Daily Rainfall Observations from SW Alabama for Fri., April 27, 2018

Rainfall (Past 24 Hours): 0.25 inches.

Week to Date Rainfall: 0.55 inches.

Month to Date Rainfall:  4.70 inches.

Spring to Date Rainfall: 6.75 inches.

Year to Date Rainfall: 17.10 inches.

Notes: Today is the 117th day of 2018 and the 39th day of Spring. There are 249 days left in the year.

Readings taken at 0700 hours Central Standard Time (1300 GMT) daily, just west of the Monroe-Conecuh County line and south of U.S. Highway 84, near Excel, Alabama, USA, in the vicinity of Lat 31.42834N Lon 87.30131W. Elevation 400 feet above sea level. CoCoRaHS Station No. AL-MN-4, Station Name: Excel 2.5 ESE.

Today in History for April 26, 2018

Comedienne Martha Raye

April 26, 1564 – Playwright William Shakespeare was baptized in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England (date of actual birth is unknown).

April 26, 1607 - The British established an American colony at Cape Henry, Va. It was the first permanent English establishment in the Western Hemisphere.

April 26, 1711 - David Hume was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. His essay "Idea of a Perfect Commonwealth" greatly affected the ideas of the drafters of the American Federal Constitution.

April 26, 1777 – Sybil Ludington, aged 16, rode 40 miles to alert American colonial forces to the approach of the British.

April 26, 1785 – Ornithologist and artist John James Audubon was born in Les Cayes in what is now Haiti.

April 26, 1798 - James Beckwourth, one of only a handful of early mountain men to emerge from the system of slavery, was born in Fredericksburg, Va.

April 26, 1819 - The first Odd Fellows lodge in the U.S. was established in Baltimore, Md.

April 26, 1861 – During the Civil War, the occupation of Grafton, West Virginia by Federal forces began, and Federal mail service was cut to the Confederate states.

April 26, 1861 - The economy of Georgia got a small boost on this day during the Civil War. Governor Joseph Brown issued an order to the residents of his state. In it he repudiated all debts owed by any of his citizens - not to mention the state itself or any of its agencies - to any Northern person or company. Brown was occasionally as big a problem to his own President as he was to the North.

April 26, 1862 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought in the vicinity of Fort Baker, Calif. along the Eel River; at Neosho and Turnback Creek in Missouri; at Arkins’ Mill and another at Forked Deer River in Tennessee; and in the vicinity of Yorktown, Va.

April 26, 1863 – During the Civil War, Union Col. Abel D. Streight’s cavalry operation from Tuscumbia, Ala. to Rome, Ga. began. His troops were mounted on mules because of a dearth of horses.

April 26, 1863 – During the Civil War, a four-day Federal operation around Celina, Ky. began, and a four-day Federal operation between Opelousas and Niblett’s Bluff in Louisiana began. Skirmishes were fought at Altamont, Cranberry Summit, Oakland, Jackson and Cape Girardeau in Missouri; in the vicinity of College Grove and Little Rock Landing in Tennessee; at Oak Grove, Va.; at Burlington, Portland and Rowlesburg in West Virginia.

April 26, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Alexandria, Bayou Rapides, Bridge (near McNutt’s Hill) Deloach’s Bluff, and at the junction of the Cane and Red Rivers in Louisiana. The Red River expedition had already been given up on and written off as a failure. The water level on the river was dropping so fast, due to an ongoing drought. The ships were under constant attack from shore. The ships above the rapids were trapped, and the others, including Admiral Porter’s flagship, USS Cricket, were hit repeatedly by small arms and even artillery fire from Gen. Richard Taylor’s men.

April 26, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought in Wayne County, Mo.; in the vicinity of Little Rock, Ark.; and in the vicinity of Winchester, Va. An 11-day Federal operation between Jacksonville and Lake Monroe in Florida began. The Federal evacuation of Washington, N.C. began due to Confederate occupation of Plymouth, N.C.

April 26, 1865 – During the Civil War, Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston surrendered his army, the Army of Tennessee, to General William Tecumseh Sherman at the Bennett Place near Durham, North Carolina. This day is also the date of Confederate Memorial Day for two states.

April 26, 1865 - John Wilkes Booth, 26, was shot and killed when Union soldiers tracked him down to a Virginia farm 12 days after he assassinated President Abraham Lincoln.

April 26, 1879 - The Historical Society of Conecuh County was scheduled to meet in the courthouse in Evergreen on this Saturday at 10 a.m.

April 26, 1888 – Novelist and screenwriter Anita Loos was born in Mount Shasta, Calif.

April 26, 1889 – Philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein was born in Vienna.

April 26, 1900 – National Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Hack Wilson was born in Ellwood City, Pa. He would go on to play for the New York Giants, the Chicago Cubs, the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979.

April 26, 1900 – Geophysicist and seismologist Charles Richter, who devised the earthquake grading scale that bears his name, was born in Overpeck, Ohio.

April 26, 1906 – The Monroe Journal reported that J.O. Archer, J.L. Marshall, R.C. Pittman of Mexia and W.W. Davis of Manistee were all attending the reunion of Confederate veterans in New Orleans.

April 26, 1906 – The Monroe Journal, in news from the Provo community, that Dan Fore, who got lost in the woods while looking for cattle, had safely returned to his home. His disappearance created “quite a sensation, for three days the woods were scouted to no avail,” but at last he returned.

April 26, 1906 – The Monroe Journal, in news from the Pineapple community, reported that Lucher Ingram, who had reportedly disappeared from his home, had returned, but it was said that “his mind was affected.”

April 26, 1906 – The Monroe Journal reported that Buena Vista’s Annual Memorial festivities would be held on Thurs. May 3, and that the community’s graveyard was “nicely cleaned and every year head and footboards, or tombstones,” were erected.

April 26, 1912 - Hugh Bradley of the Boston Red Sox hit the first home run in Fenway Park.

April 26, 1914 – Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Bernard Malamud was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. He is best known for his classic 1952 baseball novel, “The Natural.”

April 26, 1915 – The P.D. Bowles Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy held a Confederate Memorial Day ceremony at the Evergreen Cemetery in Evergreen, Ala. It was the first ceremony of its type in Evergreen and an estimated crowd of more than 500 attended. Mrs. E.C. Page, president of the UDC Chapter, was the master of ceremonies, and Dr. J.G. Dickinson, pastor of the Baptist Church, delivered the memorial address.

April 26, 1915 – The United Daughters of the Confederacy celebrated Confederate Memorial Day on “behalf of the surviving soldiers” in the auditorium at Monroe County High School in Monroeville, Ala. Speakers included Mr. Biggs, the Rev. D.F. Ellisor, Mrs. Barnett, Miss Shell and Congressman Oscar L. Gray. Musical performances were conducted by the High School Chorus Club, a quartette made up of Messrs. Coxwell, Sowell, Henson and McDuffie. Songs included “Dixie,” “The Bonnie Blue Flag” and “Tenting on the Old Camp Ground.”

April 26, 1915 - After receiving the promise of significant territorial gains, Italy signed the Treaty of London, committing itself to enter World War I on the side of the Allies.

April 26, 1917 – Major League Baseball pitcher Virgil Trucks was born in Birmingham, Ala. He would go on to play for the Detroit Tigers, the St. Louis Browns, the Chicago White Sox, the Kansas City Athletics and the New York Yankees.

April 26, 1917 – The Monroe Journal reported that Dr. T.E. Dennis was occupying his “elegant” new dwelling on North Main Street.

April 26, 1917 – The Monroe Journal reported that Mr. J.D. Ratcliffe’s “handsome new bungalow” on North Main Street was in course of erection.

April 26, 1917 – The Monroe Journal reported that Mr. Hugh Cameron and family were “cozily domiciled in their pretty new home” in Monvil Park.

April 26, 1917 – The Monroe Journal reported that the walls of the Lazenby Mercantile Company’s new brick store on Northside were practically completed. The building was expected to be ready for the transfer of stock within a few weeks.

April 26, 1917 – The Monroe Journal reported that Mr. G.B. Sellers, proprietor of the local waterworks, was having a concrete storage reservoir of considerable capacity put in at the pumping station. It was hoped that the reserve of water thus made available would be sufficient to tide over periods when the deep well pump may be put temporarily out of commission.

April 26, 1917 – The Monroe Journal reported that J.B. Barnett, Esq., attended the State Sunday School Convention in Montgomery earlier that week.

April 26, 1917 – The Monroe Journal reported that Mrs. A.B. Coxwell “placed the editorial household under obligations for a mess of new potatoes, the first of the season.”

April 26, 1917 – The Monroe Journal reported that Mr. G.B. Barnett attended the meeting of the Alabama Good Roads Association in Birmingham during the previous week.

April 26, 1917 – A “large crowd” enjoyed the Confederate memorial services conducted at the cemetery on this Friday afternoon in Evergreen. The memorial address was delivered by Rev. Charles Lane of Macon, Ga. The program arranged promised to be the most interesting of any yet held in Evergreen. The service also consisted of prayer by Rev. D.W. Haskew and patriotic songs by school pupils. After Lane’s speech and while flowers were being strewn over graves, a detachment of the military company fired a salute and taps were sounded.

April 26, 1917 - Monroe County High School’s baseball team journeyed to Jackson on this Thursday and played the First District Agricultural School team in three hard fought games, Monroeville losing each. “The visitors charge that Aggies pitted League players against amateurs, which explains the disastrous results,” according to The Monroe Journal.

April 26, 1921 - Weather broadcasts were heard for the first time on radio in St. Louis, Mo.

April 26, 1931 - New York Yankee Lou Gehrig hit a home run but was called out for passing a runner.

April 26, 1933 – The Gestapo, the official secret police force of Nazi Germany, was established.

April 26, 1933 - American comedienne Carol Burnett was born in San Antonio, Texas.

April 26, 1937 – The civilian Basque town of Guernica was bombed during the Spanish Civil War by allied Nazi and Italian planes at the request of Spanish nationalist leader Francisco Franco.

April 26, 1940 - A special program for the observance of the Pix Theatre’s third anniversary was to be held on this Friday, according to Manager Haywood Hanna. On the screen that day was to be seen “The Farmer’s Daughter,” starring comedienne Martha Raye. The lobby of the Pix was to be beautifully decorated with flowers by the Evergreen Garden Clubs.

April 26, 1941 - An organ was played at a baseball stadium for the first time in Chicago, Ill.

April 26, 1946 – American miner, explorer and park ranger James Larkin White passed away at the age of 63 in Carlsbad, N.M.

April 26, 1946 - Handy Ellis, candidate for governor in the primary election, spoke in Evergreen, Ala. on this Friday night from the bandstand in the business section of town, using a public address system. He was heard by several hundred persons most of whom were sitting in automobiles around the business section. Ellis was introduced by H.D. Weathers, his campaign manager for Conecuh County, who lauded his fine record in the legislature for the past quarter of a century. The appearance of Ellis was the second of the gubernatorial candidates to speak in Evergreen. Big Jim Folsom appeared in Evergreen several weeks before.

April 26, 1948 - A 750-pound calf owned by James Norris was judged Grand Champion during the Evergreen Jaycees’ Second Annual Fat Calf Show in Evergreen, Ala.

April 26, 1951 – Army Sgt. Paul R. Goodson, 22, of Escambia County, Ala. was killed in action in Korea while serving with the 21^st Infantry, 24^th Infantry Division. Born on Dec. 16, 1928, he is buried in the McCullough Community Cemetery in Escambia County.

April 26, 1954 – English mountaineer and explorer Alan Hinkes was born in Northallerton in North Yorkshire.

April 26, 1958 – The ground-breaking ceremony was held for Weiss Dam, with over 10,000 attending – if the number of barbecue plates served is an accurate indicator. Construction began three months later, and by 1962 the plant was fully operational. It was the last dam build under Tom Martin’s supervision.

April 26, 1966 - Alabama author Natasha Trethewey was born in Gulfport, Miss.

April 26, 1967 – Sidney Lanier High School beat Evergreen High School, 8-1, in Montgomery. For 2-1/3 innings, the game was tight as Homer Faulkner struck out six of the first eight batters he faced. In the fifth inning, the Aggies got their only run when Faulkner got on by an error. He advanced to third on a single and a sacrifice. Wayne Caylor finally brought him in with a sacrifice fly. Aggie hits were made by Grover Jackson, Leon Hinson and Faulkner.

April 26, 1971 - The U.S. command in Saigon announced that the U.S. force level in Vietnam is 281,400 men, the lowest since July 1966.

April 26, 1972 - President Nixon, despite the ongoing communist offensive, announced that another 20,000 U.S. troops would be withdrawn from Vietnam in May and June, reducing authorized troop strength to 49,000.

April 26, 1973 – The Old Monroe County Courthouse in Monroeville, Ala. was added to National Register of Historic Places.

April 26, 1973 – The Boll Weevil Monument in Enterprise, Ala. was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

April 26, 1976 – Escambia Academy’s baseball team edged Sparta Academy, 3-2, with Jerry Peacock getting tagged with the loss although he gave up only five hits.

April 26, 1977 – The Sparta Academy baseball team improved to 5-8 on the season with a 10-6 win over Greenville Academy in Greenville. Terry Peacock was the winning pitcher. Jerry Peacock and Hugh Bradford led the offense with two hits each.

April 26, 1977 – Sparta Academy’s girls softball team dropped to 0-4 on the season after a pair of losses in a double header against Escambia Academy at the Murphy Club Park in Evergreen, Ala. Escambia won the first game, 17-4, and the second game, 9-3.

April 26, 1982 – Former Auburn University tight end Cooper Wallace was born in Nashville, Tenn. After college, he went on to play for the Tennessee Titans.

April 26, 1986 – The Chernobyl disaster occurred in the USSR when flawed reactor design and lax safety standards led to one of the largest nuclear disasters in history, resulting in the evacuation of over 100,000 residents living in and around Chernobyl.

April 26, 1988 - Deatrich Wendell Wise of Evergreen, Ala., a senior at Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss., was selected seventh in the ninth round of the NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks.

April 26, 1995 - Coors Field officially opened in Denver, Colo., and the Rockies beat the New York Mets, 11-9, in 14 innings.

April 26, 2003 - Taylor’s University completed their first rank testing on this day, where 15 students received belts ranking yellow, orange and green, according to The Evergreen Courant. They also went to competition on May 17, where they won four trophies and four medals.

April 26, 2007 – Major League Baseball’s Will Clark was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame.

April 26, 2011 – Excel High School’s varsity softball team closed out regular season play on this Tuesday in Excel with a 5-2 loss to Thomasville’s Lady Tigers. Courtney Addison pitched five innings against Thomasville and allowed five runs, two earned, on five hits and two walks while striking out two. Kayla Jordan relieved her in the sixth and shutout the Lady Tigers. Other standout softball players on Excel’s team that year included Morgan Agerton, Lauren Anderson, Amy Hudson, Claire Jordan and Hunter Silcox.

April 26, 2016 – A UFO was reported around 9:35 p.m. on this Tuesday in Birmingham, Ala. The witness in this case was sitting on the front porch with his mom’s boyfriend and fiancé when they saw a light in the sky that appeared out of nowhere. Within a few seconds, the light flew over the house, which prompted the witness to run off the porch for a better look. He watched as the light “zipped in a zig-zag pattern” before disappearing from sight.

Where in the heck did the town of Repton get its name?

Gene from Repton writes this week with an interesting local history question: Where in the heck did the town of Repton get its name?

Well, Gene, that’s a good question, and I found it more than a little difficult to find you a good answer. The short answer, according to the sources I checked, is no one really knows. However, there are a couple of theories.

As you may have already guessed, one theory, according to “Heritage of Conecuh County, Alabama,” the name “Repton” was the possible surname, that is, the last name of a Louisville and Nashville Railroad official. Since Repton is located on the L&N Railroad, this makes sense.

According to a cool, little book called “Place Names in Alabama” by Virginia O. Foscue, the Town of Repton was incorporated in 1899, and its post office was established in 1881. The town was possibly named for a local family, according to that book.

While we’re on the subject of place names, I also made a note of the following information, all according to Foscue’s book, which is in the Evergreen-Conecuh County Library’s reserve book section.

Conecuh County was named after the Conecuh River. The word “Conecuh” may be a compound of the Creek word “koha” (canebrakes) and “anaka” (near) or the Creek words “kono” and “ika” (polecat’s head) or of the Choctaw words “kuni” (young canes) and “akka” (below).

Evergreen was first settled around 1820 in an area known as “Cosey’s Old Field,” which had once been part of a field cleared by the Revolutionary War veteran, John Cosey. The settlement’s name was changed to Evergreen at the suggestion of Alexander Travis because of the surrounding evergreen pine trees. Evergreen’s post office was established in 1840, and Evergreen officially incorporated in 1873.

The Town of Castleberry is located in an area first known as “Wilson’s Field,” which was named for an early landowner. Its name was later changed to Castleberry to honor the Castleberry family, whose house served as a relay stop on the stagecoach route from Pensacola to Montgomery. A post office was established there in 1869, and the town was incorporated in 1912.

The Belleville community was the first permanent white settlement in the Conecuh County area and dates all the way back to the latter part of 1815. It was originally called “The Ponds,” but was then given the pseudo-French compound name of “belle” plus “ville” in honor of an Irishman, a Mr. Bell, who drained the ponds. A post office was established there in 1828.

The Bermuda community was named for a kind of grass being tested in that area, and a post office was established there in 1877.

The name for the Lenox community is the same as that of a town in Massachusetts that honors one of the earls of Lenox, who was also the duke of Richmond. It’s a frequently occurring name throughout the United States because it is short and distinctive. A post office was established in Lenox in 1902.

Hampden Ridge, which no longer exists as a town, was located on a hill about 10 miles south of Belleville. It was founded and named by Alexander Autrey, probably for a town in the east and honoring the English member of Parliament, John Hampden. This community was Conecuh County’s first county seat, from 1818-1820. After the Indians living across Murder Creek from Hampden Ridge left the area, the inhabitants moved to the site of the Indian village and founded Sparta, the next county seat.

The Jay Villa community was named for the house owned by Andrew Jay, who was a Baptist minister and a state legislator. A post office was established there in 1870. As you might imagine, the London community was probably named for the city in England, and a post office was established there in 1895.

Well, I guess that’s all for this week. Got a question you want me to run down the answer to? E-mail it to me, and I’ll look into it.

Jose Bautista signing part of big Braves roster moves this week

The Atlanta Braves looked really good during the past week, going 4-2 overall against a pair of tough division opponents.

Monday through Wednesday of last week, Atlanta went 2-1 in a series against the Phillies and followed that with a 2-1 showing against the New York Mets. When the dust settled after those two series, Atlanta was left with a 12-8 overall record, which isn’t bad in my book. (Atlanta was scheduled to play a fourth game against the Mets on Sunday, but bad weather prompted that game to be postponed to May 28.)

As of Monday morning, the Braves were sitting in third place in the National League East. Ironically, the two teams ahead of them in the division standings were the first-place Mets and the second-place Phillies. The Mets were 14-6 overall, and the Phillies were 14-7 overall, as of Monday morning.

Monday marked the start of a long road trip for the Braves, who were set to play a four-game series against the Reds Monday through Thursday in Cincinnati. Tomorrow (Friday) through Sunday, the Braves will head to the “City of Brotherly Love” for a rematch against the Phillies. The Braves will get a day off this coming Monday before they head to Citi Field in Queens, N.Y. on Tuesday to play a three-game set against the Mets.

Atlanta third baseman Ryan Flaherty is continuing to tear up opposing pitchers. As of Monday morning, he had the second-highest batting average in the Major Leagues – .362, which was four points higher than league leading Mookie Betts, who plays right field for the Red Sox.

On the pitching side of the ledger, based on ERA, Mike Foltynewicz has been Atlanta’s best arm. As of Monday morning, “Folty” had an ERA of 2.53, a 1-1 overall record with 26 strikeouts to his credit. Atlanta right-hander Brandon McCarthy has looked really good early on as well.

While looking at Atlanta’s schedule earlier this week, I noticed that the Braves will be playing the Padres in Atlanta on Fathers Day, which falls this year on Sun., June 17. If your father is a baseball fan, and if he’s never been to Atlanta’s new stadium, SunTrust Park, tickets to this game might be a good gift idea.

If your mother is a baseball fan, she doesn’t have the same sort of luck as the dads this year. Mothers Day falls on Sun., May 13, but Atlanta will be playing in Miami on that day.

With that said, word around the campfire is that Atlanta is due for some big roster changes. They signed Jose Bautista to a one-year contract last week, and he could be on the 40-man roster by the time this column hits the streets. Ronald Acuna, Atlanta’s top young prospect, is also expected to join the team soon, as is injured catcher Tyler Flowers, who has been out hurt for the start of the season.

On paper, the addition of all three of these players should give Atlanta a big boost, but I hope they don’t mess up the chemistry that Atlanta has had going for it earlier this season. Only time will tell, and you can bet that the team will go through even more, unexpected, changes as the season progresses.

Daily Rainfall Observations from SW Alabama for Thurs., April 26, 2018

Rainfall (Past 24 Hours): 0.00 inches.

Week to Date Rainfall: 0.30 inches.

Month to Date Rainfall:  4.45 inches.

Spring to Date Rainfall: 6.50 inches.

Year to Date Rainfall: 16.85 inches.

Notes: Today is the 116th day of 2018 and the 38th day of Spring. There are 250 days left in the year.

Readings taken at 0700 hours Central Standard Time (1300 GMT) daily, just west of the Monroe-Conecuh County line and south of U.S. Highway 84, near Excel, Alabama, USA, in the vicinity of Lat 31.42834N Lon 87.30131W. Elevation 400 feet above sea level. CoCoRaHS Station No. AL-MN-4, Station Name: Excel 2.5 ESE.

Today in History for April 25, 2018

Alabama Gov. Chauncey Sparks

April 25, 1599 – English military and political leader Oliver Cromwell was born in Huntingdonshire, England.

April 25, 1777 – Nicholas Stallworth Sr., one of the original settlers of Conecuh County, Ala., was born in Edgefield District, South Carolina. He died at the age of 59 on Dec. 6, 1836 and is buried in the Old Evergreen Cemetery.

April 25, 1781 - British General Lord Charles Cornwallis retreated to Wilmington, North Carolina from Guilford Courthouse after having been defeated by a militia under the command of American Major General Nathanael Greene.

April 25, 1792 - The guillotine was first used to execute highwayman Nicolas J. Pelletier.

April 25, 1831 – The New York and Harlem Railroad Co. was incorporated as one of the first railroads in the country and was the first streetcar railway in the world.

April 25, 1831 - The play “The Lion of the West” opened in New York City, becoming the first of many plays, books and movies celebrating Davy Crockett.

April 25, 1846 - The Mexican-American War ignited as a result of disputes over claims to Texas boundaries. The outcome of the war fixed Texas' southern boundary at the Rio Grande River.

April 25, 1861 – Store clerk Alfred Christian of Evergreen, Ala., a native of Virginia, enlisted in the Confederate army at Sparta in Conecuh County, Ala. Christian was elected Brevet 2nd Lt., and his commission expired on Oct. 9, 1862 at Raccoon Ford, Va. He was appointed second lieutenant, and his commission expired on July 3, 1863 at Gettysburg. He was named orderly sergeant and was appointed first lieutenant on Feb. 6, 1864. Christian survived the war and moved to Texas. At the time of his enlistment, Alfred lived with his brother, George Christian, who briefly served as Evergreen’s postmaster in 1856-57. When the Civil War began, George was exempted from service because he was a Justice of the Peace. George Christian is buried in the Burford Cemetery but has no grave marker.

April 25, 1861 – During the Civil War, 12,500 muskets from the St. Louis Arsenal were removed to keep them out of Confederate hands. Missouri was on the verge of secession, and St. Louis held one of the largest Federal arsenals west of the Appalachians. The Union needed those guns to equip the troops who would soon be flooding into Cairo. Captain Stokes, with a few soldiers, were given orders and a steamship and set forth. The party landed in the middle of the night and started hauling guns.

April 25, 1861 – During the Civil War, Fort Stockton, Texas was abandoned by Federal forces, and Federal troops were captured in Saluria, Texas.

April 25, 1861 – During the Civil War, the 7th New York Infantry arrived in Washington, D.C. for its defense.

April 25, 1862 – During the Civil War, forces under Union Admiral David Farragut demanded the surrender of the Confederate city of New Orleans, Louisiana. Union troops officially took possession on April 29.

April 25, 1862 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought along the Corinth Road in Mississippi; near Monagan Springs, Mo.; and at Socorro in the New Mexico Territory. Federal forces captured Fort Macon, N.C.

April 25, 1863 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought near Fort Bowie with Apache Indians in the Arizona Territory; at Webber’s Fall in the Indian Territory with the Pro-South Cherokee Indians under Colonel Stand Watie; with Apache Indians at Apache Pass in the New Mexico Territory; at Greenland Gap, West Virginia. Major General Grants’ forces began a movement through Louisiana to Hard Times. Skirmishes also occur at Phelp’s Bayou, Clark’s Bayou and Lake Bruin in Louisiana.

April 25, 1863 – HILLIARD’S LEGION: Hilliard’s Legion was consolidated again. The 59^th Alabama was attached to Third Brigade, Department of East Tennessee.

April 25, 1864 – During the Civil War, the Battle of Marks' Mills took place in Cleveland County, Ark. During the battle, Confederate forces under General James Fagan captured a Union wagon train attempting to supply Federal forces at Camden, Ark. Union General Frederick Steele was forced to withdraw back to Little Rock.

April 25, 1864 - After facing defeat in the Red River Campaign, Union General Nathaniel Banks returned to Alexandria, La.

April 25, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Moro Bottom, Ark.; at Cotile Landing, La.; and out from Natchez, Miss. A three-day Federal operation between Bull’s Cap and the Watauga River in Tennessee also began.

April 25, 1865 – Having departed the battlefield at Blakely near Mobile, Ala. on April 14, the Federal 16th Corps under Major General A.J. Smith arrived in Montgomery, formally beginning the Union occupation of the city of Montgomery.

April 25, 1865 – During the Civil War, Federal reconnaissance was conducted from Pine Bluff to Rodger’s Plantation, Ark. Skirmishes were fought at Linn Creek, Mo. and in Fairfax County, Va. in the vicinity of Hunter’s Mills.

April 25, 1873 – Writer Howard R. Garis was born in Binghamton, N.Y.

April 25, 1882 – During the Tonkin Campaign, French and Vietnamese troops clashed in Tonkin, when Commandant Henri Rivière seized the citadel of Hanoi with a small force of marine infantry.

April 25, 1884 – At the Calhoun House in downtown Huntsville, Ala., which was used as a federal courthouse, desperado Frank James was tried and found not guilty for the robbery of a government payroll near Muscle Shoals, Ala. on May 11, 1881. One of his defense attorneys was Huntsville’s LeRoy Pope Walker, first secretary of war of the Confederate States of America.

April 25, 1886 - Miss Ella Tucker, who had been visiting relatives in Mobile, returned home on this Sunday, according to The Monroe Journal.

April 25, 1891 – Army Pvt. Louis Hayles of Eliska, Ala. was born. Hayles was killed in action at the age of 27 during World War I on Nov. 11, 1918 - one day before the war ended. He was a member of the 321^st Infantry S.F. Division at the time of his death. He is buried in the Mount Pleasant Methodist Church Cemetery in Monroe County.

April, 25, 1892 – French explorer of the Sahara, Henri Duveyrier, passed away at the age of 52 in Sevres, a suburb of Paris.

April 25, 1892 – Estonian-German geologist and explorer Karl von Ditmar passed away at the age of 69 in Tartu, Livonia.

April 25, 1895 – The Monroe Journal reported that “the white cap fever is not raging quite so high as for some time past (in the Jones Mill community). We have heard of several parties receiving written notice to leave the community. We presume, the grand jury will put a quietus on this kind of business.”

April 25, 1898 - The United States declared war on Spain one day after Spain had declared war on the U.S., marking the start of the Spanish-American War.

April 25, 1901 - The American League debuted at the Chicago Cricket Club. Chicago defeated Cleveland, 8-2.

April 25, 1905 - Dr. R.A. Smith of Monroeville, Ala. left for New York to accompany a patient who was to be operated upon.

April 25, 1907 - Alabama author Sara Elizabeth Mason was born.

April 25, 1909 – National Baseball Hall of Fame third baseman John Franklin "Home Run" Baker hit his first and only grand slam.

April 25, 1915 – During World War I, the Battle of Gallipoli began. The invasion of the Turkish Gallipoli Peninsula by British, French, Indian, Newfoundland, Australian and New Zealand troops, began with landings at Anzac Cove and Cape Helles.

April 25, 1917 – Ella Fitzgerald, the “First Lady of Song,” was born in Newport News, Va.

April 25, 1917 - Dr. R.I. Kearley and Dr. G.H. Bruns, Veterinary Inspector of the Bureau of Animal Industry, were in Monroeville from Andalusia on this Wednesday.

April 25, 1917 – The Evergreen Courant reported that merchants and businessmen of Evergreen had signed the usual agreement to close their places at 6 p.m., Saturdays excepted, from May 1 to Sept. 1.

April 25, 1918 – The Wilcox Progressive Era reported that the Hon. S. McConnico of Allenton visited Camden during the previous week.

April 25, 1918 – The Wilcox Progressive Era reported, under the headline “First Wilcox Boy to Suffer from Gas,” that 1^st Lt. William P. Bledsoe, the son of the Rev. J.O. Bledsoe, the pastor of the Baptist church at Pine Hill, had been wounded on the battlefield in France on March 11, but was recovering. “Lt. Bledsoe was not injured by shot or shell but was ‘gassed,’ which is considered just as serious if not more so and is entitled to a stripe of distinction but states that he does not care for any more stripes as a result of wounds.”

April 25, 1920 – At the San Remo conference, the principal Allied Powers of World War I adopted a resolution to determine the allocation of Class "A" League of Nations mandates for administration of the former Ottoman-ruled lands of the Middle East.

April 25, 1928 – Buddy, the first Seeing Eye dog, was presented to Morris S. Frank.

April 25, 1933 – The organizational meeting of the Central Alabama Baseball League was held in Greenville, Ala. on this Tuesday with four clubs as members – Evergreen, Greenville, Ft. Deposit and Luverne. League officers included Lucian Glass of Ft. Deposit, president, and Loyce Hyde of Evergreen, Merrit McLendon of Luverne, Carl Golson of Ft. Deposit and Floyd Ziegler of Greenville, league directors.

April 25, 1939 – Former U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser was born in Ames, Iowa.

April 25, 1940 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Tallassee won the opening baseball game of the season in Brewton by a score of 4-3 over the Millers. Knatzer pitched a steady game and the Brewton club rallied in the ninth inning to score one run and put the tying run on base.

April 25, 1942 – Judge Chauncey Sparks, who was running for Alabama governor, was scheduled to speak from a band stand in Evergreen’s business section on this Saturday at 4 p.m. Sparks went on to serve as governor form Jan. 19, 1943 to Jan. 20, 1947.

April 25, 1944 - The United Negro College Fund was established by Tuskegee president F. D. Patterson after convincing 26 other black colleges to "pool their small monies and make a united appeal to the national conscience."

April 25, 1945 - Albert B. "Happy" Chandler was unanimously elected Major League Baseball’s commissioner.

April 25, 1945 – On what is now known as Elbe Day, United States and Soviet troops met in Torgau along the River Elbe, cutting the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany in two, a milestone in the approaching end of World War II in Europe.

April 25, 1945 – The Nazi occupation army surrendered and left Northern Italy after a general partisan insurrection by the Italian resistance movement; the puppet fascist regime dissolved and Benito Mussolini was captured after trying to escape. This day was set as a public holiday to celebrate the Liberation of Italy.

April 25, 1949 – Poet and journalist James Fenton was born in Lincoln, England.

April 25, 1950 – On this Tuesday, Evergreen High School’s baseball team ran into some torrid pitching and lost to Greenville 12-1. Ernest Moseley hurled a two-hitter for Greenville. John Greel Ralls counted Evergreen’s only run. Ralls hit a triple to put himself in scoring position.

April 25, 1951 – Army Cpl. Terry Stiggins McCall, 19, of Escambia County, Ala. was killed in action in Korea. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart. He was a member of Co. H, 7^th Infantry, 3^rd Armored Division. Born on April 24, 1932, he is buried in Barrancas National Cemetery in Pensacola, Fla.

April 25, 1951 – A large stone marker was erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy at the grave of Gen. John Herbert Kelly of Wilcox County in Magnolia Cemetery in Mobile.

April 25, 1952 – Novelist Padgett Powell was born in Gainesville, Fla.

April 25, 1954 - A television version of Alabama author Ambrose Bierce's story "Vengeance" was broadcast as part of the “Your Favorite Story” series.

April 25, 1955 - The City of Monroeville began the task on this Monday of putting up new street markers at all intersections within the corporate limits of the town. Chief of Police Alex Stevens supervised the job which was expected to take about two weeks. The marking of the streets was one of the steps necessary before Monroeville could obtain city mail delivery.

April 25-26, 1955 – The first series of Polio shots to first and second-grade students in Monroe County were to be given out on this Monday and Tuesday, according to H.G. Greer, Superintendent of Education. Vaccinations were to be administered by nurses from the county health department, and Mrs. Virginia Owens was in charge. The vaccine was being furnished by the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, free of charge.

April 25-27, 1955 - Approximately 80 percent of Monroe County, Alabama’s first and second graders took the Salk Polio vaccinations on this Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the County Health Department. County health nurses Mrs. Virginia Owens and Mrs. Louise Kimbrell administered the vaccine, which was furnished by the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, free of charge. There are 540 white and 1,043 colored first and second graders in Monroe County.

April 25, 1957 – The Evergreen Courant reported that, just as they were going to press, they learned that a woman had been killed and a man and child were injured in a one-car accident two miles north of the Ray Brothers Store on Highway 31 North of Evergreen, Ala. An ID card on the man identified him as James Cannon of 809 North M St., Pensacola, Fla. The woman and child were not identified in the story.

April 25, 1959 – The Saint Lawrence Seaway, a waterway system of locks, canals and channels that connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean, opened. The first ship to navigate the seaway was an icebreaker, the D'Iberville.

April 25, 1960 – The United States Navy submarine USS Triton completed the first submerged circumnavigation of the globe.

April 25, 1961 - A television version of Alabama author Mary Elizabeth Counselman's story "Parasite Mansion" was broadcast as part of the “Thriller” series.

April 25, 1963 – The Evergreen Courant reported that an article titled “County Organized for Farm-to-Market Roadwork,” written by Conecuh County Engineer Marion Wilkins, had been published in the April 1963 issue of “Rural Roads,” a nationally circulated magazine concerned with the building of federal, state, county and township roads.

April 25, 1964 - President Lyndon B. Johnson announced that General William Westmoreland, one of the war’s most controversial figures, would replace General Paul Harkins as head of U.S. Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV) as of June 20, effectively putting Westmoreland in charge of all American military forces in Vietnam.

April 25, 1966 – Monroe County High School’s baseball team beat Frisco City, 5-1. Gary Downs at the winning pitcher for MCHS, allowing five hits with Frisco getting its only run in the sixth inning. Jim Kelly was the losing pitcher for Frisco City. The loss dropped FCHS to 3-4 on the season.

April 25, 1969 – Zilda Lee Kendall, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bob Kendall Jr. of Evergreen, Ala., married Carl Joseph Christopher in Ankara, Turkey. The couple had been employed with the Overseas Dependent School of the United States Department of Defense for the past three years.

April 25, 1972 - Hanoi’s 320th Division drove 5,000 South Vietnamese troops into retreat and trapped about 2,500 others in a border outpost northwest of Kontum in the Central Highlands as part of the ongoing North Vietnamese Nguyen Hue Offensive, also known as the “Easter Offensive,” which included an invasion by 120,000 North Vietnamese troops.

April 25, 1974 - Pam Morrison, Jim Morrison's widow, died of a heroin overdose at the age of 27.

April 25, 1974 - Tampa Bay was awarded the NFL's 27th franchise.

April 25, 1975 – As North Vietnamese forces closed in on the South Vietnamese capital Saigon, the Australian Embassy was closed and evacuated, almost 10 years to the day since the first Australian troop commitment to South Vietnam.

April 25-26, 1975 - The softball season was scheduled to get underway in Evergreen on this Friday and Saturday as Evergreen City League planned to hosts a pre-season tournament. The first two games were to be played on Friday starting at 7 p.m. with the remainder of the double elimination tournament to be played on Saturday beginning at 8 a.m. Trophies for the first three places in this tournament were to sponsored by the following businesses: first place, Cope Funeral Home; second place, Carter Hardware & Supply Co.; third place, Miller Trading Co. On Tuesday, April 29, the Evergreen City League of Men’s Softball was scheduled to open regular season play with a 24-game schedule. Games were to be played on Tuesday and Thursday nights with starting times of 7:00 and 8:30 p.m.

April 25, 1976 – NBA power forward and center Tim Duncan was born in Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands. He went on to play for Wake Forest and the San Antonio Spurs.

April 25, 1981 – NFL running back Dwone Hicks was born in Huntsville, Ala. He went on to play for Lee High School in Huntsville, Middle Tennessee State and the Tennessee Titans.

April 25, 1985 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Darrin Bradley of Evergreen High School had signed an athletic grant-in-aid basketball scholarship with Alcorn State University in Lorman, Miss. Coach Dero Wise played a big role in getting the college scouts to come to Evergreen and look at Darrin. He was the son of Miss Jeanette Bradley of Evergreen. Darrin, a six-foot, three-inch senior guard, led the EHS basketball team to a 22-5 record during the 1984-85 season.

April 25, 1985 – The Evergreen Courant reported that a delegation of the Alabama Farm Bureau Federation recently visited Washington, D.C. and Congressman Bill Dickinson. The delegation included John Cook and James Cook of Conecuh County, Ala. Dickinson talked to the members of the Bureau about the 1985 Farm Bill, which was up for renewal that year, and major agriculture concerns in the Second Congressional District.

April 25, 1985 – In this day’s edition of The Evergreen Courant, Paul M. Harden, Attorney at Law, announced the opening of a branch office in Evergreen on Tuesday and Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Court Square.

April 25, 1985 – The Monroe Journal reported that Monroe Academy’s baseball team had won four of its last five games with help from excellent pitching by Steve Lambert to post an 11-4 overall mark as of Tues., April 23. Lambert, a senior right-handed hurler, captured decisions over South Choctaw, Jackson Academy and Sparta Academy during this stretch to bring his pitching record to 6-1 on the season. Junior Patrick Brown picked up the Volunteers’ other win during that week with a decision over Glenwood Academy. Other players on MA’s team that year included Rob Carter, Donald Foster, Ricky Horton, Michael McCrory, Sean Sawyer, Shane Sawyer, Stephen Simmons and Robert Thames. MA’s head coach was Jeff Myers.

April 25, 1990 - The crew of space shuttle Discovery placed the Hubble Space Telescope into a Low Earth Orbit. Initially, Hubble's operators suffered a setback when a lens aberration was discovered, but a repair mission by space-walking astronauts in December 1993 successfully fixed the problem, and Hubble began sending back its first breathtaking images of the universe.

April 25, 1994 - The spring term of Conecuh County Civil Jury Docket was scheduled to open on this Monday at 9 a.m. with Circuit Judge Sam Welch presiding. Judge Welch had four cases set for trial next week.

April 25, 1995 - Darryl Strawberry was sentenced to three years probation, six months of house confinement and a $350,000 fine. Strawberry had avoided prison for tax evasion.

April 25, 1996 - The Minnesota Twins and the Detroit Tigers combined for the most runs in 26 years. The Twins won with a final score of 24-11.

April 25, 1997 – Walter Eugene “Gene” Garrett of Uriah, Ala. passed away at the age of 68 in a Mobile hospital. He was a 1947 graduate of Marion Institute and a 1953 graduate of the University of Alabama. He received his law degree from Alabama in 1953 and went on to serve as a state legislator, special judge and member of the Alabama Constitution Revision Committee. In 1963, he purchased the historic King Plantation House at Packer’s Bend and moved it board by board to Uriah.

April 25, 2011 – Sweetwater Mansion in Florence, Ala. was featured on an episode of A&E’s “Paranormal State.”

April 25-28, 2011 – The April 25–28, 2011 tornado outbreak devastated parts of the Southeastern United States, especially the states of Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Tennessee. Two hundred and five tornadoes touched down on April 27 alone, killing more than 300 and injuring hundreds more.

100-year-old news highlights from The Wilcox Progressive Era

What follows are 100-year-old news excerpts from the April 25, 1918 edition of The Wilcox Progressive Era newspaper in Camden, Ala.

Hon. S. McConnico of Allenton was a visitor to Camden the past week.

First Wilcox Boy to Suffer from Gas: Special to the Register – Pine Hill, Ala., April 20 – Rev. J.O. Bledsoe, Pastor of the Baptist church at Pine Hill, Ala., has received two letters from his son, First Lt. William P. Bledsoe, who was wounded on the battlefield in France March 11 last, but who is now recovering.

Lt. Bledsoe was not injured by shot or shell but was “gassed,” which is considered just as serious if not more so and is entitled to a stripe of distinction but states that he does not care for any more stripes as a result of wounds.

The ladies of the A.R.P. church will hold a “White Sale” on Thurs., April 25.

Mr. R.M. Kennedy of Sedan was a Camden visitor Friday.

Messrs. O. Partin of Neenah and Ira Gaston of Caledonia were Camden visitors the past week.

Right Rev. C.M. Beckwith, Bishop of the Diocese of Alabama, will conduct divine services at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church at 11 o’clock, April 28. All are cordially invited to attend.

Miss Mary McLeod recently gave an entertainment at her school at Caledonia from which something over $20 was netted. The proceeds go to better equip the school building. Caledonia is to be congratulated on the school spirit manifested.

Preaching at A.R.P. church next Sabbath at 11 a.m., Sabbath school at 10 a.m., Bible class Wednesday 5 p.m.

Estrayed: One large pided, white and red cow, branded “ww.” Half underbit on left ear; “V” in right ear with underbit and “O.” – Barney McReynolds.

FOR SALE – Pure bred Tamworth pigs, $5 each. Come quick. – H.A. Holt.

We are the Official Resident Merchants of the International Tailoring Co., New York and Chicago, Designers and Makers of Made to Measure Clothes for men. THEIR GUARANTEE: They guarantee every garment to be right; if not, you have no right to take it.

We extend an invitation to all Camden visitors to make this Store their headquarters while in town, and while waiting let us take your measure for a Suit. – CAMDEN DRY GOODS CO., J.W. Turnipseed, Manager.

War Bread Exhibit: The Home Demonstration Clubs of Wilcox County will have a War Bread Exhibit at Planters Hardware Co., Camden, Ala., all next week, beginning Monday, April 29. There will be about 35 different breads on exhibit. Recipes will be written under each exhibit. Do you bit by copying several recipes and trying them at home.

April 26^th is set for the send off of the additional draft quota. It will be only a short time before the draft eligible will be at the draft training camps.

R.H.&W.C. Agee, Selma, Ala., can supply you with nearly all varieties of seed corn.