Henry Payne

Holt, Rinehart, and Winston published a paperback edition of the stories of Beece D'J Pancake

Pence Springs was studied by scholars from the University of Kentucky

Jayne Anne Phillips published her first of three novels, Machine Dreams

William Pierce established his headquarters in a compound near Hillsboro

Cynthia Rylant wrote Waiting to Waltz

Henry Schmulbach's Wheeling house was added to the National Register of Historic Places

The Shott family endowed the Hugh I. Shott Jr. Foundation

Union Carbide had a tragic industrial accident at its Bhopal, India facility

E. M. Statler was inducted into the Wheeling Hall of Fame

Charleston became the first city in U.S. to be able to chose long-distance carriers other than AT&T

Railroads ceased operation in Tucker County

The golf course at Twin Falls State Park was expanded to 18-hole

AT&T broke up

C. W. Ferguson III stopped serving as circuit judge

A renovation on Welch Community Hospital was completed

West Virginia History began annual publication

The School of Osteopathic Medicine started a postdoctoral training program

Thomas Conlin became conductor of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra

WVU Hospitals became a separate nonprofit corporation, affiliated with West Virginia University

Meredith Sue Willis wrote Personal Fiction Writing

The American Cyanamid decided to settle the Willow Island sterilization suit out of court

Warren McGraw stopped serving as state senate president

John Zontini was inducted into the Marshall University Athletics Hall of Fame

Helen Holt retired

Coach John McKay retired

Kathy Mattea's song "Walk the Way the Wind Blows" became her first major hit

McCoy's Mill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places

Congressman Alan Mollohan was appointed to the House Appropriations Committee

Mount St. George was added to the National Register of Historic Places

Regular national broadcasts of Mountain Stage began on National Public Radio

Zebra mussels were introduced from Europe to the Great Lakes by commercial barge traffic

The Peter Tarr furnace was partially restored.

A new division was created within the PSC to provide assistance to public water and wastewater providers.

Otis Rice became vice chairman of the Kanawha County Bicentennial Commission

The Smoot Theater stopped serving as a movie theater

The State Supreme Court ruled on Cook v. Heck's regarding the firing of workers

United National Bank joined with Intermountain Bankshares and Kanawha Banking and Trust

The Education Foundation changed its name to West Virginia Historical Education Foundation

Pence Springs Resort property was purchased and renovated as a hotel

Thomas W. Cole left as president of West Virginia State College (now University)

Roomier pens making use of natural features were installed at the West Virginia State Wildlife Center at French Creek

The West Virginia Turnpike accommodated about 5 million cars

WVU Mountaineer Field football stadium expanded to 63,175 seats

A master's degree in business administration was first offered at West Virginia Wesleyan College

Rachael Worby became music director of Wheeling Symphony

The Henderson Hall historic district was added to the National Register

Robert C. Gillespie became president of West Virginia Institute of Technology

Katherine Johnson retired from NASA

Conchata Ferrell married Arnie Anderson, a sound mixer

Huntington Galleries changed its name to the Huntington Museum of Art

State lost $300 million in stock market when A. James Manchin was treasurer

Comprehensive state gazetteers were published by the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey

Vitro Agate ceased operations

John Sayles wrote Thinking in Pictures: The Making of the Movie Matewan

Jon McBride was assigned as assistant administrator for congressional relations at NASA

David A. Raese became publisher of the Dominion Post

Joe Mullins won the West Virginia Veterans' Memorial design competition

Swami Bhaktipada of New Vrindaban was arrested and charged with racketeering and accused of ordering the murders of two Krishna devotees

U.S. Department of Agriculture wanted to classify the pepperoni roll bakeries as meat packers

Jayne Anne Phillips published Fast Lanes

The Pittston Coal Company withdrew from the Bituminous Coal Operators Association

The Ohio Valley Refining Company was closed

Swami Bhaktipada was expelled from ISKCON

Cecil Roberts played a key role in the UMWA successful strike against Pittston Company

Bernard W. Schmitt became bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston

The Harrison Rural Electrification Association had 4,713 customers

The Smoot Theater was rescued by a citizen group headed by Felice Jorgeson

The Crain v. Bordenkircher case changed state policies regarding the prison system

The Jewell v. Manard case required legislature to redesign the system for compensating court-appointed attorneys

Union Carbide and Indian government reached a settlement for the Bhopal plant incident

The Ohio Valley Unitarian Universalist Congregation built a church near Wheeling

The Pittston Company tried to abrogate commitments to the UMWA welfare and retirement fund

Weirton Steel stock began trading on the New York Stock Exchange

The West Virginia Symphony Orchestra celebrated 50 years

Ruby Memorial Hospital was designated the state's first level one trauma center

Construction of a Ronald McDonald House began in Morgantown

New owners led Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel out of bankruptcy

WVU at Parkersburg was re-affiliated with WVU

Don Blankenship became president of Massey Coal Services

Dennis Harrah was inducted into the Miami University Sports Hall of Fame

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor was Awarded the Newbery Medal for Shiloh

Eldora Nuzum retired from the Elkins Inter-Mountain

The North Central Association approved baccalaureate degrees in business administration, elementary education, liberal studies, and psychology at Ohio Valley University

Charlotte Pritt left the state Senate

Dyke Raese was inducted into the WVU Hall of Fame

The National Labor Relations Board ruled on unfair labor practices in the Ravenswood Strike

Richard Freeland re-entered the recording business when he started Freeland Records

Otis Rice became vice president of the West Virginia Historical Education Foundation

Jay Rockefeller successfully backed the Coal Act to ensure continued funding of the UMWA health insurance

Cynthia Rylant was awarded the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for children's fiction for Missing May

Fred Schaus was named to the WVU Hall of Fame

Mountain Stage began airing world-wide on Voice of America

Sandy and Will Morrison bought the Mystery Hole and reopened it

The National Commerce Bancorp of Memphis entered West Virginia

The Division of Natural Resources was administered under the Bureau of Commerce

Conrail was split between the Norfolk Southern and the CSX

Brad Paisley recorded his debut album Who Needs Pictures

The Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse won design awards for architecture and art from the General Services Administration

The Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse won the government-public construction award from Buildings magazine

St. Mary's Hospital opened a radiation oncology center

The entrance to Schoolhouse Cave was gated to conserve colonies of Virginia big-eared bats

David Selby received the Shakespeare Theatre's Millennium Recognition Award

The West Virginia Northern Railroad ceased as a tourist line

Parkersburg post office was named Simmons Station in honor of Robert Simmons

Construction of a hydropower project began at Summersville Dam.

The Navy christened a ship the USNS Charlton in honor of Cornelius Charlton

The West Virginia legislature established an independent National Coal Heritage Area Authority to manage the heritage area

Brad Paisley released his second album

Dominion Hope Gas Company opened a gas-fired electricity generating plant at Bull Creek

Guides to the texts and location of roadside historical markers was issued

Richard Ferrin became president of Salem International University

Pocahontas County was identified by the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development as one of the nation's top 59 counties for second homes

Michael Smith provided the musical score for the motion picture Joshua

United National Bank became state chartered United Bank

The West Virginia Distinguished Service Medal was awarded to Gene Vance who was killed in service in Afghanistan

The State Medical Association established the West Virginia Medical Foundation

Westvaco and Mead merged to form MeadWestvaco