NOVEMBER 14 — 1776 Britain announces Ben Franklin’s allegiance to America; 1851 Moby Dick published; 2006 The Pig Stand closes down; SPORTS: Suns beat Portland in quadruple OT, MLB MVP Awards, 1888 USC Methodists/Trojans play 1st football game
NOVEMBER 14
1776 – British publicly announce Ben Franklin’s allegiance to America.
…History.ocm says this was the day he switched sides but Franklin had switched sides years before this point. In 1776 he was in London opposing the Stamp Act. When the British wanted to raise taxes on the Americans to pay for the French and Indian Wars, Franklin argued that the Americans already paid more than their fair share. Then there was the incident with the Hutchinson letters, where Gov. Thomas Hutchinson and Lt. Governor Andrew Oliver had letters to King George to crack down on the Americans intercepted, and that was in 1774.
The British knew he was going to cause problems and ridiculed franklin in front of the Privy Council. On November 14, 1776, the St. James chronicle of London announced ”The very identical Dr. Franklyn, whom Lord Chatham so much caressed, and used to say he was proud in calling his friend, is now at the head of the rebellion in North America.”
1851 – Herman Melville publishes a story about a horrible, scary, ugly monstrosity that ravaged the seas. No, it wasn’t about my ex-girlfriend. I’m talking about Moby Dick, a story of how Cap. Ahab goes after the whale that crippled him and destroyed his boat. At first it as commercial flop, but after Melville’s death it began to grow fame in the underground scene. Throughout the 20th century it grew more and more famous and these days is considered an American cultural icon.
2006 – The Pig Stand closed down. The world’s first drive through restaurant, created by Jessie Kirby built the first Pig Stand restaurant in Dallas on the corner of Fort Worth Pike Road and Chalk Hill Rd in October 1921, selling pig sandwiches. It was an instant hit. Within two and half years expanded to ten restaurants and were selling a total of 50,000 sandwiches per week. Allegedly these restaurants also gave us the fried onion ring, chicken-fried steak, and Texas toast. In fact it’s quite possible but somewhat debatable that Kirby and company came up with the concept of the restaurant franchise.
When customers pulled up, young men and women, mostly teenagers, would run to the car to take the order. The boys wore white shirts and black bow ties, the girls would ride roller skates. Kirby once said that people with cars are so lazy they want to eat at a restaurant without leaving their cars. The concept was simple: good looking young people, tasty food, speedy service, and auto-based convenience. By 1934, 130 franchises, mostly in California and Florida had popped up. Unfortunately for the franchise, WWII hit and the restaurant started having a hard time making ends meet. By 2006 only six restaurants were left, and they closed down as well. In 2007, it got a new breath when bankruptcy trustees made it possible for one Pig Stand to stay open in San Antonio. Good stuff.
1997 – Phoenix Suns beat Portland 140-139 in an amazing 4 OTs. MVP go out to A-Rod 2005, zJuan Gonzales of Rangers in 1996, Reggie Jackson for the As in 1973, Hank Araron in 1957, Mickey Mantle in 1956, Ted Williams in 1946. Cy Young awards go out to Randy Johnson of AZ in 2000, Doug Drabek in 1990, Mark Davis of the Padres in 1989 Jim Palmer of the Orioles in 1973. Finally 1888, the USC Tojans, then the Methodists, played their first football game.