Like most villages, it had what was then well known as a Locator's office, a term now obsolete. The business of this functionary was to secure government plats from the land office of the district in which he was located, showing the govtrnment land unfiled upon, and which for a fee of ten to twenty-five dollars he would show to the prospective homesteader, prepare his filing papers and locate him upon the vacant quarter section which he selected.

Another village was thirteen miles west and one mile north of Hemingford, which was called Lawn. It had a postoffice and store combined.

The city of Alliance was unknown or unheard of at the organization of the county. It really had its inception on the 27th day of May, 1887. On this date the department of public lands of the state of Nebraska, through its commissioner, advertised in the public press that all school lands in Box Butte county, which consisted of sections sixteen and thirtysix in each township would be offered for sale to the highest bidder on the following terms :

No land would be sold for less than seven dollars per acre.

If a bid of seven dollars was received and no higher bid made, it would be sold to the bidder on payment of one-tenth of the purchase price down, and the balance in twenty-one years at six percent interest. If not sold, it would be offered for lease at its appraised value, the lessee to pay six percent per annum on that appraisement which ranged from one dollar and a quarter to four dollars per acre. This auction was held in front of the Bank