Tony Boyle

Number of farms in West Virginia began dropping

West Virginia Baptist Historical Society formed

Extensive remodeling and expansion of the Cabell County courthouse was completed

Calhoun County population peaked at 12,455

First building was completed at Camp Washington-Carver

Flip left the country music trio group of "Cap, Andy, and Flip"

Clay County population peaked at 15,206

Rose Cousins learned how to fly

Easton Roller Mill, near Morgantown, was closed

W.E.R. Byrne's Tale of the Elk was published

Population of Gilmer County peaked

Construction began for Grandview Park

G. D. McNeill wrote The Last Forest, whose main character was inspired by Edden Hammons

Electric power production increased by 2,000 percent

Matthew M. Neely won the Democratic nomination for governor while still serving the U.S. Senate

Tom Kromer gave up writing

Logan's population peaked at 5,166

Reported 11,000 miners in Logan County

Martinsburg had four movie houses

Bumgardner Hall was built at Beckley College (now Mountain State University)

DuPont put four million pairs of nylon stockings on sale nationally

Molly O'Day's brothers moved to Beckley

Population of Ohio County peaked at 73,115

It was decided to establish a state forest in the Panther Creek area.

Parsons population was 2,077.

Pendleton County population peaked at 10,884.

Ida Reed published her last book, Songs of the Hills

A demonstration site for farm electrification was built at the Jackson's Mill state 4-H camp

The Hardy County Light and Power Association served 142 members

Hubert Skidmore published Hill Doctor

Eleanor Steber won the Metropolitan Opera radio auditions

Taylor County population peaked at 19,919

The Tomlinson Run dam was built by the federal Works Progress Administration

Wm. Trevey left glass plate negatives in his Glen Jean studio

Vienna had five glass factories, a canning company and a silk mill

Webster County population peaked at 18,080

Weirton population was 18,000

The West Virginia Historical Society was formed

The State Fair ceased operation on Wheeling Island

Timber in the Williams River watershed stopped being taken out by log train

The West Virginia Conservation Bulletin began quarterly publication with a newspaper format

Coonskin Ridge was selected for location of the Charleston airport

The Gravens' cabin, located at the Youghiogheny Forest Colony, was designed by Thomas Hood

Justice Chambers was called to active duty.

Federal government sold Arthurdale homes and community building to the homesteaders

West Virginia Aeronautics Commission formed

Florence Blanchfield retired

Jesse Bloch's son, Thomas, became president of Bloch Brothers Tobacco Company

Bluefield State College (now University) was fully accredited by the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education

Business affairs for WVU and state colleges was transferred to WVU Board of Governors and State Board of Education

Harry Brawley won an award for the "School of the Air" series

Carter Coal Company sold to Youngstown Sheet & Tube

Western Maryland Railroad took possession of the Cheat Mountain Club

American Cyanamid built plant near Willow Island

Levi Johnson Dean had 139 architectural commissions

Coal production peaked with 174 million tons

Jack Fleming began announcing for WVU sports

Harry B. Heflin became the third president of Glenville State College

"Biggie" Goldberg led the Chicago Cardinals to the NFL Championship

The Greene Line acquired the Delta Queen

Louis W. Chappell recorded Edden Hammons at Richwood Hotel

Voters approved a city charter for the Weirton

Alberta Pierson Hannum wrote Roseanna McCoy

Ken Hechler began teaching at Princeton University

Marshall won the NAIB national basketball tournament in Kansas City

Homer Holt became general counsel for the Union Carbide company in New York City

The Huttonsville Correctional Center became a separate institution from the state penitentiary at Moundsville

The West Virginia Conservation Commission constructed a dam and bridge at the Jug of Middle Island Creek, restoring water to the original channel

Wertz Field in Institute received modern facilities at Kanawha (Yeager) Airport

Supreme Court ruling West Virginia-Pittsburgh Coal Company v. Strong limited surface mining

The West Virginia League of Women Voters was recognized by the national office

Operation of all locks and dams except Lock and Dam No 1 on the Big Sandy was discontinued

Elli Mannette had perfected a steel drum with two octaves of a diatonic scale

Jacob Rader Marcus established the American Jewish Archives

Dan Maroney became a bus driver for the Charleston Transit Company

Mildred Mitchell married William L. Bateman

Mildred Mitchell-Bateman was accepted a position as staff physician at Lakin State Hospital

Morgantown annexed part of Evansdale

The Pence Springs property containing the original spring, hotel and fields were purchased by the state of West Virginia for use as a state prison for women

Women prisoners from Moundsville Penitentiary were transferred to women's penitentiary in Pence Springs

The Nazarene Camp and Conference ground was established at Summersville

WPDX Clarksburg began competing with WMMN Fairmont for country music audience

Alex Schoenbaum opened the Parkette Drive-In and Bowling Alley in the west side of Charleston

Oliver S. Ikenberry became president of Shepherd College

Hulett Smith began serving on the state Aeronautics Commission.

Marshall College (now University) won the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball Championship

Miles Stanley became the president of his steelworkers union local

An additional appropriation of $60,000 to build the State Police Academy was obtained from legislature

Edward W. Stifel Sr. died

The Co-operative Transit Company ceased streetcar operations in Wheeling area

City Lines of West Virginia ceased streetcar operations in north-central West Virginia

Surface mining production reached 18.4 million tons

Union Carbide purchased the Institute butadiene, styrene and support facilities to convert to chemical plants

Reported 14,510 people were employed in textile-related jobs in West Virginia

The University of Hard Knocks was conceived by Jim Comstock

Andre Van Damme and family moved to America

Vitrolite ceased production

Enrollment at West Virginia State College was 1,785 students

The West Virginia Turnpike Commission was created by legislature

The Nickel Plate Railroad purchased a majority of the Wheeling & Lake Erie

Henry Mazer became conductor of the Wheeling Symphony

Doc Williams had a major hit, "Beyond the Sunset"

Florence Blanchfield ceased as superintendent of the Army Nurse Corps

Sam Jones joined the Cleveland Buckeyes of the Negro American League

Buck Harless became part owner of a lumber company

Toni Stone played for the semi-pro Twin Cities Colored Giants

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

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 Centennial year closed and virtually all elements of the program had been successfully completed

Patch Adams spent two weeks in a psychiatric facility for depression

President's Appalachian Regional Commission (PARC) recommendations sent to President Johnson

Appalachian Hospital network saved by the Board of National Missions of the United Presbyterian Church

Appalachian Volunteers organized

Only 417 nesting pairs of bald eagles could be found in the U.S.

W. E. Blackhurst published Sawdust in Your Eyes

W. E. Blackhurst was the first commentator for the Cass Scenic Railroad

Florence Blanchfield received the West Virginia Distinguished Service Medal

A new student union building was built at Bluefield State College (now University)

Ruby Bradley retired from the army

Elk River Coal & Lumber Company sold its sawmill at Swandale to Georgia-Pacific

Expansion of Cabell Huntington Hospital increased the size to 280 beds and 48 bassinets

Centennial Golden Trout received first widespread stocking

Mower Lumber Company purchased Cheat Mountain Club

Jim Comstock ran for unsuccessfully for Congress

Phyllis Curtin sang at the meeting of the Music Educators National Conference in Charleston

Julius DeGruyter wrote A Brief History of Kanawha County and the Kanawha Region

Dolores Dowling became secretary and administrative assistant of the Veterans Administration regional office in Huntington

Thomson Newspapers of Canada purchased all three Fairmont papers

Ann Flagg returned to teaching at Evanston Consolidated School District and Southern Illinois University

The department led the effort to organize a crafts fair at Cedar Lakes

The book, Mountain Heritage was published

Patrick Gainer published The West Virginia Centennial Song Book of 100 Songs

Patrick Gainer recorded Folk Songs of the Allegheny Mountains for Folk Heritage Recordings

Earl Andrews became president of the Pennsylvania Glass Sand Corporation at Berkeley Springs

Legislature authorized counties to cooperate with local governments and the federal government

Land on Maryland Heights was added to the Harpers Ferry National Historic Park

The widows of Edward and Walker Long and William D. Brike took charge of Huntington Newspaper Publishing

Charles Hodel was named to the West Virginia Press Association's Hall of Fame

The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals who ruled in State ex rel. Slatton v. Boles that the state policy is to "protect and reclaim juveniles" and will be treated as delinquents rather than criminals

Kanawha Records began to record authentic indigenous mountain music as performed by contemporary West Virginia musicians

Reynolds Memorial Hospital opened a new facility in Glen Dale

The National Youth Science Camp was founded in Pocahontas County

The West Virginia Chapter of Nature Conservancy was founded by volunteers

The Greenbrier Historical society re-formed after disbanding during the Civil War

New buildings of the Ohio Valley College (now University) were occupied on a permanent campus

The Libbey-Owens-Ford glass bottle plant closed in Charleston

Jim Comstock found a preserved baby and the two female mummies in a barn in Philippi.

The West Virginia Centennial showboat, Rhododendron, plied the Kanawha, Ohio and Monongahela Rivers

Spanky Roberts was assigned to Griffis Air Force base

The St. Albans Archeological Site was first identified by Samuel D. Kessel

Salem College received full accreditation by the North Central Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges

Devid Selby married Claudeis "Chip" Newman

WVU Rod Thorn became All-American in basketball

Boyd Stutler published West Virginia in the Civil War

Legislation to protect the environment from surface mining was enacted

Rod Thorn became the second pick in the first round of the NBA draft and went to Baltimore Bullets

The Unitarian Universalist church in Morgantown was built

The VISTAs (Volunteers in Service to America) began

Geoffrey Hobday left the Charleston Symphony Orchestra

The Charleston Symphony Orchestra was led by a season of guest conductors

The first Water Festival was held at Hinton

Billy Edd Wheeler recorded "Coal Tattoo"

Wheeling Hospital set up the first intensive care unit in West Virginia

The Shott brothers revived their WHAJ-FM

The Widen mine and railroad ceased operation

WVU at Parkersburg became the first of WVU's Appalachian Centers

A naval radio station was established at Sugar Grove

Ellie Schaul helped decorate the Centennial Showboat Rhododendron

J. W. Ruby bought the Preston County property and named it Alpine Lake

Bald eagle declared endangered in continental U.S.

The Barrons moved to Florida

Support spread through the coalfields for the Black Lung Movement

Legislation declaring black lung a compensatory injury passed in West Virginia

William H. Blenko died

Bloch Brothers Tobacco Company was sold to the General Cigar and Tobacco Company

Harry Brawley helped Congressman Harley O. Staggers to write the Educational Television and Radio Amendments

Congress passed the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act

Billy Cox played with Jimi Hendrix in Band of Gypsys at the Fillmore East

Tony Boyle defeated by Arnold Miller in a special election, as Miners for Democracy take control of UMWA