Ed Jackson and Charles Pou

The University of Georgia

August 28

1734 The first proposal for a Georgia lottery was made, though it was not to be a lottery for Georgia colonists. Rather, in London, the Georgia Trustees considered a preliminary proposal by Thomas Lownds to hold a lottery in Edinburgh or some other town in northern Britain for the benefit of Georgia in return for eight percent of the money raised. The nine trustees present unanimously approved the idea. However, because a quorum of the trustees' Common Council was not present, the issue was deferred to a future meeting. [See Sept. 11 entry.]

1929 Gov. Lamartine Hardman signed a proposed constitutional amendment to authorize a state income tax not to exceed five percent coupled with a reduction of the state ad valorem tax to a maximum of four mills the first year the income tax is collected, three mills the second year, and thereafter to two mills.

1931 Gov. Richard Russell signed an act providing for a major reorganization of the executive branch of Georgia state government.

Russell had campaigned for the office of governor during the Depression on a platform to restructure state government to promote economy and efficiency. One of the major results of the reorganization act was to abolish separate boards of trustees for each college and university in Georgia and instead create a single Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.

1945 Jackie Robinson met with the Dodgers' team owner Branch Rickey to discuss his future and the difficulties he would face as the first black player in major league baseball. Later, Robinson would agree to a salary of $600 per month, plus a $3,500 signing bonus, to break in with Montreal Royals farm club for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson would play with the Royals for the 1946 season before joining the Dodgers in l947.

1948 In a 12-7 Dodger victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, Jackie Robinson hit a single, double, triple, and home run--in the process scoring three runs and knocking in two more.

1962 After a nationwide appeal by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for clergymen to come to Albany and demonstrate for civil rights, seventy-four, including nine rabbis, eight Catholic laymen from Chicago and over forty Protestant ministers, were arrested following a march to city hall. The next day the Albany Herald proclaimed, "Crowd Cheers as Cops Clap Clerical Crowd in Calaboose."

For more, see the Albany Movment from the Civil Rights Digital Library.

1963 Martin Luther King Jr. gave his memorable "I Have a Dream" speech at Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington by 250,000 supporters of civil rights.

1976 At age 61, 6th District Congressman John "Jack" Flynt had represented Georgia in Congress for 22 years, ascending to chair the House Ethics Committee.

But on this day the Democrat learned he would again have Republican opposition in the general election for the second time. In 1974. Flynt was opposed by an upstart with no previous political experience – Dr. Newt Gingrich, a 31-year-old history professor from West Georgia College.

In the 1974 election, Flynt narrowly beat the first serious opposition of his congressional career. Now on Aug. 28, 1976, Gingrich kicked off his campaign for the House of Representatives. Once again, Flynt would prevail – but he saw the handwriting on the wall. This would be Flynt's last term, as he decided not to run for reelection. In 1978, Gingrich easily won the 6th Congressional District seat against Democratic challenger Virginia Shepard.

1996 In somewhat of a surprise, the Pittsburgh Pirates traded their left-handed pitching ace Denny Neagle to the Atlanta Braves in return for minor league prospects Ron Wright, Corey Painter and pitcher Jason Schmidt.

2008 The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools announced that the Clayton County School System was losing its accreditation because of a myriad of long standing problems with the school board. Close to a year later, accreditation would be restored after an overhaul of the school board and the hiring of a new superintendent, plus other improvements.

Georgia towns and cities incorporated by acts approved on August 28:

1883 Holt on (Bibb County), Temple (Carroll County), and Ty Ty (formerly Worth, now Tift County)

1889 Mc Rae (Telfair County)

In Their Own Words on This Day. . .

1736 In his journal entry for this day, John Wesley recorded a slight problem he encountered following a visit to the new Fort Frederica. Presumably from the southern end of St. Simons Island [see map], Wesley and a guide traveled by foot to the fort. Returning that evening, however, they got lost:

". . . I set apart, (out of the few we had) a few Books towards a Library at Frederica. In the Afternoon I walked to the Fort on the other side of the Island. About Five we set out homeward. But my Guide not being perfect in the Way, we were soon lost in the Woods. We walked on however as well as we could, till between Nine and Ten; when being heartily tired, and thirdly wet with Dew, we lay down and slept till Morning."

Source: [no author or editor cited], Our First Visit in America: Early Reports from the Colony of Georgia, 1732-1740 (Savannah: Beehive Press, 1974), p. 211.

1864 Despite Sherman's siege of Atlanta, Confederates were not always in a defensive mode, as Col. Fredrick Winkler of the 26th Wisconsin Infantry wrote to his wife:

"Quite early yesterday morning, squads of rebels appeared near our picket line, and patrols I sent out soon discovered a considerable force. About noon today they drove in a portion of our pickets, and at the same time opened upon our lines with two pieces of artillery. It was a reconnaissance, and when they found us posted here with infantry and artillery, they withdrew. We have a very nice place here now – a shady grove – and it would not be bad if we were to stay for a time. Our corps is in detachments at different points on the river, guarding our communications, while the rest of the army has gone on a big raid I suppose. General Locum has come and taken command of our corps. lie was here yesterday, just as the fight commenced, and stayed until it was over. In personal appearance and manner, he is very prepossessing. . . ."

Source: Civil War Letters of Major Fredrick C. Winkler, in 26th Wisconsin Infantry Volunteers Home Page

For more, see This Week in Georgia Civil War History.

1893 Covering the previous night's hurricane, one of the most deadly to strike the U.S., a Savannah newspaper reporter wrote:

"This morning Savannah is storm-swept. The beautiful city is demolished. Shade trees are strewn along the streets, and the beautiful parks have been stripped of green foliage. Roofs of tin peeled off like paper strips. . . . Sturdy brigs have been blown into the marshes . . . and ominous reports of flood and loss come up from quarantine.Rice and truck are ruined. . . . The storm seems equal to the gale of 1881. . . ."

Source: Savannah Press, Aug. 28, 1893.

1893 With headlines like "Ruin of the Winds," "Damage Beyond Estimate," "Hundreds of Buildings Unroofed," "Hutchinson's Island Inundated," and "A Night of Terror in the City," the Savannah Morning News gave further evidence of the magnitude of the hurricane that had hit the previous night:

"Almost on the anniversary of the great hurricane of 1881, Savannah was swept last night by one of the severest storms it has ever known. An estimate of the damage is yet impossible. Many lives, it is believed, have been lost on Hutchinson's Island, and on the lowlands of the river. The numbers, however, will probably never be known. . . . The storm was at its highest pitch between 10 and 11 o'clock, when the wind reached a velocity of 70 miles an hour, the greatest ever recorded by the weather bureau. . . . The rain fell in torrents and was blown like mist, beating against walls and building in sheets, flooding the streets and penetrating every crevice, beating its way under roofs, smashing window panes and pouring in streams into residences and business houses, deluging everything."

Source: Savannah Morning News, Aug. 28, 1893.