By registering for your own account, you'll get instant access to member benefits:
|
|
Ruffner Hotel
Go back to Ruffner Hotel
1885
The Ruffner Hotel was built in Charleston Other events that happened on or around 1885 Parents of Walter Aegerter, Gottfried and Marianna Dubach Aegerter, moved to Helvetia Sumner School in Parkersburg added high school courses to its curriculum for black students. Annie Bartlett married Leonidas Bartlett Belle Boyd married her third husband Nathaniel High Flat Top Coal Company established its headquarters in Bramwell The state song "The West Virginia Hills" written by Ellen Ruddell was put to music by Henry Everett Engle The Hale House burned down in Charleston The move of the capital to Charleston occurred Jacob Beeson Jackson left office as governor of West Virginia Frances Benjamin Johnston ended her studies in Paris at the Academie Julian One of the state's earliest telephone systems was installed in Weston John H. Lilly planted two or three oak trees that are still standing today John McGraw left as Taylor County prosecuting attorney The Berkeley Castle was built as a summer cottage The capital moved permanently back to Charleston aboard the Chesapeake and Belle Prince The former state capital was used for the Ohio County Courthouse Ohio Valley Trades and Labor Assembly moved its offices to Wheeling Christopher Payne established the West Virginia Enterprise. A new owner resumed mining at Ritchie Mines The "West Virginia Mission" was organized under the Ohio conference Morris Shawkey entered business college I.C. White wrote an article in Science asserting his rediscovery of the anticlinal theory in the location of oil and gas Woodlawn was incorporated as a public cemetery
1891
First bridge built across the Kanawha River, in Charleston Other events that happened on or around 1891 State Board of Agriculture set up by legislature Legislature created a state banking department There were 49 state banks and 22 national banks in West Virginia Collection of Ambrose Bierce's Civil War stories, Tales of Soldiers and Civilians (also known as In the Midst of Life) was published Fannie Cobb Carter earned teaching degree from Storer College in Harpers Ferry WVU Mountaineers played first football game against University of Pittsburgh Clarksburg investors acquired the Telegram First principal of present Concord University Capt. James Harvey French died James Dye graduated from Starling Medical College in Cincinnati William Dawson became chairman of Republican state committee Alexander L. Wade's education graduating system was made compulsory statewide Stephen Elkins was appointed secretary of war by President Harrison George Peterkin built the Church of the Good Shepherd in Parkersburg Town of Ansted was incorporated, named for David T. Ansted The Central City brewery was built by American Brewing Company Fostoria Glass Company relocated to Moundsville Construction on Graceland began in Elkins John P. Hale wrote History of the Great Kanawha Valley Hamilton Hatter became a member of the college board of trustees George Imboden was elected the first mayor of Ansted The "Australian" or standardized printed ballot was adopted in West Virginia Paris Brumfield was murdered by his son Charley in the wake of the Lincoln County Feud The "government lock" was built on Little Kanawha River near Burning Springs The federal government built a fifth lock and dam near burning springs The Moundsville Daily Echo was established as a weekly newspaper C. F. Millspaugh arrived at WVU The Mount Carbon Prehistoric Site was investigated by Col. P. W. Norris for the Smithsonian Institution's Bureau of American Ethnology John T. McGraw purchased the land at Marlinton. Pruntytown was originally established as the Industrial School for Boys Pruntytown was originally established as the Industrial School for Boys. Postmaster General John Wanamaker conducted a limited experiment with rural free delivery in the Eastern Panhandle Labor organization lobbied for the law regulating scrip The Seneca Glass Company opened in Fostoria, Ohio James David Shaw became editor of the Moundsville Daily Echo Telephone switchboards were installed at Clarksburg The Martinsburg Mining, Manufacturing and Improvement Company developed a subdivision for workers McDowell County seat located to Welch The Norfolk & Western Railway Company extended its line into McDowell County The Historical Society asked the West Virginia legislature for funding Harriet Lyon became the first woman to receive a degree from WVU The Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway was completed to Martin's Ferry Ohio Emanuel Wilson authored a new election law
1900
The Lilly family began ownership of the Ruffner Hotel Other events that happened on or around 1900 West Virginia had 100,000 farms on 8.9 million acres Charles Ambler served as sheriff of Pleasants County for two years B&O added the Monongahela River Railroad (Fairmont to Clarksburg) There were 600 Baptist churches in West Virginia Raleigh County Republicans launched the Raleigh Herald Berkeley County population was 19,469 First women on the Bethany College board of trustees Jesse Bloch entered the family Bloch Brothers Tobacco Company Alonzo Brooks completed a business course at West Virginia Wesleyan College Capon Springs developer William H. Sale died Cass was founded by West Virginia Pulp & Paper Company West Virginia Pulp & Paper built paper mill at Covington, Virginia The Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) completed its Greenbrier Division into Pocahontas County to harvest red spruce on Cheat and Back Allegheny mountains Moses Donnally sold the Charleston Gazette Davis Child Shelter, an orphanage, was established in Charleston First sewer lines were installed in Clarksburg Coal production had doubled Little evidence of the Coal River locks and dams remained West Virginia chapter of the Colonial Dames of America was organized Only remnant populations of deer and turkey were noted West Virginia's median age was below national average at 20.3 Doddridge County population was 13,689 William Edwards wrote a book on the authorship of Shakespeare's plays Fairmont Times was first published by Gen. C. L. Smith and O. S. McKinney Thaddeus Fowler returned to West Virginia Garnet High School was founded with a class of 12 black students Howard Gore graduated from WVU with a degree in agriculture Harrison County held a population of 27,690 Nancy Hart and husband Joshua Douglas settled in Webster County Morris Harvey founded the Fayette National Bank William "Coin" Harvey moved to Arkansas to begin building a retreat and vacation resort The population of Helvetia reached 500 people The first time the word "hillbilly" was used in print, in a New York newspaper Reported 1,062 native Hungarians in West Virginia Water power began being used for the production of electricity in West Virginia, at Kanawha Falls Census reported 2,458 Indians living in West Virginia There were 18 farms of the settlers on the Irish Tract Jackson County's population rose to 19,000 Don Redman was born in Piedmont The Kanawha Falls were augmented by a low dam Oil and natural gas in high quantities was found in Lewis County Cousin Abe Lilly received a law degree from the Southern Normal University, Tennessee Railroad replaces streams as the chief means of transporting logs to sawmills The Benwood Ironworks grew into a large steel mills James Miller ceased to be Summers County prosecuting attorney James Miller ran unsuccessfully for state auditor Steam and electric fans made larger mines possible The completion of the C&O Railway's Greenbrier Division to Marlinton put the Minnehaha Springs within reach of travelers Fairmont's first electric streetcar line built Morgantown population was at 1,895 The Morgantown Glass Works began production A developer began selling oceanfront lots for $25 in Myrtle Beach The anticlinal theory of oil and gas was applied along Sand Fork of the Little Kanawha The Toledo & Ohio Central gained control of the Kanawha & Michigan and the Kanawha & West Virginia Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad began purchasing the N&W stock E.M. Carney purchased the Pence Springs property Kanawha County had the largest population with 54,696 residents. The largest city in the state was Wheeling with a population of 38,878. St. Joseph's Hospital was founded by Patrick J. Donahue Samuel and Violet Bryant got their first jobs on showboats James H. Brown's obelisk was erected at Spring Hill Cemetery Interurban railway operations began in Huntington Tyler County's oil and gas boom peaked Wayne County population was at 23,619 Wings were added to Woodburn Hall at WVU Weston had municipal water plant, sanitary and storm sewer systems and brick paved streets West Virginia Pulp & Paper began constructing a sawmill in Cass A nursing school was founded at Wheeling Hospital The Collins Colliery company store burned Matthew Whittico moved to Keystone Buffalo, elk, gray wolf and passenger pigeon had all disappeared from West Virginia The second courthouse at Winfield was built Wirt County's population peaked at 10,284 Carter G. Woodson became principal of Douglass High School The first record of the ballad "The Wreck on the C&O" came out
1929
Charleston's Daniel Boone hotel was built by the Community Hotel Corporation Other events that happened on or around 1929 Don Chafin moved to Huntington Charleston National Bank had merged with five other banks Clarksburg reached peak population at 35,115 Justus Collins consolidated mining properties into Winding Gulf Collieries Company Phil Conley published the first West Virginia Encyclopedia Coal companies collapsed, and Consolidation Coal went into receivership West Virginia Collegiate Institute became West Virginia State College Otis Rymer Snodgrass released West Virginia the State Beautiful, a film Guy B. Johnson published John Henry: Tracking Down a Negro Legend Earl T. Andrews was assigned to design and construct a Berkeley plant by Pennsylvania Glass Sand Corporation The Golden Horseshoe Contest started by Phil Conley All but one of the county seats had at least one hard-surfaced outlet The broad-gauge Harrisville Southern Railroad ceased to run to Cornwallis in Ritchie County
1941
Attorney General Abraham A. "Cousin Abe" Lilly resided in the penthouse at the Ruffner Hotel Other events that happened on or around 1941 UMWA eliminated the traditional wage differences between northern and southern coalfields Cleve Bailey appointed director of the state budget Main structure of the Buckhannon Highways Garage was built by prison labor The administration building was built at Buckhannon Highways Garage Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper were married Rose Cousins went to Tuskegee Institute to try out for the Air Force training program for black combat pilots West Virginia: A Guide to the Mountain State was published An extension was added to the original 1927 Diamond Department Store building Joanne Dru married Dick Haymes West Virginia Farm Bureau Service Company was sold to Southern States Cooperative Ruel Foster joined the faculty of WVU Earle T. Andrews became general manager of operations of the Berkeley Glass Sand Mining Plant in Morgan County Governor Neely appointed Howard Gore to the state's three-man Public Service Commission Alberta Pierson Hannum wrote The Gods and One Roy Lee Harmon wrote Around the Mountains Homer Holt began practicing law in Charleston Another Textile Workers of America strike occurred at Interwoven Mills It's Wheeling Steel radio program moved to the NBC Blue Network Johnnie Johnson left West Virginia The first funds were allocated by legislature for libraries Hubert Skidmore wrote Hawks Nest Hubert Skidmore wrote Hawks Nest The Little Beaver Lake was created with the damming of Little Beaver Creek Joseph Long left office as president of Huntington Chamber of Commerce The electric railway from McMechen and Moundsville were replaced by buses Walter Martens began a partnership with his son Robert Martens Sandy Mason died Matilda Mason became the president of Mason College of Music and Fine Arts Labor leader Joe Powell began work as a glass cutter for Roland Glass Company in Clarksburg. An article by Clay Perry in the Saturday Evening Post describes four cavers trapped in the Sinks of Gandy for five hours Col. H. Clare Hess was appointed superintendent at the State Police Academy The National Labor Relations Board found Weirton Steel guilty of unfairly promoting its company union The Stone & Thomas department store chain came to Charleston The butadiene plant at Institute had capacity of 80,000 tons/year Morris Harvey College became a self-governing independent college The Navy named a light cruiser the U.S.S. Huntington Volkmar Wentzel enlisted in the Air Force A mine strike at Widen occurred WSAZ radio began fulltime operation and assumed frequency of 930 kHz New River State College was renamed the West Virginia Institute of Technology (now WVU Institute of Technology) Chuck Yeager enlisted in the Army Air Corps Hurry-up Yost retired as Michigan's athletic director Helen Froelich married Rush Holt
1946
A historic fire destroyed many buildings in Charleston Other events that happened on or around 1946 Work on the Bluestone Dam resumed
1970
The Ruffner Hotel closed and was demolished for a parking lot Other events that happened on or around 1970 Muriel Dressler published "Appalachia" Easton Roller Mill was willed to the Monongalia Historical Society Ann Flagg died in Illinois Jack Fleming became sports director of WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh Jack Fleming became announcer for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association Ruth Ann Musick published Green Hills of Magic Fort Ashby was listed on the National Register of Historic Places Population of Grant County was at 8,607 Alberta Pierson Hannum's book Spin a Silver Dollar radio play was published as The Blue House by U.S. Information Agency The National Park Service opened the Harpers Ferry Center, to serve National Park units nationwide Frank Haymond received the American Bar Association's ABA Medal Henry Clay Furnace was added to the National Register of Historic Places James Dickey's novel, Deliverance, made the term "hillbilly" sinister Every Ohio River county except Jackson had at least one chemical plant Sam Huff ran unsuccessfully for Congress Alice Moore was elected to the Kanawha County Board of Education as an opponent of sex education Kanawha Records stopped recording Kenova population peaked at 5,000 Maryat Lee moved to Powley Creek Everett Lilly moved back to Raleigh County following son's death Alex Mahood died Joe Manchin graduated from WVU with a bachelor's in business administration The tannery in Marlinton closed Paul Marshall became a registered architect Irene McKinney received her master's from WVU The Meadow River Lumber Company was sold to Georgia-Pacific Arnold Miller was forced to retire from mining by black lung disease and arthritis Alan Mollohan began a Fairmont law firm Ona presented four NASCAR Grand National races Mylan Pharmaceuticals incorporated in Pennsylvania as Mylan Laboratories Justin B. Roberts became president of Ohio Valley College (now University) Squire Parsons graduated from West Virginia Institute of Technology The Penn Central Railroad corporation entered bankruptcy Frank Beyer purchased the Philippi mummies The first VHF non-commercial station in the state, WSWP-TV, started in Grandview Rock Springs Park shut down and was purchased by the Department of Highways. The first indication of Jay Rockefeller's intention to run for governor came when he spoke out against strip mining David Selby earned a doctorate in drama from Southern Illinois University The Meadow River Lumber Company closed Jim Comstock republished Hubert Skidmore's Hawks Nest Ada "Bricktop" Smith recorded her only recording, "So Long, Baby," with Cy Colemen The South Charleston Mound was placed on the National Register of Historic Places State Police department headquarters relocated to new facilities Jerry West led the NBA in scoring The Folklore Society met at WVU The Highlands Conservancy worked to make cranberry backcountry a federal wilderness area Federal Highway Act passed allowing tolls to be retained Bob Wise received a B.A. from Duke University Bill Withers moved to Los Angeles WSAZ changed to WGNT An addition was added to the Kanawha (now Yeager) Airport View Articles by Existing Key Dates or Specify Your Own Date Range |
West Virginia Humanities Council | 1310 Kanawha Blvd E | Charleston, WV 25301 Ph. 304-346-8500 | © 2024 All Rights Reserved
About e-WV | Our Sponsors | Help & Support | Contact Us The essential guide to the Mountain State can be yours today! Click here to order.