APRIL 28 — 1758 Happy Birthday James Monroe; 1881 Billy the Kid escapes from jail; 11997 The Big Duck becomes a historic landmark in Long Island
APRIL 28
1758-Happy birthday the Last of Crooked Hats.
James Monroe, The last president from the Founding Fathers was born in Westmoreland County in VA in 1758. He attended the College of William and Mary, fought with distinction in the Continental Army, and practiced law in Fredericksburg, Virginia. In the Revolution, his shoulder was injured by a musket in the Battle of Trenton.
As a young politician, Monroe was a Jeffersonian and was elected US Senator. As served as Minister to France and assisted Robert Livingston with negotiating the Louisiana Purchase. By 1816 the Federalist party was falling apart, so Monroe’s Republican ideals, backed by support from President Madison, made him an easy candidate for president. In Monroe’s Cabinet, he chose Southerner James Calhoun as Secretary of War, Northerner John Quincy Adams as Secretary of State. He almost had a westerner, but Henry Clay refused to join his cabinet.
The Era of Good Feelings began with President Monroe, even thoug the feelings weren’t good for long. Monroe tried to ease tensions over slavery by dividing the number of slave and free states in two, and then realized the whole concept of slavery went against the Constitution he helped develop as well as the Declaration of Independence he signed.
When Missouri’s request to join the Union as a slave state was denied, the Missouri Compromise became the answer by admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state. He purchased Florida from Spain in 1821. He worked with future president and Secretary of State John Quincy Adams to extend America harbor and fishing rights in the Pacific Northwest, where the US jointly occupied the Oregon Country along with Great Britain.
In 1823, he created the Monroe Doctrine which stated that further efforts by Eruopean nations to colonize land or interfere with Latin American countries woulc be viewed as acts of aggression, requiring U.S. intervention.
1881-Billy the Kid escapes from jail.
What a story.
He was set for execution for May 13 and held under guard by two of Pat Garrett’s deputies, James Bell and Robert Olinger on the top floor of the two story courthouse. On April 27, while Garrett was out of town, Billy somehow managed to kill both gaurds and escaped.
The details are a little shady. One account suggested a sympathizer placed a revolver in a nearby commode that Billy was permitted to use, under escort, each day. Billy supposedly retrieved the gun, and turned it on Bell when the pair had reached the top of a flight of stairs in the courthouse.
Another theory holds that Billy slipped off his handcuffs at the top of the stairs, struck Bell over the head with them, grabbed Bell’s own gun and shot him with it. Either way, Bell fell down the stairs to his death, and Billy grabbed Ollinger’s 10-gauge double barrel shotgun, both barrels fully loaded. Billy waited at the upstairs window for his second guard, who had been across the street with some other prisoners, to respond to the gunshot and come to Bell’s aid. As Ollinger came running into view, Billy leveled the shotgun at him, yelled Hello Bob, and killed him.
And just like that, he was gone. Emilio Estevez plays that part in the movie Young Guns perfectly.
1997 The Big Duck becomes a historic landmark.
Sadly, many Americans don’t realize that in addition to everything else Long Island has to offer, there’s a giant 20’x30’ duck.
It was built in1930 and 1931 by duck farmer Martin Maurer to house his poultry store where he sold ducks and duck eggs. Cute, huh? It’s called literalism in advertising. You look at the duck and you know exactly what product they’re selling. Not to be confused with the psychiatry office down the street; that’s the quack building. Just kidding psychiatrists the eyes are made out of Ford Model T headlights. In 1939 the Big Duck moved to Suffolk County. I don’t know if it flew there or if it was moved, but I’m guessing it would take one heck of a hurricane to make this building fly.
It was on this day in 1997 that designated a national historic spot, and in 2007 our fine feathered friend moved back to Long Island, which by the way is spelled L-O-N Island. During the Christmas season it’s decorated with holiday lights and ornaments.
Just ducky!
1979—One of the large daggers goes into the heart of disco as Blondie brings New Wave music to the Hot 100 as Heart of Glass goes to Number 1.