Today in History for Sept. 3, 2017

Belleville Baptist Church in Conecuh County, Ala.

Sept. 3, 1189 – Richard I of England (a.k.a. Richard "the Lionheart") was crowned at Westminster.

Sept. 3, 1558 - Three vessels sailed from the Mexican port of Veracruz on a mission to find a haven for Spanish ships in distress along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico. A few days later they reached "the largest and most commodious" bay yet to be seen, with deep anchorage, abundant grass and water for livestock, timber and stone for building, and soil suitable for both brick-making and pottery. It is now known as Mobile Bay, but the expedition named it Bahía Filipina (Philip's Bay), honoring the new Spanish king, Philip II. The Native American towns along the shore boasted fields of corn, beans, and pumpkins, and several inhabitants were seen fishing. A second expedition followed Lavazares's return to Veracruz in 1558. Led by Juan de Rentería, it explored Mobile and Pensacola bays.

Sept. 3, 1704 – French explorer Joseph de Jussieu was born in Lyon, France.

Sept. 3, 1777 – During the American Revolutionary War, at the Battle of Cooch's Bridge in Delaware, the Flag of the United States was flown in battle for the first time. Patriot General William Maxwell ordered the “Stars and Stripes” banner raised as a detachment of his infantry and cavalry met an advance guard of British and Hessian troops. The rebels were defeated and forced to retreat to Brandywine Creek in Pennsylvania, where they joined General George Washington’s main force.

Sept. 3, 1782 - In the Indian Ocean, the British and French fought in the Battle of Trincomalee.

Sept. 3, 1783 – The American Revolutionary War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris by the United States and the Kingdom of Great Britain. This event formally recognized the United States as a free and independent nation after eight years of war. The Treaty of Paris was ratified by the Continental Congress on January 14, 1884.

Sept. 3, 1783 – Great Britain ceded both east and west Florida to Spain. No northern boundary was fixed for the Floridas under this Treaty of Cession. Spain claimed the northern boundary to be at 32 degrees 28 minutes north latitude as fixed by the British Royal Proclamation of 1767. The United States claimed the northern boundary to be at 31 degrees north latitude, as fixed by the Treaty of Paris.

Sept. 3, 1813 – Soldiers from Glass Redoubt, a small fort just south of Suggsville near the Alabama River in Clarke County, Ala., were sent to the home of Ransom Kimball, about a mile from Fort Sinquefield, where they recovered the bodies from the Kimball-James Massacre and returned to Sinquefield with them in an oxcart.

Sept. 3, 1824 – During his tour of the United States, the Marquis de Lafayette visited Worcester, Mass. and Tolland, Conn.

Sept. 3, 1833 - The first successful penny newspaper in the U.S., "The New York Sun," was launched by Benjamin H. Day.

Sept. 3, 1838 – Future abolitionist Frederick Douglass boarded a train in Maryland on his way to freedom from being a slave.

Sept. 3, 1849 – Write Sarah Orne Jewett was born in South Berwick, Maine.

Sept. 3, 1855 – John DeLoach was commissioned for his first of four terms as Monroe County, Alabama’s Circuit Court Clerk. He would be recommissioned for the same office in August 1859, July 1865 and August 1868.

Sept. 3, 1856 – Architect Louis Henry Sullivan was born in Boston, Mass.

Sept. 3, 1861 - Confederate troops led by General Leonidas Polk entered Columbus, Ky., negating Kentucky's neutrality and caused the Unionist legislature to invite the U.S. government to drive out the invaders. This preemptive move against the forces of General Ulysses S. Grant, who waited across the Ohio River in Illinois, proved costly for the Confederates. Kentucky's Unionist legislature invited Federal troops in to drive away the invaders, and on September 6, Grant occupied Paducah and Southland, at the mouths of the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers, respectively.

Sept. 3, 1862 – Florence Elizabeth Chandler Maybrick was born in Mobile, Ala., the daughter of William George Chandler, a partner in the banking firm of St. John Powers & Company, and a former mayor of Mobile. In 1889, she was convicted in Great Britain of murdering her considerably older husband, James Maybrick, a suspect in the Jack the Ripper killings.

Sept. 3, 1862 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought with Indians at Fort Abercrombie in the Dakota Territory; at Edwards Ferry, Md.; at Neosho, Mo.; and at Falls Church, Va.

Sept. 3, 1863 – Ward’s Raiders burned the Coffee County Courthouse, a two-story frame structure, at Elba in Coffee County, Ala.

Sept. 3, 1863 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought with Indians in the Hoopa Valley of California; with Indians near White Stone Hill in the Dakota Territory; and near Alpine, Ga.

Sept. 3, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought near Sycamore Church and Berryville in Virginia; near Rocheport, Mo.; and at Bunker Hill, W.Va.

Sept. 3, 1892 – On this Saturday, Charley Hamil, Ernest Cargill, Tom Carey and Will Stallworth spent the day in hunting in the country. Stallworth shot and killed a “monstrous rattlesnake,” and upon investigation it was learned that the monster had 15 rattles, according to the Evergreen newspaper.

Sept. 3, 1895 - The first professional football game was played in Latrobe, Pa. The Latrobe YMCA defeated the Jeannette Athletic Club 12-0. John Brallier was the first openly professional American football player, when he was paid $10 by David Berry, to play for the Latrobe Athletic Association in this game.

Sept 3, 1895 – Nat Coven “received injuries resulting in his death” after becoming “involved in a difficulty” with his brother-in-law Marion Mixon at Burnt Corn, Ala. on this Tuesday.

Sept. 3, 1903 – The Atmore Record newspaper was established.

Sept. 3, 1906 – The 14th annual session of the Southwest Alabama Agricultural School opened in Evergreen, Ala. with nine teachers. J.A. Liner was principal. Full literary, scientific and music courses were to be offered, and tuition was free. Board was $10 per month, and catalogs were free on request.

Sept. 3, 1907 – Anthropologist and author Loren Eiseley was born in Lincoln, Neb.

Sept. 3, 1910 - Boll weevils were first discovered on Alabama soil in Mobile County. The devastation the insect would cause to cotton throughout the South ultimately spurred agricultural diversification away from "King Cotton."

Sept. 3, 1914 – The Monroe Journal announced the opening of a new mercantile store owned by M. Katz of Selma and the start of plans for the construction of an electric light plant in Monroeville, Ala.

Sept. 3, 1914 – It was announced that during the preceding summer months, the Monroeville, Ala. chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy had awarded Crosses of Honor to Confederate veterans C.M. Biggs, Whit B. Green, William Green, Tomas Lewis and J.M. Helton.

Sept. 3, 1914 – During World War I, the Battle of Grand Couronné started with a German assault against French positions on high ground near the city of Nancy.

Sept. 3, 1914 - Barely a month after the outbreak of World War I, Italian native Giacomo della Chiesa was elected to the papacy of the Roman Catholic Church, becoming Pope Benedict XV.

Sept. 3, 1915 – Major League Baseball second baseman and manager Eddie Stanky, who would go on to adopt Alabama as his home state and become the head coach at the University of South Alabama, was born in Philadelphia, Pa. During his Major League career, he played for the Chicago Cubs, the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Boston Braves, the New York Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals and went on to manage the Cardinals, the Chicago White Sox and the Texas Rangers. He passed away at the age of 83 in Fairhope, Ala. on June 6, 1999.

Sept. 3, 1916 – During World War I, Leefe Robinson destroyed the German airship Schütte-Lanz SL 11 over Cuffley, north of London; the first German airship to be shot down on British soil.

Sept. 3, 1918 – During World War I, Army Pvt. Amos Weatherspoon, 23, of Evergreen, Ala. “died of disease.” Born on May 15, 1895, he was buried in the Marietta Cemetery in Castleberry. (Some sources say that he died on Sept. 31, 1918.)

Sept. 3, 1926 – Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Alison Lurie was born in Chicago. She won a Pulitzer Prize in 1985 for her 1984 book, “Foreign Affairs.”

Sept. 3, 1931 – The Evergreen Courant reported that a survey of landing field facilities throughout the state was being made by W.L. Wilkinson, director of the state air tour, in September, to determine what towns and cities may be considered as stops on the tour. Wilkinson, who left Birmingham on Mon., Sept. 1, expected to visit every town and city of any size in Alabama during the week. After his return, he was to decide on a tentative route and then a pathfinding plane would be sent over the course to check flying time and other details. Approximately 20 planes were to form the tour fleet and these were to include a flight of five military ships and a nationally known trio of stunt fliers with planes especially designed for that purpose. An air circus with acrobatic and formation flying and parachutes was to be given in each town visited. Towns being checked by Wilkinson that week included Monroeville, Flomaton, Brewton, Andalusia, Greenville, Evergreen, Columbus, Ga., Panama City, Fla. and Meridian, Miss.

Sept. 3, 1933 – Yevgeniy Abalakov became the first man to reach the highest point in the Soviet Union, Communism Peak (now called Ismoil Somoni Peak and situated in Tajikista).

Sept. 3, 1933 – Evergreen beat Ft. Deposit in baseball, 6-2, on this Sunday afternoon at Gantt Field in Evergreen, Ala. Evergreen players included Barfield (first base), Jones (pitcher), Kendall (short stop), Elmer “Longboy” Kelly, Hansen (centerfield), Joe Hagood (right field), Mack Binion (catcher), Tom Melton (third base), Hanna (second base) and “Skeeter” Amos.

Sept. 3, 1940 – Nearly 3,000 votes were cast in a Monroe County, Ala. election to determine if liquor should be outlawed or sold legally in the county through the state store system. The measure was voted down, 1,472 to 1,167. At the time, Monroe County was one of 24 counties operating with state liquor stores and licensed sales of alcohol under the Alabama ABC law.

Sept. 3, 1944 – Diarist Anne Frank and her family were placed on the last transport train from the Westerbork transit camp to the Auschwitz concentration camp, arriving three days later.

Sept. 3, 1945 – Conecuh County, Alabama’s public schools were scheduled to open for the first day of classes for students. Harvey G. Pate was Conecuh County Superintendent of Education. Pate announced that for the first few weeks of school short schedules would be observed so that pupils could assist in harvesting the cotton and peanut crops.

Sept. 3, 1947 - The New York Yankees got 18 hits in an 11-2 win over Boston. All 18 hits were singles.

Sept. 3, 1947 – The classic children’s bedtime story, “Goodnight, Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown, was published for the first time.

Sept. 3, 1949 - H.B. Lee Sr., 47, prominent Monroeville and Frisco City merchant, died suddenly of a heart attack while at work in his place of business at Monroeville on this Saturday afternoon about 3 p.m. A resident of Frisco City and a church deacon there, Lee was a native of Monroe County. He had resided at Frisco City for more than 20 years, owning the Jitney Jungle food store in that community. For the previous several years, he had also owned and operated the Quality Cash Store in Monroeville. He was widely known throughout Monroe County. Born on May 30, 1902, he was buried in the Rumbley Cemetery in Monroe County, Ala.

Sept. 3, 1950 - U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) of 35 men arrived in Saigon to screen French requests for American military aid, assist in the training of South Vietnamese troops, and advise on strategy.

Sept. 3, 1954 – Former Conecuh County, Ala. Sheriff William Abbott Moore passed away at the age of 68 in a local hospital after a long illness. A native of the Brooklyn community, Moore moved to Evergreen in 1923 to become Chief Deputy Sheriff under Sheriff A.M. Barfield. In 1926, he was elected Sheriff and for the next 24 years was either Sheriff or Chief Deputy, alternating between these offices with his brother, J.G. Moore. Born on June 10, 1886, he was buried in Magnolia Cemetery in Evergreen, Ala.

Sept. 3, 1957 - Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves recorded his 41st career pitching shutout.

Sept. 3, 1963 – Annie Baxter of Louisville, Ala. was struck by a Volkswagen car in front of Harper’s Furniture Co. on West Front Street in Evergreen, Ala. on this Tuesday night around 9 p.m. Baxter was the mother of Evergreen High School English teacher Anzolette Harden. The Volkswagen was driven by Michael Lewis Piper of Durham, N.C.

Sept. 3, 1964 – Conecuh County, Ala. schools opened on this day for the 1964-65 school year.

Sept. 3, 1965 – As of this Friday, the day of registration for students at Monroe County High School in Monroeville, the school had an enrollment of 554 students, including a “Negro girl, the only Negro enrolled in previously all white schools in the county.” She enrolled under the “county’s freedom of choice place.” James Allen was MCHS’s principal.

Sept. 3, 1967 - In South Vietnam’s national election, General Nguyen Van Thieu won a four-year term as president with former Premier Nguyen Cao Ky as vice-president.

Sept. 3, 1970 – The Evergreen Courant announced that a project had been launched to erect a suitable historical marker on the grounds of the Belleville Baptist Church in Belleville, Ala.

Sept. 3, 1970 – Dan Bilbro Jr. and Lovelace Lowe killed a large rattlesnake on the Old Sparta Road in Conecuh County, Ala. The snake had 16 rattles and a button and was about five feet long.

Sept. 3, 1970 – The Evergreen Courant reported that members of Boy Scout Troop No. 40 in Evergreen, Ala. had completed a 50-mile canoe trip from Travis Bridge to McGowin’s Bridge on the Sepulga River. Boys completing the trip included Jeb Barron, Lester Daw, Oliver Garrett, Sammy Garrett, Chuck Neese, Gene Price, Lewis Price, Terry Pugh and Frederick Stevens.

Sept. 3, 1970 – Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi died of cancer at the age of 57 in Washington, D.C.

Sept. 3, 1970 - Billy Williams of the Chicago Cubs ended his National League record of 1,117 consecutive games played.

Sept. 3, 1971 – Sparta Academy played its first football game ever, a 13-13 tie against Greenville Academy in Evergreen, Ala.

Sept. 3, 1976 – Sparta Academy’s football team beat South Butler Academy, 20-0, in Evergreen, Ala. Bobby Johnson, Jerry Peacock and Andy Skipper led Sparta’s rushing attack with 355 yards and three touchdowns. Bobby Padgett led Sparta’s defense with seven solo tackles and nine assists.

Sept. 3, 1976 - The Viking 2 spacecraft landed at Utopia Planitia on Mars and sent back the first close-up, color images of the planet's surface.

Sept. 3, 1976 – NFL defensive end Jevon Kearse was born in Fort Myers, Fla. He went on to play for the University of Florida, the Tennessee Titans and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Sept. 3, 1976 – NFL player and coach Raheem Morris was born in Irvington, N.J.

Sept. 3, 1977 - Sadaharu Oh of Japan’s Yomiuri Giants hits the 756th home run of his career, breaking Hank Aaron’s professional record for career home runs. He retired in 1980 with 868 home runs.

Sept. 3, 1981 - The Boston Red Sox and the Seattle Mariners played the longest game in Fenway Park history. The game was ended in a 7-7 tie after 19 innings the previous day. The Mariners won the game, 8-7.

Sept. 3, 1984 - Bruce Sutter of the St. Louis Cardinals set a National League record by earning his 38th save of the season.

Sept. 3, 1986 - The Houston Astros beat the Chicago Cubs 8-7 in the 18th inning. The game ended after 14 innings were played. The two teams had used a record 53 players the day before.

Sept. 3, 1987 – Congressman Bill Dickinson of Alabama’s 2nd District was scheduled to visit Evergreen, Ala. to speak to constituents in the council meeting room at Evergreen City Hall at 10 a.m. on this Thursday morning.

Sept. 3, 1990 - Bobby Thigpen set a Major League record when he got his 47th save.

Sept. 3, 1993 – Hillcrest High School, which went 1-9 in 1992, was scheduled to open the 1993 football season against Daphne High School in Daphne. Hillcrest’s head football coach in 1993 was Dennis Anderson, who had been an assistant coach at Eufaula High School for several years prior to 1993. Gerry Watson was an assistant coach at Hillcrest. Cheerleaders at Hillcrest that season included Capt. Monica Williams, Co-Capt. Angie Ward, Amanda Chavers, Rebecca Dillard, JoKeyra Ballard and Meredith Baggett.

Sept. 3, 2000 - Kenny Lofton tied a Major League record when he scored in his 18th straight game.

Sept. 3, 2001 - Bud Smith became the 16th Major League rookie to throw a no-hitter. It was his 11th career start.

Sept. 3, 2005 - All four of the detained suspects in connection with the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, 18, of Mountain Brook, Ala. were released by a judge despite the attempts of the prosecution to keep them in custody, on the condition that they remain available to police.

Sept. 3, 2007 - Adventurer Steve Fossett vanished after taking off on a solo flight over the Nevada desert.

Daily Rainfall Observations from SW Alabama for Sun., Sept. 3, 2017

Rainfall (Past 24 Hours): 0.00 inches.

Week to Date Rainfall: 4.30 inches.

Month to Date Rainfall:  0.00 inches.

Summer to Date Rainfall: 26.20 inches.

Year to Date Rainfall: 69.75 inches.

Notes: Today is the 246th day of 2017 and the 75th day of Summer. There are 119 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.

'WALK TO MORDOR' UPDATE: 1,445 miles down and 334 miles to go

Frodo and The Ring

I continued my (virtual) “Walk to Mordor” during the past week by logging 15 more miles since my last update. I walked/jogged five miles on Sunday, five miles on Friday and five more today (Saturday). So far, I’ve logged 1,445 total miles on this virtual trip to Mount Doom, and I’ve got 334 more miles to go before I reach Mordor. All in all, I’ve completed about 81.2 percent of the total trip.

 

In relation to Frodo’s overall journey to destroy the One Ring at Mount Doom in Mordor, I’m on the seventh day/night of the trip past Rauros Falls, which is March 2/3 on the Middle Earth calendar. I left off my last update at Mile 1430 and three miles later, at Mile 1433, Frodo, Samwise Gamgee and Gollum reach the end of the marshes as the sun begins to rise. It’s clear and cold and the mountains tower ahead across the wastelands. During the day (March 2), they hide under a “black stone” and rest throughout the “gray day.”

 

The renew their journey went it’s full dark and one mile later, at Mile 1434, they cross an area of dry peat that’s broken by flats of cracked, dry mud. The land here slopes slowly east and The Ring grows heavier as Sam’s mood darkens. Four miles later, at Mile 1438, they climb a long, shallow slope, and five miles beyond this, at Mile 1443, the gully they are following curves away north, then west back toward the marshes.

 

I’ve traveled two miles past this point, to Mile 1445, and the next significant milestone comes three miles later, at Mile 1448, where they find another hiding spot to ride out the rest of the daylight hours of March 3.

 

For those of you reading this for the first time, I began this “Walk to Mordor” fitness challenge on Jan. 1, 2015. Using a book called “The Atlas of Middle-Earth” by Karen Wynn Fonstad, fans of “The Lord of the Rings” created this challenge by mapping out Frodo’s fictional trek to Mordor, calculating the total distance at 1,779 miles. They also used the original "Lord of the Rings" text to outline the journey, so you can follow their route by keeping up with your total mileage.

 

The folks who worked out the nuts and bolts of this virtual journey have divided it into four parts. It’s 458 miles from Hobbiton to Rivendell, 462 miles from Rivendell through Moria to Lothlorien, 389 miles from Lothlorien down the Anduin to Rauros Falls and 470 miles from Rauros to Mount Doom. (Those locations should sound very familiar to “Lord of the Rings” fans.) The hobbits averaged 18 miles a day, but if you walk (or jog, as I sometimes do) five miles a day, it’s possible to cover 1,779 miles in a year.

 

If you’re interested in learning more about the “Walk to Mordor Challenge,” I suggest you check out two Web sites, http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/07/23/walking/ and http://home.insightbb.com/~eowynchallenge/. Both of these sites provide a ton of details about the challenge, including how to get started.

 

In the end, check back next Friday for another update and to see how much closer I am to Mordor. I hope to knock out at least 10 more miles next week, and I’ll include all that in my update next week.

Today in History for Sept. 2, 2017

Lillian Russell

Sept. 2, 1666 - The Great Fire of London broke out, a major conflagration that burned for three days. When it was over, 400 acres of the city had been charred, and thousands of homes and buildings were destroyed.

Sept. 2, 1752 – Great Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar, nearly two centuries later than most of Western Europe.

Sept. 2, 1789 - The United States Treasury Department was founded. President George Washington named his former aide-de-camp, Alexander Hamilton, to head the new office.

Sept. 2, 1813 – About 100 Creek Indians, led by Prophet Francis, attacked Fort Sinquefield in Clarke County, Ala.

Sept. 2, 1821 – Richard Francis Burton was baptized at Elstree Church in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire.

Sept. 2, 1824 – During his tour of the United States, the Marquis de Lafayette visited Boston, Mass. and Lexington, Mass.

Sept. 2, 1842 – Confederate soldier William Augustus Riley was born at Pineville in Monroe County, Ala. He enlisted in May 1861 in Montgomery with Co. H, 2nd Alabama Cavalry, but was discharged for disability in September 1861. He re-enlisted with Co. G, 7th Alabama Cavalry in the fall of 1863. In the 1907 Confederate census, he was living in Evergreen.

Sept. 2, 1849 – National Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Albert Spalding was born in Byron, Ill. He went on to play for the Rockford Forest Citys, the Boston Red Stockings and the Chicago White Stockings and he also managed the White Stockings. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1939.

Sept. 2, 1850 – Humorist and newspaperman Eugene Field was born in St. Louis, Mo.

Sept. 2, 1861 – During the Civil War, at the Battle of Big Dry Wood Creek (also known as Big Dry Wood Creek and the Battle of the Mules) was fought in Vernon County, Mo.

Sept. 2, 1861 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Dallas, Mo.

Sept. 2, 1862 - U.S. President Abraham Lincoln reluctantly restored Union General George B. McClellan to full command after General John Pope’s disaster at the Second Battle of Bull Run, Va., on Aug. 29 and 30. McClellan, commander of the Army of the Potomac, saw much of his army transferred to Pope’s Army of Virginia after his failure to capture Richmond, Va. during the Seven Days’ Battles in June 1862.

Sept. 2, 1862 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought with Indians at Acton and Birch Cooley in Minnesota; at Flint Hill, near Fairfax Court House, Vienna, Leesburg and Falls Church in Virginia; and near Nashville and Memphis in Tennessee.

Sept. 2, 1863 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Trinity, La.

Sept. 2, 1863 – During the Civil War, Union troops occupied Knoxville, Tenn. without having to fight a battle. The city had been essentially conceded to the opposition, and Burnside’s men just walked in. The major military consequence of this was the fact that Knoxville held the connection for the railroad link from Virginia to other points in the Confederacy, principally Chattanooga. Henceforth when supplies, troops, or even communications were to be sent to Gen. Braxton Bragg, a roundabout route would have to be used from Virginia, down the Atlantic coast into Atlanta, then into Tennessee. Union Gen. William Rosecrans, Bragg’s opposition, was the major beneficiary of this day’s move.

Sept. 2, 1864 - Union General William T. Sherman's troops marched into Atlanta, Ga. Confederate troops had evacuated the city the day before.

Sept. 2, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought near Little Rock Quitman, Ark.; near Mount Vernon, Mo.; and at Union City, Tenn.

Sept. 2, 1864 – General John Herbert Kelly of Wilcox County, then in charge of cavalry troops, was mortally wounded while leading a charge during a skirmish near the town of Franklin, Tenn. Sources say that a Yankee sharpshooter shot Kelly through the chest, knocking him off his horse. Fellow soldiers carried Kelly off the field in a blanket to the Harrison House, a plantation home just south of Franklin, where sources say he died in his bed two days later as a Union prisoner. He was just 24 years old.

Sept. 2, 1865 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought with Indians along the Powder River in Montana.

Sept. 2, 1892 – J.D. Foster was commissioned as Monroe County, Alabama’s Sheriff.

Sept. 2, 1894 – Novelist and journalist Joseph Roth was born in Brody, Ukraine.

Sept. 2, 1895 - The Monroe County, Alabama board of commissioners held a special meeting on this Monday “to consider a contested public road.”

Sept. 2, 1895 – Former slave Joe Scott, a former resident of Camden, passed away at the age of 96 at Mount Pleasant in Monroe County, where he lived under the nursing care of Maj. Charles L. Scott and his wife, Hattie Scott. Joe Scott was born in South Carolina and for many years lived with the family of Sarah Willison (who later married Charles L. Scott), who owned him as a slave in South Carolina and Florida. She moved from central Florida to Wilcox County around 1854 with her son Edward F. Willison and brought Joe Scott with her.

Sept. 2, 1901 -  The Southwest Alabama Agricultural School in Evergreen, Ala. opened for the 1901-02 school year. Prof. J.A. Duncan was principal, N. Stallworth was president of the Board of Control and Jonathan A. McCreary was board secretary.

Sept. 2, 1901 - Theodore Roosevelt, then Vice President, said "Speak softly and carry a big stick" in a speech at the Minnesota State Fair.

Sept. 2, 1909 – Napoleon B. Watson, “one of the most prominent citizens” of Conecuh County, passed away at the age of 53 at his home a few miles west of Evergreen “after being ill about three weeks.”

Sept. 2, 1911 - Author Sara Elizabeth Mason was born in Demopolis, Ala.

Sept. 2, 1912 – Arthur Rose Eldred was awarded the first Eagle Scout award of the Boy Scouts of America.

Sept. 2, 1914 – A baseball game between the “Fats” and the “Leans” in Monroeville, Ala. was cancelled “on account of rain and the sloppy condition of the diamond.”

Sept. 2, 1915 – “Wildfire,” starring Lillian Russell, was scheduled to be shown at the Arcade Theater in Evergreen, Ala.

Sept. 2, 1917 - Grover Cleveland Alexander of the Philadelphia Phillies pitched and won two entire games of a doubleheader versus Brooklyn (5-0 and 9-3).

Sept. 2, 1917 - Militarist conservatives within Germany formally launched a new political party, the Vaterlandspartei or Fatherland Party, a move that reflected the growing hold of the army over all aspects of German society during the First World War.

Sept. 2, 1918 – Clyde Williams, the son of Mr. and Mrs. J.T. Williams of Evergreen, Ala., reached home on this Monday morning from Austin, Texas, where he graduated from a three-month aviation training school. He was on a 13-day furlough.

Sept. 2, 1930 – In Lovecraftian fiction, Miskatonic University’s Pabodie Antarctic Expedition left Boston Harbor, destined for the Antarctic, where it was to collect fossils from the rock there.

Sept. 2, 1934 – Humorist and Southern Baptist minister Grady Nutt was born in Amarillo, Texas.

Sept. 2, 1935 - Legislation requiring licenses for Alabama drivers and authorizing the creation of a State Highway Patrol was approved. Beginning in October, annually renewable licenses were issued to qualified drivers at least 16 years old. License fees were designated to fund the State Highway Patrol, which Gov. Bibb Graves established in December.

Sept. 2, 1935 – George Gershwin finished his opera “Porgy and Bess.”

Sept. 2, 1939 – During World War II, following the start of the invasion of Poland the previous day, the Free City of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland) was annexed by Nazi Germany.

Sept. 2, 1943 – The Monroe Journal reported that Mrs. A.C. Lee and Miss Maggie Dees had returned home after spending several days in Biloxi.

Sept. 2, 1943 – The Monroe Journal reported that Lt. Israel Katz of Monroeville graduated from the West Texas Bombardier Quadrangle at Big Springs, Texas during the previous week.

Sept. 2, 1945 - Japan surrendered to the U.S. aboard the USS Missouri, ending World War II. The war ended six years and one day after it began.

Sept. 2, 1945 - The USS ALABAMA led the US fleet into Tokyo Bay where the Japanese Instrument of Surrender was signed aboard the USS Missouri, officially ending World War II.

Sept. 2, 1945 – Hours after Japan’s surrender in World War II, Vietnamese communist Ho Chi Minh declared the independence of Vietnam from France.

Sept. 2, 1946 - Football practice began at Evergreen High School on this Labor Day as Coach Wendell Hart greeted some 25 football candidates with an opening drill of passing, punting and calisthenics. Two drills a day were on schedule for the rest of the week. Mickey Logue, James Carpenter and R.E. Ivey were passing the ball while Rex Carpenter, R.E. Ivey, Harold Potts and James Carpenter were also getting off some long punts. All boys were urged to attend these practice sessions due to the short time remaining until the opening of the season with Hayneville on Sept. 20 at the High School Athletic Field.

Sept. 2, 1946 - Val T. Ivey, former Conecuh County agent, died at a Selma hospital on this Monday morning at an early hour.

Sept. 2, 1948 – Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw was born in Shreveport, La. He went on to play for Louisiana Tech and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Sept. 2, 1951 – The Eighth District of the American Legion was scheduled to meet at the Community House in Evergreen, Ala., beginning at 2 p.m.

Sept. 2, 1957 - Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves set a record for left-handed pitchers when he recorded his 41st shutout.

Sept. 2, 1957 – President Ngô Đình Diệm of South Vietnam became the first foreign head of state to make a state visit to Australia.

Sept. 2, 1959 – Major League Baseball outfielder Drungo Hazewood was born in Mobile, Ala. He played one season (1980) for the Baltimore Orioles.

Sept. 2, 1960 – Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson was born in Sealy, Texas. He went on to play for SMU, the Los Angeles Rams, the Indianapolis Colts, the Los Angeles Raiders and the Atlanta Falcons.

Sept. 2, 1961 - The estate of Ty Cobb was estimated at $11.78 million. Cobb had died two months earlier.

Sept. 2, 1962 - Ken Hubbs of the Chicago Cubs set a Major League Baseball fielding record when he played errorless for his 74th consecutive game.

Sept. 2, 1963 - Gov. George Wallace postponed the opening of Tuskegee High School to prevent its integration. State troopers enforced the order, preventing the school from becoming Alabama's first racially integrated public grade school. Wallace took similar action in Birmingham, Huntsville, and Mobile, but four Huntsville schools were integrated on September 9.

Sept. 2, 1964 – Clay Carroll, a 23-year-old pitcher from Clanton, Ala., made his Major League debut, taking the field for the first time for the Milwaukee Braves and hurling two shutout innings against the Cardinals.

Sept. 2, 1965 – The Monroe Journal reported that Billy Dailey had resigned from the Monroeville, Ala. Police Department, which he joined on April 15. W.H. Hines was Monroeville’s mayor.

Sept. 2, 1965 – A four-team football jamboree was scheduled to be held in Monroeville, Ala. on this Thursday night. The jamboree included Monroe County High School, W.S. Neal, Andalusia and Chatom. Ronald Dees was MCHS’s head coach.

Sept. 2, 1966 - The Miami Dolphins played their first regular-season game. They lost the game to the Oakland Raiders, 23-14.

Sept. 2, 1969 - NBC-TV canceled "Star Trek." The show had debuted on Sept. 8, 1966.

Sept. 2, 1969 - President Ho Chi Minh of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam died of a heart attack in Hanoi. North Vietnamese officials announced his death the next day.

Sept. 2, 1970 - Billy Williams of the Chicago Cubs set a National League record when he played in his 1,117th consecutive game.

Sept. 2, 1971 – Monroe County High School’s football practice field was officially named “Reddoch Field” in honor of longtime athletic supporter Joe Reddoch. A ceremony marking the official naming of the field took place at halftime during a 21-14 MCHS win over Flomaton.

Sept. 2, 1972 - Phuc Yen, 10 miles north of Hanoi, and one of the largest air bases in North Vietnam, was smashed by U.S. fighter-bombers.

Sept. 2, 1973 - J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of the best-selling fantasy novels “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings,” died at the age of 81 in Bournemouth, England.

Sept. 2, 1973 - Billy Martin was fired as manager of the Detroit Tigers. Martin was relieved of his duties three days after ordering his pitchers to throw spitballs against Cleveland Indians batters.

Sept. 2, 1976 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Terry G. Davis, a recent Alabama State University graduate, had been appointed to serve as Legal Research Analyst for the Department of Court Management, Alabama Supreme Court. Appointed by Chief Justice Howell T. Heflin, Davis was the first black to work in an administrative capacity for the Alabama Supreme Court. He performed duties for the Chief Justice, the Permanent Study Commission on the Alabama Judicial System and served as a Legal Research Analyst for the Department of Court Management. Davis, a native of Evergreen, was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Davis of Evergreen.

Sept. 2, 1976 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Butler County Judge of Probate Steindorff reported that Taft Skipper, president of the Hank Williams Memorial Association had made a request that the county road leading from I-65 to its intersection with Alabama 106 at Hanks’ Store be named the Hank Williams Memorial Drive. This was to be done in memory of the singer, who was born in the Mount Olive community. Judge Steindorff read a resolution to this effect that would be presented to the State Highway Department seeking to make this possible. Commissioner Sellers made a motion that the court submit the request and the motion was seconded by Wood with all members voting in favor.

Sept. 2, 1981 - The Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners played to a 7-7 tie after 19 innings. It was the longest game in Fenway Park history. The game was resumed the following day and the Mariners won 8-7 in 20 innings.

Sept. 2, 1982 – The Howard-Raybon House in Greenville, Ala. was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

Sept. 2, 1985 - It was announced that the Titanic had been found on Sept. 1 by a U.S. and French expedition 560 miles off Newfoundland. The luxury liner had been missing for 73 years.

Sept. 2, 1986 - The Houston Astros and the Chicago Cubs played 14 innings and used 53 players in the game. Houston won the game, 8-7, when the game resumed the next day.

Sept. 2, 1986 – Alabama native Bo Jackson made his Major League Baseball debut when he took the field for the Kansas City Royals.

Sept. 2, 1990 - Bobby Thigpen of the Chicago White Sox set a Major League record with his 47th save.

Sept. 2, 1994 – The Dellet Plantation at Claiborne, Ala. added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Sept. 2, 1995 - In Cleveland, Ohio, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum officially opened.

Sept. 2, 1996 - Mike Greenwall of the Boston Red Sox set a Major League record when he drove in all nine runs in a 9-8 win over the Seattle Mariners.

Sept. 2, 1996 - David Cone of the New York Yankees pitched in a game for the first time in four months after an aneurysm was removed from his shoulder.

Sept. 2, 1998 - Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals hit his 58th and 59th home runs of the season. The record at the time was 61 held by Roger Maris.

Sept. 2, 1998 - Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs hit his 56th home run of the season.

Sept. 2, 1998 - Nomar Garciaparra of the Boston Red Sox hit his 30th home run of the season. He joined Mark McGwire, Rudy York, Ron Kittle and Jose Canseco as a player that hit 30+ home runs in his first two years.

Sept. 2, 1998 - Jerry Rice of the San Francisco 49ers signed a six-year contract for $36 million. The deal made him the highest paid wide receiver in the league.

Sept. 2, 1999 - Cal Ripken of the Baltimore Orioles hit his 400th career home run.

Sept. 2, 2002 – The Geocaching.com Web site officially launched with 75 geocaches.

Sept. 2, 2003 - Eric Gagne of the Los Angeles Dodgers established a Major League record with his 55th consecutive save.

Sept. 2, 2004 – The movie “A Love Song for Bobby Long” was first released at the Venice Film Festival. Written and directed by Shainee Gabel, the screen play was based on the novel “Off Magazine Street” by Ronald Everett Capps. John Travolta played Bobby Long, and Scarlett Johansson played Purslane Will.

Daily Rainfall Observations from SW Alabama for Sat., Sept. 2, 2017

Rainfall (Past 24 Hours): 0.00 inches.

Week to Date Rainfall: 4.30 inches.

Month to Date Rainfall:  0.00 inches.

Summer to Date Rainfall: 26.20 inches.

Year to Date Rainfall: 69.75 inches.

Notes: Today is the 245th day of 2017 and the 74th day of Summer. There are 120 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.

Today in History for Sept. 1, 2017

Alabama Gov. Guy Hunt

Sept. 1, 1557 – French navigator and explorer Jacques Cartier passed away at the age of 65 in St. Malo, France.

Sept. 1, 1773 – Phillis Wheatley, 20, published “Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral.”

Sept. 1, 1775 - Richard Penn and Arthur Lee, representing the Continental Congress, presented the so-called Olive Branch Petition to the Earl of Dartmouth. Britain’s King George III, however, refused to receive the petition, which, written by John Dickinson, appealed directly to the king and expressed hope for reconciliation between the colonies and Great Britain.

Sept. 1, 1807 – Former U.S. vice president Aaron Burr was acquitted of treason in U.S. Circuit Court in Richmond, Va. due to lack of witnesses, despite the full force of the Jefferson administration’s political influence against him. Burr was accused of plotting to annex parts of Louisiana and Spanish territory in Mexico to be used toward the establishment of an independent republic.

Sept. 1, 1813 – The Kimbell-James Massacre occurred around 3 p.m. at Ransom Kimball’s large cabin about one mile from Fort Sinquefield in Clarke County, Ala., leaving 13 women and children dead. Six survivors escaped to Fort Sinquefield.

Sept. 1, 1824 – During his extended tour of the United States, the Marquis de Lafayette visited Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Sept. 1, 1838 – American explorer William Clark died at the age of 68 in St. Louis, Mo. Along with Meriwether Lewis, Clark helped lead the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1803 to 1806 across the Louisiana Purchase to the Pacific Ocean, and claimed the Pacific Northwest for the United States.

Sept. 1, 1841 – James G. Butler was commissioned as Monroe County, Alabama’s Circuit Court Clerk.

Sept. 1, 1850 – National Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Jim O’Rourke was born in Bridgeport, Conn. During his career, he played for the Middleton Mansfields, the Boston Red Stockings/Boston Red Caps, the Providence Grays, the Buffalo Bisons, the New York Giants and the Washington Senators. He also managed the Bisons and the Senators and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1945.

Sept. 1, 1850 – P.T. Barnum brought Jenny Lind to New York. Lind, the “Swedish Nightingale,” was a gifted soprano who was wildly popular in Europe, and Barnum became aware of her in 1849, as she was wrapping up her third London season. The tour was a huge financial success, although Lind was uncomfortable with Barnum’s publicity tactics.

Sept. 1, 1859 - A solar superstorm peaked with a massive coronal ejection heading directly toward Earth. Known as the Carrington Event, this powerful geomagnetic storm caused the failure of telegraph systems, and auroras were seen all over the world.

Sept. 1, 1861 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought near Fort Scott, Kansas.

Sept. 1, 1861 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Bennett’s Mill, Mo. A three-day Federal operation also began in Jefferson County, Mo.

Sept. 1, 1861 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Blue Creek and another at Burlington in West Virginia.

Sept. 1, 1862 – During the Civil War, a skirmish occurred at Huntsville, Ala.

Sept. 1, 1862 - Confederates captured Lexington, Ky., and Union General John Pope evacuated Centerville, Va.

Sept. 1, 1862 - In Virginia, the 90-minute Battle of Chantilly took place two days after the Confederate victory at the Second Battle of Bull Run. Confederate General Robert E. Lee attacked retreating Union troops in the middle of an intense thunderstorm. Union officer Philip Kearny was killed when he accidentally rode behind Confederate lines at Chantilly, and General Robert E. Lee later returned Kearny's body under a flag of truce. Confederate casualties numbered about 500, while the Union lost 700.

Sept. 1, 1862 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Morganfield, Uniontown and Tait’s Ferry on the Kentucky River in Kentucky; at Putnam, Neosho and Spring River in Missouri; near Denmark, Tenn.; and at Glenville, W.Va.

Sept. 1, 1863 – During the Civil War, various skirmishes occurred at Will’s Creek, Davis’, Tap’s and Neal’s Gaps, or Devil’s Backbone, Ala., leading up to the Chickamauga Campaign.

Sept. 1, 1863 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Backbone Mountain and at Jenny Lind, Ark.; and at Barbee’s Crossroads, Corbin’s Crossroads, Leesburg and near Port Conway in Virginia.

Sept. 1, 1863 – During the Civil War, Fort Smith, Ark. was occupied by Federal forces.

Sept. 1, 1863 – During the Civil War, a two-day Federal operation began from Paducah, Ky. and Union City, Tenn. to Conyersville, Tenn. A Federal campaign from Natchez, Miss. to Harrisonburg, La. began.

Sept. 1, 1864 - Union Army General William Tecumseh Sherman laid siege to Atlanta, Ga., a critical Confederate hub, shelling civilians and cutting off supply lines. The Confederates, under General John Bell Hood, retreated, destroying the city's munitions as they went.

Sept. 1, 1864 – During the Civil War, the Confederate Army of Tennessee, under the command of Confederate Lieutenant General John Bell Hood evacuated Atlanta, Ga. This came about because Union General William T. Sherman attacked Confederate General William Hardee at the Battle of Jonesboro. The burning of huge munitions and supply depots created fires that burned out of control, burning much of the railroad yard.

Sept. 1, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought near Ft. Smith and at Beatty’s Mill in Arkansas; at Tipton, Mo.; at Leesburg, Va.; and on Opequon Creek, in the Shenandoah Valley.

Sept. 1, 1864 – During the Civil War, a 28-day Federal operation began against Indians from Camp Grant to the North Fork of the Eel River, Calif. An 11-day Federal operation began against Indians in the Trinity River Valley, Calif. An eight-day Federal operation began in Johnson County, Mo.

Sept. 1, 1865 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought with Indians on the east side of the Powder River in the Montana Territory,

Sept. 1, 1869 - Historian Marie Bankhead Owen was born. Owen was appointed director of the Alabama Department of Archives and History in 1920 and ran the agency for 35 years. She finished and published her husband's influential four-volume History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography, published her own histories and textbooks, and successfully lobbied for the completion of the World War Memorial Building, which the became the ADAH's new home in 1940. Owen retired as director in 1955 and died on March 2, 1958, in Selma. She was inducted into the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame in 1975, and the ADAH stands as a lasting testament to her legacy.

Sept. 1, 1873 -San Francisco’s first cable car began regular service on this day.

Sept. 1, 1875 – American novelist Edgar Rice Burroughs, creator of the popular fictional character Tarzan, King of the Apes, was born in Chicago.

Sept. 1, 1887 – The name of Chapman’s Station, a community in Butler County, was officially changed to Chapman on this day when a post office was established there. When the Louisville & Nashville Railroad reached here in the 1880s, it was referred to as Chapman Station in honor of John R. Chapman, a stockholder in the Rocky Creek Lumber Co.

Sept. 1, 1888 - Author Clement Wood was born in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Sept. 1, 1890 – Famous Alabama outlaw Rube Burrow single-handedly robbed the northbound Louisville & Nashville passenger train No. 6 on the Escambia River, northeast of Flomaton. This was his eighth and final train robbery.

Sept. 1, 1894 – E.J. Ricou was appointed Monroeville, Ala. postmaster, succeeding Mrs. M.C. McLean who had resigned.

Sept. 1, 1895 – Prof. C.C. Sellers’s School in the Axle community in Monroe County, Ala. was scheduled to reopen at the start of the new school year.

Sept. 1, 1895 - Dr. W.R. Lambuth of Nashville, Tenn., the Secretary of the Foreign Mission Board of the M.E. Church, South, visited Monroeville, Ala. and “delivered three very interesting and instructive discourses” on this Sunday.

Sept. 1, 1896 – John D. Watson was commissioned as Monroe County, Alabama’s Sheriff.

Sept. 1, 1896 – The Monroe Journal reported that Geo. W. Salter Sr. of Evergreen was visiting relatives in Monroe County that week, and that Prof. W.S. Neal of Brewton was in Monroeville during the previous week circulating among his many friends.

Sept. 1, 1896 - The annual session of the Monroeville Academy opened on this morning with 45 students.

Sept. 1, 1896 – The Monroe Journal reprinted an item from The Camden New Era that said that Prof. L.K. Benson, who, in 1895, had charge of a large and prosperous school at Tinela in Monroe County, had accepted a school at Dixie, Ga. and planned to leave Forest Home for that place about Sept. 1. Benson spent part of the previous week in Camden with his brother, Dr. J.C. Benson.

Sept. 1, 1896 – The Monroe Journal reported, in news from the Manistee community, that the Bear Creek Mill was cutting timber at a rapid rate. Also, Mr. Lufkin, the former sawyer at the Bear Creek mill, left a few days before for the Cahaba River, where he had purchased an interest in a mill.

Sept. 1, 1902 – “A Trip to the Moon,” arguably the first science-fiction film, premiered in France.

Sept. 1, 1904 – Johnny Mack Brown, nicknamed “The Dothan Antelope,” was born in Dothan, Ala. He would go on to star as a halfback at Alabama and help lead the Crimson Tide to the 1926 national title. He later had a long, successful career as an actor in Hollywood.

Sept. 1, 1906 - Jack Coombs of the American League’s Philadelphia Athletics pitched 24 innings against the Boston Red Sox.

Sept. 1, 1914 - Prof. J.M. Sowell department Monroeville, Ala. for Scottsboro, where he’d accepted a job as head of a school there.

Sept. 1, 1914 – Up to this date, reports showed that 1,094 bales of cotton had been ginned in Monroe County, Ala. from the 1914 crop, compared with 1,532 bales ginned prior to Sept. 1, 1913.

Sept. 1, 1915 – The Evergreen Courant reported that J.R. Myers of Owassa had been appointed registrar of Conecuh County, Ala. Under a new law, there was only one registrar for each county, instead of four as before.

Sept. 1, 1915 – L.W. Locklin visited Monroeville, Ala. and told The Monroe Journal that he’d recently sold his home and entire real estate holdings at Perdue Hill to a “northern party” who planned to locate a “Polish colony in that vicinity.”

Sept. 1, 1915 – Only 251 bales of cotton had been ginned in Monroe County from the 1915 crop prior to this date as compared with 1,094 bales ginned prior to Sept. 1, 1914.

Sept. 1, 1916 - The six o’clock closing agreement observed by Monroeville merchants throughout the summer months expired on this day, according to The Monroe Journal. During the fall and winter, stores were to remain open until a reasonable hour in the evenings for the convenience of customers.

Sept. 1, 1917 - American soldier Stull Holt, a driver with the American Ambulance Field Service, wrote a letter home recounting some of his battlefield experiences on the Western Front at Verdun, France. Holt’s letters were later published in “The Great War at Home and Abroad: The World War I Diaries and Letters of W. Stull Holt” (1999).

Sept. 1, 1932 – The Bank of Evergreen officially opened for business, a little over a month after Evergreen’s old bank was closed for liquidation. O.C. McGehee was cashier of the bank. The building formerly occupied by the First National Bank was thoroughly renovated and repaired and all fixtures put in shape, as the home of the new institution. The building was already equipped with vaults and other necessary fixtures for banking business. Officers of the bank were W.M. Newton, president; W.K. Horton, vice-president; O.C. McGehee, cashier. Besides these men, the following are listed as stockholders: R. Millsap Jr., L.T. Rutland, C.A. Jones, C.P. Deming, George C. Stamps, W.A. Moore, J.G. Moore, L.W. Price, Robt. Long, Haiman Long, Hermione Newton McGehee and Dr. P.D. McGehee.

Sept. 1, 1934 - Following Alabama's lead, a nationwide textile strike began, with 15,000 Alabama workers among the 400,000 strikers nationwide. The Alabama strike, which had started in July, had survived threats of violence and even the brief abduction of strike leader John Dean. The largest walkout in Alabama and U.S. history at the time, the strike ended Sept. 22 after mediation efforts by the Roosevelt administration.

Sept. 1, 1937 – Reports showed that 2,309 bales of cotton had been ginned in Conecuh County, Ala. from the 1937 cotton crop prior to Sept. 1, compared to 3,111 bales ginned to the same date in 1936.

Sept. 1, 1939 – World War II began in Europe as Nazi Germany and Slovakia invaded Poland at 5:11 a.m. Britain and France, allied with Poland, entered the war two days later, but by then it was too late to save Poland.

Sept. 1, 1939 – The Wound Badge for Wehrmacht, SS, Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe soldiers was instituted. The final version of the Iron Cross was also instituted on this date.

Sept. 1, 1939 – Adolf Hitler signed an order to begin the systematic euthanasia of mentally ill and disabled people.

Sept. 1, 1939 – E.T. Millsap was elected Commander of American Legion Post No. 61 of Monroe County during a meeting in Monroeville, Ala. Other elected officers included E.S. Gardner, Adjutant; Jim Sawyer, Vice Commander; Sullivan Murphy, Chaplain; W.E. Deer, Historian; and R.T. Daniels, Sergeant-At-Arms.

Sept. 1, 1939 – According to the cotton ginning census, only 348 bales of cotton had been ginned in Monroe County, Ala. prior to this date, compared to 5,967 bales ginned prior to Sept. 1, 1938. This shortage was due to high amounts of rain and wind.

Sept. 1, 1939 – According to the ginning census, only 375 bales of cotton had been ginned in Conecuh County, Ala., prior to this date, compared to 2,970 bales ginned prior to Sept. 1938.

Sept. 1, 1945 - The U.S. received official word of Japan's formal surrender that ended World War II.

Sept. 1, 1947 – American soldier and adventurer Frederick Russell Burnham passed away at the age of 86 in Santa Barbara, Calif. He is known for his service to the British South Africa Company and to the British Army in colonial Africa, and for teaching woodcraft to Robert Baden-Powell in Rhodesia. He helped inspire the founding of the international Scouting Movement.

Sept. 1, 1948 – The football teams at Evergreen and Repton began fall football practice in preparation for their season-opener against each other on Sept. 17 in Evergreen, Ala.

Sept. 1, 1950 – Army SFC Robert Lee Booker, 24, of Conecuh County, Ala. was killed in action in Korea while serving with the 7^th Cavalry (Inf.), 1^st Cavalry Division (Inf.). Booker was born on March 24, 1926 and was also a World War II veteran. He was buried in the Lone Star Cemetery at Pine Orchard in Monroe County, Ala.

Sept. 1, 1950 - Army PFC Willie D. Daw, 23, of Escambia County, Ala. was killed in action in Korea while serving with the 23^rd Infantry, 2^nd Infantry Division. Born on Jan. 2, 1927, he was buried in the Pollard Cemetery in Escambia County, Ala.

Sept. 1, 1952 – Reports showed that 3,388 bales of cotton had been ginned in Conecuh County, Ala. from the crop of 1952 prior to 1952, compared with 5,403 bales in 1951.

Sept. 1, 1952 – “The Old Man and the Sea,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Ernest Hemingway, was first published.

Sept. 1, 1955 – Byron Warren became the new Ford dealer in Conecuh County, Ala. when he bought out the old Evergreen Motor Car Co. and changed the name to Warren Ford Co.

Sept. 1, 1964 - Pitcher Masanori Murakami became the first Japanese man to play in U.S. baseball’s major leagues. Murakami pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the San Francisco Giants in a 4-1 loss to the New York Mets in front of 39,379 fans at Shea Stadium.

Sept. 1, 1965 – Birmingham, Ala. native Lee May made his Major League Baseball debut, taking the field for the first time as a member of the Cincinnati Reds.

Sept. 1, 1966 - In a speech before 100,000 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, President Charles de Gaulle of France denounced U.S. policy in Vietnam and urged the U.S. government to pull its troops out of Southeast Asia.

Sept. 1, 1968 - Lt. Col. William A. Jones III led a mission near Dong Hoi, North Vietnam, to rescue a downed pilot. Locating the pilot, who had activated his emergency locator beacon, Colonel Jones attacked a nearby gun emplacement. On his second pass, Colonel Jones’ aircraft was hit and the cockpit of his Douglas A-1H Skyraider was set ablaze. He tried to eject, but the ejection system failed. He then returned to base and reported the exact position of the downed pilot before receiving medical treatment for his burns. The downed pilot was rescued by helicopter the next day. Colonel Jones was nominated for the Medal of Honor for his actions during the rescue attempt, but he died in an aircraft accident in the United States before he could be presented with the award.

Sept. 1, 1969 – Trần Thiện Khiêm became Prime Minister of South Vietnam under President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu.

Sept. 1, 1970 – E.G. Kivette got 54-1/2 cents per pound for his first of the season cotton bale from Eugene Darby of the E-Z Flo Chemical Co. of Owassa, Ala. when the bale was auctioned off at the L&N Depot by Evergreen Mayor Henry Sessions. The 665-pound bale was ginned at the Castleberry Gin Co.

Sept. 1, 1970 - The U.S. Senate rejected the McGovern-Hatfield amendment by a vote of 55-39. This legislation, proposed by Senators George McGovern of South Dakota and Mark Hatfield of Oregon, would have set a deadline of December 31, 1971, for complete withdrawal of American troops from South Vietnam. The Senate also turned down 71-22, a proposal forbidding the Army from sending draftees to Vietnam.

Sept. 1, 1970 - A bipartisan group of 14 senators, including both the majority and minority leaders, signed a letter to the president asking him to propose a comprehensive “standstill cease-fire” in South Vietnam at the ongoing Paris peace talks.

Sept. 1, 1972 – Students in Conecuh County, Ala. public schools were scheduled to begin the 1972-73 term on this Friday, according to a schedule for the school year released by Superintendent of Education Harvey G. Pate.

Sept. 1, 1973 - Ronnie Ray Ikner, 29, assistant coach at J.U. Blacksher High School in Uriah, was fatally injured in a two-vehicle accident on U.S. Highway 31, about 12 miles south of Bay Minette at approximately 11:30 a.m. on this Saturday. Ikner was a graduate of J.U. Blacksher High and Livingston State University. He served as head basketball coach and assistant football coach at Uriah. Born on March 7, 1944, he was buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Atmore.

Sept. 1, 1978 – The Alston-Cobb House (Clarke County Historical Museum) in Grove Hill, Ala. was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

Sept. 1, 1978 – Lyeffion High School beat area rival Conecuh County High School, 6-0, in overtime at Thomasson Field in Castleberry, Ala. Lyeffion fullback Kenny Gorum plunged over from the three for the only score. Michael Goldthrip’s extra point try was wide. Outstanding Lyeffion players in that game included Mike Brown, Eric Finklea, Rickey Gill, Michael Goldthrip, Rickey Johnson, Donald Lee, David Mims, Herman Mobley, James Riley, Tim Searcy and Ardell Taylor. Ronny Williams was head coach, and Ed Johnson was assistant coach. Outstanding Conecuh County High School players in that game included Rickey Reeves. Donald Wiggins was head coach.

Sept. 1, 1982 - J.R. Richard returned to Major League Baseball after a two-year absence following a near-fatal stroke.

Sept. 1, 1985 – A joint American–French expedition led, by Dr. Robert Ballard and Jean Louis Michel, located the wreckage of the RMS Titanic. The wreck site is located 963 miles northeast of New York and 453 miles southeast of the Newfoundland coast.

Sept. 1, 1988 – Gov. Guy Hunt declared the Town of Castleberry as the “Strawberry Capital of Alabama”

Sept. 1, 1988 – The Monroe Journal reported that Kenneth B. Johnson of Johnson’s Jeweler’s in Monroeville had completed a course in jewelry casting and manufacturing at the Holland School for Jewelers in Selma.

Sept. 1, 1988 – The Monroe Journal reported that drilling had begun on a prospective oil and gas well at Frisco City, and drilling was expected to begin soon on a wildcat well near Beatrice, according to the Alabama Oil & Gas Board. The (Frisco City) well, called the William Baas Unit 2-16 No. 1, was located in Section 2, Township 5 North, Range 2 West in the Frisco City Field. Drilling began Aug. 28, according to Shirley Woolard, board public information officer. The well had been permitted to a drilling depth of 12,500 feet. The Beatrice well site was being prepared about three miles north of Beatrice. The well, called Stallworth 1-11 No. 1, had been permitted for a drilling depth of 8,600 feet.

Sept. 1, 1989 – Excel improved to 2-0 on the season with a 41-0 win over Millry in Excel, Ala.

Sept. 1, 1994 – The first ever J.F. Shields-J.U. Blacksher football game was played in Beatrice, Ala. Shields won, 20-18.

Sept. 1, 1995 – Excel opened the 1995 football season with a 48-0 win at Red Level, Ala.

Sept. 1, 1997 – The death of Diana, Princess of Wales, was announced by Buckingham Palace. In France, the prosecutor's office announced that the driver of the car, in which Britain's Princess Diana was killed, was over the legal alcohol limit.

Sept. 1, 1998 - Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals hit his 56th and 57th homeruns to set a new National League record. He would eventually reach a total of 70 for the season on Sept. 27.

Sept. 1, 1998 - J.K. Rowling's book "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" was released in the U.S. This was the first book in the Harry Potter series.

Sept. 1, 1999 - Twenty-two of Major League Baseball's 68 permanent umpires were replaced. The problem arose from their union's failed attempt to force an early start to negotiations for a new labor contract.

Sept. 1, 2007 – “Into the Wild,” a film based on Jon Krakauer’s 1996 best-selling non-fiction book of the same name that tells the true story of a young adventurer who died in Alaska, debuted at the Telluride Film Festival before opening in wide release the following month.

Daily Rainfall Observations from SW Alabama for Fri., Sept. 1, 2017

Rainfall (Past 24 Hours): 0.00 inches.

Week to Date Rainfall: 4.30 inches.

Month to Date Rainfall:  0.00 inches.

Summer to Date Rainfall: 26.20 inches.

Year to Date Rainfall: 69.75 inches.

Notes: Today is the 244th day of 2017 and the 73rd day of Summer. There are 121 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.