, whose left leg was severed in the crash, is reported near death in the Wheatland hospital. J. C. Green, the driver, suffered a skull fracture, lacerated ear and compound leg fractures. The two couples were en route for a picnic when their car ran off a bridge and crashed into a power line pole. Willie Wilson, 28, farm worker who lived near the accident scene, was electrocuted while attempting to assist the injured.
80 Years Ago
September 6, 1943
Twenty-five Alliance musicians will accompany Fred O. Swan, municipal band director, to the Chadron State Park music camp, sponsored by the Alliance Band Boosters club and Chadron State college. The Alliance youths will join about 30 others from Chadron, Rushville, Scottsbluff, Minatare, Hay Springs and Gordon in a week of musical training and recreation.
75 Years Ago
September 3, 1948
A lighted cigarette plus an open can of gasoline added up to painful burns for Reinholdt Bostrun and Ysmael Leon, workmen in the L. Mandelberg and Sons service department. The two men were cleaning a motor with the gasoline. One of them was smoking. They were treated for second degree burns at the Slagle clinic.
70 Years Ago
September 5, 1953
The McCarthy family of Alliance copped grand championship and reserve championship honors in the baby beef competition in the Box Butte County Fair here Friday afternoon. Kay McCarthy, 14, exhibits her 740-pound Angus heifer which won the grand championship. Her brother, 17-year-old Pat, exhibits his 350-pound Hereford steer which was named reserve champion. The family exhibited eight animals in all, winning six blue and two red ribbons in various classes.
65Years Ago
September 5, 1958
The new Sucgang Medical Building, at 515 Niobrara Avenue, will be opened for a public open house and inspection Sunday. Dr. F. P. Sucgang is the owner of the modern and beautiful structure.
60 Years Ago
September 6, 1963
Richard Fuller, and employee at the Alliance Post Office for 27 years, was honored this morning for “superior performance” by Post Office officials. Acting Postmaster Paul Kosmicki in a brief ceremony, presented Fuller with a check for $100, a certificate for superior accomplishment signed by Charles W. Shoemaker, regional director in Wichita, Kan., and a lapel emblem.
55Years Ago
September 7, 1968
Harlow Hill, 20, back at the John Freiberger ranch on Hickory Route after completing Marine Corps service and looking forward to a bright future in the ranching business. The young man is a 1966 graduate of Alliance High School and the son of Mrs. Eloise Hill.
50 Years Ago
September 6, 1973
Gordon Stofer, an experienced reporter, has joined the Times-Herald news staff and will be assigned to local and area news reporting and general newsroom duties according to Keith Kemper, Times-Herald publisher.
45 Years Ago
September 6, 1978
The judges at the Lincoln State Fair gave Gerald Messersmith a purple ribbon for his demonstration on by-products of beef productions. The Box Butte 4-H livestock judging team, which placed 9th in the state, includes Mike Krause, Jack Dye, Lisa Krause and Gerald Messersmith. Nancy Fairbanks won a purple ribbon on a rug.
40 Years Ago
September 6, 1983
Alliance fireman Phil Zobel was collecting donations for the Muscular Dystrophy Association from passers-by at Third Street and Cheyenne Avenue, Monday. The weekend fund-raising, sponsored by the Alliance Jaycees, the Alliance Volunteer Fire Department and KCOW radio station, netted around $7,511.20.
35 Years Ago
September 6, 1988
The first day of school for St. Agnes Academy students brought 193 student to classes Tuesday. This is also the first year St. Agnes Academy will teach only students in grades K-8. The high school was discontinued at the end of the previous school year.
30 Years Ago
September 7, 1993
A “Just Say No” skating party will be Sept. 14 from 6-8 p. m. Kids in kindergarten through fifth grade are invited to skate free at the Skateland party sponsored by the Alliance Optimists Club.
25Years Ago
September 7, 1998
S&S Collectibles, located just north of the Alliance Theater on Box Butte Avenue, recently closed – along with the Owl’s Nest, on West Third St, having been up for sale for about a year. For the past six years, LJR Collectibles in the 200 block of Box Butte Avenue, has been owned and operated by Jim Reif. Collector’s Corner, now in its fourth year of operation under owner Lou Franchetti, is located at the intersection of Fourth Street and Laramie Avenue. Cactus Flower Antiques, owned and operated by Geoff and Cheri Hopkins on West Third St. has been in business going on 10 years.
20 Years Ago
September 9, 2003
The demolition crew began tearing down the southeast corner of the Drake Hotel building last night. The process began with a two-story hole punched through the middle of the south side of the building. The City of Alliance Electrical Department crew temporarily shut off electricity to the block as a safety precaution. Workers used an excavator to shear the metal fire escape landings, stairs and ladders from the rear of the building before starting to tear down the structure. The rear portion of the Drake Hotel was the hotel’s first addition. A newer second addition extended the front of the business.
15 Years Ago
September 6, 2008
The Alliance Public Library will have the elephant collection of Denise Barker on display through September. Barker, the assistant director of the Box Butte Development Corporation and director of the Historic Main Street Program, said she began collecting elephants when she was between the ages of five and seven.
10 Years Ago
September 6, 2013
Lauren Block was looking for a community service project for her college applications and came in contact with Deborah Feller, Historic Main Street manager. Feller was looking for decorations for the Autumn On The Bricks fall festival and after brainstorming the two came up with the idea to construct scarecrows to be hung on the light poles.
5 Years Ago
September 5, 2018
JunSang Robbins enters his senior year at Alliance High School after becoming a United States citizen the start of July 2018. Jun was born in South Korea. He came to Alliance as an exchange student with his brother JunMo. They stayed in Alliance with host family Jeremy and Bethany Robbins.