Please enjoy the online tour of our town, but we warmly invite you to visit the town for yourself.
The goal is to preserve some of life in our area's early years when communities were small and close-knit.
Everyone worked hard, and frontier justice was alive and well.
You can view the self-guided tour map (here)
Note: This page can be scrolled through as you walk through the town.
We do have some AI images to enhance the experience of this website. These images are noted as AI.
Shout out to our friends, the History Hunters, for stopping by and sharing their experience. We hope you enjoy the video below.
(Rules of the Town) / (FAQ) / (Tour Map)
1. Miller Furniture Store and Funeral Parlor
This building was created to show what it was like to handle death in the early times of our town. Often, whoever had woodworking skills in a town would also make the coffins for the dearly departed. If there was no Undertaker in the community, the woodsmith, barrel maker, wheelwright, or carpenter might serve in that capacity.
The body would be washed or prepared at home by the family, then the undertaker would place the body in the coffin. Usually the body was displayed at home with a “wake” so family and friends could pay their last respects. Once the “wake” was finished, the undertaker would take the body to the burial site where graveside services would be held.
After a town had been settled for a while, the need for funerals became more advanced. Morticians and Funeral Directors made a business out of funerals only. This left the furniture makers, wheelwrights, carpenters, and wood smiths free to go back to what they did best.
In the preparation room, around the wall, you will see some of the things that undertakers used in those days. Everything from hand-operated pumps to shaving kits and mirrors. There is also an actual display of the embalming fluid used. The different colors are used in different parts of the body where natural skin color is desired. There is also a draining table that was used when the cadaver was laid out for the embalming process. You will notice the troughs and holes in the corners where the fluid would run and collect in jars on the floor below.
The embalming processes as we know them today were developed after the Civil War. Up to that time, few people traveled far from their homes on a regular basis, and the transportation of cadavers was a rare thing. Most people died in or near their homes and were cleaned and dressed by family members. The local preacher would come and make his call, say prayers for the family of the deceased and then would either go with the coffin that the furniture maker had built and delivered to the house or meet the funeral procession at the churchyard for the service.
Refrigeration as we know it today was not available then, so bodies were cleaned, dressed, and prepared for a funeral immediately after death. If there was any waiting that had to be done, the body was usually put into a “viewing casket.” These caskets are also on display here. The body could be displayed and yet was not left open to the air. You will notice that these coffins have locks on their sides. That was so the body could be sealed inside and protected. Before the invention of modern embalming fluids, such things as arsenic and lime were used to preserve bodies.
Many visitors have asked about the disposal of bodily fluids. There was no EPA to tell you how to do those things, so usually a hole was dug out back and those fluids were thrown into the hole along with the day's trash. No thoughts were given to ground or water contamination or the spread of possible diseases.
In the main room, there are several examples of caskets that were used at different times. The wicker basket is a recent addition to our collection and is very rare in this day and age. Wicker has a tendency to deteriorate over the years. This wicker basket was used to move the body from the death site to the funeral home or to move the body from the death site to a remote location via the railroad. This wicker basket was used only as a transportation device and not as a casket and is similar in purpose as today’s “body bags”. This was called a “handbasket,” and I’m sure most of you have heard the comment, “Going to hell in a handbasket.” Well, now you know what one looks like. There are also two children’s coffins on display. Many children never lived to see adulthood in the early years. They would fall early and often to illness or accidents. It is not unusual to read in history books where a family would have six to fifteen children, but only have a few survive to reach adulthood, marry, and raise families of their own.
Many diseases that are almost unheard of today would ravage a community and claim many victims during its course. The elderly and the young were prime targets. If you were lucky and healthy enough to live to 60, you were considered very old and were most revered for your long life and great knowledge. Few lived past that age, and most who lived that long had been married several times and had lost many family members.
2. The Medical Building
.Everyone needed to have a shave or haircut on occasion, but the Barber was also used as a medical man when no other was available for “blood letting”. “leaching”, or for the occasional stitch or tooth pulling. Barbers were accustomed to seeing blood and had alcohol treatments that could help in some cases.
If you were a competent barber, you may also be the dentist depending on what the needs were. The medical building is set up to show you how a barber and dentist would have shared the facilities, which was not all that uncommon until a building was available for each. In early town development, you built as you needed and reused what you had.
In the back room is the doctor's office. If the illness or injury was more than the dentist or barber could handle, you got to see the doctor. In the early turn of the century, doctors also made house calls depending on the population of the area and the needs. Hospitals came much later and there were many doctors that saw patients in their own home office and sometimes had a few beds for continuous treatment. Many babies were born at home, on the farm or ranch, with the doctor or midwife in attendance. Later, maternity hospitals were common in the 20s and 30s and were often run by the Catholic Nuns or some sort of nursing group. It took a good 10 to 14 days to recoup from having a baby if you went to the hospital because they required you to rest.
Broken bones were set and cast, and you were sent home, or if a more serious break occurred, you were put in traction with heavy sand bag weights and pulleys and put on restricted bed rest until you healed. Illness was another matter and usually required extended bed rest.
Retirement homes as we know them were not common at this time simply because there were very few people who made it to that stage of life, and those that did often lived with their families and were cared for at home.
Top image generated with AI to represent the era
3. Josiephines Photo Parlor
Photos were sent back to the “old country,” showing the family in their new status as residents of their respective communities. They often showed “secret” pre-arranged hand signals telling the viewers if they should follow or stay where they were, if they were doing well or poorly if the land was good for farming, or if there were other opportunities.
Styles were often formal, with people wearing their nicest clothes to make good impressions. Soldiers wore their dress uniforms and struck a stately pose for the photographer. Ladies wore their best dresses and made sure that they had the proper expressions. Children were shown in their best clothing and were subdued in manner.
Solemn occasions were also marked when a loved one would pass, and a photograph was taken of a deceased family member just before the burial. More than one baby picture has been found with the eyes closed (those were pictures of babies who had passed away). Pictures of people lying in their caskets were also proof to others not able to attend a funeral of the passing.
The purpose of the photographer was and still is to capture memories in time.
Note: The Top two images are AI to reflect the era
4. Rex's Hamburgers
Rex then went to Casper Wyoming to open another hamburger shop and while there his partner absconded with all their money so Rex was forced to come back to Alliance and run the shop here.
The shop has seven stools, and Rex served hamburgers, pie, coffee, and milk. Chili was also added to the menu in winter, and you could pick up your favorite candy bar too. The hamburgers sold for a nickel each or six for a quarter. Anyone who grew up in Alliance while Rex was in operation can testify to how wonderful his hamburgers were. They were small, eighteen to the pound, according to Frank Whaley, who worked for Rex. The hamburgers were fried in rendered beef suet, and the grill was heated by a Coleman camp stove.
The meat was furnished by the IGA Palace Meat Market, owned by Dobby’s father, Marvin Lee, from the time Rex opened until the Palace closed its doors in 1954. Pete Stalos then furnished the meat until Rex’s went out of business.
The original frame building burned down sometime in the forties, but a new brick building was built. Rex was in business until around 1969, when he retired. The business was sold but only ran about another five years before it closed.
5. The German Evangelical Lutheran Immanuel Church
Founded by German settlers in 1911, the congregation decided to start work on a new building in 1912. This building was used as a church with services in both German and English. A school was also run in this building and was also taught in both German and English thereby enabling all who wanted a chance and a place to learn to do so using their new language in their new land.
The building was added to, renovated, moved and converted several times in its life. Once being a church and a school and later being a place to hold meetings for the Alliance Woman’s Club as well as serving as a welfare office for many years.
Often churches were the biggest building in town and many were also used as a community center regardless of the religious affiliation. many town hall meetings were held in the community church and often more than one denomination of faith would have services in a shared building, if it was the only church building in town.
Communities were quick to build the necessary buildings needed for survival and churches were high on that list. As a community would grow different religious affiliations would build their various churches. it is still not uncommon to see several different churches in a small town.
Our church is now celebrating over 100 years of existence. Furnishings were simple to begin, but grew in elegance as finances and congregations grew. Two dozen wooden chairs fastened to boards on the floor, a blackboard for hymn numbers, a simple run runner down the aisle, a wood stove, altar, bible stand and a alter cloth finished up the last of the original furnishings.
6. Soft Water / Special Water
Outside the buildings by the steps you will see a cistern pump. Cisterns were used to hold and collect soft water, which around here meant rain water. These were fed by the down spouts from the buildings. While many houses in town had cisterns and some relied on rain barrels, but cisterns held more water.
Soft water was used to rinse your hair to make it shine, rinse your dishes, wash your white clothes. It was used anytime where soft water was important. Since our water locally is full of lime we had an abundance of soft water for many years until the advent of center pivot irrigation.
This pump was one style used to bring the water up for usage and had a group of cups attached to a revolving chain. You can see this cistern on the outside wall of the church.
One of the earlier visitors to our town said she remembered when she was a small child, that regardless of the temperature outside her mother would drag her out and stick her head under the spout to rinse her newly washed hair with water from the pump. A chilling thought at best.
7. Cobblers Shop
You will see various tools used by a Cobbler. If there was no harness maker in town, a Cobbler might fill in. Their shops were usually close together and near the livery stable and the downtown area.
Shoes were worn until holes appeared then they were patched, mended and often passed onto the next in line. Often times there was no way of telling the right shoe from the left shoe and the “lasts” were made in “either foot” design (and you wondered where pointed toes came from).
Before velcro and zippers, there were buttons, eyes, hooks, laces, straps, and buckles. There were no such things as arch support, soft insoles, traction treads, sneakers, track shoes, dress shoes, etc. You received a handmade soft leather shoe that fit your feet, and because of the cost, you took care of them and wore them for a long time before getting rid of them. Sensible shoes were the thing. You wanted something that was going to protect your feet and still be wearable for all sorts of occasions. Polish was used regularly and often one child had the duty of polishing all of the shoes before church on Sunday.
Durable leather was used for work shoes and everyday shoes, but there was also some sense of fashion for the ladies in the cities. Many cobblers were aided by their wives in finding just the right kind of fabric (sometimes satin) for a new pair of ladies' shoes. Other times, very soft and buttery leather was used depending on the need. These were highly prized and very expensive, and they were not desirable for farm or ranch life. Many women then and now choose boots to wear at home and while working on the farm or ranch.
8. Fischer Printing
Our machines were originally all hand-powered and were later converted to electricity. They were used by Peary and Mabel Rader, who were the originators and publishers of Iron Man Magazine for many years. When they retired, the machinery was sold to Ben Fischer, who has used the press equipment to publish many items for various groups in town. This was his hobby and he was excited to see it come to Dobby’s Frontier Town as its final resting place.
In our town, two local papers had been published once a week on opposing days. After World War I, they merged and began publishing daily.
9. The Jail
Look closely at the two cells that are here in our jail and you quickly realize that each cell is built to house two people with two bunks. These bunks are not much longer than five feet and about the width of a modern-day crib mattress. People were smaller then, but even so, these were very tight quarters. There is no walking around, and it makes a modern-day jail cell look absolutely spacious. You had just enough room to stand up and take one or two steps. Bathroom facilities were either an outhouse out back or a chamber pot. Food was pushed through the slot at the bottom of the door.
These cells came from the Kearney Nebraska area, but are very similar to the ones used in the Box Butte County Court House until the new jail facility was built.
If a prisoner was being moved, the original ball and chain were often used. This was a shackle attached to the prisoner's ankle with a chain made from heavy iron, and it was attached to a small ball of either iron or possibly lead if it was available. The total weight was somewhere around twenty to seventy-five pounds, and it had to be carried if you were going to move from one place to another.
The jail provided another job for the local blacksmith, as they usually built the cells. Either metal straps or bar designs were used. Hollywood uses the bar design because it allows for a better picture for the cameras.
Every town had to have a place to keep its lawbreakers captive. it didn’t need to be much as far as amenities, but it had to house the person safely and keep them from being free. Do you think this did the trick?
The windows of the building were made from bottles since glass was so hard to find. There are still many bottle windows in the Western States.
10. The Blacksmith Shop
If you needed a tool built, nails made, a hinge for your door, a lock for your desk, a shoe on your horse, a gate latch, a pan mended, a kettle handle reattached, or an iron fence built you went to the local blacksmith. He was a mender, repairer, fitter, inventor, and designer all in one person.
The advent of the automobile did not totally remove the blacksmith from the scene either. Wagon wheels still needed to be built and repaired, metal objects were always in use and needed repair, and horses still needed to be shod. All of these things the local blacksmith still attended to. Some built carriages and some went into the repair and construction of vehicles, trains, and buses or became mechanics or contractors. Others became coach builders and some still worked horses and ran livery stables.
A blacksmith was one of the hardest working and most revered men in any community, especially when something needed to be made or mended. It was said during the settlement of the state of Nebraska that without a blacksmith, a town could not be made or continue to exist. So important was this one man to a community.
11. Lonesome Duck Saloon & Bordello
The Bordello upstairs was usually the only source of entertainment and occasionally social education that a young man might be exposed to while single. It and the ladies who worked there played an important part in the life of many a lonely cowboy, traveling salesman or a single man. Women were not plentiful on the frontier. It was also typical for a single woman alone to work in a saloon if no other “proper” or satisfactory employment was available, but only long enough to meet the right man and get enough money saved to leave the area. She had a reputation to maintain.
It was not uncommon for the saloon and bordello to be owned in whole or at least in part by the local Sheriff, Marshal, or Constable. If he was an owner, he would often turn a semi-blind eye to what went on there.
In those days if you were male and could stand a full head over the top of the bar you were old enough to drink. Ladies of “proper upbringing” of any age were not expected in the bar as this was typically a “men’s only” location.
There are several items in our saloon that are quite interesting. The bar came out of a saloon owned by Billy King and was known as “Kings Corner.” This was located on the southeastern corner of Third and Box Butte (where Dave's Pharmacy is located). The bar was originally four times as long as it is now and was the longest in the state. When prohibition came in, the bar was gradually cut down to make room for more pool tables. The skies on the wall are handmade. The cowhide is from a Scottish Highlander, which was one of the imported breeds to come to the area in the 1920s. They were a “fad” breed and never really caught on with the breeders of the Angus and Herefords we have locally. The coat on the hook by the piano is made from a Hereford hide and weighs about as much as a small child. There is also a soapstone for heating on the fire and then putting it under your feet in your backboard when you went home (or later in your model T). There are also several pictures of what Alliance looked like in the early part of the century hanging on the wall by the bar.
12. The Livery Stable
Wagons needed repaired, new ones needed built and if you were in town for a while you needed a place to keep your carriage. You could also rent a carriage. Not every family could afford one for everyday use, but if a carriage was needed for a special time or event it could be rented. As was most of Nebraska and this part of the country, this was a farming and ranching community from the beginning. A livery stable was vital for the community's success.
13. First National Bank
Here, you will see some of the accessories used in the daily operation of a very important business in our little village. One such item is a check writer, as seen in the photo, and along the counter, you will see many more things that were newly invented around the turn of the century. We have a strong box that came off the stagecoach and not what you may have seen in the Western movies. It is strong enough to hold most things of value, if by no other means than weight.
The teller cage came from a bank in Whitewood, South Dakota. As far as we know, the last time it was used was when the bank was robbed by the “Hole in the Wall Gang.” It was replaced with a cast iron teller cage, which the bank thought might have stopped the robberies. We also have a safe from the First State Bank and it dates from the early 1900’s. The bank went out of business in the early 30s, and Dobby lost ten dollars when it closed.
All the teller duties were done by hand. There were no electric typewriters, 10-key-adding machines, or computers in those early days. Somehow things managed to get done and at the right speed for the times. For some reason people were in less of a rush in those days. We have a register from one of the local banks that shows some of the early transactions made on a typical day, such as “Mrs. Jones deposited .25 – savings”.
Of course, if you needed crop seed money or wanted to buy a new team of horses, oxen, and maybe later a new-fangled tractor, the bank was the place to go. It always helped to stay on the good side of the banker.
You will also see on the inside of the bank a patent Attorney’s office with some of the patent books for a six-month period of 1906. Wherever you see a piece of paper sticking out of the book, there is something on that page that Dobby has in his vast collection.
What a marvelous age to live in.
14. Prairie Fabric Shop
Fabric was precious and necessary for clothing. Everyday clothes, special occasion clothes, and fabric for furniture, curtains, and towels were required. A lady may come to the fabric shop to buy yardage for dresses for her daughters or shirts for her husband and sons that she would later sew herself. She may also pick up all the required items that would go along with that task, such as thread, binding and needles. She may have also taken some fabric to the dressmaker and requested an outfit be made from it, depending on what was needed.
15. The Kandy Snap
The Sugar Bowl was a popular candy store in 1914. Visna Watteyne Steinman purchased the business,relocating it and renamed it the Kandy Snap. Visna's son Jim bought the business and continued the fine tradition of making confections until 1955. It was then purchased by Eloise Hill who kept the candy pots boiling until 1976.
16. Empty Building - No Display
17. Stage Coach
The stagecoach was a four-wheeled vehicle pulled by horses or mules. The primary requirement was that it was used as a public conveyance, running on an established route and schedule. Vechicles that were used included buckboards, dead axcle wagons, surplus army ambulances and celerity (or mud) coaches.
The term "stage" originally referred to the distance between stations on a route, the coach traveling the entire route in "stages," but through metonymy, it came to apply to the coach. A fresh set of horses would be staged at the next station, so the coach could continue after a quick stop to re-hitch the new horse team. Under this staging system, the resting, watering, and feeding of the spent horses would not delay the coach.
The stagecoach traveled at an average speed of around five miles per hour, with the daily total mileage covered being around 60 to 70 miles.
18. Sheridan County District #100
In operation for over 100 years, this was one of the first of Sheridan County's Country Schools. This part of Nebraska was blessed with many one-room schoolhouses until just a few years ago. Now, with the consolidation of school districts, these have become rare items. Many have been converted to private use or torn down.
This schoolhouse has sat in its last location for the last 50 years of its existence and was added to it three times. One being a 16x16 one room school house, the second addition provided an 8x16 foot expansion, and the third addition provided an entry and bathrooms with running water. The school yard consisted of teeter totters, swings, a basketball stand, along with a good area for running in the grass, parking wagons, tying up horses, or parking cars later on.
Moving it the last time was a difficult and time-consuming operation that required three different attempts. It took two years to gather supplies, manpower, and equipment. Once it got rolling it moved very nicely. There are many local residents who can claim to have gone to school in this building. The school was bought and moved to preserve its history for future generations to appreciate by some of those very students.
The drama curtain dates from the 1920s and the maps date from pre-WWII. Desks of various sizes and ages are shown as well as the teacher's bell for calling recess. The library is stocked with books of interest from various times and for different ages. The piano is original and has been with the school for many years. It still sounds pretty good too.
The total history of District #100 has been recorded and published by Ken Messersmith, who both attended and had children and grandchildren who had attended this school. Please get in touch with a volunteer to purchase one.
19. Robert Anderson's Log Cabin
In 1922, Bob Anderson, 79, married 22-year-old Daisy Graham and moved her from Arkansas to Nebraska. He died 8 years later at the age of 87. She continued to run the farm until she lost the land in the 1930’s. She then moved to Colorado and spent her last years in a nursing home in Colorado Springs. She was 96 years old at the time of her death. The picture of her over the bed in the cabin was taken in her own home in Hayden, Colorado.
Grandma Chandler was a niece of Bob and Daisy Anderson and she and Hayes lived with him in the cabin for a short time after they were married.
Bob Anderson was well thought of in the community and was buried in the Hemingford Cemetery. Daisy is buried in Colorado, although she wanted to be buried beside her Bob in Hemingford.
This cabin was not the first but the second structure that he built. The first being a soddy that he lived in until this building was complete. He hauled the wood from the Pine Ridge area and used it as his main home until he built the last house, which was a wooden frame building that he and Daisy lived in. This building then became a tack room and entrance to the root celler for him. The logs are hand-sawn and hewn.
The cabin was brought to us on a flat bed trailer in pieces which resembled a set of partially built Lincoln Logs. The main center beam is the original, the others are replacements.
When Bob lived here alone, his closest neighbor was 5 miles away. He believed that this was a good farming area. He and Jules Sandoz proved that if you cared and tended things enough, you could get anything to grow here. He proved it by raising many fruits and vegetables that you don’t normally see grown locally. He wore out 3 good sets of oxen before he bought his first tractor, and the bank loan that paid for it took several years to repay.
Bob only went to school one winter and could sign his name and read a few words, but his story was told in print by his lovely wife, Daisy. It is a fascinating story of slavery by one who knew it on a first hand basis.
More Info: (Nebraska State Historical Society)
20. The Baled Hay House
Another thing to consider is these houses can be built fairly fast, cheaply, and will last a lifetime if properly cared for. There are several of these houses still in existence and in use, in the surrounding communities. They were easily added on to as the needs of the family grew and the construction process is not costly, just labor intensive.
Windows are inset and provided a nice seat, shelf or cooling rack for homemade pies if needed. Glass was fairly hard to come by, so windows were kept to a minimum.
Many times, when later additions became needed, wood was more readily available and therefore was used for those extra additions. The main structure of a baled hay house would often be completely enclosed by other building materials used in various additions.
The baled hay structure allows for not only heat and cold insulation but also a high degree of soundproofing. Old timers believed that what would keep you cool in the summer would also keep you warm in the winter, and as anyone who has ever lived in one of these houses can tell you, that is true! This is just one more example of how our ancestors made do with what they had available and did it well.
Sometimes, our Pioneers knew much more than we do with our “modern technology.” These alternative building methods are being “Rediscovered” in this age of high building costs and environmentally conscious needs. Since the baled hay can be shaped into as big or small a structure as needed, and it is fairly easy to work with, it is again being looked at as a possible source for low-cost building materials in rural areas where hay and straw are available.
There are now many state associations of Straw or Baled Hay House owners throughout the country. Dobby is a charter member of the Nebraska Baled Hay Association.
21. Texaco Gas Station
Very little of the history is known about our filling station, other than it was the first known filling station in Dawes County. It was no doubt built from native logs in the Chadron area. It originally sat somewhere on the east side of Chadron and was later moved toward Chadron State Park where it was about to fall into a dry creek bed when Dobby recovered it. It rested on posts that were giving way. From the looks of the signs, it was a Texaco station for many years. On the walls, you will see an old tire repair iron and several different types of oil cans and paraphernalia used in vehicle service of the day. Remember that the model "A" and model "T" were "The Thing" when this station was built and run. They were simple vehicles, and this was a simple station. Most of the vehicle repair work was either done outside or in a lean-to type of building that was usually attached to the side or back of a building like this.
22. General Store
This is a replica of what a General Store may have looked like. This was an essential stop for anyone coming to town to pick up supplies for home. Customers could buy just about anything here. Seeds for the garden, pots and pans, material to make clothing if needed, a new pair of shoes or hardware for a harness. What was not displayed or in stock could be ordered and shipped in. Many ladies would trade excess eggs, butter, or milk for household supplies. Some commodities often came in crates and kegs. Items like nails, crackers, molasses, or pickles could be found in open barrels or kegs sitting on the floor for the customers to choose from.
This was the ladies' place for gathering the local town gossip and information. Many a tale was shared over a shopping list, as well as a place for the children to oooh and aaah over a particular piece of candy they would love to have. New trends in fashion and hairstyles as well as social customs were discussed. Subjects like who had the newest baby, who was sick, what jobs were available, or who was moving. Think of it as the Walmart of the day, as well as the grocery store, clothing store, and social club.
General stores were just that, they were general. You could find a little of just about anything in them. As towns grew and specialty shops opened up, choices were more available where you could purchase the new fabric for a new outfit, or hardware for the farm or ranch. For daily survival, it was the general store where you got your goods.
23. The Still House
Clyde Rust was one of the local bootleggers of the area during prohibition. He ran a still in the neighboring fields north of the property for many years. He was also a hog farmer for a while, and there were many outbuildings at this location. The still house as you see it was at one time a lookout for the local highways and the "Revenuers". Everyone knew that Clyde had "hootch". Everyone knew that Clyde had "hootch", but no one could find the still until many years after the repeal of Prohibition.
Clyde sold the hootch out of the main house and even after many inspections, no one could find the location of his stash until Dobby bought the place in 1962 and started remodeling it. During that process, Dobby found the flavoring lists "for medicinal purposes only" in the rafters and the long sought-after stash spot in the stairwell. It is still there, although now covered with carpet.
The Still House has a working still and a collection of kegs and spigots collected over the years to show the different sizes and shapes. In the early days of the settlement, everything was shipped in barrels, kegs, or crates. Liquids of all sorts, crackers, pickles, vinegar, maple syrup, flour, sugar, and even nails. Of course, not everything uses a spigot, but you will see many different types on the board in the Still House.
There is also a working cider press, which is used annually to press some of the local apples. Old age and disease claimed our own supply of apple trees long ago. Of course, we believe our press has created some of the best cider on this side of the Rockies. It is a lot of work but it is well worth the effort. It is a two-stage press, with the first stage grinding the apples into a pulp and then pressing the pulp into juice. This press is similar in design to those used in hog butchering, which were used to press hog fat to render lard. The main difference being size and function.
24. Dorothy's Fine Fashions
The town dress shop was run by either a seamstress or a businesswoman who had a family to support. Fashion was, and still is, a big business for the ladies of an area who required the latest in designs and suitability for their surroundings. Towns were "settled" when the ladies moved in.
If the lady of the house required an undergarment, new corset, slip, or camisole, she might head to the general store to see what was available. She could pursue the catalog for "store bought" finery at the general store or possibly through the mail in the form of a Wards or Sears catalog. When she wanted something special, she would always go to the dress shop to see what she could find, or have something created just for her.
The dress shop might also be the place where garments were altered, or a gentleman might have a new collar put on his shirt, or purchase a pair of gloves for a fancy occasion. Each dress shop was different in who ran it, what was stocked, and how much sewing actually went on. Each town was sure to have one or more to show how settled it was.
Dedicated to our friend, Dorothy Hargens Waldron 1927 - 2020
25. Post Office
This is a replica of the original Grand Lake Post Office. It was located on West Third Street, close to the alley behind the Bank of the West (now the MBO Bank). At that time, Third Street was known as Wyoming Street. It was built around 1882 and burned down in the great fire of 1892, when much of that part of downtown Alliance burned. At the time, Alliance was known as Grand Lake, Nebraska. There was a rather large spring-fed lake just west of town, now known as the remains of Bronco Lake. When the Railroad decided to come through the area, the station master decided to call us Alliance in hopes of pushing us further up on the schedules and more prominent in the viewer's eyes.
Inside our Post Office, the boxes came from the old post office in Gandy, Nebraska, a very small town north of North Platte, NE. The metal counter is from the old Treasurer's Office in Alliance, NE. The uniforms were donated by Tom Dill, who carried mail in Alliance for many years.
The fence posts came from Kansas and were hand-hewn from the sandstone they have in abundance in the Flint Hills area. These were used as a cash crop for some of the farmers. One of the posts was drilled in the winter, and the other was done in the summer. The difference is noted in how smooth or rough the cuts are. These were taken around the countryside and sold. If you drive through Kansas today, you will still see great numbers of these fence posts in use.
Mail came to our area on the daily trains. Rural delivery was limited, so most people called the post office to prepare their mail for pickup when they came to town for supplies. This was one of the places that people gathered to get the latest community news.
The Post Office was the first frontier town building to be completed. It was on display in the mini-park at Third Street and Box Butte Avenue for the Centennial celebration in 1988.
26. The Main House
The main house was built in 1886. One of the former owners, Clyde Rust, was a known bootlegger, and it was rumored that Al Capone visited and played cards upstairs during prohibition. Moonshine recipes (for medical purposes of course) were also found in the attic.
The McDonald family also occupied this home in its earlier years. Their cook stove is in the bale house.
Dobby bought the house in 1962 and added the garage, family room, another bathroom, and bedroom. He also changed the basement entry from outside to inside.
While Dobby was alive, the house was hit by lightning twice. One strike hit a large tree by the back porch, and the second strike took out the electrical in the kitchen.
27. World War II Barracks
In the spring of 1942, the U.S. Army selected a site one mile south of Alliance for an airfield. The dry climate and open landscape afforded ideal flying conditions. Ample water, cheap land, and Alliance's new power plant, new hospital, and railroad division point were other attractions. Five thousand construction workers descended upon Alliance, population 6,669, creating a housing shortage. By July, four 9,000-foot runways had been completed.
The 31,489-acre field's primary mission was to train aircrews of C-47 and C-53 transports and CG-4 gliders, along with airborne troops they would carry into battle. The field contained some 775 buildings and housed 12,500 military personnel at its September 1943 peak. The 411th Base Headquarters Squadron, 507th Parachute Infantry, and 878th Airborne Engineers trained here before deployment to the European Theater. In June 1945, veteran troops arrived to train for the expected invasion of Japan.
As written by the: Nebraska State Historical Society - The Alliance Army Air Field
28. The PPJ Fence
In the age of the western frontier and the settling of local communities, there were many needs and then many wants, then the fulfillment of those needs and wants.
We needed heat, so stoves and furnaces were invented, re-invented and modified to fit the needs. We needed clothing and little needs to be said about the conversion from animal skins to the polyester of today.
Our forefathers had needs too. Oil the hogs, grind the hay, kill the grasshoppers, heat the parlor, make sausage, cover the flue pipe, roll the dough, wash the shirt and the list goes on.
On this fence, you may find things that you are familiar with in a distant way. These are things we may not need or use today, but they are things that fulfilled the needs and wants of our ancestors. There were no “disposable” things in that age, but some of these things may have come close. They were used until the need was fulfilled or until a better design came along, or maybe used until it simply wore out. Most items were made of iron, some were made of tin, but none were made from plastic.
What does PPJ stand for? Pre Plastic Junk =)
History Hunters - Dobby's Frontier Town Video 2022
