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| Guided missile cruiser, USS Long Beach. |
Jan. 4, 1643 – Sir Isaac Newton was born in Woolsthorpe, England.
Jan. 4, 1773 – Joel Lee, Conecuh County, Alabama’s first
Justice of the Peace, was born in North Carolina.
Jan. 4, 1793 – Baron De Carondelet, a Spanish nobleman, granted
to bands of Shawanoes and Delawares who desired to settle there, a tract of
land about 20 miles square, “lying between the River St. Come and Cape
Geredeau, and bounded on the east by the Mississippi, and westwardly by White
Water."
Jan. 4, 1796 - The House of Representatives accepted the colors,
or flag, of the French Revolutionary Republic, proclaiming it the most
honorable testimonial of the existing sympathies and affections of the two
Republics.
Jan. 4, 1780 – Alexander Autrey, the second white man to
settle in Conecuh County, was born in North Carolina.
Jan. 4, 1818 – Forces from Fort Scott under Andrew Jackson
attacked Fowltown, but found the village abandoned. The soldiers destroyed the
village and then they burned it to the ground to keep the Creeks from
returning.
Jan. 4, 1830 – With the permission of the federal
government, Major Ridge and a party of 30 warriors evicted whites who had
illegally settled on Cherokee land along the Georgia-Alabama border, about 30
miles southwest of present-day Rome, Georgia. This infuriated Georgia
politicians.
Jan. 4, 1838 – The second group of Cherokees to leave the Tennessee Cherokee Agency, Elijah Hicks and 748 Cherokee departed under their own supervision on Sept. 1, 1838. As a part of the forced removal of the Cherokee to Indian Territory, they arrived on this day at Fort Gibson.
Jan. 4, 1847 – Samuel Colt sold his first revolver pistol to the United States government, rescuing the future of his faltering gun company by winning a contract to provide the U.S. government with 1,000 of his .44 caliber revolvers.
Jan. 4, 1853 – After having been kidnapped and sold into slavery in the American South, Solomon Northup regained his freedom. His memoir “12 Years a Slave” later became a national bestseller.
Jan. 4, 1854 – The McDonald Islands were discovered by
Captain William McDonald aboard the Samarang.
Jan. 4, 1861 – A full week before Alabama seceded from the
Union, Governor Andrew B. Moore ordered the seizure of federal military
installations within the state. By the end of the next day, Alabama troops
controlled Fort Gaines, Fort Morgan and the U.S. Arsenal at Mount Vernon.
Jan. 4, 1862 – During the Civil
War, skirmishes were fought at Bath, Alpine Depot, Great Cacapon Bridge, Sir
John's Run and Slane's Cross Roads in West Virginia.
Jan. 4, 1863 - In Murfeesboro, Tenn., Confederate General
Roger Weightman Hanson, age 35, died from wounds that he suffered two days
earlier in the Battle of Stones River.
Jan. 4, 1863 – A 13-day Federal expedition by Major General
John A. McClernand against Arkansas Post, Arkansas began.
Jan. 4, 1863 – A three-day Federal
reconnaissance from Ozark, Missouri to Dubuque, Arkansas began.
Jan. 4, 1863 – The first of two
days of Federal operations against Indians began in the New Mexico Territory.
Jan. 4, 1863 - Skirmishes were
fought on the Manchester Pike, at Monterey and at Murfreesborough in Tennessee.
Jan. 4, 1863 – Confederate soldier Pierre Costello, who was
Coffee County’s second probate judge, was killed in Murfreesboro, Tenn. As a
memorial to Coffee County’s Confederate dead, his wife, Cordelia Lee Costello,
led the effort to have stained glass windows placed in the Elba United
Methodist Church in their memory.
Jan. 4, 1864 – During the Civil
War, skirmishes were fought at Lockwoods' Folly Inlet, North Carolina and at
Sparta, Tennessee.
Jan. 4, 1865 – Skirmishes were
fought at Ponds, Miss., along the Mobile & Ohio Railroad.
Jan. 4, 1865 - A 12-day Federal
expedition from Bloomfield to Poplar Bluff in Missouri began.
Jan. 4, 1865 - The second Federal
expedition to Fort Fisher, near Wilmington, North Carolina, had a change of
leadership. So far, the Union assault on Wilmington, North Carolina, had been a
complete failure. Intended as an amphibious assault on Christmas Day, in the
opening attack on Fort Fisher, the gunboats had encountered sand bars in
unexpected places, and the troop transports had had foul weather and tossing
seas to contend with. Of the 2000 soldiers who were finally landed, some 700
had been abandoned for two days when the others withdrew. In desperation,
Admiral D.D. Porter had written to General Grant that the plan was fine but
could only succeed with a different Army commander that Ben Butler. Grant
agreed entirely, and on this day Butler was replaced by Major General Alfred
Terry, who had commanded a corps in Butler’s army.
Jan. 4, 1865 – During the Civil War, a skirmish occurred
near Thorn Hill in Marion County, Alabama.
Jan. 4, 1883 – The Pensacola Opera House officially opened
its doors for the first time.
Jan. 4, 1883 - The Ontario Rugby Football Union was formed.
The organization was the forerunner of the CFL.
Jan. 4, 1896 - Utah was admitted as the 45th U.S. state.
Jan. 4, 1896 - Prof. Ivey of the Perdue Hill High School
visited Monroeville, Ala. on this Saturday, and reported to The Monroe Journal
that “his school continues to prosper.”
Jan. 4, 1906 – The Monroe Journal reported that “Christmas
in Monroeville was celebrated in an unusually quiet and orderly manner. Not a
single incident came under our notice to mar the enjoyment of the occasion.”
The Journal also noted that the “Christmas Tree in the courthouse on the
evening of Dec. 25 was a very pleasant affair. The tree was loaded with a large
number of presents and nearly everyone received some souvenir of the occasion.”
Elsewhere in that week’s paper, it was reported that “the local merchants
report very gratifying sales during the holidays, and in fact, a prosperous
business throughout the fall season.”
Jan. 4, 1906 – The Monroe Journal reported that David Davis
of Manistee, Ala. visited the newspaper office and reported that he was “doing
a prosperous mercantile business, as is evidenced by the recent completion of a
new and commodious store building.”
Jan. 4, 1906 – The Monroe Journal reported “a few business
changes… with the opening of the new year.” A.T. Sowell had retired from The
J.W. Fore Co., and was to “shortly engage in the mercantile business on his own
account. Mr. C.C. Yarbrough will be associated with Mr. H.E. Hudson in the gin
and mill business and plant will be enlarged. The Monroe Livery Co., J.F.
Hassell, manager, has begun at the Hybart stand while Mr. Hybart’s livery
business will be conducted from the Watson stables.”
Jan. 4, 1909 - Dr. Tatum was up from Brooklyn on this Monday
to attend a meeting of the County Board of Education in Evergreen, Ala.
Jan. 4, 1909 - The semi-annual examination of applicants for
license to teach in the public schools began on this Monday under the
supervision of Monroe County Education Superintendent Forte.
Jan. 4, 1912 – The Conecuh Record reported that Jas. F.
Jones had been appointed county solicitor because J.S. Stevens resigned. G.W. Miller
of Herbert was also appointed deputy sheriff by Sheriff E.C. Hines.
Jan. 4, 1913 - German Field
Marshal Alfred von Schlieffen, mastermind of an aggressive German military
strategy that would soon be used, in modified form, at the start of the Great War,
died in Berlin.
Jan. 4, 1915 – The annual meeting of Monroe County Bank’s
stockholders was held and the following officers and directors were elected for
the ensuing year: President, J.B. Barnett; Vice President, D.J. Hatter,
Cashier, D.D. Mims; Directors, C.J. Jackson, Q. Salter, J.M. Coxwell, B.H.
Stallworth and M.M. Fountain.
Jan. 4, 1920 - The National Negro Baseball League was
organized.
Jan. 4, 1930 – Pro Football Hall of
Famer Don Shula was born in Grand River, Ohio. He went on to play for the
Cleveland Browns, the Baltimore Colts and the Washington Redskins and also
served as the head coach for the Colts and the Miami Dolphins. He was inducted
into the Hall of Fame in 1997.
Jan. 4, 1934 – The Monroe Journal reported that actual work
on the airport for Monroeville, Ala. began the first of that week with about 60
men employed to date. However, as the project got further underway a total of
between 250 and 300 men were expected to find work on the project. As of Jan.
4, the work on the airport consisted of clearing the leased ground and vicinity
of all obstructions that would interfere with making the property a desirable
emergency landing field. Work was to also begin soon on grading the ground for
aeroplane runways.
Jan. 4, 1934 – The Monroe Journal reported that W.M.
Bradley, who lived near Ollie, had two trees bearing a full crop of apples. The
apples were about the size of an egg, and this was the second crop on the trees
that year.
Jan. 4, 1934 – The Monroe Journal reported that Judge F.W.
Hare had bagged a fine buck while hunting on the Tombigbee game preserve at
McIntosh during the previous week. He was with a party of Mobile County hunters
and seven of the company of hunters brought home prize bucks.
Jan. 4, 1935 – Bob Hope made the
move to radio when he took over as host of a show called “The Intimate Revue,” starting
a 60-year broadcasting career for Hope, who had been performing since he was 12
years old - first as a street performer, and then in vaudeville.
Jan. 4, 1940 – The Monroe Journal reported that “last
weekend marked the completion of all unpaved gaps in the sidewalks around the
public square and WPA workers are now employed on sidewalks along the streets
which have not heretofore been paved. A sidewalk is being constructed on the
east side of Mt. Pleasant Street and will probably extend to the end of the
present black top. When completed this street will have concrete sidewalks on
both sides for nearly a mile.”
Jan. 4, 1943 – Pulitzer
Prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin
was born in Brooklyn, New York.
Jan. 4, 1944 – May 9, 1945 –
Between these dates, the USS Eldridge of “Philadelphia Experiment” fame sailed
on the vital task of escorting to the Mediterranean Sea men and materials to
support Allied operations in North Africa and on into southern Europe. It made
nine voyages to deliver convoys safely to Casablanca, Bizerte and Oran.
Jan. 4, 1945 – The Evergreen
Courant reported that Mrs. Ruth Hall, Repton, Rt. E, received a telegram on
Jan. 3 from the War Department announcing that her husband, Private William H.
(Billy) Hall had been missing in action in Germany since Dec. 12. Pvt. Hall was
believed to have been attached to the Third Army. Mrs. Hall had a letter from
him written Dec. 9, three days before he was reported missing, in which he
stated that shells were bursting all around him while he was writing.
Jan. 4, 1945 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Staff
Sgt. James L. Daniels Jr. had been awarded the Air Medal and Bronze Star for
meritorious service with the 15th Air Force in the Mediterranean Theatre of
operations. The medal was sent to his mother in Evergreen the previous week.
Sgt. Daniels’ outfit had been cited by the President a few months before for
outstanding service. When last heard from, Daniels, who went overseas in August
1944, had more than 40 missions to his credit.
Jan. 4, 1946 - Dunk Little, an elderly black man, was
burned to death on this Friday night when his house, located near the Monroe
Oil Company storage tanks, was razed by fire. The origin of the fire was
unknown as of Jan. 10, 1946.
Jan. 4-5, 1947 – Martha Atwater,
51, was struck and killed by a southbound train sometime late on this Saturday
night or early on Sunday morning under the bridge in downtown Evergreen, Ala.
Her mangled body was found early on Jan. 5 and investigators ruled her death a
suicide. She was last seen alive between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Jan. 4 and her
winter coat was found draped over a concrete buffer brace beneath the bridge.
Jan. 4, 1951 – The Evergreen Courant reported that the men
of Battery “C,” 117th Field Artillery Battalion, 31st
(Dixie) Division, Conecuh County unit of the Alabama National Guard, were getting
ready to go on active federal duty on Jan. 16. The 31st Division had
been called back into national service and was to be sent to Fort Jackson,
South Carolina. The local battery expected to move out sometime between Jan. 16
and Jan. 26. Battery “C” guardsmen were drilling on Tuesday, Thursday and
Friday nights at the armory in Evergreen, readying themselves for fulltime
service. Battery strength as of Mon., Jan. 1, was 79 officers and enlisted men.
The battery was commanded by Capt. John C. Holman, who was executive officer
when “C” was mobilized just prior to World War II. The battery was well
supplied with experienced and capable officers and non-coms. All of the
officers were World War II vets as well as most of the top-ranking NCO’s. In
all, there were 21 World War II veterans on the battery roster.
Jan. 4, 1955 - Dr. John Jonathan Dailey, 72-year-old Tunnel
Springs physician and chairman of the Monroe County Board of Education for 14
years, died at the Monroeville Hospital at 5:15 a.m. on this Tuesday following
an illness of several weeks. Dailey was a native Monroe Countian, having
practiced medicine for 49 years in the Tunnel Springs and Beatrice communities.
He was first elected to the county board of education in 1938 and has served as
its chairman since 1940. The son of Dr. Fielden S. Dailey and Georgia English
Dailey, he graduated from the Medical College of the University of Alabama at
Mobile in 1906. He is buried in the Philadelphia Baptist Church Cemetery in
Tunnel Springs, Ala.
Jan. 4, 1955 - Monroe County High School’s boys basketball
rolled to its fifth victory of the season on this Tuesday night by defeating
J.U. Blacksher, 65-26, at the MCHS gym. Leading MCHS in scoring was Joe Stevens
with 16 points, followed closely by guard Melvin Dulaney with 14 points. Al
Gene Hines led Blacksher with 16 points, while Frank Hadley and Jack Madison followed
with four each.
Jan. 4, 1955 – Murphy High School’s
boys basketball team was scheduled to play Evergreen High School at Memorial
Gym in Evergreen, the first game for Evergreen after nearly a three-week layoff
for the Christmas holidays. Murphy was led by high-scoring Bobby Jackson, an
all-state selection in football at quarterback, and Evergreen was led by Coach
Wendell Hart and high-scoring center Randy White, who was averaging more than
21 points per game. A large crowd was expected for the game.
Jan. 4, 1957 - The Dodgers bought a
44-passenger twin-engine airplane for $775,000, becoming the first team to own
its own plane.
Jan. 4, 1962 – The undefeated
Frisco City High School boys basketball team beat Evergreen High School, 75-62,
in Evergreen. Bill Sawyer led Frisco with 20 points, and Joe Kelly scored 19.
Mike Ward led Evergreen with 34 points, “the highest individual total for any
Aggie cager in several seasons.”
Jan. 4, 1962 – German SS officer
Hans Lammers died at the age of 82 in Düsseldorf.
Jan. 4, 1965 – Nobel Prize-winning
poet T.S. Eliot died in London at the age of 76.
Jan. 4, 1965 – During the Vietnam
War, in his State of the Union message, President Lyndon B. Johnson reaffirmed
U.S. commitment to support South Vietnam in fighting communist aggression.
Jan. 4-13, 1968 – Seaman Milton L.
Hardee of Evergreen, Ala. participated in Operation Bead Stringer as a crew
member of the USS Long Beach, a nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser. “Bead
Stringer” was a U.S. First Fleet training exercise conducted off the Southern
California coast.
Jan. 4, 1969 – Frisco City High
School’s varsity boys basketball team was scheduled to play Dixie Academy, a
private school in Louisville, Ala., at 7 p.m. on this Saturday. Frisco was 7-3
overall and Dixie, coached by former Excel coach Lee Holliday, was 6-1 overall.
Jan. 4, 1971 – Alabama Gov. George
C. Wallace wed the former Cornelia Ellis Snively (1939–2009), a niece of former
Alabama Governor Jim Folsom, known as "Big Jim". The couple divorced
in 1978.
Jan. 4, 1974 – United States
President Richard Nixon refused to hand over materials subpoenaed by the Senate
Watergate Committee.
Jan. 4, 1974 - South Vietnamese
troops reported that 55 soldiers had been killed in two clashes with communist
forces, causing South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu to claim that the
war had “restarted,” essentially marking the end of attempts to adhere to the
agreements of the Paris Peace Accords.
Jan. 4, 1975 – A dove shoot to benefit the McKenzie High
School Quarterback Club was scheduled to be held at J.M. Hawsey’s place on this
Saturday. Admission was $1.
Jan. 4, 1975 – President Gerald R. Ford signed into law the
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975. “An Act to
provide maximum Indian participation in the government and education of the
Indian people; to provide for the full participation of Indian tribes in
programs and services conducted by the Federal Government for Indians and to
encourage the development of human resources of the Indian people; to establish
a program of assistance to upgrade Indian education; to support the right of
Indian citizens to control their own educational activities; and for other
purposes.”
Jan. 4, 1976 - The Dallas Cowboys
became the first wild-card team to make it to the Super Bowl. They beat the Los
Angeles Ram, 37-7, in the NFC title game.
Jan. 4, 1976 – Major League
Baseball pitcher Ted Lilly was born in Lomita, Calif. He went on to play for
the Montreal Expos, the New York Yankees, the Oakland Athletics, the Toronto
Blue Jays, the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Jan. 4, 1977 - Mary Shane was hired
by the Chicago White Sox as the first woman TV play-by-play announcer.
Jan. 4, 1978 – Scott’s Arcade, located on Highway 31 South
in Evergreen, Ala., opened for the first time, offering pinball, billiards, air
hockey, foosball and more.
Jan. 4, 1979 – Sparta Academy’s girls basketball team was
scheduled to play Greenville Academy in Evergreen, Ala.
Jan. 4, 1980 – The Oakey Streak Methodist Episcopal Church near
Greenville, Ala. was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Jan. 4, 1983 - The USFL (United States Football League) held
its first player draft.
Jan. 4, 1994 - Alabama Governor James Elisha Folsom Jr. recognized the Sovereignty of the MOWA Band of Choctaw. The MOWA Choctaw Indian Reservation is located along the banks of the Mobile and Tombigbee rivers.
Jan. 4, 1996 - Don Shula announced his retirement from coaching the Miami Dolphins after 26 seasons.
Jan. 4, 1998 - The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation broadcasted
the first episode of “Nothing Too Good for a Cowboy,” a television series based
on books written by Alabama author Richmond P. Hobson Jr.
Jan. 4, 1999 – Former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura
was sworn in as governor of Minnesota.
Jan. 4, 2000 – Pro Football Hall of Fame split end Tom Fears
died at the age of 77 in Palm Desert, Calif. During his career, he played for
UCLA and the Los Angeles Rams and also served as the head coach for the New
Orleans Saints. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1970.
Jan. 4, 2001 – The Evergreen Courant reported that
Evergreen-Conecuh Chamber of Commerce President Alesia Stuart had announced
that the Board of Directors had elected new officers for the year 2001 at its
meeting in December. John Raines was elected president; Brent Salter,
vice-president; and Terry Jackson, treasurer. The newly elected officers and
directors were to be installed at the Chamber’s Annual Meeting and Banquet to
be held Thurs., Jan. 25, at the Hillcrest High School Cafetorium.
Jan. 4, 2003 - The Green Bay Packers lost 27-7 to the
Atlanta Falcons in the NFC wild card game. It was the first time that the
Packers had lost a playoff game at home.
Jan. 4, 2006 - University of Texas quarterback Vince Young
made an eight-yard touchdown run on fourth down with 19 seconds left in the
game, capping one of the best individual performances in college football
history while leading his team to a Rose Bowl victory and a national
championship title over the University of Southern California (USC).
Jan. 4, 2008 – In the fictional Bigfoot movie “Hunting the
Legend,” the father of 15-year-old Chris Copeland was killed and disappeared
while deer hunting in Wilcox County, Ala. Only the father’s rifle, lots of
blood on the ground and a giant footprint are found, and investigators
eventually rule that the man was killed by a wild boar.
Jan. 4, 2009 - The 2009 Monroe County Junior Miss Garrett
Hardee was to be honored with a “Good Luck and Best Wishes” reception on this
day at the Turnbull home in Beatrice. The event, hosted by the Belle Lettres
Service Organization, was to be held from 2 until 4 p.m. Hardee was to compete
in the 2009 Alabama Junior Miss Scholarship Program in Montgomery Jan. 16-17.
Jan. 4, 2011 – Hillcrest High School’s varsity boys
basketball team, ranked No. 4 in Class 4A, beat 4A Area 2 rival Thomasville
High School, 57-46, in Evergreen, Ala. Standout Hillcrest players in that game
included Barron Smith and DeAundre Lyons. Hillcrest’s girls suffered a 42-26
loss to Thomasville.
Jan. 4, 2011 - Despite having three players post double
doubles, Sparta Academy came up two points shy of a win in a double overtime
game against East Memorial Christian Academy on this Tuesday in Prattville.
EMCA won, 54-52. Devlin Crosby, Garrett McClain and Dalton Baggett finished the
game with a double double each. Crosby led with 15 points, 10 rebounds, five
steals, six assists and five blocks. McClain followed with 11 points, 12
rebounds and a steal. Baggett finished the game with 10 points, 18 rebounds, a
steal, an assist and a block. Other standout Sparta players that season
included Tom Andrews, Allen Stuart, Jacob Hendrix, Hunter Hanks, Michael Cook,
Drew Hardin, Michael Brown and Dylan Middleton.
Jan. 4, 2011 – After nearly 2-1/2 weeks off, Sparta
Academy’s varsity girls basketball team came up one point shy on this Tuesday
against East Memorial Christian Academy in Prattville. Sparta, ranked No. 4 in
the statewide basketball poll, lost to EMCA, 31-30, in Sparta’s first game
since winning the Fort Dale Tournament title game on Dec. 18. April Palmer led
Sparta with 18 points, two rebounds and five steals. Other standout players on
Sparta’s team that season included Savannah Brown, Emily Booker, Madelyn Black,
Grace Matlock and Stephanie Martin.
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