Thursday, June 28, 2018

Man reports seeing Bigfoot creature near Hog Springs in Conecuh County

Hog Springs, on the Appleton Road, near the Conecuh-Escambia line. 

I was down at the drug store the other day and someone asked me if I’d heard any local Bigfoot stories lately. I’m glad that he asked because I’ve actually got three good reports that I’ve been meaning to pass along to readers for some time.

The first incident, which was relayed to me recently by local Bigfoot researcher Ashley McPhaul, took place during the winter months of 2017 and involved a man who was driving west on U.S. Highway 84 between Belleville and Repton. The man said that as he approached the two bridges at Burnt Corn Creek, he saw a large, hairy creature standing on two legs on the side of the road. He said the creature was standing near the end of the easternmost of the two bridges, not the one directly over the creek.

He said that he saw the creature very clearly and noticed that it appeared to have its arms crossed. Later, he wondered if maybe the creature was carrying something. The man, who was traveling alone, slowed and watched as the creature moved towards the wood line, turned to look at him for a second, and eventually disappeared into the trees.

The witness said that he couldn’t remember the exact date that this happened or the exact time. He did say that it happened during the daylight hours, during the middle of the day. McPhaul noted that this sighting is one of a number that has been reported in the vicinity of Burnt Corn Creek.

The second incident, which was reported to me by a law enforcement officer in Escambia County, took place around 5:30 a.m. on Sat., June 9, and involved a man from Monroe County, who works at one of the mills in Brewton. The man was on his way home from work and was traveling north on Appleton Road when he saw something unexpected near Hog Springs, which is in Conecuh County, just north of the Escambia County line.

The man said his attention was first drawn to a tree limb that was moving on the side of the road and when he got closer he saw a creature with reddish-brown hair that appeared to be trying to “get at something” on the limb. The witness wondered if the creature was trying to get something out of the tree to eat, perhaps bugs or something along those lines.

As the man approached, he said the creature, which he estimated to be about seven feet tall, turned and looked like it “had the mange.” The witness said that the creature had very little hair on its front, and he also noted that had a cone-shaped head. He said that before the creature turned to face him, he thought it was a bear, but when it turned, he saw that it had a flat face without the distinctive snout that a bear would have.

The man continued down the road and went home. Later, he strongly declined to return to the Hog Springs area to look for tracks or other signs of the creature. In fact, he said he never planned to travel down that road again to go back and forth to work.

The third incident, which was also relayed to me by McPhaul, took place on Sun., June 17, in the “broad daylight” in the Pine Orchard-Burnt Corn area near the Conecuh-Monroe County line. The witnesses in this case were two Hispanic men who were doing work on a farm near Sand Bottom Road. All of a sudden, their work was disturbed by a loud noise caused by a large, hairy creature that jumped up about 200 yards away and ran away on two legs. McPhaul noted that bears do not run on two legs.

“It scared them pretty bad,” McPhaul said, noting that one of the witnesses actually ran away while the other made an unsuccessful attempt to take a picture of the creature with his phone. The witnesses, who weren’t able to speak good English, said the creature moved “fast, real fast,” McPhaul said. “It shook them up pretty good.”

In the end, if anyone else in the reading audience has a Bigfoot story they’d like to share, please contact me at the newspaper.

Where should Hillcrest be ranked in the 4A preseason football poll?

Hillcrest quarterback Ryan Nettles (12) accepts MVP award.

When you stop and think about it, football season is really just around the corner. Hillcrest High School and Sparta Academy both have their summer workout programs in full gear and full-blown preseason practice will crank up in a matter of weeks.

This time of year, there’s a lot going on behind the scenes, especially when it comes to the Alabama Sports Writers Association and its upcoming preseason football poll. Voting in the preseason poll will open on July 23 and will close on July 30.

Alabama High School Athletic Association teams will officially begin preseason practice on Aug. 6 and the preseason poll will be published in newspapers statewide on that day. For those of you who stay up late at night, it’ll be published online at 11 p.m. on Aug. 5.

People have asked me about where I plan to rank Hillcrest in the preseason poll in light of the fact that they won the 3A state title last season but will move into Class 4A this season. Another interesting twist this season is that the Jags will be competing in 4A Region 1 with the defending 4A state champions, UMS-Wright of Mobile.

In a meeting of two state champions, Hillcrest and UMS will meet during the regular season on Oct. 5 in Mobile. The winner of that game will likely win the region title and will likely be in the driver’s seat when it comes to the state playoffs. Another interesting twist is that Hillcrest and UMS could meet again in the playoffs with the winner to advance while the other goes home.

Regardless of how all that shakes out, Hillcrest will be tested this season, but, after last season, I have no doubt that they can handle it. In addition to UMS, other traditionally strong programs in their region include W.S. Neal, Andalusia and Clarke County. Of course, you can’t overlook the other teams on their schedule, which include Greenville, Montgomery Academy, Escambia County, Williamson and Monroe County High School.

Taking all of that into account, this coming season is shaping up to be one of the best in recent memory for Hillcrest. If they perform at the same high level that they played at last year, they’ll be in every game this season, and they’ve got a good shot at winning them all and making a deep run into the playoffs.

With that said, while it may be somewhat controversial, I plan to vote Hillcrest No. 1 in 4A in my preseason poll. Here’s why: While Hillcrest lost a number of talented players from last year’s team, they still return a solid corps of talented players, mostly notably quarterback Ryan Nettles (the MVP from last year’s 3A championship game) and junior outside linebacker Cam Riley, who has received scholarship offers from a long list of college football programs. Also, Hillcrest kept its coaching staff intact, which will go a long way toward keeping everyone on the same page next season.

In the end, I look for Hillcrest to have a better team this coming season than they had last season, and that’s saying a lot when you consider that last season was the best in school history.

Today in History for June 28, 2018

Alabama Gov. Bibb Graves

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.

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, 1917 - The Pine Hill Dramatic Club presented the “Prince in Buckskins” at the Camden Grammar School Auditorium on this Friday evening to a large and appreciative audience. This was their second appearance in Camden.

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, 1920 - An unoccupied store building in which merchandise valued at $700 belonging to Mr. W.W. Thompson was destroyed by fire at Fountain on this Monday night. The fire was believed to have been of incendiary origin.

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, 1950 - Following a custom that had prevailed for the past several years, the Brewton baseball team was scheduled to again observe “Evergreen Night” on this night, in appreciation of the fine support of many fans who attend the games there. Jess Taylor of Brewton, who arranged this event each year, was in Evergreen Tues., June 13, making the final plans. He informed The Evergreen Courant that Check Ellis, Evergreen boy pitching for Brewton, would be on the mound that night as the Millers faced Andalusia.

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, 1964 – George Buster Singleton, the author of the 1991 book “Of Foxfire and Phantom Soldiers,” moved to Monroe County on this date and began serving on this date as the administrator of the Monroeville National Guard unit, a position he would hold until his official retirement over 23 years later, on Dec. 14, 1987, which was his 60th birthday. For years, Singleton’s column “Somewhere in Time” appeared in The Monroe Journal, and he wrote a lengthy series of articles about Monroe County that appeared in Alabama Life magazine. Some of his earlier columns also appeared under the heading of “Monroe County History: Did You Know?”

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, 1971 - Elliott Hendrix was elected worshipful master of the Frisco City Masonic Lodge on this Monday night when the annual election of officers was held. Named to serve with Hendrix were: John Youngblood, senior warden; Harold Barnes, junior warden; Clayton Barnes, senior deacon; Jeffie Jones, secretary; W.P. Albritton, treasurer; and Sam Brooks, tyler.

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, 778th 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 28-30, 2002 - The Evergreen Youth Basketball Team won the Silver Medal at the Alabama Sports Festival State Basketball Tournament held at the University of South Alabama in Mobile. Tuskegee-Macon YMCA defeated Evergreen by a score of 58-53 in the championship game to win the Gold Medal. By winning the Silver Medal, the Evergreen team qualified for the American National Tournament to be held in St. Louis on Aug. 23-25. Players on Evergreen’s team included Destry Taylor, Kellen Hines, Willie Dixon, Bryan Boykin, Terrell Sanders, Alshwan Holder, O.J. Johnson, Jerrell McMillian, Chris Hines, Chris Nelson, Robert Thomas and P.K. Riley. Earnest Boykin was head coach.

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.

Daily Rainfall Observations from SW Alabama for Thurs., June 28, 2018

Rainfall (Past 24 Hours): 0.40 inches.

Week to Date Rainfall: 1.00 inches.

Month to Date Rainfall:  7.55 inches.

Summer to Date Rainfall: 2.00 inches.

Year to Date Rainfall: 28.60 inches.

Notes: Today is the 179th day of 2018 and the eighth day of Summer. There are 188 days left in the year.

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

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

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


What follows are 100-year-old news excerpts from the June 27, 1918 edition of The Wilcox Progressive Era newspaper in Camden, Ala.

Camden has been without a marshal for several weeks. In fact, the only need of one is to pump water from the deep well for the town use and to chase in a few straggling cows. Under the regime of the dispensary such a condition would have been absurd.

DEATH OF MRS. JENKINS: On Friday night, Mrs. P.C. Jenkins passed away after several days illness. Her death came as a surprise and shock to her many friends. She was preceded to the grave by her husband, Mr. P.C. Jenkins, several weeks ago. She leaves four children, Tom, Lummie, Carrie Knox and Louise. The children and other relatives have the sympathy of the community in their sad bereavement.

Hon. Harry T. Hartwell to Speak In Camden July 4th: Hon. Harry T. Hartwell of Mobile, Senator from Mobile County, and candidate for Congress, will address the citizens of Camden on July 4th, on patriotic issues. The management of the patriotic celebration are to be congratulated in securing Mr. Hartwell for this occasion as he is a most gifted speaker and the fact of his success in life having been attained through his own energy and persistence is especially appealing to our people. A large audience will no doubt greet him.

Prof. J.M. Laird of Rehobeth and father J.S. Laird were Camden visitors Friday. Prof. Laird, who was principal of the Louisville High School the past session, has been elected Superintendent of Education for Barbour County. Mr. Laird is well qualified for the position and will make good in his calling.

Mr. W.L. Jeffrey of Lower Peach Tree lost his barn on Monday afternoon by fire. It burned about 200 bushels of corn, a quantity of oats and hay. Origin of the fire is unknown. It was only through heroic work of the citizens that his store and other nearby buildings were saved.

THE PROGRESSIVE SPIRIT: The board of education met on Thursday and granted the request of the patrons of Coy, Nellie and Dickinson schools to consolidate and build up a first-class consolidated school at a site selected near the Dickinson school. This step means a departure from past precedents in Wilcox. The board of education has pledged itself to the support of this school and it is their intention as well as purpose of the citizens behind the move to build up a school in this section that will be the equal to any in Wilcox. The most significant feature of the progressive spirit manifested by the patrons of the school was that there was not a dissenting vote from any one of the schools after the plans and purposes were explained. Nearly all patrons were represented at the meeting. Already $1,800 has been secured for the school building and whatever amount is needed will be supplied. The site of five acres for the building was donated by Mr. Godfrey Lambrecht. A building committee consisting of J.M. McLeod of Coy, N.M. Newell of Asahel and R.M. Dickinson was appointed to organize the work. Other communities will do well to watch the work. Citizens of Watson Crossing are also to be commended for the manifestation of progressive spirit. They have determined to build up a first-class school in that community and are hard at work to raise adequate funds for a two-room building. Messrs. W.H. McGraw and Ashworth together with all the citizens of that country are pushing the move and will soon begin the work of construction.

Old Indian carving once told tale of 'star-crossed lovers' in Wilcox County

An example of Native American tree carvings.

Old tales of “star-crossed lovers” are common throughout the world, and Wilcox County is no exception.

Sources say that there was once an old oak tree in Oak Hill that bore the “carved figure of an Indian encircled by the coils of a large snake.” For many, many years, visitors to Oak Hill were taken to see this locally famous tree and were told the tragic story behind this unusual carving. The best available source about this old story is a local history book called “Oak Hill, Alabama: Its Houses and People, 1856-1978” by William and Joyce Jones.

According to this book, which was published in 1978, Isaac and Sophia Taylor Newberry built a house in Oak Hill that stood in a grove of “beautiful oak trees.” On one of these trees was the carving of an Indian and a snake, which “gave rise to the following story: Two Indian tribes camped nearby. They were hostile to each other. A young brave of one tribe and a girl from the other met somehow and fell in love. Their meeting place was under the big tree.”

The story goes on to say that “one day when going to meet her lover, the girl discovered his dead body in the clutches of the snake. She either killed herself or died of grief there. They were both buried under the tree. This is a story long told.”

The book goes on to say that the tree that bore the carving no longer stands. It was cut down during Pressly Dale’s occupancy of the property.

A close reading of this story is revealing and yields up just as many questions as it answers. Who carved the image of the Indian and the snake in the tree? When was the carving made? Why did the carving only include the Indian brave and not the Indian maiden?

Presuming the story of these “star-crossed lovers” is true, what tribes did the Indians belong to? Why were they hostile to one another? How did the Indian brave and maiden meet? What type of snake killed the Indian brave? How exactly did the girl die? Who discovered their bodies? Who buried them? Why did Pressly Dale have the tree cut down?

One question that can probably be readily answered by current residents of Oak Hill regards where all of this took place. The book by the Joneses indicates that the house where the “Indian oak” was located was on the same road as the Bethel Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church “manse” built by the Rev. T.B. McBride. They go on to say that after the death of the home’s owner, Pressly Dale, the house was eventually lived in by Jack and Ann Seigler of Atlanta, Ga.

“(The Seiglers) have done a great deal of remodeling on the house, beginning at the back porch,” the Joneses wrote in 1978. “Baths and gas heaters were added. It is developing into one of the beauty spots of Oak Hill.”

In the end, it would be interesting to know if this house still stands and who lives there today. Perhaps they do not know of this aspect of the property’s history, and one is left to wonder if whether or not any of Oak Hill’s older residents remember the Indian carving and the oft-told tale of the “star-crossed” Indian lovers.

Also, before I wrap up for another week, special thanks to Martha Grimes Lampkin of the Wilcox Historical Society, who graciously supplied me with a copy of the 1978 Oak Hill history book by William and Joyce Jones. Many thanks.

Today in History for June 27, 2018

Benjamin Meek Miller

June 27, 1775 - The Continental Congress dispatched Major General Philip John Schuyler to Forts Ticonderoga and Crown Point to examine the troops, their supplies and their ability to navigate Lake Champlain and Lake George, as well as “obtain the best intelligence he can of the disposition of the Canadians and Indians of Canada.”


June 27, 1778 – During the Battle of Monmouth, Aaron Burr collapsed on the battlefield with heat stroke and even though Burr recovered, a dramatic decline in his health would cause him to resign his commission with the army in 1779.

June 27, 1787 - Edward Gibbon completed the final volume of "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" in his garden in Lausanne, Switzerland. It was published the following May.

June 27, 1811 – Tecumseh again visited Governor Harrison at Vincennes. He objected persistently to the treaties that had been made, wherein lands were said to be sold to the U.S. by single tribes of Indians. He claimed that one tribe could not sell lands belonging more or less, as he claimed, to all the tribes in common.

June 27, 1825 – During his tour of the United States, the Marquis de Lafayette arrived late (around 10 p.m.) in Claremont, New Hampshire.

June 27, 1829 – In Genoa, Italy, English scientist James Smithson died after a long illness, leaving behind a will with a peculiar footnote. In the event that his only nephew died without any heirs, Smithson decreed that the whole of his estate would go to “the United States of America, to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an Establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.” Six years after his death, his nephew, Henry James Hungerford, indeed died without children, so on July 1, 1836, the U.S. Congress authorized acceptance of Smithson’s gift, and on August 10, 1846, the act establishing the Smithsonian Institution was signed into law by President James K. Polk.

June 27, 1842 – Confederate soldier John A. McCants was born. He served as a private with the Monroe Guards and enlisted on March 26, 1861 at Pineville in Monroe County. He was promoted to corporal and was present at all musters between May 13, 1861 and Dec. 31, 1861. He was wounded at Chancellorsville on May 2, 1863 and furloughed home for 30 days. He was admitted into the Selma General Hospital while on furlough and remained on furlough until July 30, 1863. Was listed as a prisoner of war on May 5, 1864. He died on March 5, 1915 and is buried at Bells Landing Presbyterian Cemetery at Tinela.

June 27, 1844 - Joseph Smith Jr., founder of the Latter-day Saints movement, and his brother Hyrum Smith, were killed by an anti-Mormon mob at the Carthage, Illinois jail.

June 27, 1857 – In an expedition funded by the Royal Geographical Society, Richard Francis Burton and John Hanning Speke set out from the east coast of Zanzibar in Africa, heading west in search of an “inland sea” that had been described by Arab traders and slavers. Burton’s mission was to study the area's tribes and to find out what exports might be possible from the region. It was hoped that the expedition might lead to the discovery of the source of the River Nile, although this was not an explicit aim.

June 27, 1861 – During the Civil War, Baltimore, Maryland’s chief of police George P. Kane was arrested on the order of General Nathaniel Banks because of his Confederate sympathies.

June 27, 1862 – The Battle of Gaines's Mill, sometimes known as the First Battle of Cold Harbor or the Battle of Chickahominy River, took place in Hanover County, Virginia, as the third of the Seven Days Battles (Peninsula Campaign) of the Civil War. Jerre Downs, John Gaff, Caleb Garner and John Garner, all of the Conecuh Guards killed at the Battle of Gaines’s Farm. Capt. William Lee, 1st Lt. James W. Darby, 2nd Lt. John G. Guice, Sgt. William D. Clarke, 4th Cpl. Joseph A. Thomas, John D. Hyde, Julius A. Mertins and Fielding Lynch, all of the Conecuh Guards, were all wounded at the Battle of Gaines’s Mill in Va. Charles Floyd of the Conecuh Guards was wounded at Gaines’s Farm and moved to Texas after the war. Francis M. Grice of the Conecuh Guards lost his left arm at Gaines’s Farm, became sutler for the 4th Alabama Infantry and moved to Escambia County after the war. William Hodges of the Conecuh Guard was wounded at Gaines’s Farm only to be taken prisoner later at Lookout Mountain and died near Washington, Ga. in 1865. William Horton of Conecuh Guards was wounded in the shoulder and leg at Gaines’s Farm and returned to live in Butler County after war. William W. Johnson of Conecuh Guards was wounded and disabled at Gaines’s Farm, was honorably discharged and returned to Conecuh County after war. John Myers of the Conecuh Guards was wounded at Gaines’s Farm, dropped from the unit’s roll in 1863 and was killed in Butler County after war. William Quinley of the Conecuh Guards was wounded at Gaines’s Farm, was later wounded at Gettysburg on July 3, 1863 and deserted to the enemy in 1865. Thomas Robbins of the Conecuh Guards died from wounds received at Gaines’s Farm. Henry C. Stearns of the Conecuh Guards was wounded at Gaines’s Farm and returned to Conecuh County after war. Nick Stallworth of the Conecuh Guards was wounded at Gaines’s Farm, was honorably discharged in 1862 and returned to Conecuh County. Mich. B. Salter of the Conecuh Guards was wounded at Gaines’s Farm and later at Gettysburg, where he had his right arm amputated. He was honorably discharged and returned to Conecuh County. Evans Sheffield of the Conecuh Guards was wounded at Gaines’ Farm and later wounded at Gettysburg, returned to Conecuh County, where he was killed by a falling tree.

June 27, 1862 – During the Civil War, the Battle of Gaines Mill, Virginia was fought and was the third engagement of the Seven Days' campaign. Taking nearly an entire day; Jackson couldn't defeat a smaller force. Longstreet finally broke the 5th Corps lines. Confederates John Bell Hood and George Pickett broke through Union general Fitz John Porter's line, forcing Union troops south of the Chickahominy River and severing McClellan's supply line to Eltham's Landing (White House, West Point).

June 27, 1862 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Fair Oaks, Virginia and at Stewart’s Plantation in Arkansas. An action also occurred at Garnett’s Farm.

June 27, 1862 – During the Civil War, John Pope assumed command of his new Army of Virginia in Virginia.

June 27, 1863 – During the Civil War, the siege of Vicksburg, Miss. entered Day 40.

June 27, 1863 - It did not seem like a great bit of timing at the moment. A massive Rebel army was headed into the North. One army was occupied with the Vicksburg siege. The other army, that of the Potomac, was much closer but not famous for fast moving. So was this the best time to change commanders of this army? That was precisely what Abraham Lincoln did on this day, ignominiously sacking Joseph Hooker and replacing him with the dour, uncommunicative and little known commander of the army’s Fifth Corps, George Gordon Meade. Already on the march, Meade had to be awakened in his tent to be told of the change of command. While Meade had to cope with this, the Confederates roamed the interior of Pennsylvania almost at will.

June 27, 1864 – Confederate and Union forces clash at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain in Georgia as Union General William T. Sherman launched a major attack on Confederate General Joseph Johnston's army. Three thousand Union troops fell, compared with just 500 Confederates.

June 27, 1864 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Big Cove Valley, Ala.

June 27, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought near Dunksville, Missouri and near Brownsville, Arkansas. An affair also occurred at Crittenden, Kentucky.

June 27, 1872 – Poet and short story writer Paul Laurence Dunbar was born in Dayton, Ohio.

June 27, 1874 - Using new high-powered rifles to devastating effect, 28 buffalo hunters repulsed a much larger force of attacking Indians at an old trading post in the Texas panhandle called Adobe Walls.

June 27, 1876 - Dave Force of the Philadelphia Athletics became the first National League player to get six hits in a nine-inning game.

June 27, 1879 – A baseball game was scheduled to be played on this Friday evening between the “picked nine” and the “scrub nine” teams of the Evergreen Baseball Club.

June 27, 1879 - The closing exercises of the Monroeville Institute were scheduled to take place on this Friday. The examination of classes was to begin at 9 a.m. At noon, there was to be, on the grounds, an “ample supply of good things for the pupils and for visiting friends.” At night, there was to be an exhibition in elocution on the part of pupils, with an original oration by one of the older boys. The award of school medals for proficiency would then be read out and the presentation address was to be made by Col. B.L. Hibbard, who had “kindly consented to discharge that office.”

June 27, 1880 – Helen Adams Keller was born in Tuscumbia, Ala. Having lost both sight and hearing by illness as a small child, Keller's life story and activism inspired new attitudes toward those with handicaps.

June 27, 1898 – The first solo circumnavigation of the globe was completed by Joshua Slocum from Briar Island, Nova Scotia.

June 27, 1903 - The Democratic Executive Committee of Conecuh County, Ala. was scheduled to meet at Evergreen on this Saturday to consider the matter of the vacancy existing in office of Representative caused by the death of the late Dr. Andrew Jay. S.P. Dunn was Chairman of the Committee.

June 27, 1907 - There will be a public installation of the new Masonic officers at Tinela on this day. “Everybody and our neighbors with well-filled baskets” were invited to attend and participate in the exercises.

June 27, 1907 – The Monroe Journal reported that later information confirmed the early reports concerning the seriousness of the fire at Manistee during the previous week. The planing mill, dry kilns and practically the entire stock of lumber on the yards were consumed, together with the company hotel and five dwellings. The loss was estimated at $250,000, which is partially covered by insurance. The company planned to rebuild at an early date. The Messrs. Herlong were held in the highest esteem by area residents and had their profound sympathy in this heavy loss.

June 27, 1907 – The Monroe Journal reported that a little boy, about 10 years old, died in great agony near Peterman the previous week as the result of drinking carbolic acid. The boy and some other children were playing in an abandoned out-building when they discovered a number of old bottles, one of which was partly filled with some unknown fluid. The boy proceeded to satisfy his curiosity by taking a drink. His peculiar behavior alarmed the family and a doctor was sent for but arrived too late to save the child’s life. On examination, the contents of the bottle proved to be carbolic acid.

June 27, 1907 – The Monroe Journal reported that the Hon. I.B. Slaughter went to McIntosh to attend the funeral of his nephew, John Shomo Slaughter, who died at Fort Worth, Texas. The deceased was the son of Mr. and Mrs. John M. Slaughter, aged 21 years. Typhoid fever was the cause of his death.

June 27, 1914 - Colonel Edward House, close adviser to U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, met with Foreign Secretary Edward Grey of Britain, over lunch in London, as part of a diplomatic tour of Europe that House made during the early summer of 1914.

June 27, 1915 – Writer and activist Grace Lee Boggs was born in Providence, R.I.

June 27, 1920 – “Dollars and Sense,” a movie version of Alabama author Octavus Roy Cohen's book “Two Cents Worth of Humaneness,” was released.

June 27, 1922 – The American Library Association awarded the first Newberry Medal for children’s literature to “The Story of Mankind” by Hendrik Willem van Loon.

June 27, 1926 – American poet Frank O’Hara was born Francis Russell O’Hara in Baltimore, Md., or rather, it's the day that Frank O'Hara celebrates his birthday. He was actually born in March, but his parents lied to him and said he was born three months later, to keep him from finding out he was conceived before they were married.

June 27, 1928 - T.C. Grace, a well-known citizen of Conecuh County, living in the Arkadelphia community, died at his home on this Wednesday evening at six o’clock. Grace had held a responsible position with the Dunham Lumber Co. for the previous 15 years. Up until eight years before, Grace was a citizen of Butler County, in which place he had a host of friends and relatives to mourn his death. He was also a member of the Masonic fraternity, membership being with the Garland Lodge.

June 27, 1933 - A delegation from Conecuh County, Ala., composed of Probate Judge L.W. Price, Evergreen Mayor J.L. Kelly, Representative J.E. Kelly and M.C. Brooks, chairman of the Board of Revenue, spent this Tuesday in Montgomery, where they went to present a plea to Gov. Benjamin M. Miller and State Highway Director L.G. Smith for the completion of the paving on Highway No. 31. There were approximately 60 miles of this highway between Mobile and Montgomery that was unpaved, consisting of a stretch from Evergreen to McKenzie; between Brewton and Atmore; between Atmore and Stapleton and Cochrane Bridge across Mobile Bay. The delegation received no definite assurance from either Miller or Smith, except that their request would receive most careful consideration at the proper time.

June 27, 1936 – National Book Award-winning poet Lucille Clifton was born Thelma Lucille Sayles in Depew, N.Y.

June 27, 1939 - Principal filming ended on “Gone With the Wind” as one of the most famous scenes in movie history was filmed - Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara parting in “Gone with the Wind.” Director Victor Fleming also shot the scene using the alternate line, “Frankly, my dear, I just don’t care,” in case the film censors objected to the word “damn.” The censors approved the movie but fined producer David O. Selznick $5,000 for including the curse.

June 27, 1939 - Cleveland Municipal Stadium hosted its first night game. The Indians beat the Tigers, 5-0.

June 27, 1941 – Bill Baxley, the 24th Lieutenant Governor of Alabama, was born in Dothan, Ala.

June 27, 1947 - Stuart Motors continued to lead the softball league defeating the FFA team on this Friday night 16 to 7 in Evergreen. Nine errors by the FFA team contributed heavily to their defeat. The Boy Scouts hit hard to beat the National Guard 12 to 6. Logue, Scout hurler, whiffed eight National Guard batsmen in gaining his second win of the season.

June 27, 1948 - The Evergreen Greenies were scheduled to play Brewton in Evergreen, Ala. on this Sunday in a Tri-County Baseball League game. This was a change in schedule. Evergreen originally was scheduled to played in Brewton on this day and to have played a home game in Evergreen the following Thursday. To avoid conflict with the professional Millers team, the games were changed. The June 27 game was considered crucial for Evergreen because Brewton was the only team in the league that had defeated Evergreen so far that season. Game time was at 3 p.m. at Brooks Stadium.

June 27, 1950 – The United States decided to send troops to fight in the Korean War.

June 27, 1953 – Mary Anderson of Greene County, Ala., the inventor of the windshield wiper, died at the age of 87 in Monteagle, Tenn.

June 27, 1953 – National Book Award-winning novelist Alice McDermott was born in Brooklyn, N.Y.

June 27, 1957 – The Evergreen Courant reported that the Dodgers held onto their lead in the Evergreen Jr. League and the Chicks retained their lead in the Minor League during the previous week. A number of games were cancelled due to rain. Due to heavy rains on Mon., June 24, and power trouble on Tues., June 25, all games scheduled were stacked. League President Ward Alexander planned to notify teams when new date had been set.

June 27, 1957 – The Evergreen Courant reported that rain over the weekend washed out most of the weekend matches in the Evergreen Golf Club’s Summer Tournament, but several “diehards” braved the elements and completed their matches. Golfers in the tourney included Herman Bolden, Brown Boykin, Elmo Grace, Thad Ivey, Bill McGehee and Bill Millsap.

June 27, 1959 – Frank Pate of Castleberry, Ala. was bit by rattlesnake that was 5-1/2 feet long, weighed 12 pounds and had 11 rattles. He saved his own life by gashing his leg with a pocketknife, causing it to bleed, before seeking treatment at the Conecuh County Hospital.

June 27, 1961 - A television version of Alabama author Babs H. Deal's story "Make My Death Bed" was broadcast as part of the “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” series.

June 27-July 7, 1963 - The 22nd annual session of the Beulah Camp meeting was scheduled to be held. Principal speakers for the 1963 meeting were to be Dr. J.C. McPheeters of Wilmore, Ky. and the Rev. Maurice W. Stevens, also of Wilmore, both well-known evangelists. Dr. J.W. Stabler of Mobile was president of the camp. Other officers of the incorporated camp were the Rev. C.H. Williams of Pensacola, Fla., first vice-president; Edwin Johnson of Mobile, second vice-president; the Rev. O.D. Williams of Plateau, secretary; and W.C. Nicholas of Excel, treasurer.

June 27, 1963 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Rayburn H. Nall, seaman, U.S. Navy, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Belton H. Nall of Lenox, Ala., was serving aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Valley Forge, which participated in operation “Wind Sock” off the coast of California June 3-14.

June 27, 1963 – Owassa, Ala. Postmaster L.M. Brown announced that Owassa had been assigned the new five-digit zip code of 36466. The new Zip Code system was scheduled to go into effect nationally on July 1.

June 27, 1963 - President John F. Kennedy appointed Henry Cabot Lodge, his former Republican political opponent, to succeed Frederick E. Nolting as ambassador to Vietnam.

June 27, 1966 - The gothic soap opera “Dark Shadows” premiered on ABC. One of the most beloved characters from the cult TV show, 175-year-old vampire Barnabas Collins, was added ten months into the series run in an effort to boost low ratings.

June 27, 1968 – U.S. forces begin to evacuate Khe Sahn. The U.S. command in Saigon confirmed that U.S. forces have begun to evacuate the military base at Khe Sanh, 14 miles below the Demilitarized Zone and six miles from the Laotian border.

June 27, 1973 - Former White House counsel John W. Dean told the Senate Watergate Committee about an "enemies list" that was kept by the Nixon White House.

June 27, 1974 – Alabama State Trooper Sgt. Julian D. Stuckey, 36, commander of the Dothan State Trooper Post, was killed in an accident about one mile south of the Owassa, Ala. Exit on Interstate Highway 65 about 1 p.m. He was traveling south when a tire blew out, causing his car to leave the road and strike a guardrail, killing him instantly.

June 27, 1976 – Major League Baseball catcher Johnny Estrada was born in Hayward, Calif. He would go on to play for the Philadelphia Phillies, the Atlanta Braves, the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Milwaukee Brewers and the Washington Nationals.

June 27, 1977 - During a game against the Cincinnati Reds, Mobile, Ala. native Willie McCovey became the first player to hit two home runs in one inning twice in his career. The first was on April 12, 1973.

June 27, 1985 – American Association of State Highway and Transportation officials voted to decertify the iconic Route 66 after 59 years and remove all its highway signs. Measuring 2,200 miles, it stretched from Chicago to Santa Monica, Calif., passing through eight states. According to a New York Times article about its decertification, most of Route 66 followed a path through the wilderness forged in 1857 by U.S. Navy Lieutenant Edward Beale at the head of a caravan of camels and over the years, wagon trains and cattlemen eventually made way for trucks and passenger automobiles.

June 27, 1986 - Robby Thompson of the San Francisco Giants was caught stealing bases four times in one game.

June 27, 1990 - Jose Canseco signed a contract with the Oakland A's worth $4,700,000 per year.

June 27, 1991 – Evergreen’s 13-year-old Babe Ruth all-stars were scheduled to represent Conecuh County, Ala. in the all-star tournament in Brewton. They were scheduled to play Atmore’s all-star team on this day at 7:30 p.m.

June 27, 2002 – The Monroe Journal reported that seriously ill or injured patients in Monroe County would then have quick access to medical facilities in the southeastern United States. A non-profit air ambulance service, Eagles’ Wings Air Ambulance, Inc., was to begin service that summer. A Piper Cheyenne airplane had been outfitted with medical equipment designed for the ill or those patients who need organ transplants, Terry Chapman, president of the new company, said. Chapman said the idea for the air ambulance service came from Pilots for Christ, which was an international organization that provided transportation for people in medical and other types of emergencies.

June 27-29, 2003 - The Evergreen Youth 18-and-Under basketball team had made it to the Alabama Sports Festival State Basketball Tournament to be held in Huntsville June 27-29, 2003. They were scheduled to play two games on Fri., June 27, and two games on Sat., June 28. If they won their pool, they were scheduled to play in the championship game on Sun., June 29, at 10 a.m. Coach Ernest Boykin said his team had got a chance but they had to play smart.

June 27, 2003 – Evergreen’s annual Relay for Life was scheduled to be held on this Friday. The 2003 Relay For Life was moved to Middleton Field Airport from downtown Evergreen. The event was scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. with the Survivor’s Reception. The actual relay was scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. with John Brock serving as Master of Ceremonies. The previous year’s relay raised over $35,000.

June 27, 2004 - The Boston Red Sox scored 10 runs before making an out against the Florida Marlins. The final score was 25-8.

June 27, 2007 – The Mizzell Mansion in Opp, Ala. was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

Daily Rainfall Observations from SW Alabama for Wed., June 27, 2018

Rainfall (Past 24 Hours): 0.60 inches.

Week to Date Rainfall: 0.60 inches.

Month to Date Rainfall:  7.15 inches.

Summer to Date Rainfall: 1.60 inches.

Year to Date Rainfall: 28.20 inches.

Notes: Today is the 178th day of 2018 and the 99th day of Spring. There are 189 days left in the year.

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

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

The Evergreen Courant's News Flashback for June 26, 2018

Charles A. Graddick

15 YEARS AGO
JUNE 26, 2003

Evergreen weather observer Harry Ellis reported .31 inches of rain on June 17 and .27 inches on June 19. He reported highs of 90 degrees on June 16 and June 19 and lows of 67 degrees on June 16 and June 22.

John “Fat” Claiborne, 56, of Evergreen passed away Fri., June 20, 2003 in a Georgiana hospital.
He held membership at Lookout Lodge No. 325, where he served as worshipful master. He was a self-employed businessman and a former member of the Evergreen City Council.

Relay For Life this Friday nite: Everyone will be out in force Friday night to take on the fight against cancer as Evergreen holds its annual Relay For Life. This year’s relay promises to be a fun and worthwhile event as it has been in years past. The 2003 Relay For Life has been moved to Middleton Field Airport from downtown Evergreen.
The event will begin at 6 p.m. with the Survivor’s Reception. The actual relay will begin at 7 p.m. with John Brock serving as Master of Ceremonies.
Last year’s relay raised over $35,000 and the participants in this year’s relay hope to be just as successful.

Cody Lowery, son of John and Linda Blackmon, recently represented Conecuh County at the 66th annual American Legion Alabama Boys State. While attending Boys State, Lowery was elected to the House of Representatives. He is an upcoming senior at Sparta Academy.

40 YEARS AGO
JUNE 22, 1978

Evergreen weather observer Earl Windham reported .08 inches of rain on June 12. He reported a high of 92 degrees on June 12 and a low of 61 on June 14.

Grand Lodge K of P will convene here: Enterprise Lodge No. 352 of the Knights of Pythias and Queen of Evergreen Court No. 562 will host the 92nd annual session of the Grand Lodge Knights of Pythias and Grand Court Order of Calanthe of Alabama here June 25 through June 27.
This is an historic occasion for Evergreen as this is the first time in its 92-year history that the Grand Lodge has convened here.
Sir Ellis Jackson is Chancellor Commander of Enterprise Lodge No. 352 and Sister Gussie V. Grace is Worthy Counsellor of Queen of Evergreen Court No. 562 and they will act as official hosts for the session.

Charlie Graddick, candidate for Attorney General, asked Mrs. Roger (Mary) Waller for her vote as he made a brief visit here Tuesday. Graddick plans to be back in the county today to make more personal contacts. He has compiled an outstanding record as District Attorney in Mobile and earned widespread recognition for this vigorous and successful prosecution of criminals.

Navy Seaman Recruit Jonas Claiborne of 421 Magnolia Ave., Evergreen, has completed recruit training at the Naval Training Center, Orlando, Fla. A 1974 graduate of Evergreen High School, he joined the Navy in April 1978.

65 YEARS AGO
JUNE 25, 1953

Local Post Office Becomes First Class Wed., July 1: The United States Post Office at Evergreen will become a first class office Wed., July 1, according to Postmaster Mary R. Cunningham. The class of office is based on stamp sales, box rents, etc. and first class is the highest grade.
Postmaster Cunningham points out that the local office’s increase in grade follows a gradual increase of gross postal receipts. Since 1942, sales have nearly doubled with increase being registered each year during the period.
The increase in postal sales is attributed to a gradual rise in business and growth in postal population and to the mailing of large quantities of parcel post of the Evergreen Garment Co. and Southern Coach Manufacturing Co., Inc.

Conecuh Will Induct 13 Men In July: Alabama’s induction call for July will be 707 men, according to Col. J.T. Johnson Jr., Acting State Director of Selective Service. This first represents Alabama’s part of a national call of 23,000 men. All of these men will be furnished to the Army and no men under 20 years of age will be inducted in Alabama in July, Col. Johnson said.
The number of men Conecuh will be called upon to furnish for July is 13.

Strong winds Sunday night caused considerable damage at the Moonlite Drive-In Theatre some four miles out of Evergreen on the Brooklyn Highway. Striking fiercely late that night, the winds caused damage estimated at $1,200 by owner Bert Gorum and put the theatre out of business this week.

90 YEARS AGO
JUNE 28, 1928

BELLEVILLE MASONS ELECT OFFICERS: 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.

T.C. Grace, a well known citizen of this county, living in the Arkadelphia community, died at his home Wednesday evening at six o’clock.
Mr. Grace had held a responsible position with the Dunham Lumber Co. for the past 15 years. Up until eight years ago, Mr. Grace was a citizen of Butler County, in which place he has a host of friends and relatives to mourn his death.
He was also a member of the Masonic fraternity, membership being with the Garland Lodge.

John W. Baldwin of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints will preach at the courthouse Sunday night, July 1. Services will begin at 7:30 and the general public is invited to attend.

Fire broke out in the walls of the Electrick Maid Bakery about 9:30 o’clock Tuesday morning but quick work on the part of the fire department checked it before much damage was done.

139 YEARS AGO
JUNE 26, 1879
THE EVERGREEN STAR

Conecuh Guards, Co. E, participated in the following named battles and skirmishes – the list is furnished us by Col. P.D. Bowles: First Battle Manassas, Va.; York Town, Elthems Landing, Seven Pines, Gaines Farm, Malvern Hill, Second Battle Manassas, Leesburg or Chantilla, Va.; South South Mountain, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Suffolk, Gettysburg, Hagerstown, Falling Waters, Manassas Gap, Thornton Creek, Chickamauga, Raccoon Mountain, Lookout Mountain, Knoxville, Dandridge, Strawberry Plains, Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, Crutchfield Farm, North Ann Bridge, Charles City Road, Williamsburg Road, Second Battle Cold Harbor, Deep Bottom, Fuzzles Mill, skirmish near Bermuda Hundred, Petersburg, Fort Gilmore, Fort Harrison, battle Darbytown, Darbytown Road, Williamsburg Road, McKinzie House, Petersburg, Amelia Court House, Burkville Junction, Farmville, Appomattox.

TO THE CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS OF CONECUH COUNTY: We, the undersigned, respectfully ask that the surviving Confederate soldiers who reside in Conecuh County, Ala., meet us at the courthouse in Evergreen on Sat., the 12th of July next, for the purpose of organizing a Historical and Memorial Association of the Confederate soldiers of Conecuh County.
The Association, to have for one of its laudable objects, to obtain and preserve the records, to show what Alabama achieved and suffered during the war between the states. – John S. Stearns, John G. Guice, J.B. Bonnett, F.M. Walker, P.D. Bowles and many others.

Today in History for June 26, 2018

James W. Darby

June 26, 1284 - It is said that the Pied Piper of Hamelin in Germany lured 130 children out of town, and they were never seen again.


June 26, 1541 - Spanish explorer and politician Francisco Pizarro, who was between 65 and 70 years old, was assassinated while eating dinner at his palace in Lima by the son of his former companion and later antagonist, Diego Almagro the younger. Almagro is later caught and executed. Pizarro was the governor of Peru and conqueror of the Inca civilization.

June 26, 1776 - John Adams, who would go on to become the second President of the United States of America, wrote a letter to his wife Abigail in which he complained that the Congress was giving him "more business than I am qualified for, and more than, I fear, that I can go through, with safety to my health."

June 26, 1784 - Delaware Patriot Caesar Rodney passed away at the age of 55 in Kent County, Delaware. Rodney is best remembered for his overnight ride from Dover, Delaware to Philadelphia, Pa. to cast the deciding vote for the Declaration of Independence in the Continental Congress on July 2, 1776. The image of Rodney on horseback riding for Philadelphia appears on the Delaware quarter, issued in 1999.

June 26, 1804 - The Lewis and Clark Expedition reached the mouth of the Kansas River after completing a westward trek of nearly 400 river miles.

June 26, 1819 – Union General Abner Doubleday was born in Ballston Spa, N.Y. He fired the first shot in defense of Fort Sumter, the opening battle of the war, and had a pivotal role in the early fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg. Doubleday has been historically credited with inventing baseball, although this appears to be untrue.

June 26, 1861 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Frankfort and Patterson's Creek, West Virginia.

June 26, 1862 - At the Battle of Mechanicsville, Va., Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia struck Union General George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac, beginning the Seven Days' Battles. This was Lee’s first battle as commander of the army. McClellan eventually withdrew back toward Washington after both sides suffered heavy losses. Lee lost 1,475 men; Union losses were only 361.

June 26, 1862 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Cherry Grove, Mo.; and at Meadow Bridge, Hanover Court House, and Atlee's Station in Virginia.

June 26, 1863 – HILLIARD’S LEGION: The Second and Fourth Battalions of Gracie’s Brigade were sent to Knoxville again, a trip that took three days from the Gap. Gracie’s men met Bragg in Knoxville as his troops were falling back from middle Tennessee, having been outflanked by Gen. William S. Rosecrans’s troops. They stayed and brought up the rear of Bragg’s retreat.

June 26, 1863 – During the Civil War, Jubal Early and his Confederate forces moved through Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on the way toward York.

June 26, 1863 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; at Beech Grove, Tennessee; and at Messinger's Ferry, Mississippi.

June 26, 1863 – During the Civil War, the siege at Vicksburg, Miss. entered Day 39.

June 26, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought near Clarendon, Arkansas; and at Smithfield and Springfield, West Virginia. An affair also occurred near Sedina, Missouri.

June 26, 1876 - Following Lieutenant Colonel George Custer’s death the previous day in the Battle of the Little Big Horn, Major Marcus Reno took command of the surviving soldiers of the 7th Cavalry.

June 26, 1879 – The Evergreen Star newspaper reported that the Conecuh Guards, Co. E, participated in the following named battles and skirmishes: First Battle Manassas, Va.; York Town, Elthems Landing, Seven Pines, Gaines Farm, Malvern Hill, Second Battle Manassas, Leesburg or Chantilla, Va.; South South Mountain, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Suffolk, Gettysburg, Hagerstown, Falling Waters, Manassas Gap, Thornton Creek, Chickamauga, Raccoon Mountain, Lookout Mountain, Knoxville, Dandridge, Strawberry Plains, Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, Crutchfield Farm, North Ann Bridge, Charles City Road, Williamsburg Road, Second Battle Cold Harbor, Deep Bottom, Fuzzles Mill, skirmish near Bermuda Hundred, Petersburg, Fort Gilmore, Fort Harrison, battle Darbytown, Darbytown Road, Williamsburg Road, McKinzie House, Petersburg, Amelia Court House, Burkville Junction, Farmville and Appomattox. (The list was furnished to the newspaper by Col. P.D. Bowles.)

June 26, 1891 - Alabama author Octavus Roy Cohen was born in Charleston, S.C.

June 26, 1892 – Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Pearl Buck was born in Hillsboro, W.V. Her most famous novel, “The Good Earth,” was published in 1931.

June 26, 1896 - Elder Irving L. Pratt and his colleagues, two Mormon missionaries of Provo, Utah, held services in the Monroe County Courthouse on this Friday night.

June 26, 1896 - The Board of Trustees of the Perdue Hill High School held a meeting on this Friday and unanimously elected Mr. R.E. Gordon of Camden as principal for the ensuing term. Gordon had been, for two years past, principal of the Ackerville Academy in Wilcox County and came highly recommended.

June 26, 1898 – Blues musician Big Bill Broonzy was born in Scott, Miss. (Some sources say he was born in Lake Dick, Ark. and in 1893.)

June 26, 1900 - A commission that included Dr. Walter Reed began the fight against the deadly disease yellow fever.

June 26, 1905 – The cases against the boys who were indicted by the grand jury for playing ball in Camden on Sunday came before the Wilcox County Court, and the cases were nol prossed on the promise that they would no longer play ball on Sunday.

June 26, 1912 – Confederate soldier Capt. James W. Darby of Garland, Ala. passed away. He was about 73 years old. Born on Jan. 25, 1840, he is buried in the Garland Cemetery in Butler County, Ala.

June 26, 1912 – The Evergreen Courant reported that W.W. Pridgen and Walter Lee had attended the Republican Convention in Chicago the week before and that week they were at the Democratic Convention in Baltimore. The Courant also reported that Judge Dean, C.P. Deming, W.M. Newton and J.F. Irwin were in Baltimore “looking on” at the Democratic National Convention.

June 26, 1912 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Wm. Bragg, a prominent banker of Ft. Deposit, was a guest of his brother, John Bragg, several days during the previous week.

June 26, 1914 – The Evergreen Courant reported that the thermometer topped 106 degrees in Evergreen, Ala., making it “the hottest day known in Evergreen for many years. The temperature for four days previous ranged from 102 to 105. The weather bureau states it a fact that this has been the hottest June since 1881.”

June 26, 1915 – On this Saturday afternoon John Salter and Robert Watkins 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. Also on this afternoon, Sheriff Williams and several deputies, as a precaution, transferred Salter and Watkins to the Montgomery County Jail by automobile.

June 26, 1915 – During a baseball game on this Saturday afternoon at Jeddo, J.C. Kyle was “hit on the side of his face by a pitched ball,” resulting in a fractured jawbone. He was taken to Dr. G.H. Harper at Uriah for treatment.

June 26, 1916 - The Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Indians appeared in a game with numbers on their sleeves. The event marked the first time that players were identified by numbers that corresponded to the scoreboard.

June 26, 1916 – Children’s book author Walter Farley was born in Syracuse, N.Y. He is best known for his 1941 book, “The Black Stallion.”

June 26, 1917 – The first 14,000 U.S. infantry troops begin arriving in France at the port of Saint Nazaire during World War I.

June 26, 1918 – The Evergreen Courant reported that D.L. Long left Castleberry the first of that week to go on a fishing trip on the Yellow River in Florida.

June 26, 1918 – The Evergreen Courant reported that the many friends of Mrs. L.D. King sympathized sincerely with her in the death of her father, the Hon. W.S. Watson, who passed away at his home in Greenville several days before. He had for several years past been clerk of the circuit court of Butler County and had previously served one term as sheriff.

June 26, 1918 – The Evergreen Courant reported that the local freight trains were again making their night stop-over in Castleberry.

June 26, 1923 - Alabama author Alfred Maund was born in Jennings, La.

June 26, 1928 - Alabama author Amelie Rives's play “Say When” opened on Broadway.

June 26, 1928 - Fire broke out in the walls of the Electrick Maid Bakery in Evergreen about 9:30 o’clock on this Tuesday morning but quick work on the part of the fire department checked it before much damage was done.

June 26, 1930 – The Monroe Journal reported that the following officers had been elected to serve the Alabama Lodge No. 3 for the ensuring Masonic year: A.B. Coxwell, Worshipful Master; H.A. Baggett, Senior Warden; W.L. Holloway, Junior Warden; J.M. Sowell, Senior Deacon; Fred Sheffield, Junior Deacon; L.L. Dees, Secretary; L.L. Hendrix, Treasurer; J.F. Davis, Tyler.

June 26, 1932 – Camden native Tom “Sut” Jenkins appeared in his final Major League game, pinching hitting for the St. Louis Browns in a 10-5 road loss to the Cleveland Indians in which Jenkins went 1-for-1 at the plate.

June 26, 1934 - Alabama author Carl Carmer's book “Stars Fell on Alabama” was published.

June 26, 1938 - Lonney Frey of the Cincinnati Reds had eight hits in a doubleheader split with the Philadelphia Phillies.

June 26, 1939 - M.E. Skinner brought the first open cotton boll of the season to The Monroe Journal office on this Monday from his farm north of Monroe Station.

June 26, 1944 - The New York Giants, Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees played against each other in a six-inning contest in a war bonds fund-raiser. Over 50,000 people watched the game. The final score was Dodgers 5, Yankees 1 and the Giants 0.

June 26, 1944 – The Battle of Osuchy in Osuchy, Poland, one of the largest battles between Nazi Germany and Polish resistance forces, ended with the defeat of the latter.

June 26, 1946 - A movie version of Alabama author Lillian Hellman's play “The Searching Wind” was released.

June 26, 1946 – German SS officer Max Kögel committed suicide by hanging in his prison cell in Schwabach, West Germany.

June 26, 1948 – Shirley Jackson's short story “The Lottery” was published in The New Yorker magazine.

June 26, 1948 - Funeral services were held at the Oak Grove Church near Repton on this Saturday afternoon for Grady H. Johnson who was killed in action in North Africa in March 1943. He was buried with military honors under the direction of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the National Guard.

June 26, 1952 – Evergreen’s Junior American Legion baseball team was scheduled to play a rematch against Andalusia at Brooks Stadium in Evergreen, Ala. on this Thursday afternoon. Two days before, Andalusia beat Evergreen, 8-7, in Andalusia.

June 26, 1952 – The Evergreen Courant reported that the “sweltering weather” that had gripped Conecuh County, Ala. for the previous two weeks looked to continue with little relief in sight. Conecuh County had received scattered showers during this time, but there had been no “general rains” thus far in June. Virtually every day during this time, the temperature had “soared into the upper nineties” with the high reaching 100 degrees on June 15.

June 26-27, 1952 – “A Streetcar Named Desire,” starring Marlon Brando and Vivien Lee, was scheduled to be shown at The Pix Theater in Evergreen, Ala.

June 26, 1959 – Swedish boxer Ingemar Johansson became world champion of heavy weight boxing, by defeating American Floyd Patterson on technical knockout after two minutes and three seconds in the third round at Yankee Stadium.

June 26, 1961 - A Kuwaiti vote opposed Iraq's annexation plans.

June 26, 1962 - Earl Wilson of the Boston Red Sox pitched a 2-0 no-hitter against the Los Angeles Angels. Wilson also hit a home run.

June 26, 1965 - Gen. William Westmoreland, senior U.S. military commander in Vietnam, was given formal authority to commit American troops to battle when he decided they were necessary “to strengthen the relative position of the GVN [Government of Vietnam] forces.” This authorization permitted Westmoreland to put his forces on the offensive. Heretofore, U.S. combat forces had been restricted to protecting U.S. airbases and other facilities.

June 26, 1968 – Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe was born in Chicago, Ill. He went on to play for Savannah State, the Denver Broncos and the Baltimore Ravens. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.

June 26, 1969 – The Monroe Journal reported that Mr. and Mrs. Bill Stewart and son, David, visited Steve Stewart in Augusta, Ga. over the previous weekend.

June 26-July 6, 1969 - The 26th Annual Beulah Camp Meeting was scheduled to be held at the camp grounds near Excel.

June 26, 1969 – The Monroe Journal reported that Marine Private First Class Earnest R. Talbert, son of Mr. and Mrs. Elbert Talbert of Route 1, Beatrice, was serving with the Third Battalion, Fourth Marine Regiment, Third Marine Division, Vietnam. The battalion had been conducting sweep and clear operations just south of the Demilitarized Zone.

June 26, 1970 - Frank Robinson of the Baltimore Orioles hit two grand slams against the Washington Senators in a 12-2 win.

June 26, 1971 - The U.S. Justice Department issued a warrant for Daniel Ellsberg, accusing him of giving away the “Pentagon Papers.”

June 26, 1971 - Larry O’Hara, editor of The Monroe Journal, received the third place National Newspaper Association award for General Excellence at the NNA convention in Rochester, N.Y. on this Saturday. Presenting the award was Dick Westerfield, NNA President.

June 26, 1972 - The shift of fighter-bomber squadrons, involving up to 150 U.S. planes and more than 2,000 pilots from Da Nang, to bases in Thailand was completed. The shift was necessitated by the pending withdrawal of the U.S. infantry brigade that provided security for flyers at Da Nang. The departure of the U.S. unit was part of President Richard Nixon’s Vietnamization program that he had instituted in June 1969. Under this program, the responsibility for the war was to be gradually transferred to the South Vietnamese so U.S. forces could be withdrawn.

June 26, 1974 - Supermarket scanning of UPC codes began with a pack of chewing gum in Troy, Ohio. The first scan was made at a Marsh’s Supermarket in Troy, Ohio, which had agreed to serve as a test facility for the new technology, and the first item scanned was a pack of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit Gum. That pack of gum is on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

June 26, 1976 - Shortstop Toby Harrah of the Texas Rangers played an entire doubleheader without handling a batted ball from the Chicago White Sox.

June 26, 1976 – NFL quarterback Chad Pennington was born in Knoxville, Tenn. He went on to play for Marshall, the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins.

June 26, 1981 - At this Friday’s Monroe County Board of Education meeting, board president Edgar Melton presented a plaque and a resolution to former schools superintendent James R. Allen, who became president of Patrick Henry State Junior College on April 1, 1981 after serving as superintendent since Nov. 15, 1972. The resolution cited Allen for initiating “innovative and progressive programs while supporting established and proved programs to improve the overall educational processes” and handling funds allocated to the board “wisely and with skill to benefit all facets of the educational areas of the county.”

June 26, 1982 – The Lyeffion Saddle Club was scheduled to hold a horseshow on this Saturday starting at 5 p.m.

June 26, 1982 – A ladies slow pitch softball tournament, sponsored by the China Ladies Softball Club, was scheduled to be held on this Saturday at Evergreen Municipal Park in Evergreen, Ala.

June 26, 1984 - Kerney Windham, who was Chief of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Natural Resources Branch in Mobile, announced on this Tuesday that the Corps would begin accepting bids for construction of a proposed boat ramp to be built near the Claiborne Lock and Dam in August of this year. The ramp was to be built about a mile below the dam on the east bank, according to Windham.

June 26, 1985 - Wilbur Snapp was ejected after playing "Three Blind Mice" during a baseball game. The incident followed a call made by umpire Keith O'Connor.

June 26, 1987 – “Full Metal Jacket,” a movie version of Alabama author Gustav Hasford's book “The Short-Timers,” was released.

June 26, 1993 – National Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Roy Campanella passed away at the age of 71 in Woodland Hills, Calif. He played his entire career (1948-1957) for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1969.

June 26, 1993 – In retaliation for an Iraqi plot to assassinate former U.S. President George Bush during his April visit to Kuwait, President Bill Clinton ordered U.S. warships to fire Tomahawk cruise missiles at Iraqi intelligence headquarters in downtown Baghdad.

June 26, 1997 – Hillcrest High School’s band boosters were scheduled to hold a reception in the school cafetorium in Evergreen, Ala. on this Thursday at 6 p.m. to introduce and welcome the school’s new band director, Christal Carter.

June 26, 1997 – The first book in the Harry Potter series, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” was published in Britain.

June 26, 1997 – Pro Football Hall of Fame and former University of Alabama split end Don Hutson passed away at the age of 84 in Rancho Mirage, Calif. After college, he played his entire pro career (1933-1945) for the Green Bay Pakers and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1963.

June 26, 1998 – The Oak Hill Historic District in Oak Hill in Wilcox County, Ala. was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The district is roughly centered on the intersection of State Highway 10 and State Highway 21. It contains 6,750 acres, 56 buildings and seven structures.

June 26, 1998 – The classic Civil War-era blockbuster “Gone with the Wind,” originally released in 1939, is re-released in U.S. theaters by New Line Pictures.

June 26, 1999 - Sammy Sosa of the Chicago White Sox hit his 300th career home run.

June 26, 1999 - Cal Ripken of the Baltimore Orioles got his 995th extra base hit.

June 26, 2000 - Alex Cabrera of the Arizona Diamondbacks hit a two-run home run in his first major league at-bat.

June 26, 2000 – Pope John Paul II revealed the third secret of Fátima.

June 26, 2003 – Indian Springs Baptist Church at McWilliams, near Beatrice, in Monroe County, Ala. was listed on Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

June 26, 2003 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Cody Lowery, the son of John and Linda Blackmon, had recently represented Conecuh County at the 66th annual American Legion Alabama Boys State. While attending Boys State, Lowery was elected to the House of Representatives. He was an upcoming senior at Sparta Academy.

June 26, 2005 - Paulus van der Sloot and Steve Gregory Croes were ordered to be released from jail after their arrests in connection with the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, 18, of Mountain Brook, Ala.

June 26, 2008 – A suicide bomber dressed as an Iraqi policeman detonated an explosive vest, killing 25 people.

June 26, 2008 - Out-going Conecuh County Junior High School principal Patsy Smith was recognized by the state legislature for her outstanding career during a special ceremony on this Thursday afternoon at the Castleberry school.