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This Date in History | Limb Replacement Program

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1907 The first annual ball drop at Times Square

The annual tradition of dropping a ball at 11:59 pm to mark the start of the New Year was organized for the first time by Adolph Ochs, the owner of the New York Times.
 
1902 The first college football bowl game was held as the University of Michigan defeated Stanford in what became known as the Rose Bowl; however, the game did not become an annual event until 1916.
 
Missed this one...but one of the best yet most unheralded as being a native Tar Heel basketball players died on December 30, 2021. I dimly remember the Russell/Jones years of Celtic greatness. Sam Jones played in Boston from 1957 until 1969. His college days were spent at NC Central. Segregation loomed over the entire stretch of his playing days. His professional career saw him challenging those obstacles & triumphing gloriously. He had a penchant for hitting the winning shot & he won 10 NBA championships. From Wilmington to the world - he battled barriers, inspired, won, and was the king of the lost art of the bank shot.

Wilmington native and NBA legend Sam Jones, aka 'Mr. Clutch,' dies at 88

Jones played all 12 years of his NBA career with the Boston Celtics, winning 10 championships, including eight in a row from 1959 to 1966.
www.starnewsonline.com www.starnewsonline.com
 
“On January 1, 1892, a fifteen-year old Irish girl named Annie Moore became the first of the more than twelve million immigrants who would pass through the doors of the Ellis Island Immigration Station in its sixty-two years of operation. This small island off the New Jersey coast in the New York Harbor lies in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty. Together, these two landmarks have welcomed millions of immigrants to America.”

Today in History - January 1

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Socialist Pickles Down East!!!!??? #OTD in 1926 The Mt. Olive Pickle Co. was incorporated in Wayne County. The Company started an employee profit sharing program in 1943, becoming one of the first in the country to do so. At the Corner of Cucumber and Vine.



It is interesting to look back on the collectivist arrangements in our history. Farther back than 1943 the experience of the Southern Farmers Alliance has always intrigued me, probably mostly because that organization was deeply embedded in the society of my ‘little homeland’ of #ChathamCountyNC during the lives of my Grand and Great Grand Parents. The driving motto of the ‘Alliance’ was “Independence Through Interdependence.” Reflecting on even such recent times as my own growing-up years I realized that I had many times experienced exactly that sort of communitarian spirit in action.



What were ‘Hay Balings,’ Cattle Round-Ups (Vaccination, Castration, and De-Horning),’ ‘Hog Killings,’ and the more entertaining ‘Pond Seinings and Fish Frys,’ if they weren’t collective action? The stories of older folks told of even more such happenings such as ‘Barn Raisings,’ ‘Corn Shuckings,’ ‘Quilting Bees,’ and medicinal ‘Measles Parties.’



I suspect it is quite a story how such cooperative actions have been mainly rubbed out of our existence by circumstance. Or perhaps the angle of approach toward understanding is to question if these oh so very human acts of fellowship have actually been demonized away by the propaganda victory of a philosophy associated with the “rugged individual” who stands solo against the cold, cruel world?



ADDENDUM: To be fair, it is pretty unlikely that folks in 1943 Eastern NC were framing worker profit sharing as socialism and even less likely that what passes for modern conservative thinking could (would?) even grapple with the concepts involved. But maybe such ideas were part of an ironically collective memory of the unlabelled acts of humanity of their ancestors.
 
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donbosco said:
IMG_6499.jpeg

Socialist Pickles Down East!!!!??? #OTD in 1926 The Mt. Olive Pickle Co. was incorporated in Wayne County. The Company started an employee profit sharing program in 1943, becoming one of the first in the country to do so. At the Corner of Cucumber and Vine.



It is interesting to look back on the collectivist arrangements in our history. Farther back than 1943 the experience of the Southern Farmers Alliance has always intrigued me, probably mostly because that organization was deeply embedded in the society of my ‘little homeland’ of #ChathamCountyNC during the lives of my Grand and Great Grand Parents. The driving motto of the ‘Alliance’ was “Independence Through Interdependence.” Reflecting on even such recent times as my own growing-up years I realized that I had many times experienced exactly that sort of communitarian spirit in action.



What were ‘Hay Balings,’ Cattle Round-Ups (Vaccination, Castration, and De-Horning),’ ‘Hog Killings,’ and the more entertaining ‘Pond Seinings and Fish Frys,’ if they weren’t collective action? The stories of older folks told of even more such happenings such as ‘Barn Raisings,’ ‘Corn Shuckings,’ ‘Quilting Bees,’ and medicinal ‘Measles Parties.’



I suspect it is quite a story how such cooperative actions have been mainly rubbed out of our existence by circumstance. Or perhaps the angle of approach toward understanding is to question if these oh so very human acts of fellowship have actually been demonized away by the propaganda victory of a philosophy associated with the “rugged individual” who stands solo against the cold, cruel world?



ADDENDUM: To be fair, it is pretty unlikely that folks in 1943 Eastern NC were framing worker profit sharing as socialism and even less likely that what passes for modern conservative thinking could (would?) even grapple with the concepts involved. But maybe such ideas were part of an ironically collective memory of the unlabelled acts of humanity of their ancestors.
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1904 American actress, fan dancer, and bubble dancer Sally Rand was born in Elkton, Missouri.

 
1977 Apple was incorporated by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, and it later became one of the most valuable companies in the world, known for innovative computer and electronic products.
 
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An essay on Lights and Tall Tales. Long Beach/Oak Island was ‘discovered’ by my parents sometime right after WWII from what I’ve pieced together. Of course the 13 mile-long island had been the site of projects and dreams for centuries. Native Americans, Dawhee, Waccamaw, and Winya fished the area and through the colonial period people came and went. Nearby on Bald Head Island a lighthouse was built in 1817 and at the Eastern end the Oak Island Lighthouse beams its four powerful bursts of sweeping light across Frying Pan Shoals. It was erected in 1958. That light and I were born the same year.

Fort Caswell, built in 1836, stands at the north end of the island near the light. Designed to guard the mouth of the Cape Fear River from marauding pirates, the fort, a twin of sorts to Fort Fisher, was in operation through The Civil War to World War One. For decades (since 1949) the grounds have been home to Southern Baptist summer camps. My aunts Burdine and Leisel Womble went there for weeklong Bible Study as did cousins and friends. I was spared for some reason though growing up I visited those ruined fortifications many times.

I think it was T.L. And Mrs. Smith that cultivated in my parents their love of Long Beach. They seem to have been on the leading edge of folks in the Piedmont investing in the beach. They were from #SilerCity (he started Smith and Buckner Funeral Home there with B.B. Buckner in 1933). He talked my Momma and Deddy into buying a lot there when the only way onto the island was a ‘swinging’ bridge. They built a house which they used far, far too seldom but rented out for decades. Many, many folks from Chatham County spent vacations in that place.

We mostly only went to the beach in the winter when the house wasn’t rented. We’d head out of #Bonlee on Saturday afternoon after closing the hardware store and return late Sunday night. Even as a young boy that trip down and back seemed a bit frustratingly quick but I also could tell that my parents dearly loved the simple act of ‘getting away.’ Growing up that house very mercifully had no telephone. I didn’t get it as a child. I now understand such a welcome sense of ‘disconnecting.’

Heading back home from Long Beach late on a Sunday meant night driving for Deddy. It also meant that as we drove old highway 87 homeward that we passed over the railroad tracks at Maco. I have mentioned before the prominent place that John Harden’s ‘The Devil’s Tramping Ground and Other North Carolina Mystery Stories’ held in my growing up years. Having been raised up so close to the famous Satanic lair mentioned in the title and having been treated to Tall Tale upon Tall Tale by the clientele of #BonleeHardwareStore, I was more than curious about any and all mysterious phenomena.

So we had to slow way down and look look look down the track as we crossed the railroad there at Maco on the way back from the beach to spy the light of Old ‘Joe’ Baldwin’s lantern as he searched for his missing head. I’m sure I saw it at least once. In college once I even trekked down the trail there in pursuit and on another occasion some very peculiar things transpired along that desolate stretch of highway. I won’t go there with that story here though others might. And all this leads to the #OnThisDay..and a most disappointing news report…read on just below and in the clipping image attached for the full story:

#OTD 1856 (January 4) Conductor Charles Baldwin was mortally injured in a train accident near Wilmington. From this tragedy was born the Ghost Tale of The Maco Light and headless ‘Joe’ Baldwin a-searching along the tracks, light in hand. The clipping below is from ‘The Wilmington Daily Journal’ January 11, 1856. Origins of Maco Light Legend Date to 1856



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donbosco said:
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An essay on Lights and Tall Tales. Long Beach/Oak Island was ‘discovered’ by my parents sometime right after WWII from what I’ve pieced together. Of course the 13 mile-long island had been the site of projects and dreams for centuries. Native Americans, Dawhee, Waccamaw, and Winya fished the area and through the colonial period people came and went. Nearby on Bald Head Island a lighthouse was built in 1817 and at the Eastern end the Oak Island Lighthouse beams its four powerful bursts of sweeping light across Frying Pan Shoals. It was erected in 1958. That light and I were born the same year.

Fort Caswell, built in 1836, stands at the north end of the island near the light. Designed to guard the mouth of the Cape Fear River from marauding pirates, the fort, a twin of sorts to Fort Fisher, was in operation through The Civil War to World War One. For decades (since 1949) the grounds have been home to Southern Baptist summer camps. My aunts Burdine and Leisel Womble went there for weeklong Bible Study as did cousins and friends. I was spared for some reason though growing up I visited those ruined fortifications many times.

I think it was T.L. And Mrs. Smith that cultivated in my parents their love of Long Beach. They seem to have been on the leading edge of folks in the Piedmont investing in the beach. They were from #SilerCity (he started Smith and Buckner Funeral Home there with B.B. Buckner in 1933). He talked my Momma and Deddy into buying a lot there when the only way onto the island was a ‘swinging’ bridge. They built a house which they used far, far too seldom but rented out for decades. Many, many folks from Chatham County spent vacations in that place.

We mostly only went to the beach in the winter when the house wasn’t rented. We’d head out of #Bonlee on Saturday afternoon after closing the hardware store and return late Sunday night. Even as a young boy that trip down and back seemed a bit frustratingly quick but I also could tell that my parents dearly loved the simple act of ‘getting away.’ Growing up that house very mercifully had no telephone. I didn’t get it as a child. I now understand such a welcome sense of ‘disconnecting.’

Heading back home from Long Beach late on a Sunday meant night driving for Deddy. It also meant that as we drove old highway 87 homeward that we passed over the railroad tracks at Maco. I have mentioned before the prominent place that John Harden’s ‘The Devil’s Tramping Ground and Other North Carolina Mystery Stories’ held in my growing up years. Having been raised up so close to the famous Satanic lair mentioned in the title and having been treated to Tall Tale upon Tall Tale by the clientele of #BonleeHardwareStore, I was more than curious about any and all mysterious phenomena.

So we had to slow way down and look look look down the track as we crossed the railroad there at Maco on the way back from the beach to spy the light of Old ‘Joe’ Baldwin’s lantern as he searched for his missing head. I’m sure I saw it at least once. In college once I even trekked down the trail there in pursuit and on another occasion some very peculiar things transpired along that desolate stretch of highway. I won’t go there with that story here though others might. And all this leads to the #OnThisDay..and a most disappointing news report…read on just below and in the clipping image attached for the full story:

#OTD 1856 (January 4) Conductor Charles Baldwin was mortally injured in a train accident near Wilmington. From this tragedy was born the Ghost Tale of The Maco Light and headless ‘Joe’ Baldwin a-searching along the tracks, light in hand. The clipping below is from ‘The Wilmington Daily Journal’ January 11, 1856. Origins of Maco Light Legend Date to 1856



IMG_6519.jpeg
Click to expand...
I went to Long Beach 1-2 weeks a year for maybe 40 years Often our family would rent three cottages. Old school-no air conditioning-pine walls not dry wall. And we often went with another family One year a bunch of us teenagers did sit all night on the aforementioned rail road tracks. Pretty sure we saw the light-but we were all pretty high
 
Once, in teen years, one night we drove down Long Beach in my friend's Olds Super 88 at low tide. Built a fire. Enjoyed mood altering chemicals, etc. Strolling around we came upon a large turtle; I'm guessing a leartherback. Being young, dumb and high, of course we had to mess with it, sat on it, etc. One of those things you regret having done for the next 50+ years.

Sunup brought us back to low tide and we could traverse the beach again.

I cannot call it Oak Island to save myself.
 
1973 American musician Bruce Springsteen released his debut album, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.

 
On this date in 1962, in his inaugural season as head coach, Dean Smith pushed his record to 3-1 with a crushing defeat of Notre Dame in Charlotte (99-80). Richard Vinroot, future mayor of that city, scored his only points as a Tar Heel.

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Carolina finished 8-9 and 7-7 in the ACC (4th place). This was the first year of a deemphasis of basketball at Carolina after scandal had forced successful head coach Frank McGuire to move on.

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