Today in History for Jan. 16, 2019

Jan. 16, 1830 - A charter was granted by the Alabama state legislature to the Tuscumbia Railroad Company. Tracks were built approximately two miles to Sheffield, Ala. and were completed in 1832. Though the rail cars were horse drawn and never powered by steam locomotives, it is still considered the first railroad in Alabama.

  

Jan. 16, 1833 – Dr. A.J. Robinson of Brooklyn, Ala. was born in Fayette County, Ga. He went on to become a teacher, farmer, physician and state representative.

  

Jan. 16, 1855 – Camden newspaperman Solomon Daniel Bloch was born in Camden, Ala.

Jan. 16, 1863 - The CSS Florida, a Confederate privateer raider, had been in Mobile, Ala. for four months undergoing repairs which were completed on this day. Her commander, Lt. John N. Maffitt, fired up her boilers and evaded the USS R.R. Cuyler, which they passed within 300 yards off the mouth of Mobile Bay. CSS Florida went on to capture a ship, taking the confiscated cargo to sell in Havana.

Jan. 16, 1896 – The Monroe Journal reported that “Postmaster Ricou is now comfortably located in the Yarbrough building on Southside. The patrons of the post office are generally pleased with the change of location.”

Jan. 16, 1906 – Braxton Bragg “B.B.” Comer, who was then the president of the Alabama Railroad Commission, delivered a two-hour campaign speech to a crowd at the Monroe County Courthouse, starting at 1 p.m. “in behalf of his candidacy for Governor of Alabama.” According to The Monroe Journal, “the adjourned term of court being in session there was naturally a good-sized crowd present, and the number was doubtless increased to some extent by those who came especially to see and hear Mr. Comer. Mr. Comer spoke for nearly two hours and was given respectful and patient attention throughout.” In November 1906, he was elected Alabama’s 33rd governor.

Jan. 16, 1908 – The Conecuh Record reported that L.D. Gardner, the new chancellor of the southeastern court division, held his first term of the Chancery Court in Conecuh County, Ala. Gardner was the youngest chancellor in the state at that time.

Jan. 16, 1908 – The Monroe Journal reported, in news from the Skinnerton community, that the Woodmen of the World had a camp at Skinnerton and recently gave a public dinner for the benefit of the order. There was plenty of dinner and fresh fish. About $20 was raised from the dinner for the charity fund.

Jan. 16, 1908 – The Monroe Journal reported, in news from Monroeville R.F.D. No. 2 that “hunting is the foremost employment among the young men in our vicinity while the older ones are preparing for another crop, such as plowing in oats, log rolling, clearing, removing fences, etc.”

Jan. 16, 1914 - The total number of bales of cotton ginned in Conecuh County, Ala. was 16,228, compared with 14,646 to the same date in 1913.

  

Jan. 16, 1918 - There were 7,594 bales of cotton, counting round as half bales, ginned in Wilcox County from the crop of 1917 prior to Jan. 16, 1918, as compared with 4,114 ginned prior to Jan. 16, 1917. C.S. Dale was the County Agent.

Jan. 16, 1929 – Evergreen High School’s boys basketball team beat East Brewton, 41-17, and the Night Hawks of Evergreen, 24-17.

Jan. 16, 1938 – Dr. Walter Bozeman Moorer, age 63, who practiced medicine in Repton, Ala. passed away at his home around 9 p.m. from a “heart ailment.” A native of Lowndes County, he attended medical school at Birmingham Medical College. He practiced medicine in McKenzie for a number of years and moved to Repton about 20 years prior to his death. Born on Oct. 1, 1874 in Evergreen, he was buried in Evergreen Cemetery.

Jan. 16, 1949 - The first television version of Alabama author William March's story "The Little Wife" was broadcast.

Jan. 16, 1950 – T.R. Miller High School’s varsity boys basketball team beat Evergreen High School, 35-33, in Evergreen on this Monday night. Junior Miller led Evergreen with 12 points while Gene Prestwood and Bobby Long scored seven points each. Guerry Moorer led the scoring for Evergreen with 11 points. Dickey Bozeman, starting at guard instead of forward, sank eight, and Gwyn Daniels dropped six for the Aggies. Other standout Evergreen players in that game included Jack Cunningham, Gillis Morgan, Jeff Moorer and “Pistol Pete” Wells.

Jan. 16, 1951 – Evergreen’s National Guard unit, Battery C of the 177th Field Artillery Battalion, under command of Capt. John C. Holman, was called to active, Federal service at Fort Jackson, S.C. The local unit, which was composed of about 80 officers and men, was part of the 31st Infantry Division, which earned fame as the Dixie Division in the South Pacific in World War II. The Dixie Division was made up of guardsmen from Alabama and Mississippi. The January 1951 mobilization marked the second federal mobilization of Evergreen’s guard unit in only a little over 10 years. “C” went on active duty in November of 1940 and was moved shortly thereafter to Camp Blanding, Fla. Holman was executive officer under Capt. (later Major) Dave Lewis when the battery mobilized for World War II.

Jan. 16, 1964 – Bill Griffin of Evergreen, Ala. visited Palma de Mallorca in the Mediterranean aboard the attack aircraft carrier USS Shangri-La. Griffin was a Navy ship serviceman third class.

  

Jan. 16, 1967 – Mabel Amos of Brooklyn, Ala. took the oath of office as Alabama Secretary of State becoming the first Conecuh County citizen to be elected to a statewide office.

Jan. 16, 1967 – George C. Wallace began his time as the First Gentleman of Alabama while his wife served as Alabama’s governor. His time as First Gentleman would end on May 7, 1968.

Jan. 16, 1967 – Lurleen Wallace was inaugurated as Alabama’s first female governor – and only the third nationwide – as an estimated 150,000 looked on. On May 7, 1968, she died in office of cancer at the age of 41, amid her husband George C. Wallace's ongoing second presidential campaign. On her death, she was succeeded by Lieutenant Governor Albert Brewer, who had run without Republican opposition in the Wallace-Martin race.

Jan. 16, 1968 – The Evergreen City Council accepted a low bid of $162,922 submitted by Clark Hardware Co. of Red Level for the construction of a new city hall in downtown Evergreen, Ala. The project was scheduled to take 240 days and construction was scheduled to get underway 45 to 60 days after the bid opening.

Jan. 16, 1972 – Lee Roy Jordan of Excel, Ala. started at middle linebacker in Super Bowl VI for the Dallas Cowboys. The NFC Champion Cowboys, under Tom Landry, beat the AFC Champion Miami Dolphins, led by Don Shula, 24-3, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans. Other famous starters in that game included Mike Ditka (Dallas TE), Bob Griese (Miami QB), Roger Staubach (Dallas QB), Larry Csonka (Miami RB).

Jan. 16, 1976 - Evergreen High School downed archrival Conecuh County High of Castleberry on this Friday night, 78-54. Evergreen was riding an eight-game winning streak at that time. Evergreen’s leading scorer was Ronald Fantroy with 22 points. Leading the Aggies in rebounds was Edward Rankin with 12, playing in his best game of the season.

Jan. 16-17, 1976 - Sparta finished third in the Crenshaw Academy Tournament, losing to Morgan Academy, 75-64, on Fri., Jan. 16, and downing Autauga, 76-53, in the consolation game on Sat., Jan. 17. Ronnie Pugh was named to the all-tournament team. Against Morgan, scoring was led by Pugh with 33 points, and Jerry Peacock and Bobby Johnson had 10 each; Walker Scott, six; and Joe Andrews, five. Johnson with 23 and Pugh with 20 led the win over Autauga, and Andrews had 12; Peacock and Scott, six each; Hugh Bradford, four; Woody Register, three; and Gray Stevens, two.

   

Jan. 16, 1986 – Sparta Academy’s varsity boys beat Greenville Academy, 69-63, in Evergreen, and Sparta’s varsity girls won, 82-29. Scott Salter led Sparta’s boys with 22 points, and Kim Searcy led Sparta’s girls with 22 points. Other outstanding Sparta boys in their game included Brandon Salter, Brian Bybee, Danny Reed, Mark Rigsby, Brad Watts, Jason West, Lynn Ralls and Thad Ellis. Outstanding Sparta girls in their game included Tracy Holmes, Susan Ward, Carol Kendrick, Leah Carrier, Julie Johnson, Jeannie Vondereau, Baby Girl Floyd, Stacey Holmes and Shawn Hammonds.

Jan. 16, 2001 – Sparta Academy’s varsity boys beat Escambia Academy, 68-59, at Canoe. John McKenzie led Sparta with 15 points. Other top Sparta players in that game included Kyle Johnston, Jimmy Hyde, Chris Garner, Rusty Salter, Justin Tranum, Derrick Williams and Wiley Cobb. Sparta’s varsity girls lost, 52-41. Katie Etheridge led Sparta with 17 points.

Jan. 16, 2007 - J.F. Shields High School’s girls basketball team set a new record for the most consecutive wins in a single season on this Tuesday night in Beatrice when they defeated J.U. Blacksher, 46-22. That win improved the Lady Panthers to 16-0. Prior to that season, the Lady Panthers’ longest single-season win streak stood at 15. Tykia Robinson led a trio of Lady Panthers who scored in double figures. Robinson scored 16 points, got four steals and grabbed four rebounds. Other top players for Shields that season included Shante Finklea, Mariah Jones, Latresha Lymon, Dahricia McIntosh, April Montgomery and Adriana Wright. Herbert Blackmon was Shields’ head girls coach.

Jan. 16, 2010 – Weather observer Harry Ellis reported 1.16 inches of rain in Evergreen, Ala.

Jan. 16, 2010 - Ernestine Raines turned 101 years old, and she was honored by Belleville Baptist Church, her home church, with a birthday party. The party was held at the Evergreen Nursing Home, where she had lived for several years.

  

Jan. 16, 2015 – Around 2 a.m. in Monrovia, which is in Madison County, Ala., a UFO witness was getting into her boyfriend’s car when she looked up and saw what looked like a strobe light in the sky. They began driving towards the light and as they got closer, they realized it was a slow-moving, triangular-shaped “flying object.” In all, they watched the object for about four minutes.