Today in History for Jan. 10, 2019

Jan. 10, 1775 – William Rabb Sr., who settled in Conecuh County, Ala. in 1819, was born in Fairfield District, South Carolina. He was one of Conecuh’s first store owners and farmers.

  

Jan. 10, 1842 – Thomas Hill Watts of Butler County, Ala., who would eventually become Alabama’s governor, married Eliza B. Allen, the daughter of Wade Allen, Esq., then a prominent and wealthy citizen of Montgomery, Ala.

  

Jan. 10, 1861 - Florida became the third state to secede from the Union when a state convention voted 62 to 7 in favor of the measure. U.S. troops are transferred from Barrancas Barracks to Fort Pickens, Santa Rosa Island, Pensacola, Fla.

Jan. 10, 1861 – Lt. Adam J. Slemmer destroyed over 20,000 pounds of gunpowder at Fort McRee, spiked the guns at Fort Barrancas, and evacuated with 51 soldiers and 30 sailors to Fort Pickens.

Jan. 10, 1899 – The Town of Repton, Ala. was officially incorporated as a municipality, according to the Alabama League of Municipalities.

  

Jan. 10, 1906 – The Evergreen Courant reported that work on the bank at Castleberry was “progressing satisfactorily and in a short while will be complete. The contract was awarded to J.P. Baggett. The building will be made of concrete blocks.”

Jan. 10, 1912 – The Conecuh County Jail caught fire around 8 p.m. and a large crowd went to the scene. An inmate caused the fire by setting a blanket on fire, but little damage was done.

  

Jan. 10, 1913 – The steamboat “James T. Staples” was destroyed by a boiler explosion on the Tombigbee River, about four miles from Bladon Springs, at Powes Landing. Twenty-six people were killed and 21 were injured. (Other sources say this occurred on Jan. 9.)

Jan. 10, 1916 – The birthday of that “celebrated soldier and model Christian gentleman” Robert E. Lee was observed as a holiday in Alabama on this Wednesday, according to The Conecuh Record.

  

Jan. 10, 1918 – The Wilcox Progressive Era reported that W.A. Dale had moved into the new building erected by Dr. E. Bonner and Hon. J.M. Bonner at the old post office site. Dale planned to carry a full, fresh line of groceries and general merchandise. He also had a delivery wagon and would deliver orders promptly. His phone was No. 102.

Jan. 10, 1918 – The Wilcox Progressive Era reported that Mrs. Jennie Foster, principal of the grammar school in Camden, had had a pig pen built for two months but no pig had been sent in.

Jan. 10, 1918 – In this day’s edition of The Wilcox Progressive Era, notice was given that application was being made to the Governor and Board of Pardons of Alabama for the parole of Joe Howard Riley, who was convicted in the Circuit Court of Wilcox County on May 7, 1914 of murder in the second degree and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Jan. 10, 1918 – The correspondent from Lower Peach Tree reported in this day’s edition of the Wilcox Progressive Era that they were experiencing the “coldest weather in years” and that the “big Bear creek was frozen nearly over.”

Jan. 10, 1918 – The Wilcox Progressive Era, in news from the Bellview community, reported that Mr. J.B. Sessions had just completed his store and that his family had just recovered from the measles.

  

Jan. 10, 1923 - Four years after the end of World War I, President Warren G. Harding ordered U.S. occupation troops stationed in Germany to return home.

Jan. 10, 1925 – Harold R. Betts became postmaster at Burnt Corn.

Jan. 10, 1928 – The old Monroe County Courthouse building, believed to have been built in 1854, burned. It was located between the two present-day courthouses on the square in Monroeville, Ala.

Jan. 10, 1938 – National Baseball Hall of Fame first baseman Willie McCovey was born in Mobile, Ala. He went on to play for the San Francisco Giants, the San Diego Padres and the Oakland Athletics. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986.

Jan. 10, 1944 - A radio version of Alabama author Lillian Hellman's play “Watch on the Rhine” was broadcast as part of “The Lady Esther Screen Guild Theatre” series.

Jan. 10, 1946 – The Monroe Journal reported that two Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Posts were to be organized in Monroe County. The first in the county was to be instituted at Uriah at the Methodist Church at 7:15 p.m. on Jan. 15. A post was also to be organized at Monroeville on Jan. 26, at 7:15 p.m. at the Legion Club House.

Jan. 10, 1946 – The Monroe Journal reported that James E. Kearley of Beatrice had been discharged from the Army after serving a total of 53 months, 22 of which were spent overseas. He was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, European, Pre-Pearl Harbor and American theater ribbons.

Jan. 10, 1952 – The members and guests of the Frisco City Masonic Lodge No. 702 were entertained at an annual oyster supper on this Thursday evening. The event was held at the local school gymnasium.

Jan. 10, 1957 - Six pre-dawn bombings in Montgomery, Ala. damaged four black churches and two ministers' homes, including that of Montgomery Bus Boycott leader Ralph Abernathy. The violence came on the heels of several shooting incidents in which recently desegregated city buses were fired upon.

Jan. 10, 1959 – Joseph Ross Glass, a 79-year-old member of Greening Masonic Lodge. No. 53 in Evergreen, Ala., passed away. Born on Sept. 21, 1880, he was buried in Magnolia Cemetery in Evergreen.

Jan. 10, 1962 – On this Wednesday morning, temperatures dipped to 12 degrees in Evergreen, Ala. and two inches of snow were reported in northern Conecuh County. All county schools were dismissed on Jan. 10 and were to remain closed until the morning of Fri., Jan. 12.

   

Jan. 10, 1975 – Evergreen High School’s basketball team was scheduled to play Escambia County High School of Atmore on this Friday night in Evergreen, Ala.

  

Jan. 10, 1979 - Alabama author Sara Mayfield died in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

  

Jan. 10, 1986 - Ralph Garrett was honored on this day when he retired from South Central Bell after 38 years and nine months of service. He was a toll technician at the time of his retirement.

Jan. 10, 2008 – The Kyser Cemetery in Conecuh County was added to the Alabama Historic Cemetery Register.

Jan. 10, 2011 - SEC champion Auburn University, led by Coach Gene Chizik and Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton, defeated the PAC-10 champions, the University of Oregon, in the BCS National Championship game in Glendale, Arizona, with a final score of 22-19.

Jan. 10, 2012 – Football player and coach Vince Gibson, a native of Birmingham, Ala., died at the age of 78 in Kenner, La. After playing guard at Florida State in the 1950s, he went on to serve as the head coach at Kansas State, Louisville and Tulane.