Today in History for Sept. 27, 2014

Grave of William Henry Hasty in Excel, Ala. 

Sept. 27, 1830 - The Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek was a signed between the Choctaw Indian tribe and the United States Government. This was the first removal treaty carried into effect under the Indian Removal Act. Under the treaty, the Choctaw Nation ceded to the United States all their land east of the Mississippi River, about 11 million acres, including parts of west Alabama in exchange for about 15 million acres in the Indian territory, present-day Oklahoma. Not all Choctaws moved west, however, and descendants living in Alabama are recognized by the state as the MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians, who have their tribal office at McIntosh.

Sept. 27, 1854 – James A. Hightower was commissioned as Monroe County’s Sheriff.

Sept. 27, 1864 - A guerilla band under William "Bloody Bill" Anderson massacred 22 unarmed Union troops at Centralia, Missouri. Afterward, 120 pursuing Union soldiers were killed.

Sept. 27, 1888 – The Central News Agency of London received the famous “Dear Boss” letter, which was a message allegedly written by the notorious serial killer, “Jack the Ripper.” It was the first time the "Jack the Ripper" name had been used to refer to the killer.

Sept. 27, 1906 - Following several days of heavy rains, a powerful hurricane wreaked havoc on the Gulf Coast, killing dozens in the Mobile area and causing millions of dollars in property damage. The editor of The Mobile Register called the hurricane "the greatest storm in the history of the city and by far the most damaging."

Sept. 27, 1919 – The first ever high school football game in the history of Monroe County was played when Monroe County High School’s team faced the “Town Boys” in Monroeville.

Sept. 27, 1923 - Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees hit his first of 493 career home runs.

Sept. 27, 1926 – American Legion Post No. 61 was formed in Monroeville, Ala.

Sept. 27, 1930 - Hack Wilson of the Chicago Cubs hit two home runs to give him 56 for the year.

Sept. 27, 1935 – The first ever night football game in Monroe County history was played on this day at J.U. Blacksher High School at Uriah, the first school in the county to have a lighted field. Blacksher played Repton, but the final score is unknown. The game likely ended in a 0-0 tie.

Sept. 27, 1940 - William Henry Hasty, believed to have been Monroe County’s last surviving Confederate veteran, passed away. Born on Sept. 9, 1846, he served as 5th Sgt. with Co. F of the 36th Alabama Regiment and would go on to become a Methodist minister. He is buried in Excel Cemetery.

Sept. 27, 1941 – Alabama baseball great Virgil Trucks made his major league debut with the Detroit Tigers.

Sept. 27, 1949 – Baseball Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt was born in Dayton, Ohio.

Sept. 27, 1951 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Army Cpl. Johnny R. Stowers of Evergreen had joined the Army’s 1st Cavalry Division on the front lines in Korea.

Sept. 27, 1953 - The St. Louis Browns played their final game before moving to Baltimore to become the Orioles.

Sept. 27, 1963 – Frisco City quarterback Joe Kelly was named the Birmingham Post-Herald’s “Back of the Week” for his performance in a 21-12 win over Jackson.

Sept. 27, 1964 – The Houston Colt .45s played their final game at Colts Stadium. They lost 1-0 to Los Angeles in 12 innings.

Sept. 27, 1964 - The Warren Commission issued a report on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy in November of 1963. The report concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald had acted alone.

Sept. 27, 1973 - Nolan Ryan of the California Angels struck out 16 batters for the Minnesota Twins. The feat established a modern day single season mark of 383 strikeouts in a season.

Sept. 27, 1996 - Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants became the second MLB player to record 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in the same year.

Sept. 27, 1998 - Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals set a major league baseball record when he hit his 70th home run of the season. Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs ended the season with 66 home runs. Both players surpassed Roger Maris' record of 61.

Sept. 27, 1998 - Greg Vaughn of the San Diego Padres hit his 50th home run of the season. It marked the first time that four players finished the regular season with 50 or more home runs.

Sept. 27, 1999 – In the last game was played at Tiger Stadium, the Detroit Tigers defeated the Kansas City Royals, 8-2.

Sept. 27, 2000 - Donovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles signed a 12-year contract that involved a $20.5 million signing bonus. The deal made McNabb the highest paid NFL player in history.

Sept. 27, 2002 – Sparta Academy beat Escambia Academy, 35-25, at Stuart-McGehee Field in Evergreen. Brandon Burleson led Sparta with 103 yards and a touchdown.

Sept. 27, 2003 - Javier Lopez of the Atlanta Braves became the first catcher to hit 42 home runs in a season.

Sept. 27, 2009 - The Detroit Lions defeated the Washington Redskins to end a 19-game losing streak dating back to December, 2007.