Today in History for Sept. 25, 2014

Sulphur Creek Trestle in March 2014.

Sept. 25, 1540 – The chief of the ancient Indian town of Talisi in Dallas County gave DeSoto men and women to carry their baggage and in return DeSoto released the chieftain of Coosa.

Sept. 25, 1690 - One of America's earliest newspapers published its first and last edition, when the "Publik Occurences Both Foreign and Domestik" was published at the London Coffee House in Boston, Mass. by Benjamin Harris.

Sept. 25, 1864 – Confederate Gen. Nathan B. Forrest drove in the Union pickets at the Sulphur Branch Trestle Fort in Limestone County and placed his artillery in a position from which he delivered a deadly bombardment into the fort. Union forces surrendered the fort later that day.

Sept. 25, 1864 - Confederate President Jefferson Davis met with General John Bell Hood at Hood's Palmetto, Ga. headquarters. The topic of discussion was the recent misfortunes of the Army of Tennessee.

Sept. 25, 1867 - The oldest newspaper in Alabama owned by a single family, The Southern Star, was first published in Dale County. Except for a few issues, the editor has always been a family member. The current editor, Joseph H. Adams, is the fourth generation family editor.

Sept. 25, 1882 - The first major league double header was played between the Worcester and Providence baseball teams.

Sept. 25, 1883 – Legislator and judge John McDuffie was born at River Ridge in Monroe County.

Sept. 25, 1889 – Shortly after 3 a.m., Rube Burrow and Rube Smith robbed the southbound Mobile & Ohio passenger and mail train near Buckatunna, Miss. This was Burrow’s seventh train robbery.

Sept. 25, 1897 – Noble Prize-winning author William Faulkner was born in New Albany, Miss.

Sept. 25, 1905 – Sportswriter Walter Wellesley “Red” Smith was born in Green Bay, Wisc.

Sept. 25, 1911 – Ground was broken for Fenway Park in Boston, Mass.

Sept. 25, 1912 – Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism was founded in New York City.

Sept. 25, 1914 - Richard H. Parks, “a prominent lawyer and former solicitor,” committed suicide in Dothan by shooting himself.

Sept. 25, 1917 – MLB baseball pitcher John Franklin “Johnny” Sain was born in Havana, Ark.

Sept. 25, 1918 – The Bank of Monroeville opened on the lower floor of the old 1852 Courthouse with a capital of $25,000. It would later merge with the Monroe County Bank in 1922.

Sept. 25, 1918 – Baseball Hall of Famer Philip Francis “Phil” Rizzuto was born in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Sept. 25, 1920 – American Legion Post No. 61 in Monroeville was organized.

  

Sept. 25-27, 1939 – Heavy rains fell in Alabama during this three-day period and did considerable damage to crops, highways and bridges. Many streams flooded, including Burnt Corn and Murder Creeks, which rose at a rate of about 18 inches per hour on Sept. 26. On Sept. 26, the Conecuh River rose 11-1/2 feet and traffic between Monroeville and Atmore was interrupted due to damage to the concrete bridge south of the state prison.

Sept. 25, 1942 – Lt. Laula Middleton sent a cablegram to his family in Conecuh County to let them know he had safely arrived overseas. The family received the message on Sept. 26 and believed he was in either England or Ireland.

Sept. 25, 1965 – The first installment of what would become Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood” was published in The New Yorker.

Sept. 25, 1965 - Willie Mays, at the age of 34, became the oldest man to hit 50 home runs in a single season. He had also set the record for the youngest to hit 50 ten years earlier.

Sept. 25, 1965 - Satchel Paige of the Kansas City Athletics, at the age of 59, pitched three shutout innings against the Boston Red Sox. Paige’s three innings for the Kansas City Athletics made him, at 59 years, 2 months and 18 days, the oldest pitcher ever to play a game in the major leagues.

Sept. 25, 1967 – The Conecuh County Circuit Court’s Fall Term began with Judge Robert E.L. Key presiding. Two murder cases were on the docket. Joe Green faced charges of second-degree murder in connection with the pistol shooting death of Jack Manual on March 3 near Castleberry. Miller Baldwin faced charges of first-degree murder and assault to murder in connection with the shooting death of Ruth Boykin and the shooting of John H. Stallworth on April 16 at Boykin’s home.

Sept. 25, 1974 – The first ulnar collateral ligament replacement surgery (Tommy John surgery) was performed, on baseball player Tommy John.

Sept. 25, 1978 - Melissa Ludtke, a writer for "Sports Illustrated", filed a suit in U.S. District Court. The result was that Major League Baseball could not bar female writers from the locker room after the game.

Sept. 25, 1985 – A cropduster owned by J.G. Booker of Booker Flying Service of Goodway crashlanded in a field at Uriah owned by W.E. Garrett of Uriah. The plane, which was flown by Duke Farrar, suffered from apparent engine failure. No one was injured in the incident.

Sept. 25, 1987 – Alba High School handed Evergreen High School its third straight loss by beating them 21-3 in Bayou LaBatre. Russell Meeks kicked a 21-yard field goal with 2:47 left in the fourth quarter to give Evergreen their only points.

Sept. 25, 1987 – Sparta Academy beat South Montgomery Academy, 14-7, at Stuart-McGehee Field in Evergreen. Robbie Bolton scored on a five-yard run, and Jeff Carrier scored on a four-yard run. Jamie Deason kicked both extra points.

Sept. 25, 1987 – Carolyn Pate Castleberry took the oath of office Conecuh County’s Tax Collector. She was appointed to the office by Alabama Gov. Guy Hunt to fill the unexpired term of Marvin Johnston, who retired.

Sept. 25, 1993 - Charles Barkley and Nirvana were guests on "Saturday Night Live."

Sept. 25, 2002 – Weather reporter Harry Ellis reported 3.10 inches of rain in Evergreen.

Sept. 25, 2002 – The Vitim event, a possible bolide impact, occurred in Siberia, Russia.

Sept. 25, 2002 – Horton Insurance Co. moved into a new location on Rural Street in Evergreen. The company was owned by Earl Horton, and Jim Ryan was the Evergreen office’s manager.