Cutline: September 22, 1981: How many 4-year-old girls can say they own their own pickup? Not many. However, Angela Schafer, is an exception to the rule. Angela, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Rick Schafer, won this Squirt pickup on the Squirt Big Little Car Sweepstakes drawing. However, there is one problem, Angela said she has a hard time reaching the gas pedal. (Photo by Rich Jurgens)
130 Years Ago
September 18, 1896
Simonson Bros. Shipped in four buggies the latter part of last week, three of them being immediately disposed of and the other retained for their own use.
125 Years Ago
September 20, 1901
The first of the week brought to light in this city an elopement under peculiar circumstances. City Marshal Reese received a telegram from A. Williams instructing the officer to arrest a young man about twenty years of age and a woman of thirty-two. It seems that both were related to the man who sent the telegram, the woman being his wife and the youth his stepson.
120 Years Ago
September 18, 1906
A new gasoline lighting plant is being installed in the Famous clothing store this week.
115 Years Ago
September 19, 1911
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Marks have moved their home from Toluca to Bighorn Avenue.
Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Giles have moved their home from North Laramie Avenue to Bighorn Avenue.
110 Years Ago
September 22, 1916
“Nothing is quite so cruel as the cold arm of the law,” quoth the bride of a few hours while she patiently awaited the return of her newly acquired spouse. Hubby was highly elated over the fact that he had at last won the one of his choice. The result was that the spouse got soused and had to be escorted to the city jail.
105 Years Ago
September 23, 1921
After listening to a complete explanation of the Box Butte County road controversy by Glen Miller and E. D. Mallery Wednesday night passed a unanimous resolution favoring a road up the Burlington track to Hemingford as the most satisfactory for state aid and a copy of the resolution has been transmitted to the state engineer and the governor.
100 Years Ago
September 21, 1926
Oldsmobile cars, a product of General Motors, will be distributed from Alliance by the Alliance Oldsmobile company with headquarters in the Rumer building on East Third Street. The first shipment of cars arrived Saturday morning and several sales have been made.
95 Years Ago
September 22, 1931
Lightning struck by the residence of Bryan Christensen southwest of Hemingford last Friday evening during a rain and electrical storm. A brick chimney was torn down and some shingles on the top of the house burned. A fence near the house was also struck by the lightning.
90 Years Ago
September 18, 1936
Phillip Will of Alliance was sentenced to 30 days in jail and fined $100 in federal district court at Chadron Wednesday on his plea of guilty to charges of having in his possession equipment for the illegal manufacture of liquor.
85 Years Ago
September 19, 1941
After receiving complaints that several local employers are not complying to the state laws governing women workers, County Attorney Leo Bayer had copies of the pamphlet “Nebraska Labor Laws” distributed to Alliance firms where women are employed Wednesday.
80 Years Ago
September 20, 1946
Between 25 and 50 houses costing from $6,000 to $10,000 would be started in Alliance within 30 days if building materials were available, a local building contractor said. But building is completely stymied by lack of materials of all kinds. Thursday there wasn’t a sack of cement or a load of gravel available at any of the local yards.
75 Years Ago
September 17, 1951
The major portion of the seeding of greens, fairways and tees will be completed by the end of this week providing the weather remains favorable, City Manager R. W. Laing said this morning following a work day at the new Municipal Golf Course Sunday.
70 Years Ago
September 20, 1956
Sometime Wednesday night a thief broke into the Brazeal Furniture Company and made off with a 500-pound safe. According to Bill Brazeal, owner of the store, there was about $75 cash and office records in the safe.
65 Years Ago
September 21, 1961
The Holy Rosary Catholic Church has purchased approximately 18 acres of ground at the northeast edge of Alliance for future development of parish properties. The farm land is bordered by Sweetwater Avenue on the weest, Duncan Avenue (extended) on the east; and by Fourteenth Street on the south and Eighteenth on the north.
60 Years Ago
September 22, 1966
A bid letting date for the new Hemingford High School building has been set back from September 29 to October 6, an alternate date provided. The architects requested the delay, it was explained, to allow additional contractors time to submit bids.
55 Years Ago
September 22, 1971
A landmark of Alliance for over a half century, the Alliance Hotel at First and Box Butte, is scheduled for a forced Sheriff’s sale by court order. According to the notice Sheriff Don Underwood will conduct the sale at the west door of the Box Butte County Courthouse.
50 Years Ago
September 25, 1976
District Court Judge Robert Moran found the City of Alliance liable in the case of David Crawford who claimed negligence after a sewer backed up into his home. The incident occurred Aug. 27, 1975. Plumber Leo A. Tritle, who was called to the scene, testified he called the city shortly after noon to notify them of a stoppage in the city’s sewer line.
45 Years Ago
September 25, 1981
Recognition for a job well done comes only to a privileged few and even though there are many such deserving persons in and around Alliance, the Alliance Jaycees have named Dan Laursen as Alliance’s outstanding young farmer and rancher.
40 Years Ago
September 25, 1986
Bill Mann, the new Box Butte County superintendent of schools, is exercising his authority by initiating a to close rural school District 8 and 100. District 8 is west on 10th Street about 12 miles and 3 miles north. District 100 is 7 miles west and 3 miles north of District 40 which is just north of the 16-mile corner on Highway 385.
35 Years Ago
September 18, 1991
A local bean producing family will be featured in a promotion sponsored by the Nebraska Dry Bean Commission. Kathi Swanson said Jim, her husband, and their 1-year-old daughter, Kristen, will be included in the promotion being developed by the Peter Monge and Co. Advertising Agency in Denver.
30 Years Ago
September 20, 1996
Cabela’s Inc. began temporary operations in Alliance Wednesday and began sending out its first orders the same day. Repackaging and shipping from the Woolrich factory building will continue through the end of the year. Cabela’s clothing will be shipped directly to the customers from Alliance.
25 Years Ago
September 22, 2001
Some structures built with straw in Nebraska: Burke House, Alliance. Built in 1903, it is the oldest known straw bale building standing in Nebraska. Dobby Lee’s Bale House, Alliance. Built in the late 1990s as part of Dobby Lee’s Frontier Village, similar in size and design to straw bale homes built by Nebraska’s pioneers.
20 Years Ago
September 18, 2006
Recently, Family Rescue Services was awarded a grant in the amount of $498,199 from the Department of Justice Violence Against Women Act. Maria Swenson, client advocate with Family Rescue Services, said the grant money would be used to cover administrative costs and shelter expenses in Box Butte, Dawes, Sheridan and Sioux counties.
15 Years Ago
September 20, 2011
At Monday’s Alliance Public School Board meeting, discussion o the new state statutes concerning assessment and treatment of athlete concussion. Changes require coaches who suspect a head injury has occurred to remove the student from play until cognitive and physical testing has been completed and passed.
10 Years Ago
September 19, 2016
In front of a nondescript City warehouse at First and Big Horn Saturday morning were children admiring dozens of bikes lined side by side. This year the Alliance Police Department hosted a bike auction.
5 Years Ago
September 22, 2021
Campers at Box Butte Reservoir State Recreation Area will have to go without electricity for awhile, but they will have more juice when the wait is over. Beginning Oct. 1, all of the electrical camping sites at Box Butte will be closed while construction workers upgrade six sites from 30 to 50 amps.
*Compiled from The Alliance Times-Herald Archives by Christine Melcher