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Interstate Highway System
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1956
The federal Interstate Highway Act was passed Other events that happened on or around 1956 The end of private education at Storer College in Harpers Ferry New campus for Appalachian Bible Institute opened in Bradley Gray Barker wrote his best-known book, They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers Blackwater Lodge opened at Blackwater State Park Boundary dispute between West Virginia and Virginia involving Monroe, Giles, and Alleghany Counties Chauncey H. Browning was Chief Justice of the state Supreme Court Cabell Huntington Hospital first opened for business Lodge at Cacapon State Park was completed with a restaurant and banquet hall The "golden" trout was spawned with regular rainbow trout at state fire hatchery Charles Town Opera House was condemned City National Bank was organized in Charleston Roy Clarkson joined Department of Biology at WVU Mine at Bishop exploded Chapman Revercomb last Republican to be elected to the Senate in West Virginia Associated Dry Goods bought the Diamond Department Store Elizabeth Drewry helped pass constitutional amendment allowing women to serve on juries in West Virginia Pete Everest graduated from Armed Forces Staff College Pete Everest flew the X-2 at Mach 3 Ruel Foster wrote Elizabeth Madox Roberts, American Novelist Charleston's Garnet High School closed The state Board of Education authorized the construction of the student center, Pioneer Center, at Glenville State College Joseph C. Gluck became pastor of the Forks-of-Cheat Baptist Church The U.S. Government approached the C&O with proposal to build an "emergency relocation center" at the Greenbrier for reassembly of Congress Davis Grubb wrote Shadow of My Brother Minnie Buckingham Harper's second husband John B. Paterson died Hazel Atlas Company operated 12 plants across the U.S. Chuck Howley was named the Southern Conference Athlete of the Year Sam Huff played with the New York Giants to win a championship game The peak patient population at the Huntington State Hospital was 1,460 Jean Lee Latham won the Newbery Award for Carry On, Mr. Bowditch Jean Lee Latham won the Newbery Award for Carry On, Mr. Bowditch The Library Services Act by Congress enabled the Library Commission to acquire federal funding for public libraries in West Virginia Clagg and Britton produced an atlas of West Virginia emphasizing historical factors and statewide economic data Camden Eli "Cam" Henderson died William Marland tried to fill the vacant U.S. Senate seat G. Ogden Nutting started his newspaper career as a reporter and news editor for the Martinsburg Journal Mason College of Music and Fine Arts merged with Morris Harvey College (now University of Charleston) Thomas Miller graduated from the WVU College of Law The West Virginia Mountain State Gospel Singers Corporation was chartered Alfred Knobler opened the new Pilgrim Glass plant on Walker Branch Road in Ceredo The community of Port Amherst received that name The Pruntytown Industrial School for Boys was reintegrated The N&W was West Virginia's last steam powered railroad Mary Lee Settle wrote O Beulah Land The Mann's Creek Railroad line closed Planning for Sutton Dam continued Direct distance telephone dialing was introduced in Wheeling and Moundsville The Greenbrier art colony was reopened with the work of Gladys Tuke and Jeanne Eleanore Coyne Cecil Underwood became a leading spokesman for the Republican Party A silicones products plant was built in Sistersville Andre Van Damme founded the Charleston Ballet Jerry West led East Bank High School to the state basketball championship The West Virginia Publishing Company changed name to West Virginia Education Foundation The timber flooring of the Wheeling Suspension Bridge was replaced with open steel grid West Virginia Institute of Technology was accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Katherine Johnson's first husband died of a brain tumor Ellie Schaul moved to West Virginia
1957
The first interstate highway construction contract in the state was awarded on I-64 for a bridge across a road in Cabell County Other events that happened on or around 1957 Emile Hodel became editor of the Beckley Post-Herald Michael Benedum built the Bridgeport Civic Center Reorganization transferred state mental health and penal institutions to Department of Mental Health and the Commissioner of Public Institutions Weirton Steel purchased Browns Island for $40,000 S. Maude Kaemmerling willed 3,135 acres of land in Canaan Valley to West Virginia for recreational use FMC developed new source of brine at Bens Run City National Bank opened its doors under President Donald Shonk Bishop mine explodes again Jim Comstock founded the weekly West Virginia Hillbilly Deer restocking program ended Roy Bird Cook received the Award of Merit from the West Virginia Library Association Little Jimmy Dickens left the Grand Ole Opry Irvin Dugan retired as newspaper artist Donald Duncan's sons took over the Duncan Yo-Yo Company Fairfax Stone dedicated as state historic monument and became state park Gunner Gatski played football one year for Detroit The Knights of the South Branch was organized to revive medieval jousting Roy Lee Harmon wrote Unto the Hills Logan High School and its field house and athletic fields were constructed on Hatfield Island Ken Hechler moved to West Virginia to teach at Marshall College (now University) Jean Lee Latham was awarded the Boys' Clubs of America Junior Book Award for Trail Blazer of the Seas The McClains were approached by WVU professors who feared that early West Virginia histories would be lost if not reprinted Kyle McCormick wrote The Story of Mercer County John Norman served on the aircraft carrier Saratoga A group from West Virginia and Ohio purchased land to establish a college with an independent board of trustees, now Ohio Valley University Marbon Chemical is built The announcement of plans to merge the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central System was made Filippo Colasessano's son began selling pepperoni rolls in his Fairmont lunch spot The Division of Disease Control began a statewide polio vaccination program The Kanawha River bridge was opened in Winfield Red Ribble stopped photographing southern West Virginia Otis Rice began teaching at West Virginia Institute of Technology The Wm. M. Ritter Lumber Company company stores were sold The Wm. M. Ritter Lumber Company coal reserves were leased to the Island Creek Coal Company Jay Rockefeller went to the International Christian University in Tokyo Shenandoah Downs purchased land north of Charles Town Race Track for night harness racing WVU Rod Hundley became All-American in basketball Jim Sprouse began practicing law Beckley radio station WAJR increased to 5,000 watts Ernest T. Weir died The last high school basketball was played under the African-American West Virginia Athletic Union Benjamin Starks founded the Beacon Journal in Charleston The Federation of Labor and Industrial Union Council agreed to combine as the West Virginia Labor Federation, AFL-CIO West Virginia State College lost its federal land-grant status Stanley H. Martin became president of West Virginia Wesleyan College The Whipple mine shut down and the company store closed The Winfield bridge was completed WSAZ radio switched affiliation to NBC
1961
Federal Highway Administrator Rex Whitten signed a memo authorizing the extension of I-79 into West Virginia Other events that happened on or around 1961 A 300-foot meridian transit telescope began observation
1964
The Better Roads Amendment was voted on in the general election to provided money for the "building and construction of state roads and highways" Other events that happened on or around 1964 Pearl Buck founded the Pearl S. Buck Foundation French Carpenter record, Old-Time Songs and Tunes from Clay County, West Virginia, released Ted Cassidy secured television role on The Addams Family Maryland Pimlico Race Course installed lighting to compete with newer tracks C&O acquired the Western Maryland Railroad Swimming pool at Chief Logan State Park opened Congress passed the Civil Rights Act Roy B. Clarkson published Tumult on the Mountains: Lumbering in West Virginia, 1770-1920 Legislature enacted law that authorized election of delegates to a state constitutional convention Work began at Parkersburg to make U.S. 50 a four-lane highway Ellis Dungan married Elaine Runner North Hall was completed at Fairmont State College Part four of Flora of West Virginia was published The Food Stamp Act was passed, making the program permanent U.S. Forest Service published reports on West Virginia forests, stating that 74% of the state was forested Harry B. Heflin retired as president of Glenville State College An addition to the Pioneer Center at Glenville State College was completed The Hazel Atlas Corporate Headquarters in Wheeling was donated to the West Liberty State College Homer Hickam graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute with a B.S. in industrial engineering Ella Holroyd was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Music by Concord College Sam Huff began his career with the Washington Redskins Schools in West Virginia were considered fully desegregated Don Redman died A radiocarbon date estimated the Kanawha Madonna to be around 350 years old Elizabeth Kee retired from Congress John Knowles wrote Double Vision: American Thoughts Abroad Supreme Court ruling State ex rel. Smith v. Gore required equal apportionment in the election of delegates to a constitutional convention and derailed a move to draft a new state constitution The number of state senators was set at 34 The U.S. Library Services Act was amended to provide funds for library education and library construction Hartman Hall was built at Beckley College (now Mountain State University) The National Bank of Commerce purchased the old Kanawha County library property in Charleston The N&W acquired the Nickel Plate in a merger that included the Wabash Railroad, the Wheeling & Lake Erie, the Akron, Canton & Youngstown and the Pittsburgh & West Virginia John Norman joined the surgical team at Boston City Hospital Oscar Mairs and Hillis Youse recorded the Luther Elkins petroglyph site. Joe Powell became state director of the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO. Leonard Riggleman retired as president of Morris Harvey College (now University of Charleston) Chuck Ripper quit Standard Printing & Publishing Co to be full-time freelance artist The Rock Lake Pool remained racially segregated after the Civil Rights Act Jay Rockefeller came to West Virginia as a poverty volunteer with Action for Appalachian Youth The West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey first began extensive excavation on the St. Albans archeological site The Soupy Sales Show weekday morning show debuted in New York Lawmakers created a 17th state senate district in Kanawha County Bill Campbell beat Ed Tutwiller in golf in the U.S. Amateur Championship Final Miles Stanley organized the AFL-CIO Appalachian Council Western Pocahontas Corporation and Pocahontas Land Corporation donated land for Twin Falls State Park Morris Harvey College (now University of Charleston) began offering an associate degree in nursing The Valley Falls State Park area was acquired by the state Cyrus Vance became deputy secretary of defense under Robert McNamara The federal Economic Opportunity Act was signed into law Wheeling Dollar Saving & Trust acquired South Wheeling Bank and Trust The state purchased the old Wheeling Custom House and leased it to the West Virginia Independence Hall Foundation. Charles Gabor became conductor of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra Henry Aaron left Wheeling
Nov 07, 1972
Voters approved Better Highways Amendment Other events that happened on or around November 07, 1972 Charles Haden was elected State Supreme Court Justice Arch A. Moore Jr. won reelection, becoming first governor to succeed himself under the Governor's Succession Amendment West Virginia voted Republican in presidential elections Jim Sprouse was elected to the state Supreme Court of Appeals Arch A. Moore Jr. became the first governor to succeed himself under the Governor's Succession Amendment
1976
Corridor E (now I-68) was completed as part of the Appalachian Development Highway system Other events that happened on or around 1976 A craft sales shop was established at the Culture Center in Charleston Ruth Ann Musick published Coffin Hollow It was discovered that Friars Hole Cave connected with Snedegars Cave Glade Creek Mill was dedicated Excavation at Grave Creek Mound by the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey identified a moat surrounding the mound K. K. Hall granted injunctions against a wildcat coal strike The Raleigh Register and Post-Herald of Beckley were sold to Clay Communications Recorded 26 instant libraries serving the residents of West Virginia Kanawha Valley Bank moved into the new One Valley Square building Logan County began production of the drama, The Aracoma Story Harley Warrick painted a Mail Pouch sign in the State Museum Three new justices were seated on the five-member court after the general election Kathy Mattea entered WVU Irene McKinney published her first book of poems, The Girl with the Stone in Her Lap New Mennonite Congregation started in Monroe County The Midwives Alliance of West Virginia was founded Alan Mollohan married Barbara Whiting Morgan Morgan's log house was restored by the Berkeley County Historical Society The Morgantown Dominion Post began publishing once a day Two cougars were captured in Pocahontas County The Greenbrier Historical Society moved its museum from the city library to the North House Breece D'J Pancake entered the creative writing program at University of Virginia Jayne Anne Phillips enrolled in the University of Iowa's Writers Workshop A stone was dedicated in Lewisburg to honor Dick Pointer's heroism Pricketts Fort State Park opened during the 1976 Bicentennial Elinor Horwitz wrote Contemporary Folk Artists Otis Rice became book review editor of West Virginia History Soupy Sales hosted ABC's Junior Almost Anything Goes Chris Sarandon was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar and a Best Acting Debut Golden Globe Award for Dog Day Afternoon Red Sovine wrote the song "Teddy Bear" Anne Spencer's Lynchburg home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places The West Virginia State Farm Museum was started by Walden Roush The Stifel family deeded the Edemar estate to Oglebay Institute for a fine arts center Boyd Stutler's John Brown materials were acquired by the State Archives The Ohio Valley Unitarian Universalist Congregation was chartered by the Unitarian Universalist Association Control of the WAJR company was transferred to the Greer family heirs Uncle Homer Walker performed at the Smithsonian Institution Festival of American Folklife Charles W. Ferguson II died WesBanco became a bank holding company The Archives and History moved to the Culture Center The West Virginia Department of Culture and History was created by legislature Jim Comstock first tried to sell the West Virginia Hillbilly newspaper Wheeling Downs began dog racing The WVSSAC reestablished the girls state basketball tournament The Graham House was added to the National Register of Historic Places Barry Vance moved permanently to West Virginia John Chambers went to work for IBM John McKay became coach of Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1987
The upgrade of the West Virginia Turnpike was completed
Jul 15, 1988
Interstate 64 was finished
Aug 02, 1991
Interstate 68 was completed View Articles by Existing Key Dates or Specify Your Own Date Range |
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