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Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
Go back to Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
1827
B&O chartered Other events that happened on or around 1827 Alexander Campbell's wife, Margaret Brown, died Churches of Berkeley and Jefferson organized ecumenical Sabbath School Union David E. Jackson, William Sublette and Jedediah Smith became partners in the Rocky Mountain Fur Company Anne Royall wrote The Tennessean City of Logan was laid out and first named Lawnsville The stogie became popular when George W. Black of Wheeling sold the cigars to wagon drivers on the National Road The Northwestern Virginia Turnpike was chartered by the General Assembly to connect Winchester to Parkersburg Dick Pointer died. James Blaine built a gristmill on Blaine Island George Summers was admitted to the bar The General Assembly established the town of Virginius Alexander Withers moved to Harrison County
1830
Passenger and freight operations began on the B&O Railroad
1837
The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad arrived at Harpers Ferry
1842
B&O line completed to Cumberland Other events that happened on or around 1842 Baltimore & Ohio Railroad came to Martinsburg Jacob Blair began to study law under his uncle John Jay Jackson, Sr. Western Virginians met in Clarksburg and Lewisburg and demanded a Constitutional Convention Henry Gassaway Davis became brakeman for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Joseph Diss Debar came to the U.S. William Edwards graduated from Williams College John Gallaher became a state senator Chester Hubbard married Sarah Pallister John Jay Jackson Sr commanded a brigade in the Virginia militia Stonewall Jackson entered West Point Joseph Lightburn sought admission to West Point Fairmont became county seat at creation of Marion County The B&O Railroad arrived in Mineral County The General Assembly chartered three academies in Pocahontas County for the preparation of students for the University of Virginia, at Green Bank, Hillsboro, and Huntersville William Rosecrans graduated from West Point Wayne was founded as a town Kellian Whaley moved to Wayne County
Dec 24, 1852
The B&O Railroad completed from Baltimore to Wheeling Other events that happened on or around December 24, 1852 The last spike was driven to complete the B&O Railroad from Baltimore to the Ohio River
Oct 16, 1859
John Brown attempted to seize federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry Other events that happened on or around October 16, 1859 Lewis William Washington became John Brown's hostage at Harpers Ferry
1861
Stonewall Jackson withdrew from Harpers Ferry Other events that happened on or around 1861 Union and Confederate troops began occupation of Bulltown Nathan Goff Jr. joined the Union service in the Civil War Federal troops seized the gold deposited by Virginia in a Weston bank for the construction of Weston Hospital
1863
B&O Railroad's management influenced people to support West Virginia statehood Other events that happened on or around 1863 The first West Virginia legislature proposed to educate "free colored children," the proposal was left unfunded. The decision to have Attorney General elected by popular vote was made Union troops shelled the town of Beckley, killing a little girl Virginia's land and water boundaries given to West Virginia Civil War skirmish at Bulltown Historic Area River pirate John Lockwood arrest and tried for murder Rutherford B. Hayes and William McKinley were commissioned first lieutenants at Camp Piatt Melodrama East Lynne written West Virginia experimented with New England modified township system West Virginia constitution established public free school system William Edwards opened mines at Coalburg West Virginia's first election was conducted Stephen Elkins left the army Constitution stated that the "executive department shall consist of a governor, secretary of state, superintendent of free schools, auditor, treasurer and attorney general." Construction of Fort Boreman began Frederick County citizens voted not to become part of West Virginia John Hale organized the Bank of the West Harrison County was first in West Virginia in the production of beef cattle Devil Anse Hatfield deserted the regular Virginia infantry in the Civil War The state constitution stated that Delegates of the House of Delegates served one-year terms Chester Hubbard became a member of the first West Virginia senate John Jay Jackson Sr supported the move for the creation of a separate state but opposed the abolition of slavery Mudwall Jackson led troops against Union Gen. Thomas Harris The presence of the B&O influenced the decision to include Jefferson County in the new state The state constitution adopted Virginia common law and statutes as the law of West Virginia Daniel Lamb was a member of the first West Virginia legislature West Virginia state government resumed the project for Weston Hospital The Marshall College property was sold at public auction to Salina Hite Mason The Methodist Church claimed the largest number of congregation in West Virginia Reported 250 newspapers had been established Editors changed their mastheads to reflect the name of the new state Hiram Clay first settled in what is know Pineville. Samuel Price was elected lieutenant governor of Confederate Virginia. Beckley was bombarded by federal artillery. The first period of Republican dominance began Mrs. Henry Woods wrote East Lynne The first free school opened in Ripley Lewis Ruffner was appointed a major general of militia for West Virginia Nathan Scott enlisted in the Union army in Ohio The Supreme Court of Appeals sat at Wheeling with three justices Thurmond's Rangers became 44th Virginia Cavalry Battalion Campbell Tarr became West Virginia's first state treasurer The repayment to the state of Virginia was included in the West Virginia constitution Legislature gave official sanction to teachers organization All turnpikes in West Virginia were turned over to the counties through which they ran The name was changed to West Virginia Hospital for the Insane Kellian Whaley was reelected to Congress from West Virginia Confederate forces reoccupied Lewisburg Waitman Willey began serving as U.S. Senator from West Virginia Wirt County was divided into 7 districts Fort Boreman was constructed in Wood County
1871
B&O lines reached Columbus, Lake Erie and Pittsburgh Other events that happened on or around 1871 Peter Cline Buffington was elected Huntington's first mayor Edward Jefferson Willis founded the Winchester Female Institute in Winchester Commencement Hall added as a wing to Old Main at Bethany Democrats gained control of West Virginia's government Jefferson County seat moved back to Charles Town after being in Shepherdstown The Jefferson County seat moved back to Charles Town after temporarily being relocated to Shepherdstown Waitman Willey's service in the U.S. Senate ended Voters approved both a constitutional amendment eliminating the loyalty requirement for voting and a call for a new constitutional convention Joseph Diss Debar ended his work of recruiting labor and landowners from abroad Hyre D. Clark of Buckhannon was the first graduate of Fairmont State John P. Hale became mayor of Charleston Morris Harvey married Rosaltha Dickinson The Independent was moved from Winfield to Huntington by O.G. Chase Frank Hereford began the first of three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad purchased the land on which Hinton was built The Flick Amendment was passed which ended political restriction on ex-Confederates in West Virginia Jedediah Hotchkiss explored the extended Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Huntington was founded by Collis P. Huntington John J. Allen died James Madison Jackson died John Jay Jackson Sr. served as a member of the commission to ascertain West Virginia's share of the Virginia debt The Great Fire in Chicago burned up Mother Jones' dressmaking business and her possessions The KKK virtually disappeared in West Virginia after voting privileges were restored to former Confederates Daniel Lamb unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate The Flick Amendment was passed restoring voting rights for ex-Confederates Mannington was chartered as a town by the legislature The federal government conducted a survey of the river
1877
The great railroad strike, the first nationwide industrial strike, began at Martinsburg Other events that happened on or around 1877 The great railroad strike originated among B&O workers in Martinsburg The national railroad strike began in Martinsburg Romeo Freer and John Kenna traveled West Virginia urging voters to select Charleston as the state capital
1884
B&O operated 1,700 miles of railroad Other events that happened on or around 1884 Joseph Beury and others opened Mill Creek Coal & Coke, first mine in Mercer County Arthur Boreman organized a relief effort to assist victims of Ohio River flood Belle Boyd divorced Swainston W.E.R. Byrne was admitted to the bar The Kanawha & Michigan Railway was completed on north side of Kanawha River in Charleston Moses W. Donnally bought the Chronicle Charleston National Bank founded as a national bank Sydenham Herford died William and Tom Anderson stopped running the Easton Roller Mill William Edwards published another volume in his three-volume work on butterflies, The Butterflies of North America Stephen Elkins was elected executive chairman of the National Republican Committee Glenville High School moved into a house The Hampshire Review was started by C.F. Poland The American Ancient Order of Hibernians had groups in Rowlesburg, Clarksburg, Parkersburg, Coal Valley and Charleston The Quinnimont iron furnace was closed Other mills were destroyed by floods on the Jug of the Middle Island Creek James Kay returned to West Virginia The Lincoln County Feud began when Paris Brumfield killed Boney Lucas The first multistate gazetteer including West Virginia, Maryland and Delaware appeared Hu Maxwell wrote a history of Tucker County Mennonites erected their first meetinghouse in West Virginia in Pendleton County James Miller left as superintendent of Summers County schools James Miller became Summer County prosecuting attorney C. F. Millspaugh published the first section of American Medicinal Plants New Cumberland became the permanent county seat of Hancock County Earl Oglebay started working in a Cleveland iron ore firm Large flood occurred on the Ohio Democrat Emanuel Willis Wilson mounted a populist campaign that challenged monopolies and railroads Samuel and Violet Bryant came to America from England The Ohio River Railway was built through Sistersville The first golf club in America was organized at Oakhurst at White Sulphur Springs Telephone switchboards were installed at Huntington Telephone switchboards were installed at Moundsville The West Virginia Central & Pittsburg was extended to Tucker County The Ohio River Railroad reached Vienna The first West Virginia Historical Society ceased I.C. White began working for the U.S. Geological Survey Emanuel Willis Wilson succeeded into the governorship The Ohio River Railroad was completed The Ohio River flooded at Wheeling
1889
B&O hauled 31% of nation's Tidewater-bound soft coal Other events that happened on or around 1889 Sensational articles of the Hatfield-McCoy Feud by Theron C. Crawford published in New York Bluefield incorporated as a town Bank of Bramwell opened Matthew Clair graduated from Morgan College in Baltimore Downtown streets of Clarksburg lit up by electricity Cribs and booms located to direct logs into Coal River's main channel Elkins was founded Jack Glasscock managed Indianapolis Hoosiers baseball team for part of the year The membership of Post No.1 of General Army of the Republic peaked at 3,161 The first major outbreak of the gypsy moth occurred The Weekly Advertiser became a daily publication as the Advertiser Harold Houston graduated from Charleston High School Kenova founded by L. T. Peck The West Virginia Bureau of Labor was created by state legislature Daniel Lucas began serving as a justice of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals William MacCorkle left prosecuting attorney's office I.T. Mann had an apprenticeship at Greenbrier Valley Bank Alexander Martin left DePauw University Hu Maxwell wrote Idyls of the Golden Shore The first oil was discovered in Monongalia County Navigable slack water was extended to the Morgantown area Anticlinal theory of oil and gas location was developed by I. C. White of WVU The anticlinal theory of oil and gas location was first tested in Mannington Pennzoil was founded An iron truss bridge was built over the New River West Virginia apple production was at 4.5 million bushels William Nelson Page was president of Gauley Mountain Coal Charles Ritter moved to West Virginia Sheltering Arms Hospital saw its first patient All telephone exchanges in northern West Virginia were interconnected The legislature renamed the militia the West Virginia National Guard William Luke opened a pulp mill and incorporated the West Virginia Paper Company Albert White was appointed as internal revenue agent Emanuel Wilson advocated antitrust legislation and increased immigration into the state Major timbering began in Wyoming County Carrie Edwards married Abraham L. Williams
1896
B&O Railroad only hauled four percent of Tidewater-bound soft coal Other events that happened on or around 1896 Thomas Anshutz painted Steamboat on the Ohio Elk River Coal & Lumber Company began buying land in West Virginia George Sturdevant and John W. Johnson purchased the factory at Brush Creek Falls in Mercer County Michael Benedum married Sarah Lantz "Athens" name of new post office and village William Coley founded the Parsons Advocate newspaper John William Davis began teaching law at Washington & Lee Democrats slipped into minority status in West Virginia According to legend, underground Elk (River) was formed when a hole opened in the stream bed and simply swallowed the river Thaddeus Fowler first visited West Virginia Edward Bates Franzheim designed the Vance Memorial Presbyterian Church in Wheeling The Trinity United Methodist Church was organized in Glenville Grantsville was incorporated The H.K. Bedford began Pittsburgh-Charleston service William Jennings Bryan was defeated as free silver presidential candidate Hamilton Hatter became the first principal of Bluefield Colored Institute (Bluefield State College) Homer Laughlin incorporated as Homer Laughlin and Company The original Seneca Glass Company building was built William Leigh painted his portrait of Sophie H. Colston The Moundsville Daily Echo became a daily publication Louis Marx was born John McGraw first served as a member of the Democratic National Committee James Miller served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention The Seneca Glass Company moved from Ohio to Morgantown The South Branch Intelligencer merged with the Hampshire Review Lawrence Nuttall and C. F. Millspaugh published Flora of West Virginia Melville Davisson Post's short story collection The Strange Schemes of Randolph Mason made him immensely popular. The second period of Republican dominance began Telephone switchboards were installed at Morgantown The Webster Springs Hotel was built Agnes Westbrook Morrison was admitted to the bar WVU hires its first full-time coach Matthew Whittico graduated from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania Matewan challenged Williamson as county seat of Mingo County Carter Woodson graduated from Douglass High School Hurry-up Yost played tackle on the WVU football team The Shenandoah River flooded
1900
B&O added the Monongahela River Railroad (Fairmont to Clarksburg) Other events that happened on or around 1900 West Virginia had 100,000 farms on 8.9 million acres Charles Ambler served as sheriff of Pleasants County for two years There were 600 Baptist churches in West Virginia Raleigh County Republicans launched the Raleigh Herald Berkeley County population was 19,469 First women on the Bethany College board of trustees Jesse Bloch entered the family Bloch Brothers Tobacco Company Alonzo Brooks completed a business course at West Virginia Wesleyan College Capon Springs developer William H. Sale died Cass was founded by West Virginia Pulp & Paper Company West Virginia Pulp & Paper built paper mill at Covington, Virginia The Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) completed its Greenbrier Division into Pocahontas County to harvest red spruce on Cheat and Back Allegheny mountains Moses Donnally sold the Charleston Gazette Davis Child Shelter, an orphanage, was established in Charleston First sewer lines were installed in Clarksburg Coal production had doubled Little evidence of the Coal River locks and dams remained West Virginia chapter of the Colonial Dames of America was organized Only remnant populations of deer and turkey were noted West Virginia's median age was below national average at 20.3 Doddridge County population was 13,689 William Edwards wrote a book on the authorship of Shakespeare's plays Fairmont Times was first published by Gen. C. L. Smith and O. S. McKinney Thaddeus Fowler returned to West Virginia Garnet High School was founded with a class of 12 black students Howard Gore graduated from WVU with a degree in agriculture Harrison County held a population of 27,690 Nancy Hart and husband Joshua Douglas settled in Webster County Morris Harvey founded the Fayette National Bank William "Coin" Harvey moved to Arkansas to begin building a retreat and vacation resort The population of Helvetia reached 500 people The first time the word "hillbilly" was used in print, in a New York newspaper Reported 1,062 native Hungarians in West Virginia Water power began being used for the production of electricity in West Virginia, at Kanawha Falls Census reported 2,458 Indians living in West Virginia There were 18 farms of the settlers on the Irish Tract Jackson County's population rose to 19,000 Don Redman was born in Piedmont The Kanawha Falls were augmented by a low dam Oil and natural gas in high quantities was found in Lewis County Cousin Abe Lilly received a law degree from the Southern Normal University, Tennessee Railroad replaces streams as the chief means of transporting logs to sawmills The Benwood Ironworks grew into a large steel mills James Miller ceased to be Summers County prosecuting attorney James Miller ran unsuccessfully for state auditor Steam and electric fans made larger mines possible The completion of the C&O Railway's Greenbrier Division to Marlinton put the Minnehaha Springs within reach of travelers Fairmont's first electric streetcar line built Morgantown population was at 1,895 The Morgantown Glass Works began production A developer began selling oceanfront lots for $25 in Myrtle Beach The anticlinal theory of oil and gas was applied along Sand Fork of the Little Kanawha The Toledo & Ohio Central gained control of the Kanawha & Michigan and the Kanawha & West Virginia Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad began purchasing the N&W stock E.M. Carney purchased the Pence Springs property Kanawha County had the largest population with 54,696 residents. The largest city in the state was Wheeling with a population of 38,878. The Lilly family began ownership of the Ruffner Hotel St. Joseph's Hospital was founded by Patrick J. Donahue Samuel and Violet Bryant got their first jobs on showboats James H. Brown's obelisk was erected at Spring Hill Cemetery Interurban railway operations began in Huntington Tyler County's oil and gas boom peaked Wayne County population was at 23,619 Wings were added to Woodburn Hall at WVU Weston had municipal water plant, sanitary and storm sewer systems and brick paved streets West Virginia Pulp & Paper began constructing a sawmill in Cass A nursing school was founded at Wheeling Hospital The Collins Colliery company store burned Matthew Whittico moved to Keystone Buffalo, elk, gray wolf and passenger pigeon had all disappeared from West Virginia The second courthouse at Winfield was built Wirt County's population peaked at 10,284 Carter G. Woodson became principal of Douglass High School The first record of the ballad "The Wreck on the C&O" came out
1910
Daniel Willard became president of B&O Other events that happened on or around 1910 Appalachian Power Company began Mannington, Fairmont, Clarksburg, and Grafton baseball teams formed the Class D West Virginia League Charleston entered professional baseball Beckley population rose to 2,161 Bluefield's population exceeded 10,000 U.S. Supreme Court established boundary between Preston County, West Virginia and Garrett County, Maryland Pearl Buck returned to the U.S. after living in China Pine Run School was built Annie G. Packette raised $50,000 to construct Charleston Opera House Charleston Mail sold to Samuel Dixon Men including John W. Davis published the Culpeper Exponent U.S. Bureau of Mines created after the Fairmont disaster of 1907 West Virginia coke production peaked at 4,217,381 tons Justus Collins opened Winding Gulf mine Danske Dandridge wrote Historic Shepherdstown Levi Dean began practicing architecture in Charleston The first deer hunting season was established West Virginia's approximate deer population was 1,000 Thurmond accounted for almost 20% of all revenue generated on C&O Railway Isaac Morris sold Easton Roller Mill to William Ley West Virginia schools had fallen behind national averages West Virginia had only 12 fully accredited high schools The Department of Education increased to five divisions Golden era of glass production ended Aretas Fleming pushed to establish the U.S. Bureau of Mines A. B. Brooks compiled a report on West Virginia forests Thaddeus Fowler returned to West Virginia Number of farms in West Virginia stood at 97,000 Glass factory employment totaled 7,500 workers The Meadow River Lumber Company was organized in Rainelle The C&O purchased the Greenbrier Resort and developed it into a major destination Rimfire Hamrick opened a jewelry, watch repair, and gunsmith shop in Webster Springs The High Gate mansion was built for James Edwin Watson Census reported 5,939 Hungarians in West Virginia Census showed 17 Irish families and 82 person occupying Irish Mountain Reported 17,000 Italian immigrants in West Virginia McDowell County reported the most Italian immigrants in West Virginia with 2,300 City of Ranson was established Reported most of the Kelly Axe Company's grinders were natives of Poland or Russia Harley Kilgore graduated from Mannington High School Sarah Ann Legg appealed her case for murder of Jay Legg and was acquitted of all charges Lincoln County had a population of 20,491 Signs bearing "Chew Mail Pouch Tobacco, Treat yourself to the Best" began appearing Akro Agate was founded in Ohio Marlinton had a tannery, two banks, two newspapers, 20 stores, a hospital, opera house, fire department, school, water system, & electric power Marlinton Opera House was built by J. C. Tilton John Matheus graduated from Western Reserve University (Case Western Reserve) in Cleveland, Ohio The original sawmill of the Meadow River Lumber Company was built The McKendree and Welch hospitals opened affiliated nursing schools Morgantown population rose to 9,150 Howard Sloan organized the first enduring work of the Church of the Nazarene in West Virginia The New York Central gained control of the Toledo & Ohio Central Niagara Movement failed to meet The O. Ames company arrived in Parkersburg 37 of the state's 55 counties were completely dry or allowed the prohibition of the sale of liquor under local option laws. The C&O and Virginian railroads had penetrated every section of Raleigh County A factory making buttons from river mussel shell opened in St. Marys Nathan Scott lost the Republican nomination The Raine brothers established the Meadow River Lumber Company Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes ruled that the Swan lands had been forfeited to the state because taxes had not been paid Thurmond had a population of 315 The B&O railroad penetrated the Trough Tucker County population peaked at 18,675 U.S. Coal & Coke built 12 individual company towns at Gary The steamboat Virginia went aground on a falling Ohio River and ended up in a cornfield at Ravenswood The Meyercord-Carter Company reorganized as the Vitrolite Company The Greenbrier, Cheat & Elk Railroad was incorporated T. Edward Hill joined the McDowell Times Ohio Valley Glass became Paul Wissmach Glass Company
1962
C&O and B&O merger continues Other events that happened on or around 1962 Citizens in Grafton formed the International Mother's Day Shrine Commission. John Hodel became editor of the Beckley Register Clair Bee wrote Comeback Cagers, the last of the Chip Hilton series Betsy Byars published her first book, Clementine Fannie Cobb Carter returned to Charleston West Virginia purchased 11 miles of logging railroad and established Cass Scenic Railroad State Park Charleston's population peaked at 85,796 Franklin Cleckley earned B.A. from Anderson College James Dent began writing the Charleston Gazette's "Gazetteer" column Duncan Yo-Yo Company hit its peak sales with 18 million yo-yos The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation was organized Construction of the government bunker and the simultaneous addition of a new hotel wing were completed at the Greenbrier Davis Grubb wrote Voices of Glory Hawkshaw Hawkins returned to King Records and recorded "Lonesome 7-7203" The state purchased and planned restoration of the former logging town of Cass Joseph Hodges succeeded John Swint as the fifth bishop of the diocese of Wheeling William Hoffman wrote A Place For My Head Interwoven Mills ownership changed Kaymoor mine closed The original Kingwood Tunnel was closed and sealed John Knowles wrote Morning in Antibes William Marland took a job as a Chicago taxi driver to "compose his character" A new dormitory was constructed at Marshall University West Virginia Archeological Society members Delf Norona, Oscar Mairs and Bob White described the May Moore Mound as the third largest in West Virginia J. Kemp McLaughlin was appointed assistant adjutant general with promotion to brigadier general J. Kemp McLaughlin served as Kanawha County commissioner Mildred Mitchell-Bateman was appointed the director of the Department of Mental Health by Governor Barron Plum Orchard Lake was constructed Donald Rasmussen came to West Virginia as associate chief of internal medicine at Miners Memorial Hospital in Beckley Nat Reese was hired as a photographic silk-screen printer at Rockwell International's aviation plant in Princeton Eleanor Roosevelt stopped serving as U.S. representative to the United Nations The C. Z. Ruth Memorial Annex at St. Joseph's Hospital in Parkersburg was built to accommodate major services The Sheriff's Succession Amendment was first rejected by legislation WVU Rod Thorn became All-American in basketball Catholic population in West Virginia was 110,000 There were 100 Catholic churches, a new cathedral five hospitals 43 elementary and secondary schools, one college and a preparatory seminary in West Virginia Cyrus Vance became secretary of the army Jerry West set the record for guards with 63 points in one game Dr. Herbert Warden performed the first open-heart surgery in West Virginia A fire ended racing at Wheeling Downs Wheeling College (now Wheeling University) received national accreditation Chuck Yeager became commander of the Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base Billy Cox moved to Nashville and formed the King Kasuals with Jimi Hendrix
1973
The merger of the B&O and the C&O was finalized Other events that happened on or around 1973 The Apple Butter Festival was founded in Berkeley Springs Augusta Heritage Center was begun by a group of Randolph County women An unsuccessful merger was attempted between Bluefield State (now University) and Concord College (now University) Billy Coffindaffer became president of Bluefield State College (now University) Brook trout named the state fish of West Virginia William Brotherton Jr. began first term as president of the Senate Park became a full-fledged resort A new kitchen and mechanical wing opened at Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital in Parkersburg Claymont Court was added to the National Register of Historic Place Colonial Dames moved the Craik-Patton House to Daniel Boone Park View Articles by Existing Key Dates or Specify Your Own Date Range |
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