The Women’s Prison – Today In Southern History
13 August 1863
13 August 1863
On this date in 1863…
The crumbling and overcrowded Women’s Prison in Kansas City, Missouri collapsed, killing four women under age 20, and wounding many others who were jailed for aiding relatives in Confederate guerrilla bands or regular service. The incident was one of several northern atrocities that lead to the retaliation of the Lawrence, Kansas raid.
Other Years:
1608 - Captain John Smith’s story of Jamestown’s early days was submitted for publication in England
1728 – A hurricane struck Okracoke Island, North Carolina, sinking many ships and claiming many lives.
1906 – Black U.S. Army soldiers raided Brownsville, Texas. President Theodore Roosevelt orders dishonorable discharge for 167 of them.
1931 – The first community hospital in the U.S. was dedicated in Elk City, Oklahoma.
1934 – Al Capp’s comic strip “L’il Abner” first appeared in newspapers showcasing the adventures of the residents of Dogpatch, Arkansas.
1952 - Blues singer Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton of Ariton, Alabama recorded the song “Hound Dog,” later covered by Elvis Presley
1956 - Elvis Presley released the single record “Don’t Be Cruel”
1963 – U.S. Customs agents confiscated 21 gold coins from The Witte Museum in San Antonio, Texas.
1966 - Longview, Texas, radio station KLUE was struck by lightning the day after holding a “Beatles Bonfire.” The strike knocked an engineer unconscious and caused extensive damage.
1979 – The St. Louis Cardinals’ Lou Brock got his 3,000th career hit.
1986 – US Football League star Herschel Walker signed to play with the Dallas Cowboys.
2004 – Hurricane Charley, a Category 4 storm, struck at Punta Gorda, Florida and devastated the surrounding area.
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