'Missing 411 - Hunters' should be read by everyone venturing into the outdoors

“Missing 411 – Hunters: Unexplained Disappearances” by David Paulides is one of the most fascinating – and creepy – books I’ve ever read, and I think a lot of you in the reading audience, especially hunters, would be interested in reading it as well.

Published earlier this year, this 348-page book details nearly 150 unusual cases of hunters who have gone missing across the country over the years, the vast majority of which vanished without a trace and whose bodies have never been recovered.

In his book, Paulides, an investigative journalist who has spent much of his career investigating missing people, doesn’t detail just regular, run-of-mill missing hunter cases. Instead, every case in the book meets certain unusual criteria, including cases where search dogs can’t find a scent, cases involving unusual weather, cases near locations where others have gone missing, cases were the victim is found in an area previously searched, cases involving bodies of water and cases involving hunters with disabilities or illnesses.

Paulides also takes a close look at cases in which the hunter disappears in the late afternoon or early evening. According to Paulides, the predominant time that disappearances occur is just before it gets dark.

What follows is page after page of highly researched reports of people from all walks of life who vanish while hunting throughout the country for all sorts of wild game. The earliest reports in the book go back into the 1890s and some occurred as recently as last year. Paulides also does a good job of connecting the dots between different cases, often separated by decades, that have bizarre similarities that will not only make you think, but will also probably leave you looking over your shoulder the next time you step foot in the woods.

One particular aspect of the book that I found extremely interesting is how Paulides points out that bow hunters go missing at a higher rate than hunters with firearms. He indicates that bow hunters have to use stealth to get close to their targets to get a good shot and may find themselves right on top of something unexpected while slipping through the woods.

Another interesting aspect of the book is that Paulides leaves the explanations for these disappearances up in the air. The book does a great job of showing that something is happening out there in the woods, but what it is is up for discussion and debate. If you’re looking for a good book that will really make you think, “Missing 411 - Hunters” is one that you will not want to miss, especially if you spend a lot of time in the outdoors.

To buy a copy of “Missing 411 – Hunters,” visit Paulides’ Web site at canammissing.org. While there, you might want to check out some of Paulides’ other books. They include “Missing 411: Western United States,” “Missing 411: Eastern United States,” “Missing 411: North America and Beyond,” “Missing 411: The Devil’s in the Detail” and “Missing 411: A Sobering Coincidence.” Each book sells for $24.95

To be perfectly honest, now that I’ve read “Missing 411 - Hunters,” I plan to read all of Paulides’ other books. If they are half as fascinating as “Missing 411 - Hunters,” then I’ve got a lot to look forward to. Those of you who have read “Missing 411 - Hunters” will know what I’m talking about.

Today in History for Aug. 31, 2016

Ralph Waldo Emmerson

Aug. 31, 1422 – Henry VI became the king of England at the age of nine months.

Aug. 31, 1540 – The DeSoto Expedition reached the Indian town of Hoithlewalli on the right bank of the Tallapoosa River in present day Elmore County, Ala.

Aug. 31, 1777 - On the Ohio frontier, Patriot Captain Samuel Mason survived a devastating Indian attack on Fort Henry in present-day West Virginia.

Aug. 31, 1803 – Lewis and Clark started their expedition to the west by leaving Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at 11 in the morning.

Aug. 31, 1811 – French admiral and explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville passed away at the age of 81 in Paris, France. A contemporary of the British explorer James Cook, he took part in the Seven Years' War in North America and the American Revolutionary War against Britain. Bougainville later gained fame for his expeditions, including circumnavigation of the globe in a scientific expedition, the first recorded settlement on the Falkland Islands, and voyages into the Pacific Ocean.

Aug. 31, 1813 – Lt. Montgomery sent out a mounted patrol that reported that Fort Mims had fallen and the river swamp was full of Indians.

Aug. 31, 1824 – During his extended tour of the United States, the Marquis de Lafayette left Boston, traveled through and made stops at Lexington, Concord, Salem, Marblehead, and Newburyport, Mass.

Aug. 31, 1831 – Dr. John Watkins married Mary Thomas Hopkins Howard Hunter at Belleville in Conecuh County, Ala. She was the daughter of William and Sarah Goodwin Howard and was descended from the distinguished Howard family of Baltimore.

Aug. 31, 1837 - Ralph Waldo Emerson delivered his famous “American Scholar” address to the Phi Beta Kappa Society at Harvard. He told the students to think for themselves rather than absorb thought, to create rather than repeat, and not to look to Europe for cultural models.

Aug. 31, 1850 – John Watkins became postmaster at Burnt Corn, Ala.

Aug. 31, 1861 – U.S. Representative James Adam Stallworth died in Evergreen, Ala. of enteritis.

Aug. 31, 1861 – During the Civil War, Richmond announced that no less than five men were being named as full generals, the promotions being effective on different dates so that these five would know who was superior to each other. In order they were: Samuel Cooper, Albert Sidney Johnston, Robert E. Lee, Joseph E. Johnston, and Pierre Gustav Toutant Beauregard. The only full General the North would name wouldn’t get the job for almost three years: U.S. Grant.

Aug. 31, 1861 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Little River Turnpike, Va.

Aug. 31, 1862 – During the Civil War, a skirmish occurred at Stevenson, Ala. in Jackson County, Ala.

Aug. 31, 1862 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Franklin and Germantown, Virginia; near Marietta, Mississippi; and at Weston, West Virginia.

Aug. 31, 1863 – During the Civil War, a skirmish occurred at Will's Valley, Ala. in Etowah County, Ala.

Aug. 31, 1863 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought near Scullyville in the Indian Territory.

Aug. 31, 1864 – Samuel C.H. Dailey commissioned for a second term as Monroe County, Alabama’s Sheriff.

Aug. 31, 1864 - At the Battle of Jonesboro, Ga., U.S. General William T. Sherman launched the attack that finally secured Atlanta, Ga., for the Union, and sealed the fate of Confederate General John Bell Hood's army, which was forced to evacuate the area. The entrenched Yankees lost 178 men, while the Confederates lost nearly 2,000.

Aug. 31, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Rough and Ready Station, Georgia; at Steelville, Missouri; and near Davis House, Virginia.

Aug. 31, 1864 – During the Civil War, the Democratic National Convention wrapped up in Chicago on this day with more decorum than would be the case in later years. The nominee for President of the United States in the 1864 would be George McClellan, formerly Major General in the Federal Army, formerly rather lethargic leader of the Army of the Potomac. His nomination was made by acclamation at the proposal of one Charles Vallandingham, former member of the US House of Representatives from Ohio and dedicated opponent of the war. His extreme views and vociferous promoting of them resulted in Vallandingham getting exiled from the United States to the Confederacy, which didn’t want him either. He spent most of the war years in Canada.

Aug. 31, 1870 – Education pioneer Maria Montessori was born in Chiaravalle, Italy.

Aug. 31, 1873 – Eliza Allen Watts, the wife of Thomas Hill Watts of Butler County, Ala., who served as Alabama’s governor, passed away, leaving a family of 10 children.

Aug. 31, 1888 - Prostitute Mary Ann “Polly” Nichols, the first victim of London serial killer "Jack the Ripper," was found murdered and mutilated in Whitechapel's Buck's Row.

Aug. 31, 1895 – Monroeville, Alabama’s first bale of new cotton was shipped by Messrs. Sowell and Watson on this Saturday.

Aug. 31, 1895 - Col. B.L. Hibbard returned to Monroeville, Ala. on this Saturday from Birmingham, where he attended the “Midsummer Carnival” of the United Confederate Veterans.

Aug. 31, 1902 - Dr. B.H. Crumpton was expected to occupy the pulpit at the Evergreen Baptist Church on this Sunday morning.

Aug. 31-Sept. 2, 1905 – The Monroe County Masonic Conference was held at the Monroeville, Ala. Lodge. Representatives of each of the seven Masonic lodges in Monroe County and a number of visiting brethren were present and participated in the proceedings. Brother Angus M. Scott, State Grand Lecturer, was present and superintended the work of the conference, instructing the brethren in the unwritten ritual and delivered numerous impressive lectures on the moral and practical phases of Masonry.

Aug. 31, 1905 – The Monroe Journal reported that M.E. Hudson was preparing to erect an up-to-date ginnery in Monroeville, Ala. The ginnery was to be located on the vacant lot just north of the “school grounds” and was to be equipped with a large gasoline engine and “other improved appliances.”

Aug. 31, 1907 – William Shawn, the longtime editor of The New Yorker, was born William Chon in Chicago. In 1965, he first published Truman Capote's “In Cold Blood” as a series of articles.

Aug. 31, 1908 – Pulitzer-Prize winning Armenian-Ameican writer William Saroyan was born in Fresno, Calif.

Aug. 31, 1911 – Freight and passenger service on the Manistee & Repton Railroad was discontinued.

Aug. 31, 1916 – The Conecuh Record reported that the Elba, Ala. cavalry troop had been sworn in.

Aug. 31, 1916 – The Monroe Journal reported that H.H. McClelland, Esq., of Mobile was in Monroeville, Ala. during the previous week in attendance upon the law and equity court.

Aug. 31, 1916 – The Monroe Journal reported that Mr. and Mrs. Hare had “returned from a delightful motor outing. Their trip was extended beyond Chattanooga and weather conditions were all that could be desired. With the exception of a few tire punctures on the last lap of the homeward journey, the trip was without unpleasant incident.”

Aug. 31, 1916 – The Monroe Journal reported, in news from the Jeddo community, that on the first Sunday in August, Rev. M.I. McLeod began a series of meetings at Poplar Springs church, which “was indeed a good meeting. The pastor conducted the Sunday morning service, giving us the best sermon that we have ever had the pleasure of hearing. A heavy downpour of rain late in the afternoon prevented us having the Sunday evening service.”

Aug. 31, 1920 - The first news program to be broadcast on radio was aired. The station was 8MK in Detroit, Mich.

Aug. 31, 1925 – Evergreen’s Agricultural School and City School opened for the 1925-26 school year. Public schools throughout the county opened on Oct. 5.

Aug. 31, 1931 – The first service was held in current Monroeville Methodist Church building on Pineville Road with the Rev. R.K. Jones delivering the sermon.

Aug. 31, 1933 – Ike Thompson was charged with assault with intent to kill after he allegedly shot at Ed Lloyd on this Thursday afternoon in the “main business section” of Evergreen, Ala. and was arrested by Officer H.L. Riley. It was reported that Thompson and Lloyd got into an argument at a baseball game, and the argument continued at the “pool room” where Thompson worked. Lloyd fled, and Thompson fired at him “across the main business section,” but no damage was done.

Aug. 31, 1935 – National Baseball Hall of Fame right fielder, left fielder and manager Frank Robinson was born in Beaumont, Texas. He went on to play for the Cincinnati Reds, the Baltimore Orioles, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the California Angels and the Cleveland Indians and managed the Indians, the San Francisco Giants, the Orioles and the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982.

Aug. 31, 1939 – Nazi Germany mounted a staged attack on the Gleiwitz radio station, creating an excuse to attack Poland the following day thus starting World War II in Europe.

Aug. 31, 1946 - Superman returned to radio on the Mutual Broadcasting System after being dropped earlier in the year.

Aug. 31, 1947 – Locke Thompson and A.B. Blass, both of Monroeville, Ala., members of the U.S. 7th Cavalry in Japan with postwar occupational forces, summitted 12,388-foot Mount Fuji. Of the 44 who started the climb, only seven reached the top.

Aug. 31, 1950 – Army Cpl. Elven J. Hobbs of Conecuh County, Ala. was killed in action in Korea.

Aug. 31, 1950 - Gil Hodges of the Brooklyn Dodgers hit four home runs in a single game off of four different pitchers.

Aug. 31, 1955 - Secretary of State John Foster Dulles supported South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem’s position regarding his refusal to hold “national and general elections” to reunify the two Vietnam states. Although these elections were called for by the Geneva Accords of July 1954, Diem and his supporters in the United States realized that if the elections were held, Ho Chi Minh and the more populous north would probably win, thereby reuniting Vietnam under the Communist banner. Accordingly, he refused to hold the elections and the separation of North and South soon became permanent.

Aug. 31, 1958 – The Orpheus Club of Evergreen, Ala. celebrated its 50th anniversary with a “Silver Tea” at the Evergreen City School. The club was organized in 1908 and was federated in 1909.

Aug. 31, 1958 – A parcel bomb sent by Ngô Đình Nhu, younger brother and chief adviser of South Vietnamese President Ngô Đình Diệm, failed to kill King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia.

Aug. 31, 1959 - Brooklyn Dodgers left-hander Sandy Koufax struck out 18 batters, setting a new National League record for most strikeouts in a single game against the San Francisco Giants in Los Angeles. The Dodgers won, 5-2. Koufax’s total of 18 strikeouts in the game broke Dizzy Dean’s 26-year-old National League record, and tied the major league record held by Cleveland Indian ace Bob Feller. Koufax also broke the record for strikeouts over two consecutive games, fanning 31 men combined, having struck out 13 batters in his previous start.

Aug. 31, 1965 - Premier Nguyen Cao Ky announced that South Vietnam would not negotiate with the Communists without guarantees that North Vietnamese troops would be withdrawn from the South. He also said that his government would institute major reforms to correct economic and social injustices.

Aug. 31, 1965 - In the United States, President Johnson signed into law a bill making it illegal to destroy or mutilate a U.S. draft card, with penalties of up to five years and a $10,000 fine.

Aug. 31, 1967 - Senate Preparedness Investigating Committee issued a call to step up bombing against the North, declaring that McNamara had “shackled” the air war against Hanoi, and calling for “closure, neutralization, or isolation of Haiphong.” President Johnson, attempting to placate Congressional “hawks” and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, expanded the approved list of targets in the north, authorizing strikes against bridges, barracks, and railyards in the Hanoi-Haipong area and additional targets in the previously restricted areas along the Chinese border.

Aug. 31, 1968 – Marine Lance Cpl. Henry Beall Smith Jr. of Andalusia, Ala. was killed in action in Vietnam.

Aug. 31, 1970 - In South Vietnam, antigovernment Buddhist candidates appeared to win 10 of 30 Senate seats contested in the previous day’s election. However, the Senate as a whole remained in the firm control of conservative, pro-government supporters. Catholics still held 50 percent of the Senate seats, even though they constituted only 10 percent of the population of South Vietnam.

Aug. 31, 1972 - U.S. weekly casualty figures of five dead and three wounded were the lowest recorded since record keeping began in January 1965. These numbers reflected the fact that there were less than 40,000 American troops left in South Vietnam by this time and very few of these were involved in actual combat. U.S. troop withdrawals had begun in the fall of 1969 following President Richard Nixon’s announcement at the Midway conference on June 8, 1972, that he would begin reducing the number of American troops in Vietnam as the war was turned over to the South Vietnamese as part of his “Vietnamization” policy. Once the troop withdrawals began, they continued on a fairly regular basis, steadily reducing the troop level from the 1969 high of 543,400.

Aug. 31, 1973 – Monroe Academy lost its first ever football game, falling to Central Alabama Academy, 14-9, in Montgomery. This loss snapped the school’s streak of 39 straight games without a loss.

Aug. 31, 1978 – W.S. Neal High School beat Evergreen High School, 31-0. Outstanding Evergreen players in that game included Sanford Moye, Wendell Parker and Keith Rabb. Charles Branum was Evergreen’s head coach.

Aug. 31, 1985 - The "Night Stalker" killer, Richard Ramirez, was captured by residents in Los Angeles.

Aug. 31, 1995 – MCHS graduate Kenny Croft was the football team’s honorary team captain for a game against Paramount in Monroeville, Ala. Monroeville won the toss, elected to receive and Chris Kirkland returned the kick 90 yards for a touchdown. MCHS won, 28-18.

Aug. 31, 1996 – Saddam Hussein's troops seized Irbil after the Kurdish Masoud Barzani appealed for help to defeat his Kurdish rival PUK.

Aug. 31, 1997 - Diana, Princess of Wales, died in a car crash in Paris, France. The television audience for Diana's funeral, broadcast around the world, was believed to be around 2.5 billion viewers. Conspiracy theories surrounding Princess Diana's death emerged almost immediately and, despite official inquiries by both the French and UK governments, the accident remains shrouded in suspicion.

Aug. 31, 2005 – The 2005 Al-Aaimmah bridge stampede in Baghdad killed 1,199 people.

Aug. 31, 2006 – Marlon Anderson of Montgomery, Ala. was traded by the Washington Nationals to the Los Angeles Dodgers after scoring the winning run in a 6-5 thriller against the Phillies in Washington. At the time, Washington had been struggling for much of the season and was not a playoff factor while the Dodgers appeared to be headed for the playoffs with the NL West division crown. Anderson was brought in hopes to assist in the Dodgers' playoff push. He was intended to be a pinch hitter, but Anderson won the starting job in left field when rookie Andre Ethier struggled towards the end of the season.

Daily Rainfall Observations from SW Alabama for Wed., Aug. 31, 2016

Rainfall (Past 24 Hours): 0.00 inches

Week to Date Rainfall: 0.00 inches

Month to Date Rainfall:  6.65 inches.

Summer to Date Rainfall: 15.70 inches.

Year to Date Rainfall: 41.70 inches.

Notes: Today in the 244th day of 2016 and the 73rd day of Summer. There are 122 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.

The Evergreen Courant's News Flashback for Aug. 30, 2016

40 YEARS AGO

SEPT. 2, 1976

Local weather observer Earl Windham reported .04 inches of rain on Aug. 25, .18 inches of rain on Aug. 26 and .02 inches of rain on Aug. 27. He reported a high of 94 degrees on Aug. 29 and a low of 62 on Aug. 24.

Terry G. Davis, a recent Alabama State University graduate, has been appointed to serve as Legal Research Analyst for the Department of Court Management, Alabama Supreme Court.

Appointed by Chief Justice Howell T. Heflin, Davis is the first black to work in an administrative capacity for the Alabama Supreme Court. He performs duties for the Chief Justice, the Permanent Study Commission on the Alabama Judicial System and serves as a Legal Research Analyst for the Department of Court Management.

Davis, a native of Evergreen, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Davis of Evergreen.

Butler County Judge of Probate Steindorff reports that Taft Skipper, president of the Hank Williams Memorial Association has made a request that the county road leading from I-65 to its intersection with Alabama 106 at Hanks’ Store be named the Hank Williams Memorial Drive. This is to be done in memory of the singer, who was born in the Mount Olive community.

Judge Steindorff read a resolution to this effect that would be presented to the State Highway Department seeking to make this possible.

Commissioner Sellers made a motion that the court submit the request and the motion was seconded by Wood with all members voting in favor.

55 YEARS AGO

SEPT. 7, 1961

C.W. Claybrook, principal of Evergreen High School for the past 10 years, has accepted the principalship of the Luverne Schools in Crenshaw County. Both the elementary and the high school will be under Claybrook’s supervision.

Mr. and Mrs. Claybrook were employed by the Crenshaw County Board of Education before coming to Conecuh County. He served as principal of Dozier High for four years.

School bells buzzing, bus horns honking, parents pleading, teachers patiently teaching and students – ? – is a brief gist of the story beginning one week from today across Conecuh County. Schools will open Sept. 14.

Guy S. Kelly, Superintendent of Education, announced today the teacher placements for the coming school term.

Kelly said all new appointments will be teaching in their major field. He also stated that all Conecuh’s high school teachers now hold at least a bachelor’s degree.

Civitan Organizes With 29 Members: Ralph Crysell was elected president of the newly organized Evergreen Civitan Club Tuesday night.

Other officers are Wayne Hutcheson, vice president; Murray Johnson, secretary and treasurer; Tulley Coleman, chaplain; and Samuel Gaines, sergeant at arms. The directors are D.E. Bowers, W.C. Boswell, Eugene Darby, James Fendley and Earl Windham.

Charter night is set for Sat., Sept. 30, at 8 p.m.

70 YEARS AGO

SEPT. 5, 1946

Evergreen schools will open for the 1946-47 session Monday morning, Sept. 9, according to announcements made this week by the principals.

The Evergreen High School will hold its opening program beginning at 8:30 a.m., according to Prof. J. Clifford Harper, principal. Parents and others are invited and urged to attend the opening. Mr. Harper assures that they will be through in plenty of time to attend the opening program at the Evergreen City School which begins at 9:15 a.m.

Prof. W.P. McMillan, principal of the City School, asks that all children who are enrolling in the first grade for the first time bring along their birth certificates. Pupils must be six years old prior to Oct. 1 in order to enter school.

Former County Agent Dies At Selma Monday: Numerous friends here and elsewhere in the county were grieved to hear of the death of Val T. (Valentine Taylor) Ivey, former county agent, here which occurred at a Selma hospital Monday morning at an early hour.

The annual teachers institute will be held at the City School Saturday beginning at 9 a.m., according to an announcement made by County Superintendent Harvey G. Pate this week. Mr. Pate also stated that teachers had been secured for all of the schools of the county and that everything was in readiness for the opening of school Monday morning, Sept. 9.

85 YEARS AGO

SEPT. 3, 1931

The State Secondary Agricultural School and the Evergreen City School begin their 1931-32 session Monday morning at nine o’clock with a joint program which will be held at the City School auditorium.

The program will consist of several musical numbers by members of the music faculty of the schools and talks and announcements by Prof. Paul Fisher and Prof. W.P. McMillan, principals of the two schools.

State Air Tour Includes Evergreen – Birmingham, Ala., Sept. 3 – A survey of landing field facilities throughout the state is being made by W.L. Wilkinson, director of the state air tour to be held in September, to determine what towns and cities may be considered as stops on the tour.

Mr. Wilkinson, who left Birmingham Monday, expects to visit every town and city of any size in Alabama during the week. After his return, he will decide on a tentative route and then a pathfinding plane will be sent over the course to check flying time and other details.

Approximately 20 planes will form the tour fleet and these will include a flight of five military ships and a nationally known trio of stunt fliers with planes especially designed for that purpose. An air circus with acrobatic and formation flying and parachutes will be given in each town visited.

Towns being checked by Mr. Wilkinson this week include… Monroeville… Flomaton, Brewton, Andalusia… Greenville, Evergreen… Columbus, Ga., Panama City, Fla. and Meridian, Miss.

115 YEARS AGO

SEPT. 5, 1901

Evergreen received her first bale of new cotton of this season on the 23^rd inst. It was grown by Mr. John S. Johnston of Callihan beat, and sold to Mr. Chas. B. Savage, one of our leading merchants and cotton buyers, for 7.61 cents per pound. The bale weighed 577 pounds. Mr. Johnston has brought to this market the first bale of cotton of the season for the past three years, and Mr. Savage has purchased each bale at a good price.

THE FIRE: About midnight Saturday night fire was discovered in the storehouse building of Mr. L.W. Savage. The alarm was followed by the prompt attendance of the young men of the town, the water plugs were opened, hose attached and in a very short time two steady streams of water were turned on the fire. It was a fierce flame fed by inflammable material inside the building; but energetic and steady effort soon checked it.

The damage to Mr. Savage’s building is considerable, and the large stock of goods was wrecked between the flames and the flooding.

That the fire was incendiary is hardly a matter of doubt. It began in the northeast corner of the building, in the heavy grocery department on the lower floor. This part of the store is seldom visited after sunset. There had been no fire in or about it. The back door had been opened from the inside. The supposition is that some thief had concealed himself in the storeroom until the attendants had all gone, and after the robbery, set fire to cover up traces and escape in the excitement.

We would respectfully suggest to the town the organization and equipment of a hook and ladder company and a hose company with a hose carriage. Inducement for fire service might be made by exemption from street tax.

Today in History for Aug. 30, 2016

Ted Williams

Aug. 30, 30 B.C. - Queen Cleopatra of Egypt killed herself with a snake she had smuggled into her chamber where she was held captive by Octavian, formerly the political rival of her lover Mark Antony. Octavian had defeated Cleopatra and Antony at the Battle of Actium and had taken Cleopatra prisoner. When Cleopatra learned that Octavian planned to parade her as part of his triumphant return to Rome, she planned her own suicide.

Aug. 30, 1645 - American Indians and the Dutch made a peace treaty at New Amsterdam, which became known as New York.

Aug. 30, 1682 - William Penn sailed from England and later established the colony of Pennsylvania in America.

Aug. 30, 1776 - British troops occupied American fortifications on Long Island. George Washingon and his 9,000 men had evacutated to Manhattan overnight.

Aug. 30, 1776 - General George Washington gave the New York Convention three reasons for the retreat from Long Island. The reasons were the need to reunite his forces, the extreme fatigue of his soldiers and the lack of proper shelter from the weather.

Aug. 30, 1776 - General George Washington rejected British General William Howe's second letter of reconciliation.

Aug. 30, 1780 - General Benedict Arnold secretly promised to surrender the West Point fort to the British army.

Aug. 30, 1797 – “Frankenstein” author Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was born in Somers Town, London.

Aug. 30, 1800 – Gabriel Prosser postponed a planned slave rebellion in Richmond, Va. but was arrested before he can make it happen.

Aug. 30, 1806 - New York City's second daily newspaper, the "Daily Advertiser," was published for the last time.

Aug. 30, 1813 – About 1,000 Creek Indians under the command of William Weatherford attacked Fort Mims in what is now Baldwin County, Ala., killing over 500 settlers (including over 250 armed militia) gathered there for protection. The attack caused fear and hysteria among frontier settlers, who quickly raised militia companies to fight the Indians in the Creek War of 1813-1814.

Aug. 30, 1825 – Creek chieftain William McIntosh was killed in Carroll County, Ga. by Creeks who believed he betrayed them in his role of getting treaties signed that ceded Creek lands to the U.S. government.

Aug. 30, 1832 – The post office at Walker’s Mill, Ala. (present day Monroeville) had its name officially changed to “Centerville.”

Aug. 30, 1833 – The post office at Centerville, Ala. had its name officially changed to “Monroeville” because there was already a town in Alabama named Centreville.

Aug. 30, 1836 – The city of Houston, Texas was founded by Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen.

Aug. 30, 1861 – During the Civil War, General Freemont of “Pathfinder” fame issued an "Emancipation Proclamation" freeing slaves in Missouri. This was later revoked by President Lincoln.

Aug. 30, 1862 - Confederates defeated Union forces at the Second Battle of Bull Run in Manassas, Va.

Aug. 30, 1862 – At the Battle of Richmond, Ky., Confederate troops under Edmund Kirby Smith soundly defeated a Union army under General Mahlon D. Manson at Richmond, Ky. Manson and his entire staff were captured. More than 4,300 of the 6,500 Federals were captured, including Manson and his entire staff. Confederate losses stood at 98 killed, 492 wounded, and 10 missing out of 6,800.

Aug. 30, 1862 – During the Civil War, a skirmish occurred near Larkinsville, Ala. in Jackson County.

Aug. 30, 1862 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought near Plymouth, North Carolina and at Buckhannon, West Virginia.

Aug. 30, 1863 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Shallow Ford, Arkansas and at Scullyville, Oklahoma.

Aug. 30, 1864 – During the Civil War, an action was fought at Flint River Bridge. Skirmishes were also fought near East Point, Georgia; near Dardanelle, Arkansas; and near Smithfield, Virginia.

Aug. 30, 1868 – Minnie Lee “Miss Minnie” Robbins of Beatrice, Ala., who operated Robbins Hotel (built 1861) as “an elegant haven for commercial men,” was born.

Aug. 30, 1871 – Noble Prize-winning British physicist Ernest Rutherford was born in Brightwater, New Zealand. He is probably best known for developing a model of the atom, after discovering that most of the mass of an atom is concentrated in its tiny nucleus.

Aug. 30, 1873 – The Rev. Pitts Milner, founder of Georgiana, Ala., passed away at the age of 67.

Aug. 30, 1873 – Austrian explorers Julius von Payer and Karl Weyprecht discovered the archipelago of Franz Josef Land in the Arctic Sea.

Aug. 30, 1885 - 13,000 meteors were seen in one hour near Andromeda.

Aug. 30, 1895 – Rufus Brown, “aged about 79 years” died near Monroeville, Ala. on this Friday night.

Aug. 30, 1905 – Baseball legend Ty Cobb made his Major League batting debut with the Detroit Tigers.

Aug. 30, 1906 – The Monroe Journal reported that Miss Callie Faulk, who had “a prosperous school” at Franklin, was visiting relatives in Monroeville that week.

Aug. 30, 1906 – The Monroe Journal reported that Miss Jennie Faulk had returned from St. Louis where she’d gone to purchase her line of fall hats and millinery.

Aug. 30, 1906 – The Monroe Journal reported that the Hudson ginnery started up the week before and would “probably be kept constantly busy from now until the close of the cotton season.” The first bale was turned out for C.E. Broughton whose farm was near Monroeville.

Aug. 30, 1906 – The Monroe Journal reported that Capt. Thos. S. Wiggins had returned from a few day’s sojourn at the Wilcox Mineral Springs.

Aug. 30, 1908 - Officials of the United Mine Workers (UMW) in Birmingham, Ala. called off a bitter coal strike, prompting The Birmingham News to declare that the result would be "Prosperity in the Birmingham District." Workers had walked out of the mines in early July to protest wage conditions, and almost two months of violence ensued. As many as 18,000 black and white workers had joined UMW, but resistance by employers, intervention by Gov. B. B. Comer, and public dissatisfaction broke the strike and debilitated UMW's strength in Birmingham for years.

Aug. 30, 1917 – Vietnamese prison guards led by Trịnh Văn Cấn mutinied at the Thái Nguyên penitentiary against local French authority.

Aug. 30, 1918 – National Baseball Hall of Fame left fielder Ted Williams was born in San Diego, Calif. He played his entire career for the Boston Red Sox and later managed the Washington Senators/Texas Rangers. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1966.

Aug. 30, 1918 - The New York Giants beat the Brooklyn Dodgers, 1-0, in a game that only took 57 minutes to play.

Aug. 30, 1925 – During the closing sermon at the end of a three-week revival in Andalusia, Ala., about 5,000 people in a “big, open air tabernacle” watched as 24 masked and white robed members of the Ku Klux Klan silently presented the Rev. Bob Jones with a $1,568 check from Andalusia Klan No. 29. The donation to Jones was believed to be “a record for the amount of such contributions.”

Aug. 30, 1925 – Children’s writer and illustrator Laurent de Brunhoff was born in Paris, France.

Aug. 30, 1943 – Cartoonist R. Crumb was born Robert Dennis Crumb in Philadelphia, Pa.

Aug. 30, 1965 – The State Department of Education announced that the Monroeville Junior College had officially been named Patrick Henry Junior College.

Aug. 30, 1965 - New York Mets Manager Casey Stengel announced his retirement, ending his 56-year career in professional baseball.

Aug. 30, 1966 - Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds hit home runs from both sides of the plate in a game against St. Louis.

Aug. 30, 1966 – The Beatles perfored their final concert as a touring act at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco.

Aug. 30, 1966 - Hanoi Radio announced that Deputy Premier Le Thanh Nghi had signed an agreement with Peking whereby the People’s Republic of China would provide additional economic and technical aid to North Vietnam. China had already been providing support to the Communists in Vietnam since the war against the French. When the U.S. became decisively involved after the Gulf of Tonkin incident, China increased the support to both North Vietnam and the insurgents in South Vietnam. It was this support and that provided by the Soviet Union that permitted the North Vietnamese to prosecute the war against South Vietnam and the U.S. forces there.

Aug. 30, 1967 – Thurgood Marshall was confirmed as the first African American Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Aug. 30, 1969 - Ho Chi Minh’s reply to President Nixon’s letter of July 15 was received in Paris. Ho accused the United States of a “war of aggression” against the Vietnamese people, “violating our fundamental national rights” and warned that “the longer the war goes on, the more it accumulates the mourning and burdens of the American people.” Ho said he favored the National Liberation Front’s 10-point plan as “a logical and reasonable basis for the settlement of the Vietnamese problem.” Ho demanded that the United States “cease the war of aggression,” withdraw its troops from Vietnam and allow self-determination for the Vietnamese people. President Nixon would not reveal that he had received this communication until his speech to the nation on November 3.

Aug. 30, 1970 - An estimated 6 million South Vietnamese casted ballots for 30 seats at stake in the Senate elections. While the voting was going on, Communist forces attacked at least 14 district towns, a provincial capital, and several polling places. Fifty-five civilians were reported killed and 140 wounded.

Aug. 30, 1972 - Sparta Academy was scheduled to begin the 1972-73 school year on this Wednesday at 8 a.m. Richard Brown was headmaster.

Aug. 30, 1976 – Major League Baseball relief pitcher Mike Koplove was born in Philadelphia, Pa. He went on to play for the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Cleveland Indians.

Aug. 30, 1977 – NFL running back Shaun Alexander was born in Florence, Ky. He went on to play for the University of Alabama, the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins.

Aug. 30, 1979 -  A "sungrazer" known as Comet Howard-Koomen-Michels collided into the sun, reportedly with the impact of one million hydrogen bombs.

Aug. 30, 1984 – The Central of Georgia Depot on Central Street in Andalusia, Ala. was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Aug. 30, 1985 – J.W. Weaver, Superintendent of the City Electrical Department in Evergreen, Ala., retired after 37 years of service to the City of Evergreen.

Aug. 30, 1985 – Lyeffion opened the 1985 football season by blasting Alabama Christian, 60-0, in Montgomery, Ala. Willie King led Lyeffion’s offense with eight carries for 240 yards and five touchdowns.

Aug. 30, 1985 – Evergreen High School beat Wilcox County High School, 26-0, in Camden, Ala.

Aug. 30-31, 1986 – A rodeo was scheduled to be held at the Lyeffion Arena on this Saturday and Sunday at 7 p.m. and 2 p.m., respectively. The ACA-approved rodeo was sponsored by the Lyeffion and Skinnerton Fire Departments. This approved rodeo was to consists of bull-riding, bare back and saddle bronc riding, calf roping, barrel racing, clown acts and steer dogging. Lois Reeves, Skip Stacey, Evelyn Pipkin and Larry Oswald were among the organizers.

Aug. 30, 1992 – The 11-day Ruby Ridge standoff ended with Randy Weaver surrendering to federal authorities.

Aug. 30, 1994 - Oasis' first studio album, entitled "Definitely Maybe," was released.

Aug. 30, 1996 - An expedition to raise part of the Titanic failed when the nylon lines being used to raise part of the hull snapped.

Aug. 30, 2002 - The Major League Baseball Players Union and the team owners came to an agreement that avoided a player's strike set to begin on this day.

Aug. 30, 2003 – “My Life Without Me,” a movie version of Alabama author Nanci Kincaid's book “Pretending the Bed Is a Raft,” was released.

Aug. 30, 2007 – The final high school football game between Excel and Frisco City was played in Excel, Ala. Excel won, 22-14, closing out a series that is believed to have begun in 1921.

Daily Rainfall Observations from SW Alabama for Tues., Aug. 30, 2016

Rainfall (Past 24 Hours): 0.00 inches

Week to Date Rainfall: 0.00 inches

Month to Date Rainfall:  6.65 inches.

Summer to Date Rainfall: 15.70 inches.

Year to Date Rainfall: 41.70 inches.

Notes: Today in the 243rd day of 2016 and the 72nd day of Summer. There are 123 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.

The Evergreen Courant's Sports Flashback for Aug. 29, 2016

40 YEARS AGO

SEPT. 2, 1976

Repton Bulldogs blast Red Level; at home Friday: The Bulldogs of Repton High School displayed a romping offense and a stingy defense Thursday night as they whipped the Red Level Tigers, 52-0.

Outstanding player in the game was Alvin Watkins, who had a total of 153 yards rushing in 12 carries.

The Bulldogs scored two touchdowns in the first quarter, the first by Alvin Watkins, who broke for paydirt on a 71-yard run. The second came on a 45-yard pass from QB Donnie Reed to receiver Fred Rudolph.

(Other top Repton players in that game included Reggie Bonds, Randy Booker, Keith Givens, Steve Harris, David Nall, Ted Watson and Jerry Welch. Hugh Wilson was Repton’s head coach.)

Warriors lose opener 19-6 to Greenville: Mike Bledsoe’s debut as head coach of the Sparta Academy Warriors in Greenville last Saturday night was disappointing. His team lost 19-6 to a bigger, more experienced and faster bunch of Greenville Tornadoes.

Bobby Johnson legged 59 yards on 19 carries, Andy Skipper 41 on 14, and Jerry Peacock 20 on 11, including a touchdown from a yard out. Peacock also passed 20 times, completing seven for 73 yards, in his first start at quarterback. His brother, Terry, a freshman, pulled in four catches for 67 yards. Johnson grabbed two and Gray Stevens one.

(Other top Sparta players in that game included Hugh Bradford, John Cook, Bobby Padgett, Kent Cook, Tim Johnson, Joey Rayfield, Ronnie McKenzie, Steve Dubose, Jamie McKenzie and Greg Anthony.)

55 YEARS AGO

SEPT. 7, 1961

Spurring the Aggies on this season will be these pretty cheerleaders: Sandra Lowrey, Jackie Thornley, Sandra Brooks, Brenda Ellis, Elaine Kindig and Barbara Stinson. They’ll try out their lungpower at the opener in Atmore Friday night at 8 p.m.

Aggies open Friday night at 8 in Atmore: Light, fast and determined, the Evergreen High Aggies travel to Atmore tomorrow night for their season opener with the Blue Devils. Kick off time at Byrne Field is 8 p.m. and a large crowd of Evergreen fans is expected to be on hand.

Coach John Law Robinson and line coach Lewis Ramsay will unveil their first edition of the Aggies against an Atmore team that is rated one of the best in South Alabama going into the season.

Up front, Coach Ramsay will probably start these boys, left end, Ronnie Jones, 165; left tackle, Jimmy Kelley, 160; left guard, Bobby Lynch, 165; center, Louie Nall, 145; right guard, H.W. Ward, 145, or Bill Hinson, 140; right tackle, Donnie Jones, 185; and right end, Leon Stinson, 175.

Coach Robinson has two newcomers at quarterback, Mike Ward, 145, or Sid Lambert, 135, to start.

At left half, Bonner Ridgeway, a top reserve last season, will probably start. Jimmy Weaver, a first string end last fall, is listed at right half. Duncan Roberts, 135-pound speedster, is the backfield veteran.

Top reserves are James Ward, Don Holcombe, Dwight Pate, Winston Pugh, Donnie Bolton, John Lowrey and John Pierce. Young players pushing hard for starting positions are Alvin Dees, Mike Mininger, Stan Coker, Jimmy Warren, William Sessions, Paul Deason and Robert Rigsby.

Only two injuries are bothering the Evergreens. Playing status is listed as doubtful for H.W. Ward and Legraw Lynch.

Frazier Smiling Out At Lyeffion: Lyeffion’s new coach, Shirley Frazier, is pleased with prospects after putting his charges through early drills. His team opens in Beatrice on Sept. 22.

Top candidates on the line are Shelton Cook, 140; Patton Brown, 145; and Larry Smith, 150; tackles Elmer Gaskey, 172, and Donnie Hamrac, 155; guards Wadie Salter, 150, Harold Wilson, 135, and Allen Chavers, 155; and center Keith Holcombe, 225.

The light, speedy backfield has Ronnie Golson, 120, at quarterback; Bobby Salter, 150, and Charles Salter, 150, at the halves; and Don Garrettt, 140, and Mickey Fountain, 100, at full.

Top reserves are Hayward Salter, 135, Guy Chavers, 120, Homer Chavers, 125, Mike Burt, 125, Larry Blackmon, 115, and Don Slater, 140.

70 YEARS AGO

SEPT. 5, 1946

Football Practice Begins At Evergreen High: Labor Day held true to its name at E.H.S. Monday as Coach Wendell Hart greeted some 25 football candidates with an opening drill of passing, punting and calisthenics. Two drills a day are on schedule for the rest of the week.

Mickey Logue, James Carpenter and R.E. Ivey were passing the ball while Rex Carpenter, R.E. Ivey, Harold Potts and James Carpenter were also getting off some long punts.

All boys are urged to attend these practice sessions due to the short time remaining until the opening of the season with Hayneville on Sept. 20 at the High School Athletic Field.

85 YEARS AGO

SEPT. 3, 1931

Terrapin Race Will Attract Many Visitors Here Saturday: The stage is all set for the great International Terrapin Race which is to be run in Evergreen next Sat., Sept. 5, at three o’clock. This race has attracted interest from far and near, and every indication is that there will be thousands of people from Conecuh County and other parts of Alabama present to see the race. The race begins promptly at 3 p.m. and all terrapins which are to be entered in the race must be delivered to the committee in charge at the race track at Gantt’s Field not later than 2:30 p.m. The rules of the race state that no terrapin shall be eligible which is not entered at the race track by 2:30 p.m. and officials in charge of the race have stated that this rule must be absolutely respected. So to all who have registered entrants in the race, be sure to have your racer there on time.

As has been stated before in these columns, there will be an admission charge to see the race, that is, children five cents, adults 10 cents. This admission fee all goes to the Boy Scout funds.

It is now certain that the number of entrants will exceed the 100 mark. This means that the first prize will be 50 dollars or more, the second prize 30 dollars or more and the third and fourth prizes will exceed 10 dollars each.

All terrapins must be numbered to correspond with the registration cards and in order that they may be properly numbered all persons having entrants should take their racer to Lion Joe Kingsbery at the K&M Garage who will number them with a lacquer paint which won’t rub off.

The people of Evergreen invite their friends from all over the county and elsewhere to come to Evergreen next Saturday. The race should be a very interesting event. A number of the merchants will cooperate in this event by putting on special bargains for that day.

‘Crooked Flea’ Wins In Greenville Turtle Race: Greenville, Ala., Aug. 31 – “Crooked Flea,” owned by “Crook” Haygood and “Flea” McRee of this city, was victorious in a turtle race staged here Saturday by the Lions Club to determine the official entrant for Greenville in the International Turtle Derby at Evergreen Sept. 5.

A large crowd gathered at the City Park to witness the races. Prizes were awarded for the largest and fastest turtles taking part in the races and “Crooked Flea” won both titles.

115 YEARS AGO

SEPT. 5, 1901

Our fishermen have been much perturbed by the scarcity of bait. Catawba worms, the favorite bait, have been all the season very scarce, and now, there are none to be found although the trees have luxuriant foliage. This is unprecedented. Usually at this season, the trees are full of worms. Even the grasshoppers have failed to appear.

Today in History for Aug. 29, 2016

John L. Sullivan

Aug. 29, 1498 – Vasco da Gama decided to depart Calicut and return to Kingdom of Portugal.

Aug. 29, 1533 - Atahualpa, the last Incan King of Peru, was murdered on orders from Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro. The Inca Empire died with him.

Aug. 29, 1632 – British philosopher John Locke was born in Wrington, Somerset, England. His ideas were a foundation for much of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

Aug. 29, 1758 – The first American Indian reservation was established, at Indian Mills, New Jersey.

Aug. 29, 1773 – French botanist and explorer Aimé Bonpland was born in La Rochelle, France.

Aug. 29, 1776 - General George Washington held a meeting with his generals. The Generals agreed that General Miffin's Pennsylvania Regiments should make up the rear guard as the rest of the army withdrew from Brooklyn.

Aug. 29, 1778 – During the American Revolutionary War, British and American forces battled indecisively at the Battle of Rhode Island.

Aug. 29, 1779 - In modern-day Elmira, New York, near the state’s southwestern border with Pennsylvania, Continental forces led by Major General John Sullivan and Brigadier General James Clinton defeated a force of Loyalists and Indians commanded by Captain Walter Butler and Chief Joseph Brant in what is now known as the Battle of Chemung or Newtown, N.Y.

Aug. 29, 1809 – Poet and physician Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. was born in Cambridge, Mass.

Aug. 29, 1813 – Paddy Welsh and William Weatherford hid their main force in the woods and tall grass about six miles from Fort Mims, where soldiers and settlers were enjoying a supply of whiskey that had arrived that day.

August 29, 1813 - Two black slaves tending cattle outside Fort Mims also reported that "painted warriors" were in the vicinity, but mounted scouts from the fort found no signs of the war party. To the detriment of Fort Mims, Major Daniel Beasley had the second slave flogged for "raising a false alarm."

Aug. 29, 1861 – During the Civil War, in North Carolina, Confederate troops at Fort Hatteras surrendered after a two-day battle.

Aug. 29, 1861 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Morse's Mill, Mo.

Aug. 29, 1862 - Confederate General Robert E. Lee dealt a stinging defeat to Union General John Pope at the Second Battle of Bull Run, Virginia—a battle that arose out of the failure of Union General George McClellan’s Peninsular campaign earlier in the summer. Pope’s army lost over 16,000 men to the Confederates’ 9,000.

Aug. 29, 1862 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Bloomfield, California House and Iberia, Missouri; in the vicinity of Port Hudson, Louisiana; near Saint Charles Court House, Louisiana; and between Richmond and Big Hill, Kentucky.

Aug. 29, 1863 – The H.L. Hunley submarine sank during a training exercise, killing five of her crew.

Aug. 29, 1863 – During the Civil War, a skirmish occurred at Carperton's Ferry, Ala.

Aug. 29, 1863 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Texas Prairie, Missouri.

Aug. 29, 1864 - Democrats nominated George B. McClellan for president to run against the Republican incumbent, Abraham Lincoln.

Aug. 29, 1864 – During the Civil War, Price's Raid began and continued until December 2.

Aug. 29, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought near Red Oak, Georgia; near Ghent, Kentucky; at Smithfield Crossing, Charlestown, and Martinsburg, West Virginia.

Aug. 29, 1885 - The first prizefight under the Marquis of Queensberry Rules was held in Cincinnati, Ohio. John L. Sullivan defeated Dominick McCaffery in six rounds.

Aug. 29, 1892 – “Pop” Billy Shriver of the Chicago Cubs caught a ball that was dropped from the top of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C.

Aug. 29, 1895 – The Monroe Journal reported that “work on the Monroeville Academy building goes bravely on. The outside walls have already been put up and the materials for the interior work are on the ground and being put in place as rapidly as possible. The dimensions of the building are 36 x 60 feet, which will afford ample room for present necessities.”

Aug. 29, 1896 – The first issue of The Monroe Democrat newspaper was published by D.M. Gordon and associates. That newspaper moved to Daphne, Ala. about two years later.

Aug. 29, 1900 - William Carver, Kid Curry, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid robbed a Union Pacific train of more than $30,000 near Tipton, Wyoming.

Aug. 29, 1906 - John McDuffie of River Ridge visited Monroeville on this Wednesday, “circulating among his many friends,” according to The Monroe Journal.

Aug. 29, 1911 – State Superintendent of Education Henry J. Willingham and State Auditor C. Brooks Smith visited Monroeville and Jones Mill (now Frisco City) to announce that the state high school commission had awarded Monroeville the County High School by a unanimous vote on Aug. 24.

Aug. 29, 1911 – The 19th Annual Session of the Second District Agricultural School opened in Evergreen, Ala. with Henry T. Lile as President.

Aug. 29, 1911 – The Evergreen Motor Car Co., which “featured entirely and completely Ford automobiles and Ford products,” was established by C.P. Deming Sr., H.W. Dunn, W.B. Ivey and R.B. Lee. It operated under that name in the same block on Rural Street until Sept. 1, 1955 when it sold out to Bryon Warren, who changed the name to Warren Ford Co.

Aug. 29, 1911 – Ishi, considered the last Native American to make contact with European Americans, emerged from the wilderness of northeastern California.

Aug. 29, 1918 – Laula M. Middleton was born near Evergreen, Ala. He would later become a military pilot and would be killed in World War II. Evergreen’s airport was later named in his honor. A memorial marker for Middleton can be found in Belleville United Methodist Church Cemetery.

Aug. 29, 1920 – Jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker was born in Kansas City, Kansas.

Aug. 29, 1922 – The first radio advertisement was broadcast on WEAF-AM in New York City. The Queensboro Realty Company bought 10 minutes of time for $100.

Aug. 29, 1940 – Evergreen’s Rotary Club defeated Brewton’s Rotary Club, 19-9, in a softball game in Brewton, Ala.

Aug. 29, 1941 - “The Pittsburgh Kid,” a movie version of Alabama author Octavus Roy Cohen's book “Kid Tinsel,” was released.

Aug. 29, 1941 – Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, was occupied by Nazi Germany following an occupation by the Soviet Union.

Aug. 29, 1944 – The Slovak National Uprising took place as 60,000 Slovak troops turned against the Nazis.

Aug. 29, 1948 – Walter W. Dent, 42, died from an accidental .22 rifle wound to his right side around 1 p.m. at his home in the Melrose community. Conecuh County Sheriff W.D. Lewis investigated and learned that Dent and his 15-year-old son, Weldon, were “engaged in a struggle over the rifle when the fatal shot was fired.” Dr. U.L. Jones of Brooklyn treated Dent, but Dent lived only a short time after Jones arrived.

Aug. 29, 1951 – The final issue of “The Frisco City Sun” was published. The first issue was published on June 6, 1950.

Aug. 29, 1952 – Young adult writer Karen Hesse was born in Baltimore, Md.

Aug. 29, 1957 – NFL defensive tackle and defensive end Benjamin Rudolph was born in Evergreen, Ala. He went on to play for Long Beach State and the New York Jets.

Aug. 29, 1958 – The United States Air Force Academy opened in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Aug. 29, 1964 - Nguyen Khanh stepped down as president of South Vietnam and Xuan Oanh, former professor at Trinity College in Connecticut, was named prime minister.

Aug. 29, 1965 – A moonshine still, said to be “one of the largest ever raided” in Monroe County, Ala., was destroyed along with 280 gallons of moonshine by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department on this Sunday night eight or nine miles east of Monroeville near Drewry. Taking part in the raid was Monroe County Sheriff Charlie Sizemore, deputies Floyd Till and John Byron Carter and Constable Aubrey Helton.

Aug. 29, 1966 – The Beatles performed their last concert before paying fans at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

Aug. 29, 1970 – During the Chicano Moratorium against the Vietnam War in East Los Angeles, California, a police riot killed three people, including journalist Rubén Salazar.

Aug. 29, 1971 - Hank Aaron became the first baseball player in the National League to hit 100 or more runs in each of 11 seasons.

Aug. 29, 1971 - Alabama author Emma Gelders Sterne died in San Jose, Calif.

Aug. 29, 1971 - President Nguyen Van Thieu retained control of the South Vietnamese National Assembly as candidates backing him swept the opposition in the Mekong Delta, with a solid majority in the 159-member lower house.

Aug. 29, 1972 - President Nixon set December 1 as the target date for reducing U.S. troops strength in Vietnam by 12,000, to 27,000, an all-time low since the American troop buildup began in 1965.

Aug. 29, 1973 - U.S. President Richard Nixon was ordered by Judge John Sirica to turn over the Watergate tapes. Nixon refused and appealed the order.

Aug. 29, 1976 – NFL safety Kevin Kaesviharn was born in Paramount, Calif. He went on to play for Augustana College, the Cincinnati Bengals, the New Orleans Saints and the Tennessee Titans.

Aug. 29, 1977 - Lou Brock brought his total of stolen bases to 893. The record he beat had been held by Ty Cobb for 49 years.

Aug. 29, 1983 - The anchor of the USS Monitor from the U.S. Civil War was retrieved by divers.

Aug. 29, 1985 – Sparta Academy opened the 1985 football season with a 34-12 win over Greenville Academy at Stuart-McGehee Field in Evergreen, Ala. Chad Grace and Danny Reed led Sparta’s offense with two touchdowns each, and Mark Rigsby, who also scored a touchdown, led the defense with eight solos, six assists, an interceptions and two caused fumbles.

Aug. 29, 1987 – Evergreen Mayor Pat Poole and Anthony Baker, the president of Polyfelt, were scheduled to appear on television on Evelyn Babcock’s weekend show, “Update,” on WAKA-TV in Selma, Ala. at 6:30 a.m. Babcock invited Poole and Baker to be on the show to discuss how Polyfelt selected Evergreen as the city to build its manufacturing plant.

Aug. 29, 1988 – Public schools in Conecuh County, Ala. opened on this day to start the 1988-89 school year.

Aug. 29, 1989 – English explorer and painter Peter Scott passed away at the age of 79 in Bristol, England.

Aug. 29, 1990 - Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, in a television interview, declared that America could not defeat Iraq.

  

Aug. 29, 2003 – Ayatollah Sayed Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim, the Shia Muslim leader in Iraq, was assassinated in a terrorist bombing, along with nearly 100 worshippers as they left a mosque in Najaf.

Aug. 29, 2005 - Hurricane Katrina, a category 5 hurricane, made landfall on the Louisiana coast, and became one of the greatest natural disasters in U.S. history. Katrina left a wake of destruction stretching across the northern Gulf coast from Louisiana to Florida, killing an estimated 1,836 people and causing over $108 billion in damage. Before it reached land, it was the strongest hurricane ever measured in the Gulf of Mexico, with winds of up to 175 miles per hour.

Aug. 29, 2008 – Hillcrest upset Class 6A Theodore, 21-20, at Brooks Memorial Stadium in Evergreen. The game included Theodore junior linebacker C.J. Mosley, who would go on to star at Alabama and to be selected in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens.

Daily Rainfall Observations from SW Alabama for Mon., Aug. 29, 2016

Rainfall (Past 24 Hours): 0.00 inches

Week to Date Rainfall: 0.00 inches

Month to Date Rainfall:  6.65 inches.

Summer to Date Rainfall: 15.70 inches.

Year to Date Rainfall: 41.70 inches.

Notes: Today in the 242nd day of 2016 and the 71st day of Summer. There are 124 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.

BUCKET LIST UPDATE No. 293: Read “Civil War Stories” by Ambrose Bierce

Several years ago, I ran across a “best of” list of Civil War books and saw where the compilers of the list included a book I’d never heard of by one of my favorite authors, “Civil War Stories” by Ambrose Bierce. I’ve been a fan of Bierce for as long as I could remember, and I was kind of miffed that I’d never read his book of Civil War stories. Not long after that, I officially added this book to my “bucket list” and resolved to read it as soon as possible.

A month or so ago, I finally found a copy of the book published by Dover Thrift Editions in 1994. This slick 123-page softcover book contains 16 of Bierce’s Civil War stories that were originally published in “The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce” (Volumes I and II) in 1909. I started reading it on Aug. 15 and finished it four days later, on Fri., Aug. 19.

Stories included in the book are “What I Saw of Shiloh,” “Four Days in Dixie,” “A Horseman in the Sky,” “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” “Chickamauga,” “A Son of the Gods,” “One of the Missing,” “Killed at Resaca,” “The Affair at Coulter’s Notch,” “The Coup de Grace,” “Parker Adderson, Philosopher,” “An Affair of Outposts,” “The Story of a Conscience,” “One Kind of Officer,” “George Thurston” and “The Mocking-bird.” One reason these stories are so popular has to do with the fact that Bierce actually served in the Civil War as a member of the Union’s 9^th Indiana Volunteers and witnessed a lot of action first hand. For that reason, his stories ring with a sort of eye-witness realism that you won’t find in stories by authors who didn’t serve in the war.

“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” is arguably the most famous story in the book. It’s often included in high school literature text books, and I remember reading it years ago as a teenager. I especially enjoyed reading it again in Bierce’s “Civil War Stories” because, since I last read it, I’ve actually been to the location said to have inspired this tale, the Sulphur Creek Trestle in Limestone County, Ala.

I really enjoyed reading Bierce’s “Chickamauga,” a story that I had not read prior to reading this book. I’m directly descended from at least two Confederate veterans who fought at the Battle of Chickamauga, and I enjoyed reading Bierce’s story about the battle. This ended up being probably my favorite story in the entire book. Just writing these lines makes me want to pick it up and read it all over again.

I like the other stories in the book as well. Bierce is known for his unusually dark, weird style, and he doesn’t disappoint in this short story collection. The mystery and irony that he’s come to be known for shines through in almost every one of the stories in his “Civil War Stories” book.

In the end, how many of you have read “Civil War Stories” by Ambrose Bierce? What did you think about it? Which of the short stories in the book was your favorite? Let us know in the comments section below.

130-year-old news highlights from The Monroe Journal from August 1886

The Monroe Journal newspaper in Monroeville, Ala., under the direction of manager Q. Salter, published four editions 130 years ago during the month of August 1886. Those issues, which were dated Aug. 6, Aug. 13, Aug. 20 and Aug. 27, can be found on microfilm at the Monroe County Library in Monroeville, Ala. What follows are a few news highlights from those four editions. Enjoy.

AUG. 6, 1886

The magnificent new boat, the Nettie, built at Wheeling, West Virginia, for John Quill is expected to make her first trip up today (Friday).

A negro woman was found dead in a hollow log near Belleville, Conecuh County, last week.

Mr. Sam Yarborough is engaged, completing his handsome new suburban residence. When it is completed, Sam will have one of the handsomest, as well as one of the most comfortable, residences in the place.

Sheriff Burns is on a visit to his family at Pineville this week.

A difficulty occurred in town Monday between Mr. Eligah Broughton and Mr. A.J. Curlee about a misunderstanding regarding some private affair, in which Mr. Broughton received several slight wounds from a pocket knife in the hands of Mr. Curlee. The knife was fortunately dull and we are pleased to know that Mr. Broughton has suffered no serious inconvenience from its too close proximity.

Monroeville polled 223 votes Monday – the largest vote of any box in the county.

Mr. S.P. Gaillard, a rising young lawyer of the Mobile bar, who is visiting his father, Dr. S.S. Gaillard of Perdue Hill, was in town Wednesday.

Turnbull – Capt. T. Riley contemplates a visit to Selma this week.

AUG. 13, 1886

There are only two prisoners in the county jail, both imprisoned for capital offenses.

The Commissioners court convened Monday, commissioners Herrington, Locklin and Green in.

There was a larger number of people from all parts of the county attending commissioners court this week than usual.

Prof. George will open his school at the Academy Sept. 1. We learn that very near the requisite number of scholars have already been subscribed.

Sheriff Burns had a very sick horse Wednesday night.

The young gentlemen of Hunters Mill introduced lawn tennis, a game decidedly more laborious than recreative, to the young gentlemen of Monroeville.

Lawn tennis is said to be quite an improvement on baseball. This is quite probable, but as we know but little about either, we shall not venture an opinion.

Mr. Warren Broughton brought us a well-matured boll of open cotton last week. He says he discovered it about July the 24^th. He has plenty more just like it and complains of a good corn crop. Mr. Broughton in a very successful young farmer.

Col. H.H. Hybart of Bell’s Landing is in Monroeville.

AUG. 20, 1886

The thermometer registered 100 in the shade Monday.

It is with regret that we read in the last issue of The Greenville Advocate of the death of Judge John K. Henry, which occurred at his home in Greenville a few days since. Judge Henry was born in Hancock County, Ga., March 23^rd, 1814, and was at one time a resident of Claiborne, this county, and afterwards lived near Bell’s Landing.

The Monroeville Post Office was authorized last Monday to issue Postal Notes and Money Orders.

Sheriff Burns had the misfortune to lose his horse. This is a serious loss to the Captain.

Monroeville Academy – The annual session of the Monroeville Academy will open Mon., Sept. 6, 1886, under the excellent tutorship of Prof. W.A. George, a teacher of long and successful experience and acknowledged ability, with a competent and well qualified assistant.

MASONIC NOTICE: The Masonic fraternity is invited to attend the funeral of Bro. Wm. F. Andress on the second Sunday in September at 10 o’clock a.m. from the Ridge Church. – A.M. Leslie, Secretary.

A very refreshing shower of rain fell Tuesday which was gladly welcomed by all.

A “Rain Bow” party was given at the residence of Mrs. Emma Seymours Monday night.

A heavy wind and rain storm blew from the southwest yesterday (Thursday) evening.

AUG. 27, 1886

A special term of the Commissioners court convened last Tuesday of last week.

Cotton is opening very rapidly during the warm, dry weather.

Monroeville has not received her first bale of new cotton up to this writing.

Sheriff Armstrong of Macon County, who was killed by Mr. B.C. Thompson at Tuskegee last week, was a brother of Hon. Henry Clay Armstrong, U.S. Minister to the Brazilian Empire.

We notice some improvements being made on Mr. F. Metts store on East Side.

Rev. E.E. Cowan filled his regular appointment at the Methodist church last Sunday.

The Russell and Hudson steam mill is being overhauled, put in order for the fall ginning season.

Several young gentlemen and ladies of Monroeville attended the Dramatic Entertainment at Perdue Hill last week. All express themselves as being highly pleased with the two charming plays presented. Success to the Perdue Hill Dramatic Club.

Died – At the residence of Mr. John W. Rumbly, near Monroeville on Monday night, Aug. 23^rd, 1886, Mrs. – Faulk, aged about 72 years.

Hon. J.W. Leslie left Tuesday morning for Brewton to attend the Annual District Sunday School Convention, which convened at that place this week.

Today in History for Aug. 28, 2016

Union General Alfred Terry

Aug. 28, 1565 – Pedro Menéndez de Avilés sighted land near St. Augustine, Florida and founded the oldest continuously occupied European-established city in the continental United States.

Aug. 28, 1609 - Delaware Bay was discovered by Henry Hudson.

Aug. 28, 1749 – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the father of German literature and the author of the epic drama “Faust,” was born in Frankfurt.

Aug. 28, 1774 - Elizabeth Ann Bayley was born in New York City. She went on to found the first Catholic school and the first female apostolic community in the United States. She was also the first American-born saint beatified by the Roman Catholic Church.

Aug. 28, 1776 - General George Washington ordered 1,200 more men from Manhattan to Brooklyn.

Aug. 28, 1833 – The Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 received Royal Assent, abolishing slavery through most of the British Empire.

Aug. 28, 1845 – The first issue of Scientific American magazine was published. It’s the oldest continuously published magazine in the United States, and it started as a four-page weekly newsletter.

Aug. 28, 1859 – The Carrington event disrupted electrical telegraph services and caused aurora to shine so brightly that they are seen clearly over the Earth's middle latitudes.

Aug. 28, 1861 – During the Civil War, Union forces attacked Cape Hatteras, North Carolina in the Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries, which lasted for two days. This closed an important outlet from Pamlico Sound for Confederate blockade runners. Its propaganda value was vastly greater. It was the first Federal incursion of Confederate soil in the Carolinas since secession, and caused rejoicing in the North, and corresponding despondency in the South, all out of proportion to its true value.

Aug. 28, 1861 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Ball's Mill, Mo.

Aug. 28, 1861 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Ball's Cross Roads and near Baily's Cross Roads, Va.

Aug. 28-30, 1862 – The Second Battle of Manassas (Second Bull Run) took place in Prince William County, Va. and four members of the Conecuh Guards were killed there - Thomas Robertson, Joseph Stallworth, James H. Thomas (who’d been wounded earlier at Seven Pines on May, 31, 1862) and Jasper Newton Stinson (who’d been promoted to color sergeant of the Fourth Alabama Regiment about a month before). Five other members of the Conecuh Guards were wounded - 1st Lt. Alfred Christian, 1st Lt. John G. Guice (who was wounded in two places, lost a leg and was honorably discharged), William Morrow (who was later wounded at Spotsylvania Court House in May 1864 and returned to live in Mobile County after war), Buck Stuckey (who would be killed at the Battle of Darbytown Road in September 1864) and Francis M. Sampey (who would be wounded later near Farmville, Va. in April 1865 and die in Selma in 1874).

Aug. 28, 1862 - Confederate General Braxton Bragg captured a Union garrison at Mumfordsvilled, Ky.

Aug. 28, 1862 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Thoroughfare Gap, near Gainesville, Lewis' Ford, Centreville and Hay Market in Virginia; at Ashley, Missouri; and near Corinth, Mississippi.

Aug. 28, 1862 – During the Civil War, not far from Groveton, Va., was a farm owned by a man named Brawner. It was on this unfortunate fellow’s land that the equally unfortunate Gen. John “Headquarters in the Saddle” Pope ventured on this day, under the impression that he was chasing the fleeing forces of Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson. When Rufus King’s men ran into Jackson’s, a fierce battle broke out at the Brawner place. Pope, hearing of this, ordered the rest of his men to move there. He had no idea that Lee and Longstreet had arrived, conferred with Stonewall, and were now moving around the entire battle into Pope’s rear. The following day would not be a good day for Pope.

Aug. 28, 1863 - Confederate Naval Lt. George W. Gift paid a visit to the shipyard above Mobile Bay, Ala. to observe the progress in construction of the two vessels, the Tennessee and Nashville. The Tennessee was nice enough, but Gift was in awe of the immense Nashville. “She is tremendous!” he wrote. “The wardroom...is six staterooms and a pantry long, and about as broad between the rooms as the whole Chattahoochee. Her engines are tremendous, and it requires all her width, fifty feet, to place her boilers. The Tennessee is insignificant alongside her.”

Aug. 28, 1863 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought in Callaway County, Missouri; and at Hartwood Church, Virginia.

Aug. 28, 1864 - Union General Alfred Terry was promoted from brigadier general to major general in the United States Volunteers.

Aug. 28, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought near Rocheport, Missouri; near Holly Springs, Mississippi; and at Leetown and Smithfield, West Virginia.

Aug. 28, 1869 - Convinced they would have a better chance surviving the desert than the raging rapids that lay ahead, three men (Seneca Howland, O.G. Howland and William H. Dunn) left John Wesley Powell’s expedition through the Grand Canyon and scaled the cliffs to the plateau above. When Powell reached the nearest settlement, he learned that the three men who left had encountered a war party of Shivwit Indians and were killed.

Aug. 28, 1895 – Monroe Masonic Lodge, No. 485, was scheduled to hold its regular communication at 10 a.m. at River Ridge, Ala. A.H. Johnson was the lodge’s secretary.

Aug. 28, 1895 – Col. B.L. Hibbard left on this Wednesday for Birmingham, Ala. to attend the Midsummer Carnival of United Confederate Veterans, given under the auspices of Camp Hardee, of which he was a member. Hibbard was on the program for an address on the theme, “Fraternal Patriotism.”

Aug. 28, 1898 – Caleb Bradham invented the carbonated soft drink that will later be called "Pepsi-Cola."

Aug. 28, 1906 – British poet laureate John Betjeman was born in the Highgate section of London.

Aug. 28, 1906 - Mrs. Maria E. Jones, the wife of Capt. F.M. Jones, died at Tuscaloosa, Ala., on this Tuesday morning, aged 63 years. She had been an inmate of the hospital at Tuscaloosa for a number of years. Her remains were expected to arrive in Monroeville, Ala. on the Aug. 30 afternoon train and were to be interred in the Methodist cemetery on arrival.

Aug. 28, 1914 – N.B. Jones, a “well known and highly esteemed citizen of Evergreen,” passed away at his home on Pecan Street at the age of 73. (Some sources say he died on Aug. 26.) A former Evergreen postmaster, merchant and farmer, he was also a Confederate veteran and a member of Camp Capt. Wm. Lee, U.C.V. and of Armor Lodge, No. 31, Knights of Pythias. Born at Fort Decatur, Macon County, Ala. on Nov. 21, 1841. Moved to Butler County with his family in 1858 and joined the Confederate Army in 1862, serving with Capt. Isbell’s company from Talladega County, which was part of the 1st Alabama Infantry Regiment. He served in Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana, and was taken prisoner during the battle and siege at Port Hudson. He was later exchanged and was sent with his regiment to Georgia. He was later severly wounded in the Battle at New Hope Church, which closed his active service, but he served on detail duty until the end of the war. He and his family moved to Conecuh County in 1865.

Aug. 28, 1915 – While hunting on Cedar Creek on this Saturday morning, Ernest Frazier accidentally shot and killed his friend, L.A. Palmer. Frazier mistakenly thought that Palmer was a turkey in the underbrush.

Aug. 28, 1915 – American illustrator Tasha Tudor was born Starling Burgess in Boston.

Aug. 28, 1934 – Welsh-Australian geologist and explorer Edgeworth David passed away at the age of 76 in Sydney, Australia. A household name in his lifetime, David's most significant achievements were discovering the major Hunter Valley coalfield in New South Wales and leading the first expedition to reach the South Magnetic Pole. He also served with distinction in World War I.

Aug. 28, 1941 - The Football Writers Association of America was organized.

Aug. 28, 1943 – During World War II, in Denmark, a general strike against the Nazi occupation started.

Aug. 28, 1947 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Robert Gaston Bozeman Jr. was doing nicely after undergoing an appendectomy at Carter’s Hospital in Repton during the week.

Aug. 28, 1947 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Mrs. F.L. Cardwell, who was bitten on the ankle by a rattlesnake on Sat., Aug. 23, was reported to be fast recovering.

Aug. 28, 1947 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Superintendent of Schools, Harvey G. Pate, wished to remind all patrons of Conecuh County Schools that the old law, providing that children may enter schools in the Fall if they reached their sixth birthday before Oct. 1, still remained in effect. The Legislature at that time passed an act providing for the admission of children who would reach their sixth birthday on or before Jan. 15. This new law was held invalid by the Attorney General in a recent ruling. Since the Attorney General’s decision was legally binding, the Board of Education had made its plans to operate under the old law. All parents asking for entrance for beginners were requested to show proof of birth date of the children. All schools in Conecuh County were to open on Sept. 8, 1947.

Aug. 28, 1947 – The Evergreen Courant reported that a series of burglaries had been reported during the previous week or so by citizens living in various sections of the city. In most instances reported, cash was taken from pockets and billfolds of the victims. A number of other instances of prowling had been reported at several different homes.

Aug. 28, 1947 – The Evergreen Courant reported that the Evergreen Greenies won the honor of playing the winner of the McCullough-Atmore series by defeating Flomaton two straight games in the elimination playoff. The first game of the championship playoff was to be played in Brooks Stadium on Sun., Aug. 31, at three o’clock. This was to be the final game to be played in Evergreen that season. Wade Nobles, a fastball-throwing right-hander, came through with an 8-3 win on Thurs., Aug. 21, to solve acting-manager Zell Murphy’s pre-game pitching worries. Making his debut as a pitcher, Nobles gave up only nine scattered hits and allowed only one earned run to cross the plate. Harry Brooks, Flomaton pitcher, held Evergreen to only six hits, but was given very little support by his teammates who made eight costly errors. Eben Moorer and Joe McDonald collected two blows each to pace the Greenies to their 8-3 victory. Manager Hart opened on the mound for Evergreen on Sun., Aug. 24, but had to call on Edsel Johnson to take over in the ninth when he ran into some trouble. The Greenies drove out a total of 12 base hits off two Flomaton pitchers, one of which was a 365-foot home with two men aboard by Nobles in the third inning. White had three singles to his credit to gain batting honors for the winners.

Aug. 28, 1947 – The Evegreen Courant reported that Evergreen High School’s 1947 Football Schedule was as follows: Sept. 19, v. Repton; Sept. 26, v. Pine Hill; Oct. 3, at Greenville; Oct. 10, at Frisco City; Oct. 16, v. W.S. Neal; Oct. 31, v. Monroeville; Nov. 7, v. Uriah; Nov. 14, v. Camden; Nov. 21, v.  T.R. Miller.

Aug. 28, 1952 – Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and novelist Rita Dove was born in Akron, Ohio.

Aug. 28, 1955 – In Sunday afternoon baseball action, McKenzie beat Paul, 9-3.

Aug. 28, 1963 – In a disappearance attributed to the “Bermuda Triangle,” two new KC-135, four-engine jet Stratotankers, on a refueling mission out of Homestead Air Force Base, Fla. on their way to a classified refueling range in the Atlantic, disappeared shortly after giving their position as 300 miles southwest of Bermuda.

Aug. 28, 1963 - Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington, D.C.

Aug. 28, 1966 - It was reported in three Soviet newspapers that North Vietnamese pilots were undergoing training in a secret Soviet air base to fly supersonic interceptors against U.S. aircraft. This only confirmed earlier reports that the Soviets had initiated close relations with North Vietnam after a visit by Soviet Premier Aleksei Kosygin to Hanoi in February 1965 during which he signed economic and military treaties with the North, pledging full support for their war effort. The Soviets and North Vietnamese leadership planned military strategy and discussed North Vietnam’s needs to prosecute such a strategy. The Soviets agreed to supply the necessary war materials, to include air defense weapons for the North and offensive weapons to be employed in the South. At one point in the war, the Soviets would supply 80 percent of all supplies reaching North Vietnam.

Aug. 28, 1967 - Reverend Thomas Lee Hayes, speaking for the National Mobilization Committee, announced that there would be a massive protest march on October 21 in Washington. In the Senate, Mike Mansfield (D-Montana) made a proposal endorsed by 10 other senators to bring a peace plan before the United Nations.

Aug. 28, 1968 - The Democratic National Convention in Chicago endorsed the Johnson administration’s platform on the war in Vietnam and chose Vice President Hubert Humphrey as the party’s nominee for president. The decision on the party platform resulted in a contentious three-hour debate inside the convention hall.

Aug. 28, 1972 - The U.S. Air Force got its first ace (a designation traditionally awarded for five enemy aircraft confirmed shot down) since the Korean War. Captain Richard S. Ritchie, flying with his “backseater” (radar intercept officer), Captain Charles B. DeBellevue, in an F-4 out of Udorn Air Base in Thailand, shot down his fifth MiG near Hanoi. Two weeks later, Captain DeBellvue, flying with Captain John A. Madden Jr., shot down his fifth and sixth MiGs. The U.S. Navy already had two aces, Lieutenants Randall Cunningham and Bill Driscoll. By this time in the war, there was only one U.S. fighter-bomber base left in South Vietnam at Bien Hoa. The rest of the air support was provided by aircraft flying from aircraft carriers or U.S. bases in Thailand.

Aug. 28, 1972 - President Nixon announced that the military draft would end by July 1973

Aug. 28, 1981 – Leroy, Ala. native Kelvin Moore made his Major League Baseball debut, playing first base for the Oakland A’s against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston. Oakland lost, 12-5. Batting fifth, Moore went 1-for-4, his hit coming on a single to center field in the top of the eighth.

Aug. 28, 1981 - "The New York Daily News" published its final afternoon edition.

Aug. 28, 1981 - John Hinckley, Jr. pled innocent to the charge of attempting to kill U.S. President Ronald Reagan. Hinckley was later acquitted by reason of insanity.

Aug. 28, 1985 – Hurricane Elena, which destroyed about 300 coastal Alabama homes, formed in the Atlantic. The hurricane did very little damage in Conecuh County, Ala., but did knock out power to a number of homes.

Aug. 28, 1985 – ABC Agent Dennis Farr, Conecuh County Sheriff’s Deputy Jimmy Lambert and Conversation Officer Glenn McDaniel destroyed an illegal liquor still in the Lenox community. No arrests were made in connection with the still, which was capable of making between 20 and 25 gallons of moonshine at a time.

Aug. 28, 1986 – Six historic districts in Greenville, Ala. were added to the National Register of Historic Places. Those districts included the Commerce Street Residential Historic District, the Fort Dale-College Street Historic District, the King Street Historic District, the South Greenville Historic District, the South Street Historic District and the West Commerce Street Historic District.

Aug. 28, 1987 – Evergreen High School was scheduled to open the season against J.F. Shields at Brooks Memorial Stadium in Evergreen, Ala. at 7:30 p.m. Projected offensive starters for Evergreen included Travis Stallworth, tight end; Patrick Atkins, tackle; James Gross, guard; Craig Blackburn, center; Russell Meeks, guard; Scott Jones, tackle; Marvin Cunningham, split end; Tony Simpson, tailback; Steve Cunningham, fullback; Jack Harvey, quarterback; and Greg Stanton, tailback. Projected defensive starters for Evergreen included Craig Palmer, James Gross, Patrick Atkins, James Grace, Travis Stallworth, Greg Stanton, Tony Simpson, Russell Meeks, Earl Johnson, Steve Cunningham and Marvin Cunningham.

Aug. 28, 1988 - Sixty-nine spectators were killed when three jets collided at an air show in Germany. The carnage from the accident was horrific, as debris and jet fuel covered the crowd below. It would be three years before Germany allowed another air show to be held, this time with more stringent safety precautions.

Aug. 28, 1990 - Iraq declared Kuwait to be its 19th province and renamed Kuwait City al-Kadhima.

Aug. 28, 1992 - The 1992 Sparta Academy Warrior Cheerleading Squad cheering on their Warriors on this Friday night in Luverne to open the 1992 gridiron season against the Crenshaw Christian Academy Cougars included co-captains Stephanie Booth and Julie Brundage, Rachel Bohannon, Regina Hawsey, Kelly Booker, Nann Castleberry, captain Kelly Booker and Carla Grimes.

Aug. 28, 2005 - Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast of the United States. At least 1,200 people were killed in Louisiana and Mississippi.

Aug. 28, 2008 – The Beda Cemetery and Butler Cemetery in Covington County, Ala. were added to the Alabama Historic Cemetery Register.