Today in History for Sept. 3, 2014

Belleville Baptist Church

Sept. 3, 1813 – Soldiers from Glass Redoubt, a small fort just south of Suggsville near the Alabama River in Clarke County, were sent to the home of Ransom Kimball, about a mile from Fort Sinquefield, where they recovered the bodies from the Kimball-James Massacre and returned to Sinquefield with them in an oxcart.

Sept. 3, 1824 – During his tour of the United States, the Marquis de Lafayette visited Worcester, Mass. and Tolland, Conn.

Sept. 3, 1855 – John DeLoach was commissioned for his first of four terms as Monroe County’s Circuit Court Clerk. He would be recommissioned for the same office in August 1859, July 1865 and August 1868.

Sept. 3, 1861 - Confederate troops led by General Leonidas Polk entered Columbus, Ky. The move negated Kentucky's neutrality and caused the Unionist legislature to invite the U.S. government to drive out the invaders.

Sept. 3, 1862 – Florence Elizabeth Chandler Maybrick was born in Mobile, Ala., the daughter of William George Chandler, a partner in the banking firm of St. John Powers & Company, and at one time mayor of Mobile. In 1889, she was convicted in Great Britain of murdering her considerably older husband, James Maybrick, a suspect in the Jack the Ripper killings.

Sept. 3, 1863 – Ward’s Raiders burn the Coffee County Courthouse, a two-story frame structure, at Elba in Coffee County, Ala.

Sept. 3, 1895 - The first professional football game was played in Latrobe, Pa. The Latrobe YMCA defeated the Jeannette Athletic Club 12-0.

Sept. 3, 1903 – The Atmore Record newspaper was established.

Sept. 3, 1910 - Boll weevils were first discovered on Alabama soil in Mobile County. The devastation the insect would cause to cotton throughout the South ultimately spurred agricultural diversification away from "King Cotton."

Sept. 3, 1918 – During World War I, Army Pvt. Amos Weatherspoon of Evergreen “died of disease.”

Sept. 3, 1947 - The New York Yankees got 18 hits in an 11-2 win over Boston. All 18 hits were singles.

Sept. 3, 1957 - Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves recorded his 41st career shutout.

Sept. 3, 1964 – Conecuh County schools opened on this day for the 1964-65 school year.

Sept. 3, 1970 – The Evergreen Courant announced that a project had been launched to erect a suitable historical marker on the grounds of the Belleville Baptist Church.

Sept. 3, 1970 – Dan Bilbro Jr. and Lovelace Lowe killed a large rattlesnake on the Old Sparta Road. The snake had 16 rattles and a button and was about five feet long.

Sept. 3, 1970 – The Evergreen Courant reported that members of Boy Scout Troop No. 40 in Evergreen complete a 50-mile canoe trip from Travis Bridge to McGowin’s Bridge on the Sepulga River. Boys completing the trip included Jeb Barron, Lester Daw, Oliver Garrett, Sammy Garrett, Chuck Neese, Gene Price, Lewis Price, Terry Pugh and Frederick Stevens.

Sept. 3, 1970 - Vince Lombardi died of cancer at the age of 57 in Washington, D.C.

Sept. 3, 1970 - Billy Williams of the Chicago Cubs ended his National League record of 1,117 consecutive games played.

Sept. 3, 1971 – Sparta Academy played its first football game ever, a 13-13 tie against Greenville Academy in Evergreen.

Sept. 3, 1977 - Sadaharu Oh of Japan’s Yomiuri Giants hits the 756th home run of his career, breaking Hank Aaron’s professional record for career home runs. He retired in 1980 with 868 home runs.

Sept. 3, 1981 - The Boston Red Sox and the Seattle Mariners played the longest game in Fenway Park history. The game was ended in a 7-7 tie after 19 innings the previous day. The Mariners won the game, 8-7.

Sept. 3, 1984 - Bruce Sutter of the St. Louis Cardinals set a National League record by earning his 38th save of the season.

Sept. 3, 1986 - The Houston Astros beat the Chicago Cubs 8-7 in the 18th inning. The game ended after 14 innings were played. The two teams had used a record 53 players the day before.

Sept. 3, 1990 - Bobby Thigpen set a major league record when he got his 47th save.

Sept. 3, 2000 - Kenny Lofton tied a major league record when he scored in his 18th straight game.

Sept. 3, 2001 - Bud Smith became the 16th major league rookie to throw a no-hitter. It was his 11th career start.

Sept. 3, 2007 - Adventurer Steve Fossett vanished after taking off on a solo flight over the Nevada desert.