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Railroads
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1873
The C&O Railroad was completed opening the New River Gorge to the coal and timber industry Other events that happened on or around 1873 The Mountain Boy steamboat was destroyed by river ice at Cincinnati Joseph Beury shipped the first coal from the New River Coalfield The Chesapeake & Ohio Railway arrived on the south side of Kanawha River in Charleston Chesapeake & Ohio Railway arrived on south side of Kanawha River Charles B. Webb started the weekly Kanawha Chronicle C&O forced into default from national depression The legislative act to esbablish a "branch state normal school" in the Mercer County community of Concord was amended and stipulated that the school would be transferred to Princeton if arrangements for land and a building were not completed within one year William Dawson moved to Kingwood Marmaduke Dent received M.A. from WVU Three acres of property was donated to the state and ready for use in the fall by Glenville State College East Liverpool, Ohio, raised $5,000 for the Laughlins to start a pottery to make white ware The House of Delegates had 65 delegates Legislature exempted certain businesses from taxes because of the economic panic German Jews arrived in Charleston and formed a congregation Other mills were destroyed by floods on the Jug of the Middle Island Creek Kanawha Valley Bank was the only bank in Charleston to survive the financial panic The first West Virginia atlas appeared The eastern and western section of the C&O main line were joined near Hawks Nest A city waterworks was established in Martinsburg Natural gas was put in many of downtown buildings in Martinsburg The Martinsburg & Potomac railroad came to Martinsburg from Williamsport, MD Sandy Mason was born in Charleston The Pardee & Curtin Lumber Company was formed. Daniel Purinton received a B.A. degree from WVU An explosion caused the Ritchie Mines to be closed The C&O was completed at Thurmond William Thurmond was commissioned to survey land on the north side of New River Isaiah Welch came to McDowell County to evaluate natural resources Isaiah Welch surveyed the mineral reserves of the Pocahontas No. 3 coal seam The Woodburn Seminary at WVU burned The Western Maryland Railway extended to the C&O Canal Separate rooms for black patients were added at Weston State Hospital Archibald Campbell repurchased the Wheeling Intelligencer Lilly Freer died in Nicaragua Date of the first official burial at Spring Hill
1909
The Virginian Railway was completed, the last entry into West Virginia's coalfields. Other events that happened on or around 1909 R. D. Bailey graduated from Valparaiso University in Indiana Waitman Barbe wrote Famous Poems Explained Broaddus Institute (now part of Alderson Broaddus University) moved from Clarksburg to Philippi Broaddus Institute (now Alderson-Broaddus College) moved from Clarksburg to Philippi Rosa Pelham returned to the castle The Birch Boom & Lumber Company built a sawmill near the mouth of Birch River West Virginia legislature created the Board of Control which consolidated management and fiscal control over West Virginia's institutions The Bluefield Daily Telegraph dubbed Bramwell the "Coalfield Capital" Sturdevant and Johnson's partnership ended, factory ceased operation and buildings torn down Camp Dawson was established Elegant seven-story Waldo Hotel opened West Virginia legislation prepared way for establishment of National Forest Reserve in Monongahela Legislature authorized the governor to appoint a Forest, Game and Fish Warden Consolidation Coal, Fairmont Coal and Somerset Coal companies combined into the Consolidation Coal Company Danske Dandridge wrote George Michael Bedinger, a Kentucky Pioneer Huntington annexed Central City Legislation called for forest protection and research and provided fines and imprisonment for owners who intentionally or carelessly set fires Sunday hunting and fishing was prohibited by legislature Michael Owens began his own company to manufacture bottles in Fairmont and Clarksburg Legislature appropriated funds to purchase Grave Creek Mound A receiving vault was built at Greenwood Cemetery Lincoln County destroyed by fire City of Weirton was founded by Weirton Steel Ernest T. Weir established Weirton Steel The broad-gauge Harrisville Southern Railroad began to run to Cornwallis The Herald-Dispatch began with the merger of the Herald and the Huntington Dispatch Only two county seats in West Virginia were connected by paved highways Legislature established the State Road Fund and the position of state commissioner of public roads Timber production in West Virginia reached its long-time record of 1.5 billion board feet The Jackson Iron & Tin Company relocated to Holiday Cove in Hancock County Garland Wilson was born in Martinsburg Dr. Hugh G. Nicholson leased the Barber Sanatorium and added a nursing school James Kay opened mines on Campbells Creek Keystone was incorporated George Kossuth opened his own photography studio Howard B. Lee began to practice law in Bluefield The Morgantown Republican merged with the New Dominion-News The first congregation of the Church of the Nazarene in West Virginia appeared in Martinsburg Pardee & Curtin opened a double-band sawmill at Hominy Falls. Princeton was chartered as a city Ritchie Mines were abandoned A second sawmill for St. Lawrence was built for Neola The hotel in Shannondale Springs burned down again Thomas C. Miller became administrator of Shepherd College The Pope Dock Company built Goldenrod A stone sculpture of a frontiersman was dedicated in memory of the Battle of Point Pleasant A steel strike in Wheeling failed Ernest Weir expanded the Phillips Sheet and Tin Plate Company from Clarksburg West Virginia tobacco production peaked at 14,400,000 pounds Fred Torrey enrolled at the Art Institute of Chicago T. C. Townsend first served as the state tax commissioner The name changed from Education Association of West Virginia to the State Education Association Byrd Prillerman became president of West Virginia Colored Institute (now West Virginia State University) The Western Maryland Railway company was organized White Sulphur Springs was incorporated as a town The Wirt County courthouse in Elizabeth burned down Completion of the Virginian Railway sparked an industrial boom in Mullens
1917
Short lines, including the Coal & Coke Railway, became part of the B&O. 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 Denmar Sanitarium for black tuberculosis patients was established in Pocahontas County. The Division of Vital Statistics was established by the West Virginia Legislature. 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
1956
The N&W was West Virginia's last steam powered railroad Other events that happened on or around 1956 The end of private education at Storer College in Harpers Ferry New campus for Appalachian Bible Institute opened in Bradley Gray Barker wrote his best-known book, They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers Blackwater Lodge opened at Blackwater State Park Boundary dispute between West Virginia and Virginia involving Monroe, Giles, and Alleghany Counties Chauncey H. Browning was Chief Justice of the state Supreme Court Cabell Huntington Hospital first opened for business Lodge at Cacapon State Park was completed with a restaurant and banquet hall The "golden" trout was spawned with regular rainbow trout at state fire hatchery Charles Town Opera House was condemned City National Bank was organized in Charleston Roy Clarkson joined Department of Biology at WVU Mine at Bishop exploded Chapman Revercomb last Republican to be elected to the Senate in West Virginia Associated Dry Goods bought the Diamond Department Store Elizabeth Drewry helped pass constitutional amendment allowing women to serve on juries in West Virginia Pete Everest graduated from Armed Forces Staff College Pete Everest flew the X-2 at Mach 3 Ruel Foster wrote Elizabeth Madox Roberts, American Novelist Charleston's Garnet High School closed The state Board of Education authorized the construction of the student center, Pioneer Center, at Glenville State College Joseph C. Gluck became pastor of the Forks-of-Cheat Baptist Church The U.S. Government approached the C&O with proposal to build an "emergency relocation center" at the Greenbrier for reassembly of Congress Davis Grubb wrote Shadow of My Brother Minnie Buckingham Harper's second husband John B. Paterson died Hazel Atlas Company operated 12 plants across the U.S. Chuck Howley was named the Southern Conference Athlete of the Year Sam Huff played with the New York Giants to win a championship game The peak patient population at the Huntington State Hospital was 1,460 The federal Interstate Highway Act was passed Jean Lee Latham won the Newbery Award for Carry On, Mr. Bowditch Jean Lee Latham won the Newbery Award for Carry On, Mr. Bowditch The Library Services Act by Congress enabled the Library Commission to acquire federal funding for public libraries in West Virginia Clagg and Britton produced an atlas of West Virginia emphasizing historical factors and statewide economic data Camden Eli "Cam" Henderson died William Marland tried to fill the vacant U.S. Senate seat G. Ogden Nutting started his newspaper career as a reporter and news editor for the Martinsburg Journal Mason College of Music and Fine Arts merged with Morris Harvey College (now University of Charleston) Thomas Miller graduated from the WVU College of Law The West Virginia Mountain State Gospel Singers Corporation was chartered Alfred Knobler opened the new Pilgrim Glass plant on Walker Branch Road in Ceredo The community of Port Amherst received that name The Pruntytown Industrial School for Boys was reintegrated Mary Lee Settle wrote O Beulah Land The Mann's Creek Railroad line closed Planning for Sutton Dam continued Direct distance telephone dialing was introduced in Wheeling and Moundsville The Greenbrier art colony was reopened with the work of Gladys Tuke and Jeanne Eleanore Coyne Cecil Underwood became a leading spokesman for the Republican Party A silicones products plant was built in Sistersville Andre Van Damme founded the Charleston Ballet Jerry West led East Bank High School to the state basketball championship The West Virginia Publishing Company changed name to West Virginia Education Foundation The timber flooring of the Wheeling Suspension Bridge was replaced with open steel grid West Virginia Institute of Technology was accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Katherine Johnson's first husband died of a brain tumor Ellie Schaul moved to West Virginia
1959
The Virginian Railway merged into the Norfolk & Western Railroad Other events that happened on or around 1959 The first West Virginia whitewater rafters were defeated at an attempt on the Gauley River Robert Drasnin released the album Voodoo
1960
The N&W operated its last steam equipment Other events that happened on or around 1960 Chauncey H. Browning's unexpired term in the Supreme Court ended The Conference of Appalachian Governors was formed The President's Appalachian Regional Commission, PARC created, led by FDR Jr. The position of state archeologist was created by state legislature Tony Boyle became vice president of the UMWA Chauncey H. Browning was Chief Justice of the state Supreme Court Clay County was producing 900,000 tons of coal Jack Fleming became general manager of WAJR radio in Morgantown Construction on the Summersville Lake and Dam began. Construction on the Summersville Lake and Dam began Greer Lime Company was formed The Greer Lime Company began production at Key The Glen Rogers Mine was closed by the Old Ben Coal Corporation Partner D. Ray Hall sold Gravely Motor Plow and Cultivator Company to Studebaker Weirton had highest population in Hancock County at 28,201 Vera Andrews Harvey replaced Roy Lee Harmon as poet laureate The campus of Storer College was added to the Harpers Ferry National Historic Park The United Hospital Center was erected The state population fell to 1,860,421 Frank Hutchison's "Alabama" became a major county hit for Cowboy Copas Storer College buildings were added to the Harpers Ferry National Park Kanawha County peak population at 252,925 Governor Smith was the Democratic state chairman Tom Kromer returned to Huntington from Albuquerque John L. Lewis retired as the president of the UMWA Arden Cogar Sr. started the Webster County Wood Chopping Festival D. K. Shroyer became president of Beckley College (now Mountain State University The City-County Building in Ohio County was dedicated Plum Orchard Lake Wildlife Management Area purchased by the West Virginia Conservation Commission The Chesapeake & Ohio and the Baltimore & Ohio began a gradual consolidation that eventually included Western Maryland Otis Rice received a Ph.D. in history at Univ. of Kentucky Wm. M. Ritter Lumber Company was sold to the Georgia-Pacific Corporation Jay Rockefeller returned from the International Christian University in Tokyo Rocket boys Homer Hickam, Roy Lee Cooke, Willie Rose, Jim O'Dell Carroll, Quentin Wilson and Sherman Siers won top prize at the National Science Fair for their exhibit "A Study of Amateur Rocketry Techniques" Reported 110,000 Catholics in West Virginia St. Marys population peaked at 2,442 Fred Schaus left as basketball coach at WVU Mary Lee Settle wrote Know Nothing The Preston Railroad line was abandoned South Charleston's population peaked at 19,180 Weirton population peaked at 28,201 Jerry West was unanimous choice for first-team All-American Jerry West co-captained the undefeated U.S. Olympic team West Liberty State College enrollment exceeded 1,000 for the first time The West Virginia Music Educators Association began the movement to adopt "The West Virginia Hills" as the state song Wheeling Steel plants stretched for 30 miles along the Ohio River Henry Aaron was appointed conductor of the Wheeling Symphony There were 1,000 students enrolled at West Virginia Institute of Technology Patrice Harris was born in Bluefield John McKay became head coach at University of Southern California
1972
C&O, B&O and Western Maryland merged into the Chessie System Other events that happened on or around 1972 Education workshops in arts music, dance, crafts began at Augusta Heritage Center Charleston began hosting the state boys high school basketball tournament Liberal eligibility regulations increased the cost of the black lung program to $1 billion a year Greenbrier College for Women closed Charleston Ballet designated official West Virginia State Ballet Franklin Cleckley wrote Evidence Handbook for West Virginia Lawyer and West Virginia Criminal Procedure Handbook Gas company subsidiaries all take the Columbia name Program Disaster Response began after Buffalo Creek Disaster Jack Fleming called "immaculate reception" The Augusta Heritage Center began sponsoring three annual festivals at Davis & Elkins College View Articles by Existing Key Dates or Specify Your Own Date Range |
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