Alliance

HISTORY

The town was originally named Grand Lake. When the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad came to Grand Lake in 1888, the railroad superintendent, G.W. Holdrege, wanted to change it to a simple one-word name closer to the beginning of the alphabet, which he thought would be better for business. He picked "Alliance" for the new name of the town. It was incorporated as a city in 1891.

Many Volga German families moved to Alliance to work for the railroad.

 

VOLGA GERMAN CONGREGATIONS

 

VOLGA GERMAN FAMILIES

The following Volga German families are known to have settled in and around Alliance:

Bangert
Bastron / Bostron
Batt
Bauer
Becker
Behm
Benzel
Brehm
Debus
Ebel
Eberly
Fiebig
Fritzler
Gantz
Hein from Frank
Her(r)man(n)
Kammerzell
Kautz
Koch
Kraft
Krenzer
Lehl
Libsack
Lohmeyer
Martin
Miller
Nuss
Pauli / Pauly
Reisig
Romick
Schlotthauer
Schmer
Schnell
Schwindt
Specht
Vogel
Walker
Weitzel from Frank