Archeology

Heirs of Matthias Bruen of New York City inherited 200,000 acres of land

The Point Pleasant lead plate left by Celeron was found by boy playing on riverbank

Legislature allowed citizens to petition counties to establish free schools

Joseph Diss Debar moved to Parkersburg

Legislation authorized school commissioners to use local taxes to supplement state aid for the poor

William Edwards traveled to the Amazon River

Salt production in the Kanawha Valley peaked at 3,244,786 bushels

Weston's first newspaper began publishing

Joseph Lightburn enlisted in the army as a private

Alexander Martin served as principal of Kingwood Academy in Preston County

Ephraim Squier and Edwin Davis conducted a survey of prehistoric mounds in the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys

New Martinsville became the county seat of Wetzel County

Jesse Reno graduated from West Point.

The Christian Minstrel was published introducing a second system using seven shapes to teach singing

Churches in Lewis, Upshur, Barbour, and Gilmer counties merged with those in Braxton County to form the Lewis or Buckhannon Circuit of the United Brethren

The administration building at the School for Deaf and Blind was built

Bids authorized on the Beverly-Fairmont Turnpike

Rebecca Davis graduated from the Washington (Pennsylvania) Female Seminary

William Eagle died

First county and circuit courts of Wirt County met in "Old Red Brick"

The Giles, Fayette and Kanawha Turnpike was completed

John Floyd was elected governor

German immigration increased from desire to escape persecution during European Revolutions

The first German newspaper was established in Wheeling

The Giles, Fayette & Kanawha Turnpike was completed

Joseph H. Gill surveyed the Guyandotte River from its mouth to Gilbert Creek

The Ellicott Brothers business failed

C. P. Huntington went to California with the gold rush to sell supplies to miners

A Catholic Church was established at Sand Fork

John Jay Jackson Jr. served as prosecuting attorney of Wirt County

Daniel Lamb became the cashier of the Northwestern Bank of Virginia at Wheeling

A single lock and dam was built on the Elk River

Ephraim Squier and Edwin Davis published Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley

Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy was founded

Francis Pierpont began an association with the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.

A massive fire and flood doomed Creel's village to an early death

Samuel Price was reelected to the House of Delegates

Bancroft was settled

Henry Ruffner resigned as president of Washington College (Washington and Lee University)

James Stephenson left the House of Delegates

Henry St. George Tucker, Sr. died

Cabell, Berkeley, and Jefferson counties provided infantry regiments for service in the Mexican-American War

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

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

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

Broaddus Female College (now part of Alderson Broaddus University) accepted its first male students

Newton Diehl Baker received law degree from Washington and Lee University

New bridges were constructed in Harpers Ferry and some of the remaining Bollman trusses were converted to highway use

Evening Mail became morning paper after George Warren sold to John B. Floyd

Democratic Supremacy in West Virginia ended

John Cornwell passed the bar exam

John Dickinson became the first director of the West Virginia Bankers Association

John Hardy was hanged at Welch for killing a man in a card game

Pennsylvania Glass Sand Company began mining Oriskany sand in the same geological formation in Pennsylvania about 80 miles north of Morgan County, West Virginia

The Easton Roller Mill replaced buhrs with steam power and rollers

A high school was established in Harrisville

Only about half of state miners participated in a nationwide strike by UMWA

The American Ancient Order of Hibernians peaked in West Virginia with 647 men in 12 Hibernian divisions

Elmer Jacobs set up practice in Morgantown

John Dickinson became cashier of the Kanawha Valley Bank

Kenova was incorporated as a town

The city of Welch was incorporated

John McWhorter received a law degree from WVU law school

The B&O branch in Morgantown extended to Connellsville, Pennsylvania

The first two nurses at Wheeling City Hospital Training School received their diplomas

Livia Simpson Poffenbarger married George Poffenbarger.

The first Presbyterian Church was formed in Williamson.

Rt. Rev. Patrick J. Donahue was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling

Telephone switchboards were installed at Fairmont

The Big Moses gas well was drilled

Clarence W. Watson married Minnie Lee Owings

Kenova was chartered

The Historical Society was given larger quarters for its museum and library at the Capitol

The National Guard was activated for service in areas of labor unrest

Westvaco opened headquarters in New York City

Albert White managed the U.S. Senate campaign of Stephen B. Elkins

The Charleston Art Association was founded by Arthur Dayton

Ernest Bavely became the Thespians' national secretary

Hundred won unclassified state high school basketball tournament against all

William Blenko decided diversification was the key to survival

A new classroom building was finished at Bluefield Institute (now Bluefield State University)

The Bluestone Dam was completed for operational purposes

More than 19,000 black youth, grades 1-12, were provided education by the West Virginia public school system

123rd Fighter Group called to duty in Korean War and moved to Goodman Air Force Base

Pastor Richard E. Shearer assumed presidency of Alderson-Broaddus College (now University)

Ernest Bavely died

The National Bituminous Coal Wage Agreement was approved

A caretaker for Audra State Park was hired

Walter Barnes helped revive the Folklore Society with help from Ruth Ann Musick

Bear Rock Lakes area was opened to fishing

Clair Bee wrote Hoop Crazy

Raleigh Coal & Coke ceased operations

About 25,000 people lived in Bluefield

Everett Lilly appeared on classic bluegrass recordings

Betsy Byars graduated from Queens College in Charlotte, NC

Governor Patteson gave state funds to improve Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park

Walter Eli Clark died

Phil Conley ended his term as president of the West Virginia Publishing Company and founded West Virginia Education Foundation

Name was shortened to West Virginia Council of Churches

Virginia Ruth "Dagmar" Egnor was hired to be on NBC's Broadway Open House

Julius DeGruyter wrote West Virginia: Its Charters and Municipal Affairs

West Virginia's median age was below national average at 26.3 years

Joanne Dru appeared in Wagon Master

Ellis Dungan returned to Hollywood

Fairmont population peaked at 29,346

Fayette County population peaked at 82,443

Floodwall in Parkersburg was completed

Patrick Gainer organized the West Virginia State Folk Festival in Glenville

Fostoria manufactured 8 million pieces of glass

West Virginia population peaked at 2,005,552

Statewide coal employment peaked at 127,000

The Veterans Administration Medical Center was built in Harrison County

Dave Gideon died

Mechanization and automation in coal mining reduced the number of miners and a decline in UMWA membership

The gates to the Home for the Incurables (now Mildred Mitchell-Bateman Hospital) were removed

The Cedar Lakes Conference Center was established as a state FFA-FHA camp

Keystone's population was at 2,500

The National Labor Relation board recognized the Employees Security League as the legitimate bargaining agent for Weirton employees

The Linger chair factory moved to Rock Cave

The Lonesome Pine Fiddlers recorded for Cozy Records

Louis Wohinc died

Catherine Marshall published Mr. Jones, Meet The Master

A new science building was constructed at Marshall College (now University)

Jack Maurice became editor of the Charleston Daily Mail

A fourth of McDowell population was black

McDowell population peaked at 98,887

Mine mechanization led to widespread job loss

Major coal companies formed the Bituminous Coal Operators Association

The UMWA and Bituminous Coal Operators Association agreed that the union would not resist mechanization in exchange for a share of the proceeds

Birth rate in West Virginia declined and pace of out-migration accelerated

Traditional coal miners' vacation became formalized with the establishment of Bituminous Coal Operators Association

Mingo County population peaked at 47,409

The National Hillbilly News switched to a smaller format

Molly O'Day and Lynn Davis gave up show business to serve the Lord

Port Amherst Ltd. was acquired by the Amherst Fuel Company

Jack Rollins wrote "Frosty the Snow Man"

Charleston's St. Francis Hospital had 130 beds

Soupy Sales left Huntington

The West Virginia Conference of Seventh-day Adventists consisted of 2,000 members

Shepherd College was accredited by the North Central Association

Jim Sprouse studied international law at the University of Bordeaux

The Weirton Independent Union was declared a violation of federal labor law

West Virginia steelworkers numbered 22,596

Joe Stydahar was named head coach of the L.A. Rams

Leon Sullivan began ministry at Zion Baptist church in Philadelphia

Hinton's population was 5,780

West Virginia tobacco production was at 4,000,000 pounds

Richard Talbott stopped serving as state treasurer

Riggleman Hall was constructed at Morris Harvey College (now University of Charleston)

Welch population peaked at 6,603

Walter Barnes, Patrick Gainer and Ruth Ann Musick revived the West Virginia Folklore Society

Helen Thompson became the Charleston Symphony Orchestra's first full-time executive secretary

Weston's population peaked at 8,945

An outpatient department was opened at Wheeling Hospital

Wildlife biologist tried trapping wild turkeys in the eastern mountains and moving them into other counties

Williamson population peaked at 8,624

Wyoming County population was 37,540

Mullens had a population of 3,544

Hurry-up Yost was inducted to the West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame

Morgantown obtained the Tibbs Run Reservoir

President Eisenhower appointed Helen Holt to a new program in the Federal Housing Administration

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.

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 N&W operated its last steam equipment

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

The West Virginia Antiquities Commission was established by the legislature

Congress passed the National Passenger Railroad Act, creating Amtrak

Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The West Virginia Department of Public Institutions (now Division of Corrections) leased the Anthony Correctional Center for use as a correctional center for juvenile males

Lincoln County attracted many back-to-the-land settlers

Catholic Workers farm established in Lincoln County

Gray Barker published The Silver Bridge

The historic Berkeley Springs spa was transferred to the Department of Natural Resources

Maurice Brooks received the Order of Vandalia from WVU

Chauncey H. Browning Sr. was Chief Justice of the state Supreme Court

Cabin Creek Quilts began as a self-help quilting cooperative

Clay County population dropped to 9,330

Bernard Coffindaffer suffered from mental and physical breakdown

Legislative Improvement Amendment ratified

Governor's Succession Amendment ratified, allowing two successive terms

Dennis Harrah was an all-state center on the Stonewall Jackson High School football team

George Daugherty took the stage name "The Earl of Elkview"

Elizabeth Hallanan announced her taking senior status as federal judge

A 10-month walkout by steelworkers at Wheeling-Pittsburgh began

Franklin Cleckley declined to run for reelection to state Supreme Court