'WALK TO MORDOR' UPDATE: 1,311 miles down and 488 miles to go

I continued my (virtual) “Walk to Mordor” during the past week by logging five more miles since my last update. I walked/jogged five miles today (Friday). So far, I’ve logged 1,311 total miles on this virtual trip to Mount Doom, and I’ve got 488 more miles to go before I reach Mordor. All in all, I’ve completed about 72.9 percent of the total trip.

 

In relation to Frodo’s overall journey to destroy the One Ring at Mount Doom in Mordor, I’m on the first day of the trip past Rauros Falls, which is Feb. 26 on the Middle Earth. I left off my last update on 1306, which was three miles from the point where Aragorn led Frodo’s group, the Fellowship of the Ring, toward the west bank of the river.

 

Three miles later, at Mile 1309, the group reached one of the most significant milestones of the entire trip, the lawn of Parth Galen below Amon Hen, and the group decides to camp there. The next day (Feb. 26), the Fellowship breaks apart, which is how the first book of the trilogy, “The Fellowship of the Ring,” ends. At this point, Frodo (and me) have traveled a total of 1,309 miles from Bag End to Rauros Falls.

 

Thus begins the final leg of my “Walk to Mordor,” which consists of the journey of Frodo and Sam the final 488 miles from Rauros Falls to Mount Doom. It’s around noon on Feb. 26 when the “Breaking of the Fellowship” occurs and Frodo decides to carry the Ring to Mordor alone. However, his good friend, Samwise “Sam” Gamgee, guesses what Frodo is up to and reaches the lake as Frodo sets out on his own. Ultimately, they go together.

 

About one-quarter mile later, they paddle past the south end of Tol Brandir and a quarter-mile past that they reach the shelving shore on the south slopes of Amon Lhaw, where they hide their boat. Half a mile later, they head southeast into the “strange twisted knot of hills” in eastern Emyn Muil.

 

From there, I’ve gone one additional mile to Mile 1311, where Frodo and Sam reach the south edge of the hills, a “sheer, high, impassible cliff overlooking the marshland of Nindalf, the “Wetwang,” which lies east of the Anduin River, all along the delta of the Entwash.

 

The next significant milestone, Mile 1312, comes one mile later, where Frodo and Sam turn north away from the cliff.

 

For those of you reading this for the first time, I began this “Walk to Mordor” fitness challenge on Jan. 1, 2015. Using a book called “The Atlas of Middle-Earth” by Karen Wynn Fonstad, fans of “The Lord of the Rings” created this challenge by mapping out Frodo’s fictional trek to Mordor, calculating the total distance at 1,799 miles. They also used the original "Lord of the Rings" text to outline the journey, so you can follow their route by keeping up with your total mileage.

 

The folks who worked out the nuts and bolts of this virtual journey have divided it into four parts. It’s 458 miles from Hobbiton to Rivendell, 462 miles from Rivendell through Moria to Lothlorien, 389 miles from Lothlorien down the Anduin to Rauros Falls and 470 miles from Rauros to Mount Doom. (Those locations should sound very familiar to “Lord of the Rings” fans.) The hobbits averaged 18 miles a day, but if you walk (or jog, as I sometimes do) five miles a day, it’s possible to cover 1,799 miles in a year.

 

If you’re interested in learning more about the “Walk to Mordor Challenge,” I suggest you check out two Web sites, http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/07/23/walking/ and http://home.insightbb.com/~eowynchallenge/. Both of these sites provide a ton of details about the challenge, including how to get started.

 

In the end, check back next Friday for another update and to see how much closer I am to Mordor. I hope to knock out at least 10 more miles next week, and I’ll include all that in my update next week.

Today in History for June 30, 2017

Moore Academy in Pine Apple, Ala.

June 30, 1520 – Spanish conquistadors led by Hernán Cortés fought their way out of Tenochtitlan.

June 30, 1685 – Poet and dramatist John Gay was born in Barnstaple, England.

June 30, 1775 - The Continental Congress drafted its rationale for taking up arms against Great Britain in the Articles of War. In the Articles of War, written one year before the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, Congress referred to “his Majesty’s most faithful subjects in these Colonies” and laid the blame for colonial discontent not on King George III, but on “attempts of the British Ministry, to carry into execution, by force of arms, several unconstitutional and oppressive acts of the British parliaments for laying taxes in America.” By phrasing their discontent this way, Congress attempted to notify the king that American colonists were unhappy with parliamentary policy.

June 30, 1805 – The U.S. Congress organized the Michigan Territory.

June 30, 1817 – English botanist and explorer Joseph Dalton Hooker was born in Halesworth, Suffolk, England.

June 30, 1841 – Confederate soldier John Miller Lee was born at Burnt Corn. He enlisted in Wood’s Cavalry in Mobile on Sept. 29, 1861 then transferred to Co. B of the 3rd Alabama Cavalry (The Monroe Blues). He was elected 2nd lieutenant and assigned to Manigault’s Brigade S.O. No. 78 and detailed as division escort in Anderson's Division. He was wounded near Atlanta on Aug. 16, 1864. When the 1907 Alabama Confederate Census was conducted, he was living in the Diadem community in Conecuh County. When he filed for his Confederate pension, his witnesses were F.M. Dean and F.H. Lee. When the 1921 Confederate Census was conducted, he was living at Rt. B, Box 108, in Evergreen.

June 30, 1859 – French acrobat Charles Blondin became the first person to cross Niagara Falls on a tightrope.

June 30, 1860 - A debate on the merits of the theory of evolution took place at Oxford University. It occurred as part of the annual meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. Darwin's book “On the Origin of Species” (1859) had just been published seven months earlier, and was hotly contested by scientists and theologians on both sides of the issue.

June 30, 1861 - Below New Orleans, the CSS Sumter, commanded by Raphael Semmes, ran the blockade and began a career as a Federal commerce raider.

June 30, 1862 – The Seven Days’ Battles continued at Glendale (White Oak Swamp), Va. as Robert E. Lee had a chance to deal a decisive blow against George B. McClellan’s Army of the Potomac. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia had already won the Seven Days’ Battles, but the Confederates’ attempt to rout McClellan cost many Southern casualties. Lee’s failure at Glendale permitted McClellan’s army to fall back to higher, more defensible locations.

June 30, 1862 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Adam’s Bluff, Arkansas; at Henderson, Kentucky; at Powell River and another at Rising (or Morning) Sun, Tennessee; and at Jones’ Bridge, New Kent Courthouse, Turkey Bridge (or Malvern Cliff,) and at White Oak Swamp Bridge in Virginia.

June 30, 1862 - The Federal naval bombardment of Tampa, Florida began.

June 30, 1863 – During the Civil War, fighting took place at Goodrich’s Landing, Louisiana. Skirmishes were also fought near Westminster, Maryland; near Hudson’s River and Neosho River, Missouri; and at Fairfield, Hanover, and at Sporting Hill, Pennsylvania.

June 30, 1863 – During the Civil War, Federals evacuated Maryland Heights, Maryland.

June 30, 1863 – During the Civil War, the siege at Vicksburg, Miss. entered Day 44.

June 30, 1863 – During the Civil War, Confederates evacuated Tullahoma, Tennessee, and began to withdraw down to and then across the Tennessee River.

June 30, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Acworth, Allatoona and La Fayette, Georgia; and on Four Mile Creek, near Deep Bottom, Virginia.

June 30, 1864 – During the Civil War, Confederate General Jubal Early’s force occupied New Market, Virginia as it made its way northward.

June 30, 1864 – During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln accepted Salmon P. Chase’s, the US Secretary of the Treasury’s, resignation.

June 30, 1864 – U.S. President Abraham Lincoln granted the Yosemite Valley to California for "public use, resort and recreation".

June 30, 1865 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought with Indians at Rock Creek in the Dakota Territory.

June 30, 1865 - The US Military Commission found the following guilty of conspiring to murder President Lincoln with these sentences doled out: Samuel Arnold, life imprisonment; George Atzerodt, death by hanging; David Herald, death by hanging; Dr. Samuel Mudd, life imprisonment; Michael O’Laughlin, life imprisonment; Lewis Payne, death by hanging; Edward Spangler, six years imprisonment; and Mrs. Mary Surratt, death by hanging.

June 30, 1865 - President Johnson named Benjamin F. Perry provisional governor of South Carolina

June 30, 1881 – Lobina Knight Mitchell was mistakenly murdered in Cragford, Ala. by Charles J. Waldrop, who was hanged for the crime on July 3, 1881.

June 30, 1882 – Charles J. Guiteau was hanged in Washington, D.C. for the assassination of U.S. President James Garfield.

June 30, 1892 – German SS officer Oswald Pohl was born in Duisburg-Ruhrort.

June 30-July 2, 1896 – The Confederate reunion was scheduled to be held in Richmond, Va. It was expected to “be one of the memorable occurrences of an eventful year.” It was said that every one of the 833 camps of United Confederate Veterans would be represented; that many thousands of old soldiers of the Confederacy who were not members of this organization and a host of the sons of veterans would also attend. It was believed that this would be a larger gathering of the “followers of the lost cause” than had assembled on any occasion since the war.

June 30, 1896 - Misses Kate and Neila Gaillard, “two of Camden’s most popular young ladies,” left Perdue Hill on this Sunday on the steamer Tensie Moore for their homes.

June 30, 1906 – Prof. L.K. Benson, a graduate of Southern University, was named principal of the Monroeville Institute in Monroeville, Ala. He replaced I.A. Weaver, who took the job as editor of the Lineville Headlight.

June 30, 1908 – The famous Tunguska event explosion occurred in Siberia near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in what is now Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. This meteor (or comet) explosion flattened nearly 770 square miles of trees and struck people unconscious some 40 miles away. Commonly thought to be caused by the air burst of a comet or meteor over the area, the impact was a 1,000 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, and it knocked over an estimated 80 million trees.

June 30, 1910 – Evergreen Postmaster Dean reported that receipts of the Evergreen Post Office for the fiscal year ending on June 30, amounted to $6,961.85 as compared with $5,969.25 for the previous year, showing a net increase in receipts for the year of $995.65.

June 30, 1911 - Polish poet Czeslaw Milosz was born in Szetejnie, Lithuania.

June 30, 1914 - In an editorial published on the final day of June 1914, two days after the killing of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and his wife by a Serbian nationalist during an official appearance in Sarajevo, Bosnia, the London Times urged a continued focus on domestic affairs.

June 30, 1915 – The Evergreen Courant reported that the following officers had been recently elected at Downing Lodge, No. 580, in Castleberry, Ala. Those officers included S. Castleberry, Worshipful Master; J.W. Thurmond, Senior Warden; L.A. Kirkland, Junior Warden; J.F. Albreast, Treasurer; E.A. White, Secretary; R.A. Baird, Senior Deacon; E.L. Connor, Junior Deacon; J.D. Davis, Tyler; Rev. S.B. Strout, Chaplain; John L. Monk and J.M. Branch, Stewards.

June 30, 1915 – The Evergreen Courant reported that J.G. Barrow was now in charge of Hotel Evergreen in Evergreen, Ala.

June 30, 1915 – The Conecuh County Grand Jury was scheduled to meet in Evergreen, Ala. in regard to the trial of John Salter and Robert Watkins who made a full confession to the brutal murder of Martha Lassiter, the attempted murder of Wiley House and the robbery and burning of House’s residence near Burnt Corn on June 23, 1915.

June 30, 1921 – U.S. President Warren G. Harding appointed former President William Howard Taft Chief Justice of the United States.

June 30, 1928 - As mandated by the state legislature, convict leasing ended in Alabama. While many southern states leased convicts to private industry as laborers, Alabama's program, begun in 1846, lasted the longest, and for much of that time the notorious system was a key revenue source for the state.

June 30, 1934 – The Night of the Long Knives, Adolf Hitler's violent purge of his political rivals in Germany, took place.

June 30, 1936 - Margaret Mitchell's “Gone with the Wind,” one of the best-selling novels of all time and the basis for a blockbuster 1939 movie, was published on this day.

June 30, 1936 – Monroeville’s baseball team beat Jay, Fla., 3-0.

June 30, 1941 - A radio version of Alabama author Octavus Roy Cohen's book “I Love You Again” was broadcast as part of “The Lux Radio Theatre” series.

June 30, 1946 – The Louisville & Nashville Railroad announced a number of train schedule changes for its depot in Evergreen, Ala. that took effect one minute after midnight on this date. Train No. 5 for Mobile and New Orleans was changed to No. 7 and began leaving at 6:15 a.m. instead of 5:40 a.m. Train No. 4 for Montgomery, Atlanta, Washington, Birmingham, Louisville, Cincinnati, St. Louis and Chicago began leaving at 4:10 p.m. instead of 4:20 p.m. Train No. 38 for Jacksonville, Montgomery, Atlanta, Washington and New York began leaving at 5:22 a.m. instead of 5:03 a.m. Train No. 6 for Montgomery began leaving at 1:59 p.m. instead of 1:50 p.m.

June 30, 1948 – The Evergreen Greenies were scheduled to play Brewton in Brewton on this Wednesday night.

June 30, 1951 – Monroeville’s baseball team beat the Craig Field team, 5-1, on this Saturday night in Monroeville. Players on Monroeville’s team included Chandler, Finlayson, Johnson, Riley, Glen Scott, Stevens, Tucker and Weaver.

June 30, 1956 – A TWA Super Constellation and a United Airlines DC-7 collided above the Grand Canyon in Arizona and crashed, killing all 128 on board both airliners.

June 30, 1958 - The U.S. Congress passed a law authorizing the admission of Alaska as the 49th state in the Union.

June 30, 1959 – At the close of business on this day, Clyde Dickey Bozeman took over the operations of The Thomasville Times in Thomasville, Ala. after buying it from Times editor and publisher Earl L. Tucker.

June 30, 1960 – This day’s edition of The Monroe Journal contained the following advertisement: COMPLETE SELL OUT! “To Kill A Mocking Bird” by Harper Lee of Monroeville, Ala. Published by J.B. Lippincott Co. “The Book With A Southern Setting… A Love Story Pure And Simple” Chosen As… A Literary Guild Selection… Reader’s Digest Condensation… More Book Are On Order, Place Your Order Now! At Ernestine’s Book & Gift Shop, Monroeville.

June 30, 1960 – The Monroe Journal reported that Jack Matchett, fireman, U.S. Navy, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lee Matchett of Frisco City, was serving aboard the attack aircraft carrier USS Shangri-la, conducting underway training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

June 30, 1967 – Morris T. Ward resigned as principal at Evergreen High School, where he had served as principal for six years, to accept a position as assistant to Wilcox County Superintendent of Education Guy S. Kelly. Ward, who had been a successful coach at Lyeffion and Thomaston, had been Evergreen’s principal since July 1, 1961. Harvey G. Pate was Conecuh County’s Superintendent of Education at the time of Ward’s resignation.

June 30, 1969 – In an incident often attributed to the Bermuda Triangle, the 60-foot Maple Bank was found drifting north of Bermuda with no trace of survivors.

June 30, 1962 - Sandy Koufax struck out 13 batters and walked five to lead the Brooklyn Dodgers to victory over the New York Mets, 5-0, with his first career no-hitter.

June 30, 1966 – The National Organization of Women was founded in Washington, D.C. by a group of 28 women.

June 30, 1967 - The South Vietnamese Armed Forces Council resolved rival claims to the presidency in favor of Nguyen Van Thieu, Chief of State. Former Premier Nguyen Cao Ky, who had announced on May 11 that he would run for president, was forced to accept second place on the presidential ticket.

June 30, 1970 - The Cincinnati Reds moved to their new home at Riverfront Stadium.

June 30, 1970 - The U.S. Senate voted 58 to 37 in favor of adopting the Cooper-Church amendment to limit presidential power in Cambodia.

June 30, 1971 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the government could not prevent the Washington Post or the New York Times from publishing the “Pentagon Papers.”

June 30, 1976 – “The Outlaw Josie Wales,” a movie version of Alabama author Forrest Carter's book “Gone to Texas” (also called “The Rebel Outlaw Josie Wales”), was released.

June 30, 1978 - At Atlanta's Fulton County Stadium, Mobile, Ala. native Willie McCovey hit his 500th home run.

June 30, 1978 - The Conecuh County High School Quarterback Club sponsored a Disco Dance to be held on this Friday night in the school gymnasium. Admission was $2 for singles and $3.50 per couple. All young people were invited to come and enjoy the dance.

June 30, 1984 - Alabama author Lillian Hellman died in Martha's Vineyard, Mass.

June 30, 1988 – In Conecuh County, Ala. Odis Mims caught an 18-1/2 pound catfish on this Thursday evening.

June 30, 1988 – Weather reporter Harry Ellis reported 1.33 inches of rain in Evergreen, Ala.

June 30, 1989 – Eleven people were injured, but no one was killed, when a van belonging to the Springhill Church of God in Mobile, Ala. suffered a blow out, struck a guard rail and turned over just north of the Conecuh County, Ala. line on Interstate Highway 65.

June 30, 1995 – Moore Academy School at Pine Apple in Wilcox County, Ala. was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

June 30, 1995 – The Givens House in Andalusia, Ala. was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

June 30, 1999 – Weather reporter Harry Ellis reported total rainfall for the month of June 1999 amounted to 10.13 inches in Evergreen, Ala.

Battle of Malvern Hill was bloody day for members of the Conecuh Guards

Saturday marks the 155^th anniversary of one of the deadliest days of the Civil War for the Conecuh Guards, the Confederate military company from Conecuh County.

It was on July 1, 1862 that 55,000 Confederate soldiers under the command of General Robert E. Lee collided with 54,000 Union soldiers under the command of generals George B. McClellan and Fitz John Porter at the Battle of Malvern Hill in Henrico County, Va. From a tactical standpoint, this battle resulted in a Union victory and was costly for Co. E of the 4^th Alabama Infantry Regiment. Also known as the “Conecuh Guards,” this unit was organized at Sparta on April 1, 1861.

At the Battle of Malvern Hill, estimated casualties on both sides amounted to around 8,650 and at least four members of the Conecuh Guards were among those killed and wounded.

According to B.F. Riley’s 1881 book, “The History of Conecuh County, Alabama,” two members of the Conecuh Guards were killed at the Battle of Malvern Hill – John Arthur Hodo and Emanuel Johnston. Two other members of the Conecuh Guards were wounded there – Capt. William Lee and 19-year-old Gilchrist R. Boulware.

So far, I haven’t been able to dig up any information about how Hodo and Johnston were killed but, interestingly, you can visit Hodo’s grave today in Virginia. Although the 30-year-old Hodo was killed on July 1, his remains weren’t finally buried until Aug. 18, 1862 when he was laid to rest in the Soldiers Section of the Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Va.

Johnston was also buried in the Soldiers Section of the Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, but they have him incorrectly listed as Emanuel Johnson (without the “t). According to cemetery records, his remains were finally buried on July 27, 1862, that is, over three weeks after his death at the Battle of Malvern Hill.

As things turned out, Capt. William Lee, who’d been wounded five days before at the First Battle of Cold Harbor, would not survive the war. Almost a year to the day after the Battle of Malvern Hill, Lee was mortally wounded on the second day of the epic Battle of Gettysburg while fighting in McLaw’s Brigade in Hood’s Division. He died the following day. He was later laid to rest in Elmwood Cemetery in Birmingham.

Capt. Lee was apparently so well respected and highly regard that years later, when Confederate veterans in Conecuh County formed a United Confederate Veterans Camp, they named it Camp Capt. William Lee in his honor.

Boulware survived the war and is arguably one of the most colorful men to have ever lived in Conecuh County. Born near Brooklyn on Aug. 15, 1842, Boulware entered Confederate service as a private when the Conecuh Guards were organized in April 1861. On Dec. 13, 1862, five months after the Battle of Malvern Hill, Boulware was serving as the Color Sergeant for the Fourth Alabama Infantry Regiment when he was wounded at the Battle of Fredericksburg, Va.

Jump ahead to Sept. 19, 1863, and Boulware, who was still the Regiment’s Color Sergeant, was severely wounded in the side and in the arm at the Battle of Chickamauga in northwest Georgia. Even though Boulware’s left arm had to be amputated at Chickamauga, his service didn’t end there for on Jan. 11, 1864 (less than four months later), Boulware began working for the Confederate Secret Service Department, serving in this clandestine organization until the end of the war in 1865.

After the war, Boulware returned home to Conecuh County and became a productive citizen. He also became very active in veterans affairs. He served as the commander of Camp Capt. William Lee of the United Confederate Veterans for a number of years, including 1908, 1912, 1913, 1915, 1916. Wounded at least three times during the Civil War, Boulware outlived most of his comrades, having passed away at the age of 80 on Sept. 21, 1922. He is buried in the cemetery at Brooklyn Baptist Church.

Pro baseball team's stop in Evergreen in 1940 was front-page news

Ivy "Poison Ivy" Andrews of Dora, Ala.

This past Sunday - June 25 - marked the anniversary of a somewhat unique sports-related event in the history of Evergreen. It was on this day in 1940 – 77 years ago – that the Montgomery Rebels of the Southeastern Baseball League stopped in Evergreen to eat on their way to Mobile for a series against the Mobile Shippers.

This event was such a big deal at the time that The Evergreen Courant newspaper had a front page story about their visit to Evergreen in the June 27, 1940 edition. That story read as follows:

“MONTGOMERY BALL CLUB PAYS VISIT HERE TUESDAY MORNING: The Montgomery Rebels of the Southeastern baseball league honored our fair city with a visit Tuesday morning when they stopped to dine at a local café, enroute for a series with the Mobile Shippers. The Rebs are holding down third place in the league standings, and are enjoying the best season they have had in years. More power, we say, to the capital city horsehiders.”

The Southeastern Baseball League was an old minor league organization that dated back to 1910, and in 1940 it was considered a Class B league, that is, it was four levels below Major League Baseball. Over the years, a wide variety of teams were part of the Southeastern League, but in 1940 the league included the Montgomery Rebels, the Mobile Shippers, the Gadsden Pilots, the Jackson (Miss.) Senators, the Pensacola Pilots, the Anniston Rams, the Selma Cloverleafs and the Meridian Bears.

Montgomery had a middle-of-the-pack team in 1940. They finished the season in fourth place behind first-place Gadsden, second-place Jackson and third-place Pensacola. Anniston came in fifth, and Selma was sixth. Mobile finished the season seventh overall, just ahead of Meridian.

The 1940 Rebels, who played their home games at Cramton Bowl on Madison Avenue in Montgomery, had an impressive roster, including at least seven players who played in the Majors. Those Major League players included second baseman Bill Adair of Mobile, pitcher Ivy Andrews of Dora, pitcher Orville Armrust of Beirne, Ark., outfielder Tom Cafego of Whipple, W.V., pitcher Larry Crawford of Swissvale, Pa., first baseman Bob Prichard of Paris, Texas and pitcher Ernie Wingard of Prattville.

Adair played his entire career for a long list of minor league teams, but never cracked the Major Leagues as a player. However, after his playing days, he became a successful coach and manager. He made his official Major League debut in 1970 when he was named the manager of the Chicago White Sox.

When the Rebels stopped in Evergreen, Andrews, a right-handed pitcher nicknamed “Poison Ivy,” had already played for four different Major League teams. He made his MLB debut on Aug. 15, 1931 when he took the mound for the New York Yankees. He went on to play for the Boston Red Sox, the St. Louis Browns and the Cleveland Indians before appearing in his final MLB game on Sept. 28, 1938.

Armbrust was also a right-handed pitcher, and like Andrews, he had already had a taste of the Majors. He made his Major League debut on Sept. 18, 1934 when he took the mound for the Washington Senators. He went on to appear in two more games for the Senators, appearing in his final game on Sept. 30, 1934. He died in 1967 without ever appearing in another Big League game.

Cafego had also had a short stint in the Bigs before the Rebels stopped to eat in Evergreen. He made his Major League debut with the St. Louis Browns on Sept. 3, 1937 and played in four total games before making his last MLB appearance on Sept. 9, 1937. Cafego, who threw right-handed but hit left-handed, was still a pretty good hitter in 1940, when he finished the season with a .371 batting average.

Crawford, a right-handed pitcher, was also a Major League veteran. He made his Major League debut with the Philadelphia Phillies on July 27, 1937 and played in his final MLB game on Aug. 20, 1937. In 1940, he played in 17 games for the Rebels and finished the season with a 4-8 record.

Prichard also had some Major League experience under his belt. He made his Major League debut with the Washington Senators on June 14, 1939 and played in his final MLB game on Aug. 24, 1939, less than a year before the Rebels visited Evergreen. The 1940 season was Prichard’s last with the Rebels, but he went on to play for at least seven other minor league teams before hanging up his spikes in 1949.

Wingard, who was 39 years old when the Rebels came to Evergreen, which is ancient for a ball player, was also a Major League veteran, but he hadn’t appeared in a Big League game in 13 years by the time the Rebels stopped in Evergreen. He made his MLB debut for the St. Louis Browns on May 1, 1924 and was on the team for three more years, making his final MLB appearance on Sept. 25, 1927. His official MLB pitching record was 29-43.

In the end, if you’re interested in learning more about these players, the Southeastern Baseball League or the Montgomery Rebels, be sure to check out one of my favorite Web sites, Baseball Reference.com, www.baseball-reference.com, which is where I found a lot of the information above.

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

Prof. Herbert Huntingdon Smith

What follows are 100-year-old news excerpts from the June 28, 1917 edition of The Wilcox Progressive Era newspaper in Camden, Ala.

Gastonburg: Mr. A.C. Moore left on June 13 for Auburn where he will spend six weeks.

Yellow Bluff: We are all very sad over the death of our friends and relatives the last few weeks. Those who died were Mr. G.H. Mayton, Mr. William Sheffield and Mr. Redden Tyler. Many are left to mourn their loss.

Cotton Honor Won By Wilcox County: Another cotton bloom was received at the local cotton exchange yesterday, coming to Baker Lyons & Co. It was grown by Mr. A.L. Slaughter of Lower Peach Tree. Wilcox County, for the sixth time in 10 years, furnished the first cotton bloom this year. The first came from Arlington and was found on June 8. Twice the honor has been taken by Clarke County, once by Baldwin and once by Mobile, while Wilcox divided honors with Monroe County one year, when blooms were found in both counties on the same day. – Mobile Register.

The County Board of Equalization, consisting of Mr. W.W. Agee of Lamison, Chairman, and Messrs. W.T. Alford of Camden and P.E. Wallace of Ackerville, was in session last week. There were but three complaints, which were adjusted. Tax Assessor McClurkin was with the board.

Rev. L.L. Gwaltney, D.D., of Greenville will assist pastor I.N. Kimbrough in special meetings at the Camden Baptist church, beginning Monday, July 2, 8:30 p.m.

Fourth of July: Next Wednesday is the glorious Fourth of July and in accordance with the custom of this paper, our office force will be given the patriotic holiday. Therefore all advertisements and correspondence should reach this office not later than Monday morning to insure publication the current week. Our friends will please remember the paper will go to press one day earlier next week.

The Wilcox County Masonic Conference will this year meet with Dale Lodge on Monday night, Aug. 13. The conference will be presided over by Worshipful Master Rennie of Central City Lodge, Selma. Grand High Priest J. H. McCormick of Mobile will attend the conference. The members of Dale Lodge are making preparations to receive their brethren in true Masonic and royal spirit. A large number of our county and adjoining county Masons are expected to attend the conference.

A regular communication of Dale Lodge No. 25 will be held Friday night when the following newly elected Masonic officers will be duly installed: Claude Hardy, Worshipful Master; E.W. Berry, Senior Warden; J.T. Edwards, Junior Warden; D.J. Salter, Treasurer; J.C. Benson, Secretary; B.H. Matthews, Chaplain; F.F. Tait, Senior Deacon; W.P. Harris, Junior Deacon; W.T. Hale, Tyler.

OAK HILL: On Saturday afternoon, Jan. 23, the people of Oak Hill held a patriotic meeting to organize a local branch of the Wilcox County chapter of the American Red Cross. The meeting was opened by Hon. John T. Dale, who very properly and in simple language told the object of the meeting. Next, Dr. McConnico made a short talk on the Red Cross and its work. The branch was then organized with Miss Etta McConnico as chairman, Mrs. Jessie B. Jones, secretary and treasurer.

The meeting was a great success, 24 being present and 24 members being enrolled.

The work on the town (Camden) well continues and it is said the two wells will supply the present needs of Camden in water; when the strainers are put in the pumping of water will begin and the town of Camden will then be supplied with water.

Mr. E.D. Stewart of the Montgomery representing the sterling and progressive Montgomery Advertiser was a recent visitor to Camden and paid the Progressive Era a pleasant visit.

The Alabama River is falling and will soon again be low. The steamboats however have sufficient water to make their regular trips.

The progressive L&N Railroad Co. is building a new concrete and iron water tank at Nadawah.

Matthews Hardware company has installed a free air service for automobiles and this service is appreciated by the public.

PINE HILL DRAMATIC CLUB: On next Friday evening at 8:15 p.m. the Pine Hill Dramatic Club will present the “Prince in Buckskins.” This is the second appearance of this club in Camden and we trust a large and appreciative audience will great our Pine Hill visitors.

Under the new law, there will be no meeting of the County Commissioners Court until August, at which time a regular term of the court will be held.

Sheriff McDowell informs us that there are 12 prisoners in jail.

A few nights since, while returning from the post office, Mr. John Miller was thrown from his buggy. It is expected that he will soon be up to continue his business in law.

Mr. W.L. Glessner of Atlanta, Field Editor of the Southern Ruralist of Atlanta, was in Camden a few days since. He was here to write up for his great agricultural journal the many registered and high grade herds of fine cattle that are in the various sections of our county which is the banner cattle county of our Alabama. The Progressive Era was pleased to receive a call from the editor of the Southern Ruralist.

The Progressive Era was pleased to receive an invitation to the closing exercises of the school of medicine of Tulane University, which was held at the French Opera House, New Orleans. Among the graduates in medicine were Dr. John Paul Jones Jr., the bright son of Dr. and Mrs. T. Wharburton Jones.

Mr. and Mrs. Oliver of Irvington, Ala. are Camden visitors this week and are guests of the Bloch Wilcox Hotel. They are viewing various properties and may locate here.

The first load of this season’s watermelons came to Camden last Saturday. They were raised by Mr. Henry Roberts of Mt. Hope beat. Apples, peaches, blackberries, fresh river fish, roasting ears and frying size chickens, nice beef, mutton, pork and kid are on the market.

Prof. and Mrs. H.H. Smith and Mr. C.A. Burke of the State Geological Department of the University of Alabama are in and around Camden, gathering fossils and specimens of which there are many in our county.

Wilcox County pioneer, prominent Freemason was born 249 years ago

June 28, 2017 marked the 249^th birthday of Wilcox County pioneer Thomas Bivin Creagh, who was also one of Alabama’s most prominent early Freemasons.

Creagh (pronounced “cree-ah”) was born on June 28, 1768 in Albemarle County, Va., which is also home to Charlottesville, the University of Virginia and Thomas Jefferson’s famous home, Monticello. Creagh and his sizeable family moved around a lot in his early years and lived in Georgia and South Carolina before finally settling near Suggsville in Clarke County. Creagh, who was well on his way to becoming a wealthy planter, eventually moved to Wilcox County after purchasing land there in 1819, the same year that Alabama became a state.

From his earliest days in Alabama, Creagh was heavily involved in Freemasonry. The Alabama Grand Lodge was established at Cahawba in Dallas County in 1821, and two years later, in 1823, Creagh became a member of Suggsville’s now-defunct Marion Masonic Lodge No. 23.

Wilcox County’s Dale Masonic Lodge No. 25, currently located in Camden, was organized in 1827 at what is now Prairie Bluff, and Creagh served as the lodge’s Worshipful Master, that is, its highest office, during the 1827 Masonic year. As many readers know, Dale Masonic Lodge, which is currently one of the oldest lodges in the entire state, moved to Camden the 1840s and has been there ever since.

Creagh gained further notoriety in Masonry in 1828 when he was elected Grand Master of the Alabama Grand Lodge, a position that made him the top Freemason in all of Alabama. Creagh went on to serve in that same position in 1829 and 1830, and it’s said that he is the only Alabama Grand Master to have served in that lofty position for three consecutive years.

On March 29, 1842, Creagh passed away at the ripe old age of 73, and he was buried in the Creagh-Glover Family Cemetery near Catherine. Located on private property off Dove Lane, in the northwest corner of Wilcox County, this old cemetery contains around 25 graves, mostly from between 1826 and 1887 when the property served as a burial ground for the nearby Creagh family plantations. The cemetery, which is also known as the Cooper Cemetery, is located on land that was originally bought by Thomas Bivin Creagh in 1819.

Sources say that Thomas Bivin Creagh established the Creagh-Glover Family Cemetery in 1826 when his son Richard P. Creagh passed away unexpectedly at the age of 30 in Mississippi. Born in Abbeville County, South Carolina in 1796, Richard P. Creagh graduated from South Carolina College (known today at the University of South Carolina) before becoming a lawyer in frontier Mississippi. Some sources even reflect that he served for a time as Mississippi’s attorney general.

In the end, I’d like to hear from anyone in the reading audience with more biographical information about Thomas Bivin (sometimes spelled Bevin) Creagh. My feeling is that there is much more to his story, and if I can get more information about him, I’ll be happy to pass it on to readers of The Progressive Era.

The Evergreen Courant's News Flashback for June 30, 2017

Benjamin Meek Miller

54 YEARS AGO

JUNE 27, 1963

Evergreen weather reporter W.D. Simonton reported a high of 91 on June 24 and a low of 68 on June 25. He reported .80 inches of rain on June 20, .32 inches on June 21, .79 inches on June 22, .55 inches on June 23, .21 inches on June 24 and .07 inches on June 26.

Mrs. Sarah Susan Wilson, age 103, died at her residence in the Mt. Union community on Thurs., June 20. She was thought to be Conecuh County’s oldest citizen.

Rayburn H. Nall, seaman, U.S. Navy, son of Mr. and Mrs. Belton H. Nall of Lenox, Ala., is serving aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Valley Forge, which participated in operation “Wind Sock” off the coast of California June 3-14.

Owassa Is Given Zip Code Number: Owassa’s five-digit zip code is 36466, Postmaster L.M. Brown announced today.

“Everyone in Owassa will use this zip code on all their correspondence to speed mail delivery and reduce the chance of misspent mail.”

Zip Code, the Post Office Department’s revolutionary new system of improved mail dispatch and delivery, goes into effect nationally on July 1.

The Repton Baptist Church was the scene of the wedding of Miss Betty Jean Dees and Willard Conrad Booker Jr. June 16. Lovely in its simplicity, the impressive double ring ceremony was performed by the Rev. Ralph Lee.

69 YEARS AGO

JUNE 24, 1948

Greening Lodge Masons Elect New Officers: At a regular meeting in the Masonic Hall Tuesday night, June 22, Greening Lodge No. 53, A.F.&A.M., elected officers for the coming year. The new officers are as follows:

Worshipful Master, Claude L. Murphy; Senior Warden, A.K. Williams Jr.; Junior Warden, Reuben F. Hyde; Treasurer, F.L. Cardwell; Secretary, W.G. Jones; Senior Deacon, Alfred A. Long; Junior Deacon, H.H. Johnston; Tyler, Robert Z. Wells.

Appointed officers are Senior Steward, W.C. Trawick; Junior Steward, Truman Hyde; Marshal, T.J. Mills; and Chaplain, Aubrey Dean.

J.J. (Jack) Finklea Is New School Head: Announcement was made this week by County Superintendent H.G. Pate that J.J. Finklea, a former citizen of Evergreen, now of Cuthbert, Ga., had accepted the position of principal of the Evergreen High School, succeeding J. Cliff Harper, who resigned last week. Mr. Finklea, with his wife and two children, will move here to assume his duties about July 15.

The city’s voters will go to the polls next Tues., June 29, to elect a mayor and five councilmen. Below are the names the voters will see on the ballots next Tuesday:

For mayor: M.M. Cardwell and J.H. Robison.

For councilmen: Ward C. Alexander, H.H. Beasley, A.G. Bolton, H.A. Deer, C.L. Kamplain, R.G. Kendall, H.J. Kinzer, Zell Murphy, J.W. Shannon, D.T. Stuart and O.B. Tuggle.

84 YEARS AGO

JUNE 29, 1933

Local Delegation Seeks Road Completion: A delegation from here composed of Probate Judge L.W. Price, Mayor J.L. Kelly, Representative J.E. Kelly and M.C. Brooks, chairman of the Board of Revenue, spent Tuesday in Montgomery where they went to present a plea to Gov. Miller and State Highway Director L.G. Smith for the completion of the paving on Highway No. 31. There are approximately 60 miles of this highway between Mobile and Montgomery that is as yet unpaved, consisting of a stretch from here to McKenzie; between Brewton and Atmore; between Atmore and Stapleton and Cochrane Bridge across Mobile Bay.

The delegation received no definite assurance from either Gov. Miller or Mr. Smith, except that their request would receive most careful consideration at the proper time.

Probate Judge L.W. Price has received pension warrants for old Confederate veterans and widows for the remaining half of the quarter due April 1, 1933, which are payable July 1, this Saturday. The pensioners received half payment on this quarter sometime in April and the warrants now issued is for the remainder.

Bobby Bozeman is spending the week with Clarke Bozeman in Andalusia.

Miss Guice Stevens and her father, Mr. L.M. Stevens, spent last week at the Whitley Hotel in Montgomery, where they attended the Spanish-American war veterans reunion.

99 YEARS AGO

JUNE 26, 1918

Downing Lodge No. 580, A.F.&A.M., Castleberry, at their annual communication on June 21, elected the following officers for the ensuing Masonic year: J.W. Thurmond, Worshipful Master; L.A. Kirkland, Senior Warden; E.L. Conner, Junior Warden; J.W. White Jr., Senior Deacon; E.L. Albreast, Junior Deacon; C.T. Kirkland, Treasurer; E.A. White, Secretary; John M. Branch, Senior Steward; John I. Monk, Junior Steward; Rev. W.F. Arnold, Chaplain; E.V. Poole, Tyler.

Veterans Meeting: All members of Camp Capt. Wm. Lee, United Confederate Veterans, are called to meet in Evergreen on Mon., July 1.  – J.T. Fincher, Commander.

Bob Long, J.D. Deming, C.P. Deming Jr., R.E. Salter and Henry McFarland attend the great Masonic Shriners ceremonial in Florala on Monday.

Many friends of Mrs. L.D. King sympathize sincerely with her in the death of her father, Hon. W.S. Watson, who passed away at his home in Greenville several days ago. He had for several years past been clerk of the circuit court of Butler County and had previously served one term as sheriff.

The local freight trains are again making their night stop-over here (Castleberry).

114 YEARS AGO

JUNE 24, 1903

At the regular communication of Greening Lodge No. 53, A.F.&A.M., the following officers were elected: H.A. Shields, Worshipful Master; J.T. Amos, Senior Warden; D.W. Powell, Junior Warden; M.W. Etheridge, Treasurer; Geo. W. Salter Jr., Secretary; Y.M. Long, Senior Deacon; E.E. Newton, Junior Deacon; J.H. Stamps, Tyler; H.L. Tucker and T.H. Millers, Stewards.

Mayor W.S. Oliver was over from Repton on Monday.

Masonic Officers Elected: At a regular communication of Repton Lodge No. 575, the following officers were elected: Geo. W. Salter Sr., Worshipful Master; John S. Watson, Senior Warden; Wm. M. Newton, Junior Warden; Jas. E. Robinson, Treasurer; Chas. E. Kelly, Secretary; Andrew J. Straughn, Senior Deacon; Henry L. Dees, Junior Deacon; Geo. W. Lee, Tyler; James W. Langham, Wm. Williams, Stewards; John W. Breedlove, Chaplain.

NOTICE: The Democratic Executive Committee of Conecuh County is hereby called to meet at Evergreen on Sat., June 27, 1903 to consider the matter of the vacancy now existing in office of Representative caused by the death of the late Dr. Andrew Jay. Every member of the committee is earnestly requested to be present. – S.P. Dunn, Chairman.

 Rev. J.W. Stewart filled his appointment here (Zeru) Sunday afternoon holding services at the water’s edge where the ordinance of baptism was administered to Misses Johnston and Lucas. Rev. Stewart was accompanied by his little son and Miss Mary McCreary.

Today in History for June 29, 2017

June 29, 1534 – Jacques Cartier became the first European to reach Prince Edward Island.

June 29, 1613 - London's Globe Theatre burned to the ground during a performance of “Henry VIII.” The fire was thought to have been triggered by a sound-effects cannon.

June 29, 1652 - Massachusetts declared itself an independent commonwealth.

June 29-June 30, 1692 – In connection with the Salem witchcraft trials, Rebecca Nurse, Susannah Martin, Sarah Wildes, Sarah Good and Elizabeth Howe were tried, pronounced guilty and sentenced to death by hanging.

June 29, 1767 - The British Parliament approved the Townshend Revenue Acts. The act placed import taxes on many of the British products bought by Americans, including lead, paper, paint, glass and tea.

June 29, 1776 - The Virginia constitution was adopted and Patrick Henry was made governor.

June 29, 1776 – The first privateer battle of the American Revolutionary War was fought at Turtle Gut Inlet near Cape May, New Jersey.

June 29, 1776 - Edward Rutledge, one of South Carolina’s representatives to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, expressed his reluctance to declare independence from Britain in a letter to the like-minded John Jay of New York. Contrary to the majority of his Congressional colleagues, Rutledge advocated patience with regards to declaring independence. In a letter to Jay, one of New York’s representatives who was similarly disinclined to rush a declaration, Rutledge worried whether moderates like himself and Jay could “effectually oppose” a resolution for independence.

June 29, 1804 - Privates John Collins and Hugh Hall of the Lewis and Clark Expedition were found guilty by a court-martial consisting of members of the Corps of Discovery for getting drunk on duty. Collins received 100 lashes on his back and Hall received 50.

June 29, 1815 – Bibb County, which was originally part of Monroe County, was created by the Mississippi territorial legislature on this day. Part of Montgomery County, Miss. Territory, in 1817; part of Montgomery County, Alabama Territory, 1817-1818; Cahawba County, Alabama Territory, Feb. 7, 1818-Dec. 14, 1819; Cahawba County, Alabama, Dec. 14, 1819-Dec. 4, 1820; then named changed to Bibb. Present boundaries established in 1868. Now bordered on theh north by Tuscaloosa County and Jefferson County, on the east by Shelby County and Chilton County, on the south by Perry County, and on the west by Hale County. Named Cahawba for the river that flows from north to south through the county. Renamed in 1820 to honor William Wyatt Bibb (1781-1820), territorial governor and first governor of the state, who had died the preceding summer. Its county seats have been the temporary one, Falls of the Cahawba, 1819-22; Bibb Court House, later named Bibbville, 1822-29; and the present one, first known as Centreville Courthouse, now Centreville, chosen in 1829.

June 29, 1825 – During his tour of the United States, the Marquis de Lafayette met with women's groups and then departed Montpelier for Burlington, Vermont, arriving there about 11 a.m. He laid the cornerstone for the "South College" building at the University of Vermont and gave a talk to about 50-60 students. He was entertained at the Grassmount estate. He departed 12 hours after he arrived for Whitehall, New York.

June 29, 1835 - Determined to win independence for the Mexican State of Texas, William Travis raised a volunteer army of 25 soldiers and prepared to liberate the city of Anahuac. The next day, the small army easily captured Captain Antonio Tenorio, the leader of Santa Anna’s forces in Anahuac, and forced the troops to surrender.

June 29, 1846 - The 1st Alabama Infantry Regiment organized in Mobile, Ala. to fight in the Mexican War. Alabamians volunteered in large numbers to fight against Mexico when war came over the annexation of Texas, but only this single regiment, a battalion, and several independent companies actually were received into federal service from the state. During its 11 months of service, the 1st Alabama lost only one man in battle but 150 died from disease.

June 29, 1861 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Bowman’s Place, on the Cheat River, in Western Virginia.

June 29, 1862 – The Battle of Savage’s Station took place in Henrico County, Va. Confederate General Robert E. Lee attacked Union General George McClellan as he was pulling his army away from Richmond, Va. in retreat during the Seven Days’ Battles. Although the Yankees lost 1,000 men – twice as many as the Rebels – they were able to successfully protect the retreat.

June 29, 1862 – During the Civil War, the blockade runner, Ann, was captured by the Federal Navy under the guns of Fort Morgan, Ala.

June 29, 1862 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought along the James River in the vicinity of Willis’ Church and another at Jordan‘s Ford; along the Williamsburg Road, Virginia; and at Moorefield in Western Virginia. An engagement was also fought at Peach Orchard (or Allen‘s Farm) in the vicinity of Fair Oaks Station. A two-day Federal reconnaissance began between Front Royal and Luray, in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia.

June 29, 1863 – National Baseball Hall of Fame catcher and manager Wilbert Robinson was born in Bolton, Mass. During his career, he played for the Philadelphia Athletics, the Baltimore Orioles and the St. Louis Cardinals and he managed the Orioles and the Brooklyn Robins. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1945.

June 29, 1863 – During the Civil War, the following men were appointed Union Brigadier Generals: George Armstrong Custer, Elon John Farnsworth and Wesley Merritt.

June 29, 1863 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought near Columbia and another at Creelsborough, Kentucky; out from Mound, Louisiana; at Muddy Branch and Westminster, Maryland; and at Decherd, Haillsborough, Lexington and Tullahoma in Tennessee. The first day of what would be two days of skirmishing began in Mississippi at Messinger’s Ferry, along the Big Black River.

June 29, 1863 – During the Civil War, the siege at Vicksburg, Miss. entered Day 43.

June 29, 1863 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at McConnellsburg, Pennsylvania as Northern and Southern armies continued to concentrate toward Gettysburg and Cashtown. Federal cavalry probed the moving Southern army.

June 29, 1863 – During the Civil War, a six-day Confederate operation in the vicinity of Beverly, West Virginia began.

June 29, 1864 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Pond Springs in Northern Alabama.

June 29, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Meffleton Lodge, Arkansas; at Davis Bend, Louisiana; at La Fayette, Tennessee; and at Charlestown and Duffield’s Station, West Virginia.

June 29, 1865 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought with Indians near Fort Dodge, Kansas.

June 29, 1892 - Sigmund Freud first referred to the unconscious, calling it a "second state of consciousness."

June 29, 1897 - The Chicago Cubs scored 36 runs in a game against Louisville, setting a record for runs scored by a team in a single game.

June 29, 1900 – French aviator and writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery was born in Lyons.

June 29, 1901 - The first edition of "Editor & Publisher" was issued.

June 29, 1910 – Composer, librettist and lyricist Frank Loesser was born in New York City.

June 29, 1911 – The baseball season was scheduled to open in Evergreen, Ala. on this day with three games between Evergreen and Andalusia on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. George Farnham was Evergreen’s manager.

June 29, 1914 – Jina Guseva attempted to assassinate Grigori Rasputin at his home town in Siberia.

June 29, 1915 – Merchants and business owners of Evergreen, Ala. signed an agreement on this Tuesday to close for business on Mon., July 5, in observance of the Fourth of July holiday, which fell on a Sunday.

June 29, 1916 – The Conecuh Record reported that Knud Nielsen had left that week for a visit to Chicago.

June 29, 1916 – The Conecuh Record reported that Mr. and Mrs. T.W. Cargill of Montgomery, spent a day with Mr. and Mrs. E.E. Cargill that week. Mr. Cargill was a popular L&N conductor and a native of Evergreen.

June 29, 1916 – The Conecuh Record reported that “an opportunity to have high class portrait painting from life or photograph by Woodford J. Sanders, portrait painter, now paying Evergreen a visit first time in 20 years, lately from Montgomery, and having painted the portraits of Dr. John Massey, M.B. Houghton, J. Flowers, Judge W.A. Thomas and others for the Women’s College of Alabama. Sanders, while in our neighbor city of Brewton, placed some 50 or more portraits, among those of note, Dr. Downing, Mr. Shofner, for Downing Industrial School, also the family of Mr. Ed Lovelace, Mr. W. Martin, Mr. Luttrell, Mr. E. McGowin, Dr. Smith and others, giving entire satisfaction. Mr. Sanders will be here for a short stay, and those desiring to remember their loved ones as in life will do well to see him at once.”

June 29, 1916 – The Monroe Journal reported that the following officers had been elected at Mizpah Lodge No. 667 for the following year: W.R. Blackwell, worshipful master; J.W. Wilkinson, senior warden; R.T. Lambert, junior warden; Chas. A. Florey, treasurer; John T. Lambert, secretary; W.L. Morris, senior deacon; Alex T. Davis, junior deacon; Robert Stacey, tyler; J.F. Grimes, B.F. Lambert, stewards; W.J. Curry, chaplain.

June 29, 1916 – The Monroe Journal reported that the following officers had been elected at Jones Mill Lodge No. 702 for the following year: J.H. Baas, worshipful master; H.A. Baggett, senior warden; G.L. Galloway, junior warden; J.A. Barnes, treasurer; C.W. Adams, secretary; W.W. Grimes, senior deacon; W.D. Sawyer, junior deacon; S.B. McMillan, Irvin Bailey, stewards; J.W. Cizenba, tyler; J.J. Sessions, chaplain; J.T. Sawyer, marshal.

June 29, 1916 – The Monroe Journal reported that the following officers had been elected at Monroe Chapter No. 122, Royal Arch, for the following year: Q. Salter, high priest; I.B. Slaughter, king; A.B. Coxwell, scribe; E.M. Salter, captain of the host; J.W. Brown, principal sojourner; A.T. Sowell, royal arch captain; Riley Kelly, master first veil; N.A. McNiel, master second veil; J.M. Sowell, master third veil; H.J. Coxwell, sentinel; J.B. Barnett, secretary; W.H. Tucker, treasurer.

June 29, 1917 - The Pine Hill Dramatic Club was scheduled to present the “Prince in Buckskins” at the Camden Grammar School Auditorium on this Friday at 8:15 p.m. This entertainment was expected to be a treat for Camden as it was one of the most popular plays of the season. Prof. Taylor of Mobile, a most gifted musician, had been engaged to play. A big house was expected to greet them. This was to be their second performance in Camden. Mr. Shaw, the manager, has arranged a strong musical program, and was sparing no efforts to give Camden the best entertainment possible.

June 29, 1917 – Prof. G.E. Taylor was scheduled to be in Camden on this Friday and was available to tune and repair pianos. Prospective customers were asked to leave their names with Prof. O.C. Weaver.

June 29, 1933 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Probate Judge L.W. Price had received pension warrants for old Confederate veterans and widows for the remaining half of the quarter due April 1, 1933, which were payable July 1, that coming Saturday. The pensioners received half payment on this quarter sometime in April and the warrants issued in June was for the remainder.

June 29, 1933 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Bobby Bozeman was spending the week with Clarke Bozeman in Andalusia.

June 29, 1933 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Miss Guice Stevens and her father, L.M. Stevens, had spent the previous week at the Whitley Hotel in Montgomery, where they attended the Spanish-American war veterans reunion.

June 29, 1936 – National Baseball Hall of Fame first baseman, third baseman and left fielder Harmon Killebrew was born in Payette, Idaho. During his career, he played for the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins and the Kansas City Royals. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984.

June 29, 1939 – The Monroe Journal reported that Blacksher Lodge No. 593, A.F.&A.M., had held their annual meeting and that the following officers were elected for the ensuing year: R.E. Rabon, Worshipful Master; J.L. Grissett, Senior Warden; A.T. Ellis, Junior Warden; J.J. Bell, Senior Deacon; H.M. Hayles, Junior Deacon; E.R. Hayles, Secretary; W.W. Garrett, Treasurer; J.C. Kyle, Tyler; A.E. Emfinger, Chaplain; Tom Hayles and F.N. Grant, Stewards; J.F. Lambert, Marshal.

June 29, 1939 - The Monroe Journal reported that a new newspaper, The Frisco City Sun, had begun publication in Frisco City and was edited by Eugene C. Thomley.

June 29, 1941 – Joe DiMaggio broke George Sisler’s 1922 American League record of 41 consecutive games with a hit at Griffith Stadium in Washington, and four days later, on July 2, DiMaggio broke "Wee" Willie Keeler’s major league record streak of 44 games.

June 29, 1945 - The annual picnic for the employees of Monroe and Clarke Mills was to be held on the grounds of Monroe Mills in Monroeville, Ala. on this Friday.

June 29, 1947 - The Greenies chalked up two wins at Flomaton on this Sunday to get back on top along with Atmore. Page and Otis Johnson led the stick work with two hits each. Page, McDonald, Edsel Johnson, Otis Johnson and Gunter were the heavy hitters with two each. Carpenter and Edsel Johnson received credit for wins.

June 29, 1948 – Evergreen’s voters were set to go to the polls on this Tuesday to elect a mayor and five councilmen. Candidates for mayor included M.M. Cardwell and J.H. Robison. Candidates for councilmen included Ward C. Alexander, H.H. Beasley, A.G. Bolton, H.A. Deer, C.L. Kamplain, R.G. Kendall, H.J. Kinzer, Zell Murphy, J.W. Shannon, D.T. Stuart and O.B. Tuggle.

June 29, 1948 - In an election, marked by an unusually heavy vote, held on this Tuesday, Mayor J.H. Robison was re-elected over his opponent, M.M. Cardwell. Robison received 291 votes to Cardwell 199. R.G. Kendall, member of the present council, was re-elected and led the ticket with 340 votes. Other councilmen elected in the order of votes received were H.J. Kinzer 327, H.H. Beasley 312, Zell Murphy 301, O.B. Tuggle 267. All councilmen received clear majorities and no runoff will be necessary. Votes received by other candidates were as follows: Ward C. Alexander 200, H.A. Deer 184, A.G. Bolton 157, J.W. Shannon 131, D.T. Stuart 128, C.L. Kamplain 109.

June 29, 1949 – Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive tackle Dan Dierdorf was born in Canton, Ohio. He went on to play for Michigan and the St. Louis Cardinals. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996.

June 29, 1956 – The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 was signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, officially creating the United States Interstate Highway System.

June 29, 1960 - Four candidates had qualified by noon on this Wednesday in Monroeville to seek offices in the city election scheduled for Mon., Aug. 1. Dr. W.H. Hines, local veterinarian, filed qualifications for the post of mayor, which was held at that time by Leonard Morris. Two incumbents had also qualified for reelection to city council posts – Julian R. Cole to Place 2 and Curtis A. Dunning to Place 3. Windell Owens, local attorney, had qualified as a candidate for Place 5 on the council, which was held at that time by his brother, E.G. Owens.

June 29, 1964 - Twenty-four New Zealand Army engineers arrived in Saigon as a token of that country’s support for the American effort in South Vietnam.

June 29, 1965 – Army Capt. Rubin Fletcher Bradley of Jackson, Ala. was killed in action in Vietnam.

June 29, 1966 - During the Vietnam War, U.S. aircraft bombed the major North Vietnamese population centers of Hanoi and Haiphong for the first time, destroying oil depots located near the two cities.

June 29, 1970 – Thomas Charles Littles, who was fatally wounded in Vietnam, was honorably discharged from the Army and placed on the Army’s Permanent Disability Retired List. He received care at the Montgomery hospital for 415 days and died from pneumonia on June 3, 1971.

June 29, 1970 - U.S. ground combat troops ended two months of operations in Cambodia and returned to South Vietnam.

June 29, 1975 - The 50^th anniversary of the founding of Uriah First Baptist Church was to be celebrated on this Sunday. With land donated by James Uriah Blacksher, the church building was constructed in 1925 by Shelton Seales, assisted by Tom Gulsby and E.R. Hayles. Early members of the church included the families of the late W.W. Hollinger, Mrs. T.A. Black and Mrs. G.R. Vaught.

June 29, 1978 - Frank Chavers qualified on this Thursday to seek re-election to the Conecuh County Board of Education, Place 2, in the Democratic Primary Elections of Sept. 5 and 26.

June 29-30, 1988 – The annual Evergreen Rotary Club Fish & Wildlife Camp was held at Tal Stuart’s Pond near Belleville, Ala. Award-winners at the camp included Best Archer, Tommy Byrd; Best Fly Caster, Brandon Monk; Best Spin Caster, John Henry Sessions; Best Senior Camper, Ron English; Best Junior Camper, Joey Brewton; Best Bait Caster, Bobby Townson; Best Rifle Shot, Chip Gibson; Best Canoeist, Mike Smith and Best Shotgun Shot, Joey Taylor.

June 29, 1988 – Weather reporter Harry Ellis reported a high of 100 degrees in Evergreen, Ala.

June 29, 1989 – A Conecuh County, Ala. Circuit Court jury found former Olympic boxer Clint Jackson of Evergreen guilty on charges of first-degree kidnapping in connection with the August 1988 kidnapping of Evergreen banker Tom Salo. Dale R. Smith was found guilty of second-degree kidnapping in the same trial, which was one of the longest in county history.

June 29-July 2, 1990 – Hillcrest High School cheerleaders attended the International Cheerleading Camp at Livingston University. Hillcrest’s cheerleaders included Sharon Mitchell, Terri Lynn Wiley, Stephanie Rudolph, Chiquita McMillian, April Barnett, Cynthia Thompson, Kimberly Stallworth, Teresa Robinson, Andrea Stots and Chandra Smith. The cheerleaders received the following awards: third place, Grand Champion Competition, Randy Neil Most Improved Squad; All Camp Outstanding Improvement Award for Excellence; Super Spirit Award for Excellence; 110 Percent Award; Cheering, Skills, Jumps, Pyramids, Stunts, Gymnastics Award; Cheer Execution Award; and the Home Cheer Award. Individual Award winners were: April Barnett, Camp Achievement Award; Teresa Robinson, Outstanding Cheerleader Award for Excellence; Terry Lynn Wiley, Outstanding Cheerleader Award for Excellence and Spirit of ICF Award. The cheerleader sponsor was B. Joyce Stallworth.

June 29, 2002 - The J.F. Shields High School Alumni Association was scheduled to dedicate the school’s gymnasium in honor of W.R. Averette on this Saturday at 9 a.m. at the school in Beatrice. Averette taught and coached at Shields for over 35 years. During his time there, he led the school to its first state basketball championship. Members of the Monroe County Board of Education unanimously agreed to name the gymnasium after Averette during an April 11 meeting after alumni gym dedication chairman George Roberts presented the board with a petition signed by 150 people.

June 29, 2007 – Marlon Anderson of Montgomery, Ala. was designated for assignment by the Dodgers on June 29, 2007, ending his tenure with the club. He cleared waivers and became a free agent on July 11. He was promptly signed to a minor league contract by the Mets on July 12.

June 29, 2008 – Birmingham, Ala. native David Robertson made his Major League debut, taking the field for the first time for the New York Yankees

June 29, 2014 – Through the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), a witness in Atmore reported seeing a UFO around 9:30 p.m. The witness had just parked his car at his house, and when he got out, he saw a strange light about 500 feet or so above a tree near a school building. The witness described the strange light as an “orange, moving ball.” The light moved about one mile in 45 seconds and eventually disappeared, the witness said.

June 29, 2014 – The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant self-declared its caliphate in Syria and northern Iraq.

Today in History for June 28, 2017

June 28, 1635 - The French colony of Guadeloupe was established in the Caribbean.

June 28, 1703 – John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, was born in Epworth, Lincolnshire, England.

June 28, 1712 – Philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau was born in Geneva.

June 28, 1768 – Early Wilcox County pioneer, planter and Freemason Thomas Bivin Creagh was born in Albemarle County, Va. He founded the historic Creagh-Glover Family Cemetery near Catherine and also served as Grand Master of the Alabama Grand Lodge for three consecutive terms.

June 28, 1773 - Off the coast of South Carolina, British Commodore Sir Peter Parker, aboard the HMS Bristol opened fire on the Patriot fortification at Sullivan's Island. The Patriots only suffered minor casualties while the cost to the British was 261 injured or dead.

June 28, 1775 – Outstanding American Revolutionary soldier Marinus Willett of New York was commissioned as a lieutenant colonel. He would go on to become the 48th Mayor of New York City.

June 28, 1776 – The Battle of Sullivan's Island ended with the first decisive American victory in the American Revolutionary War as American colonists repulsed a British sea attack on Charleston, S.C. and leading to the commemoration of Carolina Day.

June 28, 1776 - A draft of the formal Declaration of Independence, known as the “Lee Resolution,” was presented to the Continental Congress.

June 28, 1776 – Thomas Hickey, Continental Army private and bodyguard to General George Washington, was hanged for mutiny and sedition.

June 28, 1778 – The American Continentals engaged the British in the Battle of Monmouth Courthouse, resulting in a standstill and British withdrawal under cover of darkness. Mary "Molly Pitcher" Hays McCauley, wife of an American artilleryman, carried water to the soldiers during the Battle of Monmouth and, supposedly, took her husband's place at his gun after he was overcome with heat.

June 28, 1813 – General Flournoy ordered Brigadier General Ferdinand L. Claiborne, with his 600 Mississippi volunteers, to march from Baton Rouge to Mount Vernon, in order to be ready there “to repel any attack that may be made on any part of the frontier of the Mississippi Territory, either from Indians, Spaniards or English.” Leaving Baton Rouge on June 28, the brigade reached Mount Vernon on July 30. The defense of Mobile, Ala. was to be Claiborne’s primary concern.

June 28, 1825 – During his tour of the United States, the Marquis de Lafayette crossed into Vermont at the Cornish Bridge early in the morning. He traveled north, passing through Woodstock at 11a.m., taking a stagecoach through the mountains to Barnard and Royalton. He passed through Randolph; where he is said to have met a young Justin S. Morrill and eventual Senator Dudley Chase. He was escorted with Governor Cornelius P. Van Ness and others through Barre to large festivities in Montpelier that included speeches by supreme Court Judge Elijah Paine and others. He spent the night in Montpelier at The Pavilion, an historic and politically important structure.

June 28, 1836 – The last of the Founding Fathers, James Madison, the fourth President of the United States, died at the age of 85 on his tobacco plantation in Orange, Va. and was buried in the Madison Family Cemetery at Montpelier. He was a drafter of the Constitution, recorder of the Constitutional Convention and author of the "Federalist Papers.”

June 28, 1838 – The coronation of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom took place.

June 28, 1857 - Emerson Hough, one of the most successful writers of adventure novels of the romantic western genre, was born in Newton, Iowa.

June 28, 1862 - Confederates captured the commercial vessel St. Nicholas on Chesapeake Bay. The plan was the brainchild of George Hollins and Richard Thomas Zarvona, who hatched a plan to capture the St. Nicholas and use it to marshal other Yankee ships into Confederate service.

June 28, 1862 – During the Civil War, Farragut’s fleet successfully ran the batteries at Vicksburg, Mississippi, in the first attempt to take the city. This action proved two points: A fleet could pass powerful land batteries without suffering excessive damage and it was going to take more than naval power to take Vicksburg.

June 28, 1862 – During the Civil War, fighting continued between Union and Confederate forces during the Seven Days' campaign.

June 28, 1862 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Blackland, Miss. and at Sparta, Tenn.

June 28, 1862 – During the Civil War, a two-day Federal operation began in Johnson County, Missouri.

June 28, 1862 – During the Civil War, Federals evacuated James Island, South Carolina.

June 28, 1863 - U.S. President Lincoln appointed General George G. Meade as commander of the Army of the Potomac. Meade, who replaced General Hooker, was the fifth man to command the Army in less than a year. Meade received the orders at 7:00 in the morning at Frederick, Md.

June 28, 1863 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Russellville, Kentucky; at Donaldsville, Louisiana; near Seneca and another at Rockville Maryland; at Plymouth and Nichol’s Mills, North Carolina; at Fountain Dale, Oyster Point, Columbia, and Wrightsville, Pennsylvania; at Rover, Tennessee; and on the Little River Turnpike, Virginia.

June 28, 1863 – During the Civil War, the siege at Vicksburg, Miss. entered Day 41.

June 28, 1863 – During the Civil War, Robert E Lee learned the Federals were north of the Potomac. He ordered Longstreet, Hill and Ewell to march toward Gettysburg and Cashtown. Early entered York, Pennsylvania.

June 28, 1863 – During the Civil War, in Georgia, Joe Johnston’s men prepared new defensive positions along the Chattahoochee River, to the rear of the Kennesaw line.

June 28, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Tunnel Hill, Georgia and at Howlett’s Bluff, Virginia.

June 28, 1865 – During the Civil War, the CSS Shenandoah stopped taking Federal whalers in the Bering Sea.

June 28, 1865 – The Army of the Potomac was disbanded.

June 28, 1874 - The Freedmen's Bank, created to assist former slaves in the United States, closed. Customers of the bank lost $3 million.

June 28, 1888 – Robert Louis Stevenson set sail for the South Seas about the schooner yacht Casco.

June 28, 1902 – Elijah Byrd Jenkins, who was aboard the CSS Selma when it was captured at the Battle of Mobile Bay, filed for his Confederate pension in Wilcox County. Jenkins was born in Wilcox County on Dec. 13, 1842 to Thomas Jenkins and wife. At the age of 19, he enlisted on Nov. 1, 1862 in Montgomery as a private with Co. K 1st Ala. Artillery. He re-enlisted on Feb. 11, 1863 at Port Hudson, La. with Co. K, 1st Ala. Artillery before joining the Confederate Navy and transferring to serve aboard the CSS Selma on March 5, 1864, served on that ship until it was captured at the Battle of Mobile Bay. He was then imprisoned at Ship Island, Miss. for the rest of the war. Elijah Jenkins is buried at New Hope Cemetery at Dottelle.

June 28, 1902 – The U.S. Congress passed the Spooner Act, authorizing President Theodore Roosevelt to acquire rights from Colombia for the Panama Canal.

June 28, 1902 – Composer and lyricist Richard Rodgers was born in Queens. His collaborations with Oscar Hammerstein and Lorenz Hart revolutionized American musical theater and resulted in the classic musicals Pal Joey (1940), Oklahoma! (1943), South Pacific (1949), and The Sound of Music (1959).

June 28, 1904 - John S. McDuffie of River Ridge in Monroe County, Ala. was shot and killed during an argument with Edward English. McDuffie was one of the captures of famous train robber, Rube Burrow.

June 28, 1906 – The Monroe Journal reported that Miss Callie Faulk was teaching a “flourishing” school at Franklin, Ala.

June 28, 1906 – The Monroe Journal reported, in news from the Activity community, that the smallpox was “raging” near Simpkinsville, and that it had been reported that Mr. Willie Chatman had lost his wife to the disease.

June 28, 1906 – The Monroe Journal reported, in news from the Excel community, that Marvin E. Rooks of Orange Hill, Fla. and Miss Corrie King of Mexia, had been elected to teach the school there that fall.

June 28, 1909 – Eric Ambler, the first author to write stories about international espionage that were based on real life, was born in London.

June 28, 1914 – In an event that is widely regarded as sparking the outbreak of World War I, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian empire, was shot to death with his wife by Bosnian Serb Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo, Bosnia.

June 28, 1915 – On this Monday morning, Judge Gamble came to Evergreen, Ala. and arranged for a special term of the Conecuh County Circuit Court to try John Salter and Robert Watkins who made a full confession to the brutal murder of Martha Lassiter, the attempted murder of Wiley House and the robbery and burning of House’s residence near Burnt Corn on June 23, 2015.

June 28, 1916 - A storm passed through H.H. Watkins’ place at Pineapple on this Wednesday, “blowing lights out of his front hall and felling some timber,” according to The Monroe Journal.

June 28, 1919 – The Treaty of Versailles was signed, ending the state of war between Germany and the Allies of World War I.

June 28, 1928 – Repton’s baseball team beat Castleberry, 6-2, in Castleberry, Ala. on this Thursday. Warren Kelly, Bradley, Andrews and B. Kelly pitched for Repton, and Loris Hyde and Voline pitched for Castleberry. Haskew Page and Holland led Repton at the plate.

June 28, 1928 – Louis Armstrong and his band, the Hot Five, recorded “West End Blues.”

June 28, 1928 – The Evergreen Courant reported that at a recent meeting of the Conecuh Lodge No. 733 of the Masonic Order at Belleville, the following officers were elected for the ensuing year: J.E. Tate, worshipful master; A.L. Riggs, senior warden; J.D. Skinner, junior warden; J.T. Livingston, treasurer; H.S. Barlow, secretary; J.P. Bradley, senior deacon; H.F. Skinner, junior deacon; S.P. Lindsey, chaplain; J.E. Baggett, senior steward; J.M. Conner, junior steward; J.A. Reid, marshal; W.R. Burt, tyler.

June 28, 1928 – The Monroe Journal reported that, competing with 450 boys of the Alabama Industrial School, Robert Baggett, son of Mr. and Mrs. L.C. Baggett of Monroeville, was recently awarded a medal for being the second-best commander in a military drill and review staged in honor of Governor Bibb Graves. About 2,000 people from different parts of the state were present. The medal was awarded by John S. Tilley, secretary to the governor and member of his staff.

June 28, 1928 – The Monroe Journal reported that Lucian Jones had returned from Birmingham where he spent several days with his mother who had been quite sick.

June 28, 1936 – Monroeville’s baseball team beat the Flomaton-Century team, 12-10, on this Sunday in Century, Fla.

June 28, 1942 – During World War II, Nazi Germany started its strategic summer offensive against the Soviet Union, codenamed Case Blue.

June 28, 1945 – The Monroe Journal reported, under the headline “HORNADY LOSES FINE MILK COW,” that during the previous week, George Hornady lost a good milk cow under peculiar circumstances. The cow had been treated by a veterinarian for some time but no sign of improvement was apparent. Hornady killed the cow and on examination he found a piece of hay wire embedded in her heart.

June 28, 1945 – The Monroe Journal reported that Pfc. Thomas D. Frye was at home on furlough after spending 15 months in a German prison. He enlisted in the Army in 1940. Following his furlough period, he was to go to a redistribution center for further assignment.

June 28, 1946 – Actress and comedian Gilda Radner was born in Detroit.

June 28, 1947 - Four Army officers at Maxwell airfield in Montgomery, Ala. claimed that they saw “an unusual circular object perform inconceivable midair maneuvers for more than 20 minutes.” That same day, an Army F-51 Mustang pilot near Lake Meade, Nevada claimed to have seen five circular objects pass him off his right wing. In Wisconsin on that same day, two farmers said that they saw 10 “saucer-shaped objects” fly over at high speed.

June 28, 1951 – Monroeville’s baseball team suffered a 7-4 loss to Thomasville on this Thursday night in Monroeville.

June 28, 1953 – The Evergreen Greenies baseball team was scheduled to play the Brewton Millers at Brooks Field on this Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m.

June 28, 1958 - A movie version of Alabama author Joe David Brown's book “Kings Go Forth” was released.

June 28, 1960 – Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway was born in Port Angeles, Washington. He went on to play for Stanford and the Denver Broncos. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004.

June 28, 1962 – National Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Mickey Cochrane passed away at the age of 59 in Lake Forest, Ill. During his career, he played for the Philadelphia Athletics and the Detroit Tigers and managed the Tigers from 1934 to 1938. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1947.

June 28, 1962 - The Indians gained their first victory of the season on this Thursday night as the Tigers fell, 4-3, in Evergreen. The loss cost the Tigers their hold on first place. The Indians scored twice in the first on two errors, a hit batsman and a single by Jimmy Weaver. Mike Fields and Joe Sasser led off the Tiger second with singles. An error allowed Sasser’s hit to roll to the fence and two runs scored on the play. Jimmy Warren rapped an inside-the-park homer with one on as the Indians made it 4-2 in their half of the second. Singles by Sid Lambert and ‘Bubba’ Faulkner and an error got one more run for the losers in the third. Paul Deason went the distance for the win. Faulkner pitched a three-hitter and all four Indian runs were unearned as he also went all the way.

June 28, 1962 - The Braves regained first place in the Evergreen Senior League on this Thursday night as they edged the Pirates, 3-2. The Braves tied in the second on singles by Ronnie Jackson, Johnny Brown, a passed ball, an error and won it in the third on a walk, two errors and a single by Terry Coleman.

June 28, 1965 - In the first major offensive ordered for U.S. forces, 3,000 troops of the 173rd Airborne Brigade – in conjunction with 800 Australian soldiers and a Vietnamese airborne unit – assaulted a jungle area known as Viet Cong Zone D, 20 miles northeast of Saigon.

June 28, 1970 - Author Ace Atkins was born in Troy, Ala.

June 28, 1971 – Austrian SS officer Franz Stangl died of heart failure at the age of 63 in Düsseldorf, West Germany.

June 28, 1972 - President Nixon announced that no more draftees would be sent to Vietnam unless they volunteered for such duty. He also announced that a force of 10,000 troops would be withdrawn by September 1, which would leave a total of 39,000 in Vietnam.

June 28, 1973 – The Evergreen Rotary Club installed its new slate of officers during a meeting at noon on this Thursday at the Evergreen United Methodist Church in Evergreen, Ala. The officers were Treasurer James Ansley, Secretary David Hyde, Past President Emmett Dale, President Fred Stevens and Vice President Luther Gowder.

June 28, 1974 – Dr. Hugh Clingman Fountain, 94, passed away in the Evergreen Nursing Home in Evergreen, Ala. An active Freemason, he practiced dentistry for over 60 years, including over 50 years in Evergreen after moving to Evergreen from Burnt Corn.

June 28, 1975 - More than 300 members of Detachment 1, 778^th Maintenance Co. of the Alabama National Guard, including men from Monroeville, Evergreen and Jackson, were scheduled to leave this Saturday for summer camp at Camp Shelby, Miss. One officer, two warrant officers and 78 enlisted men from Monroeville will be in the group, which was to return on July 12.

June 28, 1984 – The Monroe Journal reported that Excel High’s head football coach Keith Holley had decided that after nine years of “both the good and bad” of coaching, it was time to make a change. Holley officially resigned from Excel June 8. Holley came to Excel in April of 1982 from Gallman, Miss., where he served Copiah Academy as head football coach. Holley succeeded head football coach Lee Holladay, who had held the helm for 14 years.

June 28, 1987 – For the first time in military history, a civilian population was targeted for chemical attack when Iraqi warplanes bombed the Iranian town of Sardasht.

June 28, 1990 - Alabama author Carter Crocker won a Daytime Emmy Award for Best Animated Program for his work as story editor for the television series “The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.”

June 28, 1990 – The Monroe Journal reported that Uriah had collected its first Babe Ruth Baseball championship since 1975 during the past week when the team defeated Beatrice, Frisco City and Excel in South Monroe Babe Ruth Baseball League action in Frisco City. The members of the 1990 championship team were Wontwyn Montgomery, Kevin Colbert, Jackie Ray Brown, Patrick Redditt, Rusty Lilley, John Murray Ikner, John Jay, Jonathan Conway, J.D. Maples, Brad McKinley, Shane Qualls, Jesse Wiggins, Ted Bradley, Travis Flowers, Brian Johnson and Eric Byrd. Coaches included Mike Qualls and Paul Akins.

June 28, 1990 – The Monroe Journal reported that the Monroeville City Council during the past week had elected a new mayor pro tempore. Anne H. Farish, a real estate broker who had served as a council member since 1984, was elected to replace Jim Davis. Davis was to remain as a councilman, but he said his schedule as an employee of Alabama River Newsprint Co. made it difficult to perform the additional duties of mayor pro tem.

  

June 28, 1993 – This Monday saw the end of an era and the beginning of a new one as Carter Hardware officially became Home Center Plus in Evergreen. Twenty-two years after he purchased what was then Persons Hardware, Alvin Carter sold his business to Gerald Salter.

June 28, 1996 - Darryl Strawberry hit his 300th home run.

June 28, 1997 – The Evergreen Little League All Stars were scheduled to open play in the district tournament against the Opp All Stars on this Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. in Brewton, Ala. The members of Evergreen’s team included Jeremy Anderson, Josh Bates, Jonathan Booth, Bryan Boykin, Wiley Cobb, Christopher Garner, Anthony Maxwell, Thomas Nielsen, Matt Robinson, Jonathan Rodgers, Eric Taylor, Josh Watson and Joe Windham.

June 28, 2000 - Jeff Cirillo of the Colorado Rockies hit three home runs and a double against San Francisco.

June 28, 2004 – Sovereign power was handed to the interim government of Iraq by the Coalition Provisional Authority, ending the U.S.-led rule of that nation.