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Bringing West Virginia to your fingertips!

e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia is the comprehensive reference resource for the Mountain State of West Virginia. Based on the best-selling West Virginia Encyclopedia, e-WV offers thousands of articles on West Virginia’s people and places, history, arts, science and culture.

e-WV is a project of the West Virginia Humanities Council.

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  • Wheeling Jamboree The Wheeling Jamboree began broadcasting its live show from the stage of the Capitol Theatre in downtown Wheeling on April 1, 1933. Read More »

  • Ramps Ramp dinners are popular in April Read More »

  • Mine disaster Twenty-nine miners were killed in an explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine in Raleigh County on April 5, 2010. Photo by Tom Hindman. Read More »

  • Dogwood Flowering trees are already in bloom, a sure sign of spring in West Virginia. Read More »

  • Paint Creek-Cabin Creek Strike On April 18, 1912, the miners at Paint Creek and Cabin Creek went on strike. What followed was one of the most dramatic and bloodiest conflicts of what became known as the Mine Wars Read More »

  • Eccles Mine Disaster On April 28, 1914, 183 miners died in explosion at Eccles No. 5 mine in Raleigh County Read More »

  • Benwood Disaster On April 28, 1924, an explosion ripped through the Benwood coal mine south of Wheeling, killing 119 miners Read More »

This Date in History

April 18, 1861: Several companies of the Virginia militia closed in on the Union soldiers defending Harpers Ferry Armory and Arsenal

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In 1794, President George Washington received congressional approval to establish armories and arsenals throughout the young nation. The second site selected was Harpers Ferry. Located at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, the village had abundant water power and was only 62 miles from the national capital at Washington. From 1800 to 1861, the arsenal produced...

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