Alliance will celebrate its 125th birthday next year — but going to press this week is a project co-sponsored by the Alliance Times-Herald, the Alliance Chamber of Commerce and the Knight Museum and Sandhills Center that certainly will stir memories and serve as an educational tool.

The book, Alliance Memories — Celebrating 125 Years — is scheduled to arrive in mid November, in plenty of time for Santa to place the book under your favorite Christmas Tree.

Alliance Times-Herald Sales Manager Cassie Darveau says the 128-page book will be an heirloom quality coffee table picture book depicting the history of the Alliance area.

“We began working on this book about a year ago,” she explained. “The publisher (Pediment Publishing) approached us about printing a book to celebrating the Times-Herald’s 125th anniversary, but we felt it would be better to sponsor a product that focused on the entire community. The book will be load with dozens upon dozens of photos from the late 1800s through today!”

The book retails for $39.95 plus tax ($42.75) and you can order your book from the Times-Herald today or purchase one when they arrive in November. However, Darveau says only 500 books are being printed, so you may not want to wait.

Darveau says the Alliance Chamber of Commerce will receive 50 percent of the net profits on the book, and that the chamber staff has worked hard to help make the project a success.

“The Knight Museum and Sandhills Center is a true pillar of this project as well,” she said. “Their photographs — so rich with Alliance history — make up at least 50% of this book. Museum Curator Becci Thomas worked with the publisher for several days sorting through photos during the scanning sessions.”

The Knight Museum will be one of the retail outlets for the book when it arrives, as well as the Times-Herald.

For more information, contact Ms. Darveau at the Times-Herald at 762-3060.