Today in History for Jan. 27, 2019

Chris Hines of Evergreen, Alabama.

Jan. 27, 1807 – Prominent Wilcox County physician John Daniel Caldwell was born in Sumterville, S.C. and he went on to graduate from the Medical College of South Carolina in Charleston in March 1830. He married Mary Anderson Bowen on June 5, 1833 and moved to Linden, Ala. in 1836. They moved to Barboursville in Wilcox County in 1838. When the county was incorporated in 1841, Caldwell, as intendent, suggested that they change Barboursville’s name to Camden in honor of his hometown of Camden, South Carolina. Caldwell died in Camden at the age of 71 on Sept. 21, 1878 and he is buried in the Camden Cemetery.

Jan. 27, 1814 – During the Creek War, Capt. Samuel “Sam” Butts, 39, was killed at the Battle of Calebee (Chalibbee) Creek in Macon County, Ala., 50 miles west of Fort Mitchell. Butts County, Georgia and Buttsville, Ala. (present day Greenville) was later named in his honor. Born in Nov. 24, 1774 in Southampton County, Va., he was taught for some time at a private school by the Rev. George Guerley, in Southampton County. He was a captain in John Floyd's militia army during the War of 1812, and was killed when the American camp was attacked before day by the Indians. Butts was shot while he was leading on his men. An officer who was wounded in that battle reported that Butts was “up rousing his men, and thus became a fair mark for the Indians.”

Jan. 27, 1840 - The Alabama legislature passed a joint resolution accepting the disputed boundary line with Georgia. In recognizing the line marked by a Georgia commission in 1826, the legislature stated that “a fixed and known line between this State and Georgia, is of far higher consequence to us, than the acquisition of an inconsiderable portion of territory.”

  

Jan. 27, 1886 - W.G. McCorvey brought to The Monroe Journal’s office on this Wednesday morning, a bullet taken from the center of the trunk of a hickory tree measuring five feet in diameter. “It had, doubtless, been there a hundred years or more, probably fired at a blood-thirsty Indian by some bold adventurer who had trespassed upon the hunting grounds of the Red Men of the Forest, who laid claim to this, then, wild and uninhabited region,” The Journal reported.

Jan. 27, 1905 – O.L. Peckham, a truck farmer who had moved to Evergreen, Ala. from Missouri, was found dead shortly after noon near where he was building a home in front of D.G. Rutland’s house in Evergreen. Rutland discovered Peckham’s body leaning against a tree and moved the body to his house. The ensuing investigation revealed that Peckham had apparently committed suicide by drinking carbolic acid, which he’d purchased from an Evergreen drug store on Jan. 21. Investigators found the empty bottle and a dipper by Peckham’s side. He was buried in the Evergreen Cemetery on Jan. 28 at 10 a.m.

Jan. 27, 1907 – The Rev. C.H. Motley was to fill his regular appointment at the Methodist church on this Sunday, according to The Monroe Journal.

Jan. 27, 1915 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Prof. C.C. Smith of Healing Springs had been elected superintendent of the Orphans Home in Evergreen, Ala., succeeding M.C. Reynolds, who had resigned to move to Birmingham. Smith was expected to reach Evergreen the following week with his family.

Jan. 27, 1915 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Charles Savage Jr. was “painfully injured several days ago by being caught in some part of the machinery at the oil mill.”

Jan. 27, 1916 – According to The Conecuh Record, a partial eclipse of the sun occurred on this Thursday at 9:30 a.m.

Jan. 27, 1916 – The Conecuh Record reported that the tax assessor’s books showed a “multiplicity of dogs” in Conecuh County, Ala.

Jan. 27, 1916 – The Conecuh Record reported that Emmitt Lee Stallworth, the son of Dr. Stallworth, had been chosen to represent the Evergreen Baptist Church at the Sunday School Convention in Selma, Ala. The Evergreen Methodist Church was to be represented at the convention by Bryan Northcutt, the son of W.B. Northcutt.

Jan. 27, 1916 – The Monroe Journal reported that Walter S. Harper, a “gifted member of the staff of” The Montgomery Advertiser, had spent several days in Monroe County, Ala. that week, “visiting various towns and communities in the collection of data for the adequate representation of Monroe County’s resources in the forthcoming ‘All-Alabama’ edition of The Advertiser.”

Jan. 27, 1916 – The Monroe Journal reported that railroad contractor J.T. McCarthy was in Monroeville, Ala. for a few days that week. McCarthy “will probably keep his construction outfit in the county until the work of putting the Deep Water road bed in apple pie shape for regular train service is completed.”

Jan. 27, 1920 – Rennie R. Elder, a well known resident of the Flat Rock, Ala. community, passed away in Conecuh County at the age of 24. Born on Aug. 27, 1895 at Old Town, he was buried in the Flat Rock Cemetery at Flat Rock in Conecuh County. (Some sources indicate that he died on June 21, 1920 while others say Jan. 21, 1920.)

Jan. 27, 1933 – Conecuh County High School’s boys basketball team won their second game of the season on this Friday night by beating Evergreen, 17-13. Archie Barfield led CCHS, and was followed by Gaston King. Coach Thomasson was CCHS’s head coach.

Jan. 27, 1944 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Staff Sgt. Meldon R. Holland, 26, of Castleberry, Ala. had been awarded the Purple Heart. Holland, a mechanic, was injured by shrapnel in the spring of 1943 during a Japanese bombing raid in New Guinea.

Jan. 27, 1949 – Evergreen, Ala. Postmaster Mary Cunningham announced that the Evergreen Post Office would be painted inside and out in the “very near future.” The Evergreen Post Office was one of the few in the state to be approved for this type of work.

Jan. 27, 1950 – Evergreen High School’s boys basketball beat Pleasant Home, 53-22. John Greel Ralls led Evergreen with 19 points.

Jan. 27, 1958 - Little Richard entered Oakwood College in Huntsville, Ala. This was after he announced that he was giving up Rock & Roll so he could serve God.

  

Jan. 27, 1964 – Evergreen High School’s varsity boys basketball team beat Frisco City, 63-62, at Memorial Gym in Evergreen, Ala. Sid Lambert led Evergreen with 18 points, and Joe Sasser scored 15.

Jan. 27, 1966 The Monroe Journal reported that Mrs. T.M. McMillan had resigned as the librarian at the Monroe County Library, it was announced by the Monroe County Library Board. McMillan’s resignation was to be effective March 15, 1966. Members of the library board also announced that Mrs. M.L. Bergman had been appointed librarian in McMillan’s place.

Jan. 27, 1978 – Weather observer Earl Windham reported a low of 20 degrees on this day in Evergreen, Ala.

Jan. 27, 1985 - Weather observer Earl Windham reported a low of 21 degrees on this day in Evergreen, Ala.

Jan. 27, 1990 – Roy Lee Moorer, 99, of Evergreen, Ala. passed away. He pitched for the University of Alabama in 1911-1912 and played professional baseball in Evansville and for the Birmingham Barons. He was buried at Magnolia Cemetery in Evergreen.

Jan. 27, 1994 – The Evergreen Courant reported that the Conecuh County (Ala.) Commission had approved the recommendation of the Conecuh County Emergency Medical Services, Inc., and had chosen City Ambulance, Inc. as the contract holder for Conecuh County.

Jan. 27-28, 1994 – Hillcrest High School hosted the annual Hillcrest Invitational Basketball Tournament in Evergreen, Ala. The tournament featured Hillcrest, Excel and T.R. Miller.

Jan. 27, 2010 - Evergreen’s Chris Hines started for the Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball team in a 57-38 win over LSU at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa. In the win over LSU, Hines played 21 minutes, scored three points and grabbed four rebounds, including three boards on defense and one on offense. He also had an assist and two steals.

Jan. 27, 2015 – Around 6 p.m. in Birmingham in Jefferson County, Ala., a UFO witness was driving home from the grocery store when he saw an “object hovering in the distance, blinking and changing colors.” He pulled over and attempted to film the object without success.