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Public Health
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1881
West Virginia Board of Health was established Other events that happened on or around 1881 Booker T. Washington married his first wife, Fannie Smith, at the African Zion Baptist Church West Virginia contracted with Storer College in educating African-American teachers Congress gave $5,000 to Smithsonian to conduct excavations relating to prehistoric Mound Builders George Atkinson wrote After the Moonshiners West Virginia's first general banking law repealed Legislature elected Johnson N. Camden to the U.S. Senate Nathan Goff Jr. served as secretary of navy under President Hayes The West Virginia Board of Health was established George Imboden became the president of the Fayette County Commission Jacob Beeson Jackson began service as governor John Jacob was appointed Ohio County circuit judge The lock and dam on the Elk River was removed Joseph Long moved to Wheeling William MacCorkle married Belle Goshorn Henry Mathews returned to Lewisburg C.F. Millspaugh received a medical degree from the New York Homeopathic Medical College The Norfolk & Western Railway was a result of a merger between the Atlantic, Mississippi & Ohio Railroad and Shenandoah Valley Railroad Daniel Purinton became vice-president and acting president of West Virginia University. William Rosecrans served in Congress from California Johann Stifel died Frederick Douglass spoke on the campus of Storer College The current Monroe County courthouse was built in Union Alexander Wade published A Graduating System for Country Schools West Union was incorporated The first West Virginia State Fair was held at Wheeling Island Albert White moved to Parkersburg Emanuel Wilson finished his service in the House of Delegates Thomas Davis moved with his family to Huntington
1903
The West Virginia death rate from smallpox was reported as being from 12 to 20 percent of reported cases Other events that happened on or around 1903 Barger Springs property purchased by company of 30 investors Ambrose Bierce returned to Randolph and Pocahontas counties to revisit locations where he had served in the Civil War The town of Bretz and the mining plant were built by West Virginia Coal Company Camden Park was established Col. E. G. Via became park manager Annex was built across from State Capitol Construction on the new section of the Coal & Coke Railway began Grover Lewis was born in Alabama John Harrington Cox received appointment in English Department of WVU Legislature enacted a uniform teachers' examination law William Edwards produced a book of Edwards family genealogy Fairmont Coal Company was absorbed into Consolidation Coal Company of Maryland William Glasscock was admitted to the bar The Coal & Coke Railroad was completed from Elkins to Durbin. A junction was made at Durbin with the C&O and the Coal & Iron railroads Capt. Greene built the side-wheel packet Greenland Harrison County was fourth in the state in total tons of coal produced A compulsory attendance law was enacted The Homer Laughlin Company traded factories with the National China Company The House of Delegates grew to 86 delegates Teddy Weatherford was born in Bluefield Herman Kump attended the University of Virginia law school Carnegie library was established in Huntington Reported 63% of McKendree Hospital's patients were miners Local businessmen bought the Fairmont Electric Light and Power Plant The Morgantown Glass Works employed more than 400 people Oak Hill was incorporated The Owens bottle-making machine was invented by Michael Owens President Theodore Roosevelt appointed Christopher Payne as consul general to the Danish West Indies The Barbour County courthouse was constructed at Philippi Melville Davisson Post married Ann Bloomfield Gamble Schoolfield A new wing was added to St. Joseph's Hospital John G. Knutti became administrator of Shepherd College The Pope Dock Company built the Eisenbarth Henderson Floating Theater-The New Great Modern Temple of Amusement The Parkersburg & Marrietta Interurban was built An interurban railway line was built from Sistersville to New Martinsville The Parkersburg & Ohio Valley Electric Railway was built T. C. Townsend opened a law office in Fayettesville The USS Huntington was constructed at Newport News The West Virginia State Federation of Labor was founded Carter Woodson accepted an administrative and teaching assignment in the Philippines Zane Grey wrote Betty Zane Paul Wissmach and Joseph Reininger began to manufacture stained glass as the Empire Glass Company in Paden City T. G. Nutter opened a law office in Charleston
1906
19 cases of smallpox were reported in Hampshire County Other events that happened on or around 1906 There were 35 churches belonging to the African Methodist Episcopal denomination with 1,002 members in West Virginia Hotel at Barger Springs opened to the public The Carter Opera House, Beckley's first theater, opened Florence Blanchfield graduated from the South Side Training School for Nurses in Pittsburgh Robert Page Sims became president of Bluefield Colored Institute (now Bluefield State University) Stephen B. Elkins acquired Bretz West Virginia Central & Pittsburg Railroad intersected by Coal & Coke Railroad Charleston National Bank moved to Capitol Street J. R. Clifford was chairman of committee on arrangement of the meeting of Niagara Movement Explosion in Parral Mine killed 23 Collins and Whipple mines were sold to New River Company Columbia Corporation formed to construct high pressure pipeline to West Virginia gas fields Fleming-Watson family acquired control of Consolidation Coal Company Wehrle B. Geary opened the Diamond Shoe Store Country club moved to location in Edgewood section of Charleston Fenton Art Glass Company built factory in Williamstown Follansbee became a city The First National Bank of Glenville and Glenville Banking and Trust Company were created H.B. Moore was hired as the Greenbrier Presbyterial School headmaster and reintroduced military curriculum Henry Hatfield was elected to the McDowell County court Hamilton Hatter and much of the Bluefield Colored Institute (now Bluefield Stat College) faculty was replaced The federal Antiquities Act was passed as first legislation aimed at protecting federally owned historic sites The Hitchman Coal & Coke Company began notifying employees they could only be employed if they agreed not to join the UMWA Interwoven Mills had 2,000 domestic accounts Our Lady of Lebanon Church in Wheeling was founded William Leigh took a train excursion to New Mexico Madison was incorporated The Mason College of Music and Fine Arts was founded in Charleston by Dr. William Sandheger "Sandy" Mason Hu Maxwell and Richard E. Fast wrote The History and Government of West Virginia Another courthouse struggle ensued in Mercer County The Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad began running regular trains to Kingwood Virgil A Lewis reported the motto "Montani Semper Liberi" was suggested by Joseph H. Diss Debar The Morgantown News merged with the New Dominion to form the New Dominion-News West Virginia's natural gas production exceed that of any other state Calvin Price became the sole owner and editor of Pocahontas Times Reported six Salvation Army corps in West Virginia Morris Shawkey became superintendent of Kanawha County Schools William A. MacCorkle founded the Kanawha Land Company The Lewisburg & Ronceverte was built to the C&O John Swint established the Apostolic Mission Band for the Wheeling Roman Catholic Diocese The Ideal Glass Factory opened at West Union West Virginia Wesleyan College name was adopted A line connecting the Western Maryland and West Virginia Central was completed The New River Company bought Fayette County mines including Whipple Carter Woodson travelled around the world
1908
Responding to a worldwide epidemic, the Board of Health recommended that West Virginia make provision for the care and treatment of tuberculosis Other events that happened on or around 1908 Charles Ambler received a doctorate in social sciences Virginian Railway began building a new line Louis Bennett Sr. unsuccessfully ran for governor Legislature authorized the purchase of land to serve as training base Fannie Cobb Carter organized teacher-training department at West Virginia Colored Institute (now West Virginia State University) William Conley was appointed to unexpired term as West Virginia attorney general Forest fires destroyed 1.7 million acres Congress prepared way for establishment of National Forest Reserve in Monongahela Legislature replaced the Board of Examiners with state Board of Education 4-H movement in West Virginia began in Monroe County The German Dunkards changed their name to the Church of the Brethren William Glasscock resigned as internal revenue collector to run for governor Henry Hatfield became a member of the West Virginia Senate Herman Kump elected prosecuting attorney in Randolph County Clark W. May died William Alexander MacCorkle wrote Some Southern Questions I. T. Mann served as a delegate to the Republican national convention Johnson Camden McKinley became a millionaire coal operator The Mercer Healing Springs Corporation was bought out by Rufus G. Meador James Miller published History of Summers County Mrs. Alex. McVeigh Miller divorced her husband and moved to Boston after discovering his infidelities West Virginia legislature rejected every mine safety law proposed President Teddy Roosevelt advocated the formation of a federal agency to investigate mine accidents, teach accident prevention and conduct mine safety research Margaret Montague published In Calvert's Valley The Morgantown Weekly Post and the Morgantown Chronicle merged Anna Jarvis founded Mother's Day The Church of the Nazarene was established as a national body Matthew M. Neely was elected mayor of Fairmont There were 2,592 normal school-students Oak Park opened Poles became the third-largest immigrant group working in the West Virginia coal mines Ritter Park was originally purchased by the city of Huntington The last log drive of the St. Lawrence Boom and Manufacturing Company The West Virginia Socialist Party spread to Huntington E. M. Statler opened the Buffalo Statler The Wellsburg, Bethany & Washington interurban railway was built William P. Tams launched the Gulf Smokeless Coal Company in the new Winding Gulf coalfield An act of Congress provided for a battlefield monument at Point Pleasant Sistersville General Hospital was founded A. Fremont Gold and W. Alfred Gold built twin houses in Mason Vitrolite was manufactured by the Meyercord-Carter Company in Vienna Fire destroyed the building of the Baptist State Convention I.C. White wrote an extensive report on the coal resources of Brazil I.C. White was invited by the Teddy Roosevelt administration to speak at the first White House Conference on conservation Lenna Yost became the state president of WCTU Credit unions began appearing in the United States
1913
The state's first tuberculosis sanitarium was founded at Hopemont in Preston County Other events that happened on or around 1913 Commissioner assigned responsibility to regulate farm products The Allegheny Lodge was built Waitman Barbe wrote Great Poems Interpreted Walter Barnes wrote English in the Country School John Peale Bishop entered Princeton Charles F. Millspaugh wrote The Living Flora of West Virginia James Callahan wrote Semi-Centennial History of West Virginia Consolidated Manufactories pottery factory established by Merchants Association of Grafton John Harrington Cox collected his first folk song Henry Gassaway Davis was chairman of Semi-Centennial Commission Alston Dayton made the injunction from the Hitchman Coal & Coke v. John Mitchell case permanent Legislature passed act that provided for the employment of extension agents West Virginia appropriated fire protection funds The Glenville high school received its own building Nathan Goff served in the U.S. Senate The building of the central section of the Greenbrier Hotel and the Old White golf course were completed Legislature created the State Road Bureau Annual coal production exceeded 28 million tons Ritter Park in Huntington was fashioned from land originally intended for a city incinerator Louis Johnson was admitted to the bar in Clarksburg Harriet Jones helped to establish Hopemont Sanitarium Teepi Kendrick became the state agent in charge of the corn clubs for boys and canning clubs for girls Keyser was incorporated Supreme Court decisions on State ex rel. Nance v. Mays, Ex parte Jones, and Hatfield v. Graham were decided during the labor rebellion and accorded vast power to the executive branch to use martial law Weston became the southern terminus of regional electric trolley car service The second courthouse in Madison was torn down Redress was allowed under the original workers compensation statue Course work was added to Marshall University to include the equivalent of freshman and sophomore years of college Walter Martens began working as a draftsman in Danville The title was changed from Evening Journal to Martinsburg West Virginia Evening Journal Hu Maxwell co-authored West Virginia and Its People Bill McKell completed his own branch railroad to connect with the Virginian Railway at Pax John McWhorter left office as judge of West Virginia's 12th judicial circuit John McWhorter drafted the Yost Law, providing for enforcement of state prohibition The Mennonites building was moved to Roaring Creek The Minter Homes Corporation was established in Huntington A major refinery was built at St. Marys by Quaker State United States Senate looked into Paint Creek-Cabin Creek strike John Nugent was question by the U.S. Senate investigating committee for efforts to import strikebreakers to West Virginia John Nugent left West Virginia for Kentucky The Ohio Valley Trades and Labor Assembly fathered the state's first workers compensation bill The Ohio Valley Refining Company was established at St. Marys Livia Poffenbarger sold the State Gazette. Legislature passed the Yost law, under which prohibition was enforced, creating the Department of Prohibition The Public Service Commission was created by the legislature Leonard Riggleman passed the uniform teachers exam The first high school opened in Ripley St. Francis Hospital was founded by Patrick J. Donahue The Sacred Heart Hospital opened The Salt Sulphur Springs resort was closed The Star House was acquired by W. B. and Ida Skaggs Flags were unofficially made for the semi-centennial celebration featured a new design Stony River Reservoir was completed by West Virginia Pulp & Paper Company P. D. Strausbaugh graduated from Wooster (Ohio) College P. D. Strausbaugh began teaching at Wooster (Ohio) College A streetcar line between Sistersville and Middlebourne was built Congress passed the 16th Amendment for a federal income tax on corporation The Indian Camp Normal School was established Clarence W. Watson finished his term in the U.S. Senate John S. Bonar graduated from West Liberty "The West Virginia Hills" was published in The West Virginia Singer Legislature changed the name to Weston State Hospital West Virginia House of Delegates passed a state women's suffrage amendment
1915
The Board of Health was replaced by the Department of Health Other events that happened on or around 1915 Harry Stansbury contacted high schools across the state to participate The Belle Alkali Company started a plant near Belle The Warner-Klipstein Chemical Company started A Clarksburg newspaper became the Exponent-American First land for the Monongahela National Forest acquired Legislation gave authority to Forest, Game and Fish Warden to establish refuges for protection of wild game and birds Reinforced concrete began with C.A.P Turner Monument erected at Fort Lee site to mark the beginnings of Charleston Fostoria Glass's popular "American" pattern was fist designed and patented West Virginia Bureau of Mines reported 1,479 hand-loading miners employed at Gary The Mother's Pension Law was enacted Local timbering brought a narrow-gauge railroad to Helvetia The word "hillbilly" appeared in the title of a Harper's Monthly travel article, "Hobnobbing with Hillbillies" A 5-acre tract of land at Jackson's Mill was purchased by the Monongahela Power Company William "Keg" Purnell was born in Charleston Ann Baker was born Mother Jones testified before another congressional committee The New River & Pocahontas Consolidated Coal Company operated a series of drift mines at Layland, Fayette County Legislature passed bill to empower cities and towns to levy taxes for public libraries and reading rooms A monument to General Joseph Lightburn was placed at Vicksburg National Battlefield Park The Marcus family relocated to Farmington Marietta Manufacturing Company began operation in Point Pleasant The Concrete Steel Bridge Company built the Alderson bridge across the Greenbrier River Legislation called for provision for preventing underground mine fires and requiring foremen and fire bosses to pass state examination and receive state certification Margaret Montague published Closed Doors Ephraim Morgan was appointed to the Public Service Commission by Governor Hatfield Descendents of Hunter John Myers left the Sleepy Creek Mountain area A member of the Church of Nazarene moved to Mannington and started a church in his house Greasy Neale graduated from West Virginia Wesleyan College Greasy Neale played with the Canton (Ohio) Bulldogs Herschel C. Ogden became the owner of the Parkersburg News The legislature removed Workmen's Compensation from the Public Service Commision Dr. Burke offered the state of West Virginia property for use as a tuberculosis sanatorium Frederick Rhead received a gold medal at the San Diego Exposition for his design of mirror black pottery glaze Rat Rodgers lettered in football Benjamin Rosenbloom served as state senator from Wheeling The state legislature passed a primary law that made it difficult for third parties to be on the ballot The West Virginia legislature first imposed the corporate excise tax Charles Ward died H. Rus Warne designed the West Virginia Building at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco H. Rus Warne designed a Masonic Temple Building Walter B "Watt" Powell moved to Charleston The West Virginia Coal Association was formed Legislation changed the name of West Virginia Colored Institute to West Virginia Collegiate Institute (now West Virginia State university) State women's suffrage amendment was reintroduced Carter G. Woodson published The Education of the Negro Prior to 1861 Lenna Yost became the state legislative chair of the West Virginia Federation of Women's Clubs Thomas Davis resigned from National Guard Vernon Johnson was elected the youngest Speaker of the House of Delegates
1917
Denmar Sanitarium for black tuberculosis patients was established in Pocahontas County. Other events that happened on or around 1917 Charles Ambler's last year teaching history and political science at Randolph-Macon College Hotel built by Harvey Ghiz in Logan West Virginia Folklore Society became inactive Louis Bennett Jr. graduated from Yale First book of poetry, Green Fruit,was published by John Bishop Florence Blanchfield enlisted in the Army Nurse Corps Pearl Sydenstricker married John Lossing Buck Louis Watson Chappell received his B.A. from Wake Forest William Edwin Chilton completed his term as U.S. Senate and became publisher U.S. government hired DuPont Company to build new nitrocellulose plant 89.4 million tons of coal produced in West Virginia The Shenandoah (George Washington) National Forest was created U.S. Supreme Court supported Alston Dayton's "yellow dog" contracts ruling Legislature established the West Virginia State Colored Tuberculosis Sanitarium Diamond Shoe and Garment Co. received full department store status Natural gas peaked at 309 billion cubic feet Marion County in the Making was published Study of German in schools dropped due to the entrance of America in WWI Henry Hatfield entered the army medical corps as Captain West Virginia launched a series of highway improvements with creation of the State Road Commission The State Road Bureau was replaced by the State Road Commission The U.S. Supreme Court sustained the lower court ruling prohibiting UMWA from seeking to influence workers from breaking yellowdog contracts The House of Delegates grew to 94 delegates Itmann began mining the Pocahontas No. 3 coal seam in Wyoming County Billy Moore was born in Parkersburg Fanny Johnson and Vincent Costello moved back to Charleston Fanny Johnson's story "The Strange Looking Man" was included in a best short stories collection Mother Jones returned to West Virginia to hold meetings and seek union recognition in the Fairmont and Winding Gulf coalfield Frank Keeney became president of UMWA District 17 Harley Kilgore was commissioned a second lieutenant The town of Nitro was established by the U.S. War Department for the manufacture of munitions for WWI Fred Mooney became secretary-treasurer of UMWA District 17 Regents began to abolish high school courses in normal schools The U.S. government acquired the majority of land on Otter Creek for Monongahela National Forest The Owens Bottle Company opened a plant in the upper end of Kanawha City William Nelson Page moved to Washington. Pruntytown Correctional Center, near Grafton, offered eight years of education, providing a full grade-school education The Division of Vital Statistics was established by the West Virginia Legislature. Short lines, including the Coal & Coke Railway, became part of the B&O. The Reymann Memorial Farm was donated to WVU as two separate farms Rat Rodgers was named to the All-American teams Samuel Craig Shaw became editor of the Moundsville Daily Echo Capt. Thomas J. Reynolds built his first real showboat and named it America Five companies merged to form the Union Carbide and Carbon Corporation The USS Huntington was equipped for early experiments in naval aviation Commercial mining had started in Webster County The Montgomery Preparatory School was renamed the West Virginia Trades School (now WVU Institute of Technology) Lenna Yost became the president of the West Virginia Equal Suffrage Association Mordecai Johnson became pastor of Charleston’s First Baptist Church
1919
The state received a federal grant for the control of venereal disease. Other events that happened on or around 1919 There were 33 churches belonging to the African Methodist Episcopal denomination with 1,325 members The position of State Supervisor of Negro Schools and an appointed Negro Board of Education were created by the state White mob lynched two black miners at Chapmanville Alderson Baptist Academy became Alderson Baptist Academy and Junior College (now part of Alderson Broaddus University) Mary Atkeson competed a PhD in Literature at Ohio State University George Atkinson wrote Bench and Bar of West Virginia First state tournament for girls' high school basketball was held at Spencer John Peale Bishop was hired at Vanity Fair magazine after being stationed in Europe Bethlehem Steel Corporation acquired the Bretz property Don Chafin was shot when entering UMWA District 17 offices American chestnut trees provided West Virginia with 118 million board feet of lumber The normal school at Athens became independent as Concord State Normal School (now Concord University) National coal and steel strikes Governor John Cornwell supported the Red Flag legislation and Constabulary legislation in creating the State Police John Warren Davis became president of West Virginia Collegiate Institute (now West Virginia State University) Clarence Donnelly began his ministry Dunbar was laid out by Dunbar Development Company Legislature abolished first board and created a seven-member Board of Education Gertrude Humphrey began work in WVU extension system West Virginia enacted legislation that made it unlawful for livestock to be on the railroad right of way Harrison Ferrell was stricken with polio Nathan Goff married Katherine Penney The West Virginia Good Roads Federation campaigned for amendment to make road improvements under slogan "Help Pull West Virginia Out of the Mud" Greenwood Cemetery, on the National Road in Wheeling, became a nonprofit corporation Mayor C. C. Testerman named Sid Hatfield Matewan's police chief The Board of Children's Guardians was established Dave Gideon became the sole owner of the Huntington Herald-Dispatch The UMWA began efforts to unionize the mines of southern West Virginia The problem of sharing Virginia's debt was finally settled A large stone monument was erected at Jackson's Mill in the memory of Stonewall Jackson Mother Jones joined the steelworkers' organizing drive in Pittsburgh Joseph Joy won a patent for his design of a mechanical coal loader Frank Keeney announced his intention to unionize the remainder of southern West Virginia coal mines Teepi Kendrick helped found the West Virginia 4-H All Stars Lakin State hospital was established by an act of the Legislature Walter Martens began working for architect L. F. W. Stuebe of Danville Louis Marx established Louis Marx & Company Legislature provided for the establishment of mine rescue station to train personnel in rescue and first-aid work Margaret Montague's story "England to America" won the O. Henry Award Ephraim Morgan ran for governor Howard Sloan organized a congregation in Grafton Greasy Neale played in the World Series for the Cincinnati Reds The Nuttallburg mine was sold to Henry Ford The Owens Bottle Machine Company changed to the Owens Bottle Company Mateo Pinkard wrote his first hit, "Mammy 'o Mine" after moving to New York. 125 acres of land was purchased for the operation of the agriculture program. A poultry extension program was started in West Virginia The West Virginia Department of Prohibition began William Revercomb earned a law degree from the University of Virginia Red Ribble moved to Prince Rat Rodgers was named to the All-American teams Rat Rodgers was the leading scorer in the nation St. Mary's Glass opened S. Orestes Bond became president of Salem College Thomas C. Miller was designated president instead of principal of Shepherd College The Twin Mountain & Potomac railroad line ended WVU's football team amassed an 8-3 record Weirton Steel added a blast furnace Weirton Steel employees jumped to 11,630 Clint Thomas returned to Columbus after army service W. W. Trent became secretary of the West Virginia Education Association Tucker County's school enrollment peaked at 4,144 students Attempts to unionize southern West Virginia occurred West Virginia legislature created a Virginia Debt Sinking Fund to settle the Virginia Debt Byrd Prillerman left as president of West Virginia Colored Institute (now West Virginia State University) I. C. White received an honorary law degree from WVU Carter G. Woodson began Associated Publishers Company Carter G. Woodson began serving as Dean of Liberal Arts at Howard University West Virginians participated in the Russian Expedition, a military fiasco C. H. Mead completed the first commercial gas well in Wyoming County Lenna Yost became the Washington correspondent for the National WCTU's Union Signal West Virginia held a state basketball tournament for girls for the first time T. G. Nutter became the first African-American to represent Kanawha County in the House of Delegates
1921
Funding for maternal and child health began in West Virginia Other events that happened on or around 1921 Newton Diehl Baker served as a director of the Cleveland Trust Company and the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Walter Barnes became president of the West Virginia Education Association The Beckley Register began publishing twice a week Bluefield became the second city in the nation to adopt the city manager form of local government via charter International Nickel Company plant opened Blenko Glass established in Milton State Capitol Commission was created Louis W. Chappell received appointment in English Department at WVU Drs. Romie and W. F. Walker's stately home on Virginia Street in Charleston became the Mountain State Hospital The Viscose Company established a plant in Nitro West Virginia legislature enacted anti-lynching legislation The Game and Fish Commission was created by the legislature John W. Davis resigned as ambassador to England John W. Davis began law practice in New York Levi Dean became the 19th architect licensed under the West Virginia licensing law Dunbar was incorporated John Easton became VP of West Virginia State Federation of Labor Governor Morgan appointed first woman, Lenna Lowe Yost, to serve on the state Board of Education William H. "Teepi" Kendrick established and directed the first state 4-H camp in the U.S. at Jackson's Mill Fairmont High Level Bridge was open for traffic The Glen Rogers Mine opened as one of the state's largest Legislature expanded the state road commission to three members and classified all roads as state or county roads Howard Gore was hired by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop a plan for government marketing of livestock and livestock products Federal Highway Act directed each state to recommend for federal designation a connected road system Frank Keeny and 550 others were indicted for murder and treason after the Miners' March on Logan Harold Houston represented the UMWA leaders who were accused of treason during the Battle of Blair Mountain Interwoven Mills had opened branch plants in Hagerstown, Maryland, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania and Berkeley Springs Jackson's Mill became the location of West Virginia's state 4-H Camp Musa Kaleem was born Orlando Wright in Wheeling Herman Kump was elected mayor of Elkins Supreme Court ruling Ex parte Lavinder moderately tempered the power of the executive branch to use martial law Reported 99 out of 124 members of the West Virginia Legislature were Republicans Clarence Frey came to Logan County Ned Cline was born Joseph Long left the Huntington postmaster position Occupation of the present courthouse in Madison began Mannington was incorporated as a city Marshall College awarded its first baccalaureate degrees Walter Martens moved to West Virginia and opened an architecture practice in Charleston Louis Marx & Company acquired toy manufacturing facilities of its own John Matheus received an A.M. degree from Columbia Annie Brake of Valley Head began midwifery The Fairmont Electric Light and Power Plant changed its name to Monongahela Power and Railway Company Sawmill at Hominy Falls was moved to mouth of Deer Creek. The West Virginia Preparatory School (now Potomac State) became a junior college and began offering the first two years of the baccalaureate programs and certain vocational programs Benjamin Rosenbloom began representing the First Congressional District The Franciscan Sisters of St. Francis Hospital in Charleston were recalled to New York Morris Shawkey became superintendent of Beaver Pond School District of Bluefield Spruce Knob was acquired by the U.S. Forest Service The West Virginia State Fair was founded by the Shorthorn Association as Greenbrier Valley Fair Greenbrier Valley Fair was first held State police helped defend Logan County in the Miner's March State Police field structure grew to four companies West Virginia replaced the corporate excise tax with a business gross receipts tax Clint Thomas joined the Lincoln Giants baseball team in New York T. C. Townsend was hired by the UMWA to defend miners and union leaders in the March on Logan W. W. Trent received an A.M from Columbia University St. Joseph's Hospital (Upshur County) was founded by the Pallottine Missionary Sisters Architect H. Rus Warne established a partnership of Warne, Tucker and Patterson was established The Watoga Land Association was organized Huntington expanded corporate limits into Wayne County Phil Conley began working with the American Constitutional Association The Engineering Experimental State was established at WVU The Schmulbach Building building was taken over by the Wheeling Steel Corporation Wheeling Steel began providing company housing for its coke plant workers Williamstown was incorporated The West Virginia Trades School became the New River State School (now WVU Institute of Technology) Cyrus H. Martin became president of New River State School (now WVU Institute of Technology) Lenna Yost represented the U.S. at international congresses against alcoholism in Switzerland Hack Wilson started his pro career playing for the Martinsburg Blue Sox
1924
The West Virginia Public Health Association was organized. Other events that happened on or around 1924 Elementary school and junior high schools numbered 453 for African-American students and teachers Mary Atkeson wrote The Woman on the Farm The number of banks in West Virginia peaked at 225 state banks and 125 national banks Walter Barnes wrote The Children's Poets The Evening Post, Beckley's first daily newspaper, was established UMWA President Keeney and Secretary Treasurer Mooney were forced to retire Izetta Brown seconded Davis again for nomination Izetta Brown again defeated for U.S. Senate, this time by William Edwin Chilton Chauncey H. Browning graduated from WVU John W. Davis Democratic candidate for president Matthew Wesley Clair Sr. returned to Washington for a visit Association changed its name to West Virginia Council of Churches and Christian Education Democratic presidential candidate John W. Davis failed to carry home state West Virginia Huntington's Frederick Douglass Junior and Senior High School was built Patrick Gainer recorded folk songs and lore of West Virginia's people Construction of the Governor's Mansion began Major flood brought devastation Record floods hit Hardy County Another school was built in Harrisville The Concord College He-Man Club began as picnic to honor retiring college president Christopher Columbus Rossey The hemlock wooly adelgid was first reported in the Western United States Colonel Joseph Long bought a corner lot in Huntington to erect a building for his paper, the Herald-Dispatch The UMWA had lost half of its members in West Virginia and was nearly bankrupt The Huntington Post-Herald became a daily newspaper Homer Holt married Isabel Wood of Charlottesville, Virginia Rush Holt graduated from Salem College Cheat Lake construction began, created primarily for the production of electricity Carmine Pelligrino of Rosemont held record of mining 66 tons of coal in 24 hours The Jackson's Mill property was donated to the state of West Virginia Ray Wetzel was born in Parkersburg Mother Jones called on Governor Morgan for pardons for miners imprisoned after the Logan March Out-of-state KKK publication carried reports from several West Virginia location The Ku Klux Klan marched through Hinton Howard B. Lee left office as Mercer County prosecuting attorney Carnegie library was established in Hinton Howard M. Gore became assistant secretary of agriculture Mountain lions were declared extinct Walter Martens designed the Science and Liberal Arts halls of Davis & Elkins College Clarence Cameron White was named director of music at West Virginia State College The Concrete Steel Bridge Company of Clarksburg had 52 separate construction teams in the field The Metropolitan Theater in downtown Morgantown opened Fred Mooney left as secretary-treasurer of UMWA District 17 The first Mountaineer Field opened The Clarke-McNary law was passed by Congress authorizing the purchase of forested, cut-over, or denuded lands for the production of timber in addition to the flow regulation of navigable streams Records of chicken production began. Jennings Randolph graduated from Salem College. Walter Reuther began work as apprentice tool and die maker at Wheeling Steel Leonard Riggleman accepted a pastorate in Milton William Ritter made headline for sharing $3 million in company stock with his employees Money from the John B. Crowley estate paid for a new addition to St. Francis Hospital A second wing was added to St. Joseph's Hospital The state built a fire tower in Seneca State Forest A merger agreement between Sheltering Arms Hospital and Charleston General Hospital fell through Ada "Bricktop" Smith performed in Paris West Virginia Wesleyan defeated Navy, Syracuse, Kentucky in football The West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference began Seneca State Forest became the first state forest in West Virginia P. D. Strausbaugh and colleagues collected, mounted and filed the nucleus of a new plant collection for WVU The Blackwater Boom & Lumber Company closed All lumber operations in Tucker County closed due to depletion of original forest Membership in the United Brethren Parkersburg Conference was 10,337 Frank Keeney and Fred Mooney resigned from the UMWA Ward Engineering built the Greenbrier, a sternweel towboat
1927
1,099 cases of smallpox were reported in West Virginia Other events that happened on or around 1927 The Kessinger Brothers started performing on radio station WOBU (WCHS) A new city council was seated in Hinton Guyan Valley High School was built in Pleasant View Kyle McCormick became publisher of the Princeton Observer A granite monument marking Zackquill Morgan's grave was erected Lawrence Nuttall donated his plant collection to the WVU Herbarium The American Viscose Corporation started rayon production in South Parkersburg Giuseppe Argiro of Fairmont was credited with creating the pepperoni roll The state's milk control program began The federal court case United Mine Workers of America v. Red Jacket Consolidation Coal and Coke Company affirmed the use of injunctions against union organizing efforts Blind Alfred Reed wrote "The Wreck of the Virginian" Walter Reuther moved to Detroit Frederick H. Rhead joined the Laughlin Company The boundaries of the Monongahela National Forest were extended to include the Smoke Hole Legislature acted to acquire additional areas for state parks Festus Summers studied at Columbia University The William Byrne Elk River tales began a regular feature in the West Virginia Wild Life Magazine, and were later published as Tale of the Elk Sam Taylor ended his state police career after losing a leg in an on-duty motorcycle accident W.W. Trent became president of Alderson-Broaddus College A planing mill in Parson became a woolen mill Consolidation Coal Company became the largest independent bituminous mining company in the nation Ernest T. Weir took over as chief executive officer of National Steel I. C. White stopped serving as first director of the West Virginia Geological & Economic Survey Lenna Lowe Yost became the first woman to serve on the West Virginia Wesleyan College Board of Trustees Gas leak and fire destroyed much of the glass factory, but the company resumed a year later Vernon Johnson was reelected as Speaker of the House of Delegates
1930
Pinecrest, a TB sanitarium, opened in Beckley Other events that happened on or around 1930 A major drought lowered the Monongahela's water lever significantly The New Dominion and Morgantown Post began sharing plant facilities The name of Morgantown's New Dominion newspaper was changed to Dominion-News Reported nearly 2,500 Mormons in West Virginia Dwight Morrow resigned as ambassador to Mexico The Bank of Commerce became a national bank Delf Norona moved to West Virginia Oak Park in Preston County closed WVU Experiment Farm was established at Kearneysville Leonard Riggleman was elected vice president of Morris Harvey College, now University of Charleston William A. MacCorkle left his Charleston mansion, Sunrise, to the Salvation Army The Seneca Caverns were opened to the public Shepherd College was designated as a four-year teachers college The West Virginia Midland Railroad closed The first improved road was built into the southern half of Smoke Hole Warner Brothers took over the Smoot Theater in Parkersburg The Sistersville and Middlebourne streetcar line ceased operation Hinton's population was 6,654 Summers County population was 20,468 Sweet Springs went into receivership Thurmond population peaked at 462 A severe drought on the Tygart Valley River nearly shut down navigation on Monongahela Ward Engineering built the Scott Walter Fredericks sold WCHS Welch population was at 5,376 There were 22 basketball teams in the WVAU tournament The Sutton suspension bridge closed for traffic Population of Wheeling peaked at 61,659 Wyoming County population was 20,926 Commercial air service to Charleston started Lenna Yost directed the Women's Division of the National Republican Party The Tavern at Youghiogheny Forest Colony was built Justice Chambers enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve. Hack Wilson hit a National League record 56 home runs and knocked in 191 runs, a Major League Baseball record that still stands today
1948
The last case of smallpox in West Virginia was reported Other events that happened on or around 1948 Peak production of coal in West Virginia Clair Bee wrote Touchdown Pass Charles Town Opera House was closed Westvaco Chemical Corporation became part of FMC Oliver Chitwood published the second volume of A Short History of the American People President Irvin Stewart approved Earl Core's proposal to found WVU arboretum Five floors were added to the 1941 addition of the Diamond Department Store Little Jimmy Dickens signed with Columbia Records Joanne Dru appeared in Red River The Edwards Moonlight was rehulled K. K. Hall was elected mayor of Madison Roy Lee Harmon wrote Up the Creek Virgil Carrington Jones wrote The Hatfield and McCoys, published by University of North Carolina Press The music department of Concord College awarded the first degree in music education Louis Johnson chaired President Truman's finance committee The federal government charged Big Bill Lias with income tax evasion The Lilly Brothers moved to WWVA Wheeling where they worked with Red Belcher The appointment of a separate dean for the Marshall College graduate school began An addition was built to Louis Marx & Company facility for plastic toys Bernard McDonough bought the Kanawha Sand & Gravel company Herbert Chester Greer died John Nash entered the doctoral program at Princeton University The Spirit of Jefferson newspaper merged with the Farmers' Advocate Jack Rollins joined music publishers Hill and Range in New York West Virginia State College romped through an undefeated basketball season, winning the regular season and tournament championships Construction began on the state police academy Eleanor Steber sang at the Republican National Convention Eleanor Steber commissioned and premiered Samuel Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915 Stone & Thomas opened a new store in downtown Charleston P. D. Strausbaugh retired from WVU The Federal Communications Commission granted approval for the construction WSAZ television in Huntington Andre Van Damme settle in Charleston WAJR-FM (now WVAQ) began broadcasting in Morgantown The West Virginia Review ceased publication WVU enrollment at 8,069 A physical therapy department was opened at Wheeling Hospital WHIS radio increased to 5,000 watts The Shott brothers made a premature effort at an FM station Frankie Yankovic was voted “America’s Polka King” by an 8-to-1 margin at a contest sponsored by record companies
1953
Distribution of Salk polio vaccine Other events that happened on or around 1953 Southern tract of present Calvin W. Price State Forest was sold to the state by New River Company Carr China Company went out of business Statewide circulation of the Charleston Gazette peaked at 86,000 Consolidated Bus Lines employed 337 individuals and operated 100 buses Phoebia Moore died Phyllis Curtin made her debut with New York City Opera John Warren Davis retired as president of West Virginia State Julius DeGruyter wrote The Kanawha Spectator: History of the Kanawha Valley The Dunbar-South Charleston Bridge opened as a toll bridge Gunner Gatski earned All-Pro honors in football Perry Gresham became president of Bethany College Perry Gresham wrote Disciples of the High Calling John Ailes became editor of the Hampshire Review, Hampshire County Hardy County Heritage Weekend began at Mill Island Another 400 acres was added for the Harpers Ferry National Monument Ken Hechler became the associate director of the American Political Science Association Jean Lee Latham wrote The Story of Eli Whitney The Library Commission moved to Charleston from Morgantown The Lonesome Pine Fiddlers left West Virginia A fire damaged the Martinsburg Journal building "Speedy" Estep was killed racing a stock car in Columbus, Ohio Davis Grubb wrote Night of the Hunter A trail at the WVU Arboretum was named in honor of Lawrence Nuttall Eldora Nuzum joined the Elkins Inter-Mountain The West Virginia State Poultry Association annual meeting moved to Moorefield Chuck Ripper moved to Huntington as art director for the Standard Printing & Publishing Co. Rat Rodgers was admitted to the College Football Hall of Fame Eleanor Roosevelt stopped serving as U.S. representative to the United Nations Alex Schoenbaum's restaurant chain was named Shoney's WVU played in the Sugar Bowl West Virginia became one of the first sates to finance development of park facilities by selling bonds WKNA TV when on air in Charleston as channel 49 The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Kanawha Valley was established Oscar Nelson died The initial accreditation attempt for Morris Harvey College (now University of Charleston) failed The Baptist State Convention began to meet at Hilltop William J. Wallace became president of West Virginia State College Enrollment at West Virginia State College was at 837 students WJLS-FM Beckley became WBKW-FM William B. Axtell became president of West Virginia Institute of Technology Katherine Johnson began working with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics as a “computer” doing complex analysis and calculations Toni Stone joined the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League
1957
The Division of Disease Control began a statewide polio vaccination program Other events that happened on or around 1957 Emile Hodel became editor of the Beckley Post-Herald Michael Benedum built the Bridgeport Civic Center Reorganization transferred state mental health and penal institutions to Department of Mental Health and the Commissioner of Public Institutions Weirton Steel purchased Browns Island for $40,000 S. Maude Kaemmerling willed 3,135 acres of land in Canaan Valley to West Virginia for recreational use FMC developed new source of brine at Bens Run City National Bank opened its doors under President Donald Shonk Bishop mine explodes again Jim Comstock founded the weekly West Virginia Hillbilly Deer restocking program ended Roy Bird Cook received the Award of Merit from the West Virginia Library Association Little Jimmy Dickens left the Grand Ole Opry Irvin Dugan retired as newspaper artist Donald Duncan's sons took over the Duncan Yo-Yo Company Fairfax Stone dedicated as state historic monument and became state park Gunner Gatski played football one year for Detroit The Knights of the South Branch was organized to revive medieval jousting Roy Lee Harmon wrote Unto the Hills Logan High School and its field house and athletic fields were constructed on Hatfield Island Ken Hechler moved to West Virginia to teach at Marshall College (now University) The first interstate highway construction contract in the state was awarded on I-64 for a bridge across a road in Cabell County Jean Lee Latham was awarded the Boys' Clubs of America Junior Book Award for Trail Blazer of the Seas The McClains were approached by WVU professors who feared that early West Virginia histories would be lost if not reprinted Kyle McCormick wrote The Story of Mercer County John Norman served on the aircraft carrier Saratoga A group from West Virginia and Ohio purchased land to establish a college with an independent board of trustees, now Ohio Valley University Marbon Chemical is built The announcement of plans to merge the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central System was made Filippo Colasessano's son began selling pepperoni rolls in his Fairmont lunch spot The Kanawha River bridge was opened in Winfield Red Ribble stopped photographing southern West Virginia Otis Rice began teaching at West Virginia Institute of Technology The Wm. M. Ritter Lumber Company company stores were sold The Wm. M. Ritter Lumber Company coal reserves were leased to the Island Creek Coal Company Jay Rockefeller went to the International Christian University in Tokyo Shenandoah Downs purchased land north of Charles Town Race Track for night harness racing WVU Rod Hundley became All-American in basketball Jim Sprouse began practicing law Beckley radio station WAJR increased to 5,000 watts Ernest T. Weir died The last high school basketball was played under the African-American West Virginia Athletic Union Benjamin Starks founded the Beacon Journal in Charleston The Federation of Labor and Industrial Union Council agreed to combine as the West Virginia Labor Federation, AFL-CIO West Virginia State College lost its federal land-grant status Stanley H. Martin became president of West Virginia Wesleyan College The Whipple mine shut down and the company store closed The Winfield bridge was completed WSAZ radio switched affiliation to NBC
1968
The last case of polio in West Virginia was reported Other events that happened on or around 1968 Frederick M. Staunton, publisher of the Charleston Daily Mail, retired Chief Logan State Park gained state park status Denomination adopted the name Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Orval Brown was released from the state mental hospital at Weston Stephen Coonts earned a B.A. at WVU George Crumb was award the Pulitzer Prize for Echoes of Time and the River: Four Processionals for Orchestra Phyllis Curtin sang with the Charleston Symphony Opera Phyllis Curtin was named West Virginian of the year with George Crumb by the Charleston Sunday Gazette Mail Home Demonstration clubs changed name to Extension Homemaker Clubs National attention was brought to the issue of mine safety Fesenmeier sold its brewery to Little Switzerland Brewing Company Two-year associate degree in forestry was developed at Glenville State College Five high schools were consolidated into Gilmer County High School The last Gravely tractor rolled off the Dunbar assembly line Charles Haden served on the Monongalia County Board of Education Roy Lee Harmon wrote Rhymes of a Mountaineer The Modern Budget Amendment made the governor responsible for preparation of the state budget West Virginia's first spring gobbler season began Sonny Hyde transferred to the state Department of Natural Resources to work on Outdoor West Virginia (now Wild Wonderful West Virginia) The Jones Diamond left the Smithsonian to be on exhibition at the State Fair Linsly School relocated to Banes Hall in Wheeling The present entrance to the Lost World Cavers was dug through a hill Joe Manchin's family shoe store burned A new academic building was constructed at Marshall University Enrollment at Marshall University reached 8,177 Irene McKinney received her bachelor's from West Virginia Wesleyan College M. Blane Michael graduated from New York University M. Blane Michael began working at Sullivan & Cromwell in New York R. E. Fisher died leaving the Moorefield paper to Pheobe Fisher Heishman and husband David Mountain Artisans was founded John W. Saunders became president of Beckley College (now Mountain State University) replacing D. K. Shroyer The National Bank of Commerce built a new building known as Commerce Square in Charleston New Vrindaban began as a project of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness The New York Central System merged with the Pennsylvania Railroad to create the ill-fated Penn Central The annual Nature Wonder Weekend was first held in North Bend State Park Nylon precursor chemical stopped being produced at Belle Works Logging on Otter Creek began again Pilgrim Glass Corporation plant manager Karel Konrad introduced cranberry glass Radio station WVWC, licensed to West Virginia Wesleyan College, went on air James Rexrode's works were displayed at the Shenandoah Valley Folklore Society at the Harrisonburg Arts and Crafts Festival Spanky Roberts retired from McClellan Air Force Base The West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey conducted another extensive excavation on the St. Albans archeological site David Selby appeared in Dark Shadows James A Butcher became president of Shepherd College (now University) Governor Hulett Smith proposed $150 million bond issue for school construction and state facilities improvement. Grace Martin Taylor retired from Morris Harvey College (now University of Charleston) Norman L. Fagan suggested a Theater West Virginia show based on the Hatfield-McCoy Feud The Evangelical United Brethren Church merged with the Methodists forming the United Methodists, becoming West Virginia's biggest denomination There were 240 Evangelical United Brethren Churches in West Virginia, at the time of their merger with the Methodists Kendall Vintroux retired from the Charleston Gazette VISTA volunteers had streamed into rural and hard-pressed areas of West Virginia The WAJR facilities moved to the Greer Building West Virginia counties reasserted their control over economic opportunity commissions and community action programs, as local officials react to War on Poverty WesBanco was incorporated Wheeling Downs reopened Jon Dragan founded Wildwater Expedition Unlimited at Thurmond Bill Withers was discharged from the U.S. Navy in San Jose Runway expansion for jet airliners began at Kanawha Airport Chuck Yeager became a brigadier general Keith Ham leased 130 acres in Marshall County for the establishment of a rural retreat Nick Saban led the Monongah High School football team to a state championship victory over Paden City High Helen Chilton graduated from Denison University Charleston Section of the National Council of Jewish Women undertook “Appalachian Corridors,” the first exhibition to expressly curate the work of Appalachian artists View Articles by Existing Key Dates or Specify Your Own Date Range |
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