Today in History for Jan. 5, 2019

Jan. 5, 1861 - Alabama troops seized Fort Morgan and Fort Gaines at Mobile Bay. Making this a more interesting incident is the fact that the state of Alabama had yet to even succeed from the Federal union. On Jan. 3, 1861, Gov. Moore activated six companies of the Volunteer Corps of Alabama, which had been created the previous year. The next day, in a daring move justified as necessary to secure peaceful secession, Moore ordered the state troops to seize federal installations in Alabama before the state seceded. By Jan. 5, Fort Morgan, Fort Gaines, and the United States Arsenal at Mount Vernon were controlled by the state of Alabama.

Jan. 5, 1861 - The U.S. Senators from the southern states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas met in Washington, D.C. to discuss options of seceding from the United States.

Jan. 5, 1867 – The earliest issue of The Monroe Journal still known to exist – Vol. 1, No. 29 – was published on this day. It contained, among other things, a “Letter from the Piney Woods” datelined “Wild Fork,” several ads about land sales, an ad for the Battle House Hotel in Mobile.

Jan. 5, 1885 – The Monroe Journal announced that Q. Salter had become one of the newspaper’s publishers. Salter “had charge of the composing room and business department” of The Journal during the preceding 12 months. H.R. Hood was the newspaper’s editor.

Jan. 5, 1886 – A “cold wave” struck Monroeville, Ala. on this Tuesday evening.

Jan. 5, 1897 – The Locklin House and the store of R.F. Lowrey at Perdue Hill, Ala. were destroyed by fire, a loss of $7,500.

  

Jan. 5, 1908 - On this Sunday night, the barn of Wm. Kyser, a well known and prosperous farmer residing near Loree, was destroyed by fire together with its contents, including a quantity of corn and other feed stuff. Kyser believed the fire originated from matches which he lost from his pocket in the barn and which were ignited probably by rats. Kyser was the father of J.H. Kyser of Evergreen.

Jan. 5, 1911 – The Conecuh Record reported that the thermometer in Evergreen, Ala. reached 12 degrees on this day.

Jan. 5, 1911 – Evergreen councilman W.H. Moorer was appointed mayor of Evergreen, Ala. to fill the unexpired term of Capt. J.C. Cheney, who moved with his family to Montgomery to take a position in state government. E.J. McCreary was appointed to fill Moorer’s council seat.

Jan. 5, 1913 – Confederate veteran Allen Henderson Stokes, 76, of Loree died in Evergreen and was buried with Masonic honors at Owassa, Ala. Born on June 20, 1836 in Butler County, he served as a private in Co. G of the 36^th Alabama Infantry during the Civil War.

Jan. 5, 1919 - Dr. E.C. Moore was scheduled to preach at the Evergreen Methodist Church on this Sunday morning and night. This was to be Moore’s first appearance in the Methodist Church.

Jan. 5, 1923 - Record producer Sam Phillips was born in Florence, Ala. His first hit record, in 1951, was "Rocket 88" by Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats, which is considered by many to the first rock and roll record. A few of the super stars who worked with Phillips included B. B. King, Chester Arthur Burnett (Howlin' Wolf), Ike Turner, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley.

Jan. 5, 1926 - Attorney General Harwell G. Davis visited The Courant office on this Tuesday and stated that he was en route to Castleberry to attend a Knights of Pythias meeting.

Jan. 5, 1931 - Edward Robison Morrissette, a prominent Mobilian, died on this Monday afternoon at his residence at 59 North Monterey St. at the age of 71. Morrissette, who had been retired from business for some time, was a native of Monroe County, but had resided in Mobile for more than 26 years. Funeral services were to be held on Jan. 6 at 3 p.m. from his residence with interment to follow in Magnolia Cemetery. He was born on July 8, 1859.

Jan. 5, 1933 - Following a period of declining health covering the past two or three years, Alexander Hezekiah Donald, age 78, died at the home of his son, Elmer B. Donald at an early hour on this Thursday morning. Donald was born and reared at Belleville and lived there most of his life. Deceased was a direct descendant of the famous Donald family of Scotland, who were rulers of that country during its early history in the period from 230 A.D. to 800 A.D. In the early history of this country, one of his ancestors moved to Virginia and some descendants of the family still lived there in 1933. The family of which deceased descended moved to Belleville in the early part of the 19^th century. Born on Sept. 17, 1855, he was buried in the Belleville United Methodist Church Cemetery. (Some sources say he died on Jan. 1.)

  

Jan. 5, 1936 – Barney (Barnie) D. Blair, a 28-year-old Conecuh County farmer, was killed on this Sunday afternoon “with a pistol bullet through the center of his forehead” and four of his neighbors were held in connection with the death. Blair was killed at the home of Riley Merritt, 10 miles southwest of Castleberry, and Daniel Kent confessed to Conecuh County Sheriff Moore that he did the shooting. Kent, however, claimed that it was an accident and that a pistol which he had in his hands went off when he was attempting to tighten a crew with his knife. In addition to Daniel Kent, officers also took into custody as possible accessories, his brother, Ben Kent; Riley Merritt and his father, Travis Merritt. All four were in the Conecuh County Jail on murder charges as of Jan. 9, 1936. Born on April 9, 1907, Blair was buried in the Cooper Cemetery at Appleton in Escambia County, Ala.

Jan. 5, 1937 – Phillip “Old Buck” Samuel was struck and killed by a freight train in Evergreen, Ala. and his white friends erected a tombstone for him in the Old Evergreen Cemetery.

Jan. 5, 1951 - Repton High School’s boys basketball team did what no other Conecuh County team had done in some nine or 10 years on this Friday night when they beat Evergreen High School, 44-30. The game was played in Repton’s “fine gym before a crowd of several hundred fans.” Outstanding players on Repton’s team, which was led by head coach Charles Pouncey, included Andrews, Burt, Butts, Kelly and McMillan. Outstanding players on Evergreen’s team included Gwyn Daniels, Ed Hooks, Gillis Morgan, Jeff Moorer, Bill Watson and Bobby Wells.

  

Jan. 5, 1959 - Mrs. Ralph Lazenby, prominent Monroeville, Ala. resident, was to represent Monroeville in a special interview on a Montgomery television station on this Monday. Monroeville Mayor Leonard Morris said Lazenby was to represent town officials on a program to promote the local area. She was to appear on the “Catherine Wright Show” on WSFA TV, Channel 12, at 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 5, 1970 – Army Spc. Max Duane Kersey, 21, of Opp, Ala. was killed in action in Vietnam. Kersey served in Co. B, 7th Infantry, 3rd Battalion. His tour of duty in Vietnam started on July 22, 1969. The Combat Area Casualties record shows his casualty type was "Non-Hostile - Died of Other Causes" & casualty reason was "Other Accident." Born on Feb. 5, 1948, he was buried in the Peaceful Acres Memorial Gardens in Opp.

Jan. 5, 1972 – Gaineswood in Demopolis, Ala. was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Jan. 5, 1984 – Liberty Hall near Camden, Ala., which was built in 1855, was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Also known as the John Robert McDowell Place, this historic two-story plantation house was built in 1855 for John Robert McDowell by W.W. Robinson. The formal rooms and hall on the lower level have elaborate plasterwork that was designed, in part, by Harriet McDowell, wife of John Robert McDowell.

Jan. 5, 1984 – The Monroe Journal reported that officials of Monroe County and the Monroe County bank gathered during the previous week in front of the bank’s old building in downtown Monroeville, where the deed to the building was turned over to the county. The county officially accepted the building during a November commission meeting. According to Probate Judge Otha Lee Biggs, the two-story building was to be used for office space, but a study would have to be made before specific determinations were made. The building, constructed in 1909 and vacated by the bank in 1972 when a new building was completed, was given to the county by the bank to help ease overcrowding of county office space.

Jan. 5, 1984 – The Monroe Journal reported that Kevin Stine of Monroeville killed a coyote during the previous week while deer hunting in Choctaw County. According to Stine, the coyote “just slipped across the road, and I shot him.” Stine said he will probably get the animal mounted. With him was his father, Richard Stine, also of Monroeville.

Jan. 5, 1984 – The Monroe Journal reported that Monroeville Police Cpl. Robert Champion had been presented the Lifesaving Medal by Police Chief Charles Colbert at a holiday gathering of law enforcement officials. Champion received the award – a certificate, medal and bars for his uniform – for his actions in early November when Larry’s Ambulance Service personnel requested police assistance on a call, and Champion administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation to a woman who “was for all practical purposes dead… but is alive today,” said Colbert. Champion received a similar award from the Southwest Alabama Emergency Medical Services Council.

Jan. 5, 1993 – Silk International Floral Imports on the corner of Rural Street and West Front Street in Evergreen, Ala. caught fire while owner Bill Durant was cleaning the building’s windows.

  

Jan. 5, 1999 – The Col. Pickney D. Bowles Camp No. 1840 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans in Evergreen, Ala. was officially chartered by the International Headquarters of the SCV in Columbia, Tenn. Charter members included Pat Poole, Richard D.C. Nix, Bill Hart, Michael Lanier, John R. Crook, William D. Melton, Myles Mitchell Anthony, Lee F. Smith, James Cary Travis and Ed Deabler.

Jan. 5, 2008 – The Citizens for a Clean Southwest Alabama (CCSA) held its one-year anniversary celebration to mark the group’s first year of work against a proposed landfill in Conecuh County. The event began at 11 a.m. at the Lenox Community Center. CCSA organized in January 2007 when the development company Conecuh Woods expressed interest in constructing a landfill in Conecuh County. During the event, CCSA sold 600 dinner plates and raised about $9,000.

Jan. 5, 2008 - J.F. Shields’ Lady Panthers smoked Monroe County High School 66-29 on this Saturday in the Shields tournament finals in Beatrice, after blasting Frisco City 59-34 the night before in the first round. Shields sported an impressive 14-2 record after their win over MCHS. Players on Shields’ girls team that season included Carnesia Huff, Mariah Jones, Latresha Lymon, Dahrica McIntosh, April Montgomery, Japlesha Primm, Tyika Robinson and Claudia Williams. Herbert Blackmon was their head coach.

  

Jan. 5, 2015 – Around 8 p.m. in Birmingham, Ala., a UFO witness was walking to his car when he saw an object in the sky that looked like a star. Suddenly, the object disappeared “as if someone flipped a switch,” the witness reported.