Today in History for Sept. 26, 2014

Indian Springs Baptist Church historical marker.

Sept. 26, 1834 – Indian Springs Baptist Church petitionary letter presented to the Baptist Association meeting in Monroe County, Ala.

Sept. 26, 1861 – The Perry Walker Rangers, a Confederate cavalry unit, departed Monroeville under the command of T.H. Malden of Monroeville.

Sept. 26, 1863 – During the Civil War, a skirmish occurred at Hunt's Mill, near Larkinsville in Jackson County, Ala.

Sept. 26, 1864 - Confederate General Sterling Price invaded Missouri and attacked the Union garrison at Pilot Knob.

Sept. 26, 1864 - A guerilla band of 200 gathered under William "Bloody Bill" Anderson near the town of Centralia, Missouri. The next morning Anderson led 30 guerillas into the town and looted the community and terrorized residents.

  

Sept. 26, 1872 – The first Shriners Temple (called Mecca) was established in New York City.

Sept. 26, 1888 – Poet T.S. Eliot was born in St. Louis, Mo.

Sept. 26, 1905 – Holdings of the Bear Creek Mill Co. were sold to V.J. Herlong and the United Lumber Co.

Sept. 26, 1908 - Ed Eulbach of the Chicago Cubs became the first baseball player to pitch both games of a doubleheader and win both with shutouts.

Sept. 26, 1914 – The George W. Foster Camp No. 407, United Confederate Veterans, met in Monroeville to elect delegates for the upcoming state reunion in Mobile.

Sept. 26, 1919 - The St. Louis Browns defeated the New York Yankees 6-2 in a game that lasted 55 minutes. The game was the second game of a doubleheader.

Sept. 26, 1930 – H.P. Lovecraft completed “The Whisperer in Darkness,” which was originally published in the August 1931 issue of Weird Tales.

Sept. 26, 1934 - The RMS Queen Mary was launched. After the ocean liner was permanently docked in Long Beach, Calif., reports of ghosts and paranormal activity emerged. The most haunted section of the ship is said to be the engine room where a young sailor was crushed to death.

Sept. 26, 1957 – Future major league first baseman and Leroy native Kelvin Orlando Moore was born. He would go on to play three seasons for the Oakland A’s.

Sept. 26, 1957 – Lyeffion High School was scheduled to open their 1957 football season against Beatrice High School at Lyeffion, but that game was not played because the flu “laid low about half of the Eagle squad.”

Sept. 26, 1958 – Alabama baseball great Virgil Trucks, then a pitcher for the New York Yankees, appeared in his final major league baseball game.

Sept. 26, 1962 - Maury Wills of the Los Angeles Dodgers became the first player to steal 100 bases in a season. He ended the season with 104.

Sept. 26, 1969 – Air Force A1C Michael David Gunnels of Andalusia was killed in action in Vietnam.

Sept. 26, 1971 – Marine Sgt. Charles Wayne Turberville, 21, of Finchburg was killed while on duty at the American Embassy in Phnom Penhm, Cambodia during a Khmer Rouge terrorist attack. Born on July 17, 1950, he graduated from Monroe County High School, joined the Marines and became a member of the prestigious Marine Security Guard Battalion. He was buried at Bryant Cemetery at Finchburg.

Sept. 26, 1971 - Baltimore Orioles pitcher Jim Palmer wins his 20th game of the year, becoming the fourth Orioles pitcher to win 20 games in the 1971 season. This made the 1971 Orioles pitching staff the first since that of the 1920 Chicago White Sox to field four 20-game winners. The other 20-game winners were Dave McNally, Mike Cuellar and Pat Dobson.

Sept. 26, 1972 – Conecuh County Superitendent of Education Harvey G. Pate resigned and was replaed by Wayne Pope, who was appointed to fill Pate’s unexpired term by the Conecuh County Board of Education.

Sept. 26, 1981 - Nolan Ryan of the Houston Astros became the first player to pitch five no-hitters with a 5-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Sept. 26, 1987 – Conecuh County native Thomas Watson Spence, 79, of Montgomery passed away in a Montgomery hospital. He was a former Macon County Superintendent of Education and former sales representative for Scott-Forman Book Co.

Sept. 26, 1998 - Mark McGwire hit home runs 67 and 68 for the season.

Sept. 26, 1998 - Dennis Eckersly of the Boston Red Sox appeared in his 1,071st game.

Sept. 26, 2002 – Weather reporter Harry Ellis reported 1.18 inches of rain in Evergreen, Ala.