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African-American Heritage
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1865
Ratification of 13th Amendment by West Virginia Other events that happened on or around 1865 Virginia legislature repealed laws consenting to the admission of Berkeley and Jefferson counties to West Virginia Storer College in Harpers Ferry, begun by the Freewill Baptist Church, to educate black teachers John Appleton moved to Kanawha County 13 Banks had become national banks The Baptist General Association of West Virginia (West Virginia Baptist Convention) formed Rosser's Raid occurred on Beverly Belle Boyd wrote Belle Boyd in Camp and Prison in London Waitman T. Willey senate term as first West Virginia senator ended Provision included in Constitution of 1851 calling for the General Assembly to reapportion representation in both houses John Dickinson came to Kanawha County Anne Dudley arrived in West Virginia to teach freed blacks Fairmont State University was formed as West Virginia's first private normal school Aretas Fleming married Carrie M. Watson Joseph Diss Debar appointed an agent in southern Germany Nathan Goff married Laura E. Despard Grafton National Cemetery was established for Civil War dead The Easton Roller Mill replaced overshot water wheel Reckart's Mill was built in Preston county Visitor stated about Harpers Ferry, "all about the town are rubbish, filth, and stench." Chester Hubbard began serving in the U.S. House of Representatives John Jacob returned to Romney George Latham served as congressman for the Second District of West Virginia Joseph Lightburn returned to duty after being wounded in Sherman's advance on Atlanta The Logan Wildcats were active in the Shenandoah Valley campaign The city of Boone Court House changed its name to Madison Booker T. Washington arrived in Malden with his family to work in the salt industry and local coal mines Two additional dams were built on the Monongahela River The army recruiting and training center at Camp Carlisle ceased The Campbell's Creek Coal Company began shipping coal down the Kanawha River from Port Amherst Samuel Price was appointed circuit judge in Lewisburg but declined to take office A narrow-gauge railroad was built to Ritchie Mines Ritchie Mines was bought Union authorities moved Jefferson County seat from Charles Town to Shepherdstown The Wheeling interurban system began operation The National Banking Act was amended to allow state banks to become national banks Jim Vance was suspected in the murder of Harmon McCoy The formal organizing of Webster County took place The state superintendent called a state convention of teachers to meet in Fairmont, founding the West Virginia Education Association
Dec 26, 1872
Blacks began forming groups in response to inequality. Other events that happened on or around December 26, 1872 Legislature passed West Virginia's first general banking law The present building of Malden's African Zion Baptist Church began after contributions of land, money and materials by Gen. Lewis Ruffner West Virginia's new constitution continued the education of black children in segregation Commissioners in McDowell County ordered a new courthouse be constructed out of logs Joseph Beury and wife moved to New River Alexander Boteler ran unsuccessfully for Congress Brickyard Bend (New Cumberland) shipped 11 million bricks via Ohio River West Virginia's new constitution abandons the township system and reverts back to the Virginia county government system Democrats gained political supremacy after voting restrictions on former Confederates ceased Joseph Diss Debar supported the Liberal Republicans to come to terms with the ex-Confederates Anne Dudley toured New England with Harpers Ferry Singers to raise funds for Myrtle Hall New constitution expanded support of public education New constitution changed elections to two-year cycle Secretary of State was made an appointed office Provisions of the Flick Amendment was added to the state constitution John P. Hale purchased Fort Lee's original lot and blockhouse in Charleston Glenville State College began as branch of the State Normal School Noah Speer started the Hancock Works The second courthouse was completed in Glenville Vote by citizens brought the Grant County seat permanently to Petersburg John Hale built the Hale House hotel in Charleston Legislature faced the task of modifying laws to conform to the newly adopted constitution West Virginia Legislature grew to 89 persons Weston's first public school building was erected The McDowell County seat was located at Peeryville (now English) The town of Milton was laid out The hamlet of Mud in Lincoln County, an unincorporated community, said to have been founded Construction began on more refineries in Parkersburg Normal schools were established in Glenville, Athens, and Shepherdstown Pence Springs was developed as a resort. In Charleston, the Presbyterian Church (Southern) and the Kanawha Presbyterian Church (Northern) split. Voters in Greenbrier Country elected Samuel Price as their representative to the West Virginia constitutional convention. Legislature designated Shepherd as one of the state's normal schools Robert Simmons was a delegate to the Republican national convention The cave at Sinks of Gandy was described by David Hunter Strother The Universalist Meeting House at Fork Ridge in Marshall County erected an additional larger building Charles Ward began operating his own pipe and fittings business The Western Maryland Railway extended to Hagerstown I.C. White earned an undergraduate degree at Agricultural College of West Virginia (WVU) Waitman Willey spoke eloquently for suffrage for African-Americans
Nov 05, 1918
Three black men were elected to the state legislature.
1919
White mob lynched two black miners at Chapmanville 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 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 state received a federal grant for the control of venereal disease. 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
1920
Women received the right to vote Other events that happened on or around 1920 State apple-packing plant in Inwood was established Walter Barnes wrote Types of Children's Literature 14 West Virginia cities and towns had professional baseball Braxton's population peaked at 23,973 Alonzo Brooks published West Virginia Trees Izetta Brown was first woman to second a presidential nominee, John W. Davis Chauncey H. Browning graduated from Logan High School City Hospital was moved to Camden mansion on Garfield Avenue in Parkersburg Don Chafin was reelected as sheriff Louis Watson Chappell received his M.A. from University of Virginia The Union Carbide Company bought small refinery near Clendenin Matthew Wesley Clair, Sr. was elected bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church Fayette County population jumped to 60,377 Caroline Gentry released The Key to Power, a movie The Glen Ferris Inn was sold to a subsidiary of Union Carbide Voters approved the Good Roads amendment Grafton reached its peak population of 8,517 H. B. Moore and his brothers purchased the school and reorganized it as the Greenbrier Military School Harrison County population rose to 74,783 Sid Hatfield assisted a United Mine Workers campaign to organize Tug Fork miners The Clarksburg factory of the Hazel Atlas Glass Company had 15 acres of floor space, employed 1,200 people and shipped all over the world Chemical firms in the Kanawha Valley began expanding rapidly Census reported 6,260 Hungarians in West Virginia Union organizing led to confrontations at Matewan and Blair Mountain La Belle Ironworks merged with Wheeling Iron and Steel and Whitaker-Glessner Company to form Wheeling Steel Corporation Ann Johnson Gates became the first woman member of the West Virginia legislature The legislator salary was set at $500 High school at Walkersville was constructed John L. Lewis became the president of the UMWA Big Bill Lias started a career in the illegal sale and distribution of liquor Minnie Lowther moved to Washington Jacob Marcus attained his rabbinical ordination William Marsh stopped serving as president of the M. Marsh and Son company Marshall became a four-year college The name was changed from Martinsburg West Virginia Evening Journal to Martinsburg Journal McDowell was the third most populous county in the state Willow Glen mansion, known in the Wheeling area as McKinley's Palace, was completed James Miller ran unsuccessfully for secretary of state James Miller left as judge Additional land for Monongahela National Forest was purchased The B&O leased the Morgantown & Kingwood The National Bank of Commerce moved to Charleston and was renamed the State Street Bank The Parkersburg Daily Sentinel ceased publication. Monongahela National Forest was created. Jennings Randolph graduated from Salem Academy. The buildings at Red Sulphur Springs were dismantled and the resort ceased operation. Red Ribble moved to Mount Hope The third courthouse at Ripley was built There were 398 sawmills operating in West Virginia The United Daughters of the Confederacy and Sons of Confederate Veterans decided to erect a memorial to Heyward Shepherd W. H. S White became president of Shepherd College Matthew Holt was the Socialist candidate for governor James Weldon Johnson was responsible for publishing Anne Spencer's " Before the Feast at Shushan" P. D. Strausbaugh received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago Howard Sutherland made a bid for presidency of United States Union Carbide purchased a small refinery at Clendenin C. W. Ferguson III was born Webster County population was 11,000 Weirton population was at 8,000 Welch population was at 3,232 West Liberty's first dorms were built Riley Wilson ran unsuccessfully for Congress Carter G. Woodson left Howard University Carter G. Woodson began Dean of the West Virginia Collegiate Institution (now West Virginia State University)
1922
A black man, Leroy Williams, was hung for the rape of a woman when evidence showed otherwise. Other events that happened on or around 1922 Four of Mary Atkeson's plays were published First Morgantown airport built R. D. Bailey moved to Pineville Field of 64 high school basketball teams was broken into "A" and "B" divisions based on team strength West Virginia was 35% forested John Peale Bishop married Izetta Brown was first woman south of the Mason-Dixon line to run for U.S. Senate Cut-over land at present Calvin W. Price State Forest was sold by Maryland Lumber Company Camp Caesar began Brandon Hass purchased the old forest at present Cathedral State Park A second series of treason trials of West Virginia Mine Wars was held in Charles Town William E. "Ned" Chilton Jr. became president of the Daily Gazette Co. Charleston Ordnance Center closed Almost 80% of miners lived in company towns John W. Davis became president of the American Bar association Julia Davis received B.A. from Barnard College Clarence Shirley Donnelly accepted the pastorate at Oak Hill Baptist Church Capt. Annis Boggs was commissioned Ward Engineering of Charleston to build floating dance hall, the Edwards Moonlight Morrow Hall began occupancy at Fairmont State First steel fire tower was built on Backbone Mountain by Emory N. "Pop" Wriston Thaddeus Mortimer Fowler died Donald Gaudineer graduated from New York State Ranger College Benjamin Gravely started his own business, The Gravely Motor Plow and Cultivator Company in Dunbar East-west routes were assigned odd numbers and north-south routes were assigned even numbers Bill Blizzard and others were tried for treason at the Jefferson County courthouse No one was convicted of treason in the Blair Mountain trials Frank Keeney agreed to temporary wage cuts for UMWA members Charles Laws relocated to Hinton to replace a local doctor who had died Hamlin High School was built in Hamlin Minnie Lowther wrote Mount Vernon, Arlington and Woodlawn A church was built for the Lebanese Christians in Wheeling The Leadclad Wire Company was established by Wheeling Metal John Matheus began teaching foreign languages at West Virginia State College A disastrous fire completely destroyed the Mercer Healing Springs Hotel The Mine Wars ended The B&O absorbed the Morgantown & Kingwood The Mount St. George mansion was acquired by the Catholic Knights of St. George The Norwalk Motor Car Company closed The State Industrial School for Colored Boys opened at Lakin, Mason County William Revercomb relocated to Charleston to practice law Leonard Riggleman earned a bachelor's degree at Morris Harvey College (now University of Charleston) Rev. Patrick J. Donahue died John J. Swint became Bishop of Catholic Diocese Catholic population in West Virginia was 63,000 Clint Thomas joined the Detroit Stars baseball team There was a Washington exposition of Vitrolite A hospital proved vital during an influenza epidemic The Shott brothers made initial efforts at radio Leased wildlife refuges on privately owned land were established First large mine in Wyoming County was opened by Raleigh-Wyoming Coal Company Gurnett “Cap” Ferguson built the 72-room Ferguson Hotel Hack Wilson hit 30 homers and hit .362, leading the Class D Blue Ridge League in both categories.
1954
West Virginia began dismantling system of black education after the desegregation ruling by Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education Other events that happened on or around 1954 Chuck Howley enrolled at WVU Bill Campbell married the former Joan Dourif
1980
Blacks made up less than 3% of coal miners Other events that happened on or around 1980 The Home of Belle Boyd became a museum and archive center Patch Adams bought a 310-acre farm in Pocahontas County New Main at Alderson-Broaddus College (now University) opened at a cost of $2 million Anthony Correctional Center began accepting adult males An Appalachian Craftsmen shop opened at Homestead Resort Blakeley house was added to the National Register of Historic Places
1988
First Annual Conference on West Virginia's Black History hosted by First Baptist Church of Charleston Other events that happened on or around 1988 Appalachian Craftsmen, Inc. closed Princeton joined the Appalachian Rookie League in baseball Another 43 acres was added to Bear Rock Lakes Pinckney Benedict Received M.F.A from Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa Jerold Dugger resigned as president of Bluefield State College (now University) Gassaway depot was closed by CSX West Virginia was forced to reimburse $9.5 million to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for Buffalo Creek Flood recovery work Cabell Huntington Hospital Inc. became the new corporation governing the hospital Third generation took over Capon Springs Resort View Articles by Existing Key Dates or Specify Your Own Date Range |
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