By registering for your own account, you'll get instant access to member benefits:
|
Irish
Go back to Irish
1818
The National Road, the first major highway in the region, was completed to Wheeling Other events that happened on or around 1818 Bens Run earthworks described in the journal of Thom Nuttall Money was earmarked to pay tuition for poor white children to attend schools Commercial coal mining began James Madison Jackson was born Jonathan Jackson and wife Julia Neale moved to Clarksburg Bishop James Madison's maps appeared Mail service on the unfinished National Road began to Wheeling The ferry to present Winfield was established The Runnion family arrived in Spencer George Summers moved to Charleston to live with Lewis Summers
1822
The first Catholic church in West Virginia was established in Wheeling by German and Irish parishioners Other events that happened on or around 1822 Martin Delany family was forced to flee Virginia to Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, for violating black education law Harrisville was laid out by Thomas Harris The first Western Virginia cut-nail machinery was installed at Ices Ferry Ironworks Covered bridges over the Greenbrier and Gauley rivers opened Joseph Johnson was elected to the House of Representatives Bounties paid for gray wolves were discontinued Organ Cave was owned by John Rogers Robert W. Simmons was born at Fredericksburg Williamstown was chartered Elizabeth was chartered by the General Assembly
1828
The Irish began helping build the C&O Canal Other events that happened on or around 1828 Philip Doddridge was elected to Congress The Gleaner newspaper was founded William Howells produced the book The Rise, Progress and Downfall of Aristocracy The B&O railroad first begun in Baltimore Edward Jackson died James A. Price, father of William T. Price, came to Pocahontas County Samuel Price settled in Nicholas County and was admitted to the bar A bill passed Virginia calling for a constitutional convention
1841
Work commenced on the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike Other events that happened on or around 1841 The first class at Bethany College included international students William Tompkins struck large flow of gas while drilling a salt well a short distance above Burning Springs Henry Ruffner gathered with other western Virginians at a convention in Clarksburg and allied for a system of free public schools Alexander Campbell argued for public education at the education convention in Clarksburg Scarcity of deer first noted in present West Virginia John Hale attended Mercer Academy in Charleston The Northwestern Academy was established The Jackson family gristmill was constructed at Jackson's Mill Nathaniel Kuykendall operated a stagecoach and mail delivery service on the Northwestern Virginia Turnpike Robert Simmons settled in Parkersburg The Staunton Turnpike was placed under control of the Board of Public Works Portion of the Staunton Turnpike were open to wagon travel George Summers was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives Elizabeth Tomlinson died Charles Ward was born John Thornton Augustine Washington died James O. Watson married Matilda Lamb Charles Ellet Jr was appointed chief engineer of the Fairmont Bridge Richard Whelan was consecrated as the second bishop of the Diocese of Richmond Waitman Willey was elected clerk of the Monongalia County Court
1845
The Great Potato Famine in Ireland pushed many Irish into the area of Western Virginia Other events that happened on or around 1845 Southern Baptist Convention organized Arthur Boreman was admitted to the bar Bruen land agents had sold a number of farm sites to northern settlers Luke Jaco opened a tavern and stagecoach stop that was part of the Underground Railroad Doddridge County was name in honor of Philip Doddridge Reported three dozen primitive sawmills in present West Virginia Town of Glenville was laid out John Hale graduated from University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Frank Herford graduated from McKendree College, Illinois John Jay Jackson Jr. graduated from College of New Jersey (Princeton University) The Reeves family moved to Philippi William McCoy built a new mill on site of the old mill Thomas Gaylord McKell was born The Moorefield Examiner was established Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman) died Lynnside Manor was built The middle section of Staunton Turnpike was completed to Weston George Summers left the House of Representatives William Thurmond moved to Fayette County The Funkhouser house was built
1847
The Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike was completed Other events that happened on or around 1847 "Ruffner Pamphlet" published in Kanawha County Gordon Battelle was ordained a Methodist minister John Carlile was elected to the Virginia Senate William Edwards was admitted to the New York bar William Edwards published A Voyage on the River Amazon John Floyd was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates The Presbyterian Church was organized in Greenville Cummins Jackson left Jackson's Mill to search for gold in CA Joseph Johnson was elected again to the House of Delegates Citizens of Parkersburg, Elizabeth, and Glenville organized the Little Kanawha Navigation Company Alexander Martin graduated from Allegheny College, Pennsylvania Mining began in West Columbia, Mason County Large flood occurred on the Ohio River The Staunton to Parkersburg Turnpike was completed Pocahontas County was formed A group of Dutch immigrants arrived in Pocahontas County Samuel Price was again elected to the Virginia legislature as a Whig from Greenbrier Count. Henry Ruffner published the Address to the People of West Virginia anti-slavery pamphlet The first Stone & Thomas Department Store opened in Wheeling The first permanent United Brethren church was built in Sand Hill The Buckhannon Male and Female Academy was established A grist mill was built at Valley Falls by Bradshaw and William Whitescarver Charles Ellet Jr. secured contracts for the Wheeling and Niagara Falls suspension bridges Two Dutch families settled near the headwaters of the Williams River Two turnpikes were completed in Wood County
1848
A Catholic Church was established at Sand Fork Other events that happened on or around 1848 Report of Salt Rock petroglyphs included in Smithsonian Institution's "Contributions to Knowledge" Bids authorized on the Beverly-Fairmont Turnpike Rebecca Davis graduated from the Washington (Pennsylvania) Female Seminary William Eagle died First county and circuit courts of Wirt County met in "Old Red Brick" The Giles, Fayette and Kanawha Turnpike was completed John Floyd was elected governor German immigration increased from desire to escape persecution during European Revolutions The first German newspaper was established in Wheeling The Giles, Fayette & Kanawha Turnpike was completed Joseph H. Gill surveyed the Guyandotte River from its mouth to Gilbert Creek The Ellicott Brothers business failed C. P. Huntington went to California with the gold rush to sell supplies to miners John Jay Jackson Jr. served as prosecuting attorney of Wirt County Daniel Lamb became the cashier of the Northwestern Bank of Virginia at Wheeling A single lock and dam was built on the Elk River Ephraim Squier and Edwin Davis published Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy was founded Francis Pierpont began an association with the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. A massive fire and flood doomed Creel's village to an early death Samuel Price was reelected to the House of Delegates Bancroft was settled Henry Ruffner resigned as president of Washington College (Washington and Lee University) James Stephenson left the House of Delegates Henry St. George Tucker, Sr. died Cabell, Berkeley, and Jefferson counties provided infantry regiments for service in the Mexican-American War
Jul 19, 1850
Richard Whelan was appointed bishop of the new Diocese of Wheeling Other events that happened on or around July 19, 1850 Pope Pius IX established the Diocese of Wheeling
1850
The Paw Paw Tunnel opened on the C&O Canal Other events that happened on or around 1850 1,500 slaves owned by salt barons or rented from owners worked in the Kanawha County salt works Lemuel Chenoweth had finished many bridges on Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike Wills De Hass transferred the Grave Creek tablet and skull to the Smithsonian Martin Delany finished medical school at Harvard Medical College Fugitive Slave Act was passed Western Virginia had 1,300 primary schools Map showed Davidson's Ferry near mouth of Elk River and Goshorn's Ferry crossing the Kanawha River The first courthouse was completed in Glenville The First Baptist Church was organized in Greenville Census reported three slaves in Hancock County Nancy Hart and family were living in Boone County The Virginia Constitutional Convention made changes that addressed the political sources of western discontent Alexander Campbell supported the Fugitive Slave Law but felt runaway slaves should be provided food, shelter and clothing Reported number of slaves in Jefferson County was 3,960, 27% of the population Mother Jones and family arrived in Boston The new edition of A History of the Valley of Virginia was published Malden had several hotels, a bank and saloons Trustees offered Marshall Univ. to the Western Virginia Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South A reported 21 weeklies and 3 dailies were published in English or German in West Virginia The C&O Canal was built to Cumberland There were 200 residents at Federal Hill Henry Ruffner stopped participating in the emancipation movement in Louisville The last bridges were made on the Staunton Turnpike George Summers was a member of the Constitutional Convention A large seam of bituminous coal was found on Paint Creek Parts of Fayette County were taken to create Raleigh County The Beall-Air Mansion was built by Lewis William Washington Wheeling had a hospital Waitman Willey was a delegate to the VirginiaConstitutional Convention West Virginia had 20,527 slaves
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
1853
Nativists adhering to the Know Nothing party threatened a papal diplomat visiting Wheeling Other events that happened on or around 1853 The Blackwater Chronicle was originally published Mr. Boyd purchased land at the corner of Race and Spring, Martinsburg Barrackville bridge built by Lemuel Chenoweth Covington & Ohio Railroad was charted Thomas English bought 27 coal leases and incorporated two coal companies Hamlin was chartered by the General Assembly Jedediah Hotchkiss married Sara Comfort John Jacob married Jane Baird John Jacob was appointed professor of political economy at the University of Missouri Joseph Johnson's wife died Kingwood was chartered by the General Assembly Hamlin was established by the General Assembly Two locks and dams were added to the Guyandotte and Ohio River Logan was chartered as town of Aracoma by the General Assembly Mining began in Clifton The St. John's Chapel was built David Strother was commissioned by Harper and Brothers to write and illustrate article about sporting expedition into the Canaan wilderness A suspension bridge was constructed on the Weston & Gauley Bridge Turnpike at Sutton The Fort Hill Farm brick house was built in Mineral County Virginia's Chapel was built in Cedar Grove Bishop Richard Whelan bought property for the Wheeling Hospital Four-story building built as a warehouse for the Crescent Manufacturing Company in Wheeling
1857
The Northwestern Virginia Railroad opened from Grafton to Parkersburg Other events that happened on or around 1857 The town of Ceredo founded by Northern abolitionist, Eli Thayer John Floyd was appointed U.S. Secretary of War B&O Railroad improved transportation in Harrison County Albert Jenkins became a U.S. Congressman Henry Mathews began practicing law in Lewisburg John McCausland graduated from Virginia Military Institute The Northwestern Virginia Railroad built a station where Oil Spring Run flows into Goose Creek The Ceredo Crescent was established George Summers and wife purchased the Glenwood estate in Charleston A large building and five cottages were built at Sweet Springs Traveller was born The Virginia Conference approved he creation of the United Brethren Parkersburg Conference Peter Van Winkle served as the president of the Northwestern Virginia Railroad Academy Hall was built for West Liberty The Gauley Bridge opened for traffic The old Grafton House was built
1875
The American Ancient Order of Hibernians started a division in Wheeling Other events that happened on or around 1875 The name of the Winchester Female Institute was changed to Broaddus Female College (now part of Alderson Broaddus University) Johnson Camden and his partners quietly sold to Rockefeller's Standard Oil Marmaduke Dent was admitted to the bar Stephen Elkins married Hallie Davis Elkins Aretas Fleming left the House of Delegates Remains from the Foreman party were transferred to Mount Roase Cemetery Oil was first struck in Glenville The Grange had 20,000 lodges and 800,000 members in the country The Lewisburg Academy reopened after closing during the Civil War Courthouse in Hamlin was constructed The Pennsboro & Harrisville Railroad was built The House of Delegates impeached Treasurer John Burdett The capital was moved from Charleston to Wheeling Harriet Jones graduated from the Women's Medical College of Baltimore Other mills were destroyed by floods on the Jug of the Middle Island Creek James Kay married Julia Ballintyne Wheeling became known as the Nail City because of La Belle Ironworks The legislature was required to met biennially President Alexander Martin left WVU A bill providing for better ventilation in the mines had been first introduced in legislature The Morrow family moved to Pittsburgh Johnson Newlon Camden joined John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil Trust The Sentinel was founded as the Parkersburg Weekly Sentinel by Robert Hornor. Reported 14 baptisms at St. John's Chapel The first band sawmill began operation in West Virginia Nathan Scott moved to Wheeling Alexander Wade was elected Monongalia County school superintendent Booker T. Washington graduated from Hampton Institute Cassville was chartered Ernest T. Weir was born I.C. White earned a masters degree at WVU Woodlawn Cemetery began as a private family burial ground
1880
Thomas O'Brien was elected state treasurer Other events that happened on or around 1880 Johnse Hatfield, Devil Anse's son, slipped away from election grounds with Rose Anna, Randolph McCoy's daughter
1884
The American Ancient Order of Hibernians had groups in Rowlesburg, Clarksburg, Parkersburg, Coal Valley and Charleston Other events that happened on or around 1884 B&O operated 1,700 miles of railroad 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 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
Nov 08, 1892
Thomas Riley was elected attorney general Other events that happened on or around November 08, 1892 Romeo Freer elected circuit court judge Marmaduke Dent won election to the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals William MacCorkle was elected governor
1894
The American Ancient Order of Hibernians peaked in West Virginia with 647 men in 12 Hibernian divisions Other events that happened on or around 1894 Broaddus Female College (now part of Alderson Broaddus University) accepted its first male students Cyrus Thomas published Report on the Mound Explorations of the Bureau of Ethnology. Newton Diehl Baker received law degree from Washington and Lee University New bridges were constructed in Harpers Ferry and some of the remaining Bollman trusses were converted to highway use Evening Mail became morning paper after George Warren sold to John B. Floyd Democratic Supremacy in West Virginia ended John Cornwell passed the bar exam John Dickinson became the first director of the West Virginia Bankers Association John Hardy was hanged at Welch for killing a man in a card game Pennsylvania Glass Sand Company began mining Oriskany sand in the same geological formation in Pennsylvania about 80 miles north of Morgan County, West Virginia The Easton Roller Mill replaced buhrs with steam power and rollers A high school was established in Harrisville Only about half of state miners participated in a nationwide strike by UMWA Elmer Jacobs set up practice in Morgantown John Dickinson became cashier of the Kanawha Valley Bank Kenova was incorporated as a town The city of Welch was incorporated John McWhorter received a law degree from WVU law school The B&O branch in Morgantown extended to Connellsville, Pennsylvania The first two nurses at Wheeling City Hospital Training School received their diplomas Livia Simpson Poffenbarger married George Poffenbarger. The first Presbyterian Church was formed in Williamson. Rt. Rev. Patrick J. Donahue was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling Telephone switchboards were installed at Fairmont The Big Moses gas well was drilled Clarence W. Watson married Minnie Lee Owings Kenova was chartered The Historical Society was given larger quarters for its museum and library at the Capitol The National Guard was activated for service in areas of labor unrest Westvaco opened headquarters in New York City Albert White managed the U.S. Senate campaign of Stephen B. Elkins
1912
A large Celtic cross was erected in Coalburg by William S. Edwards to honor the Irish mine workers Other events that happened on or around 1912 J. A. Viquesney and H. M. Lockridge organized the Allegheny Sportsmen's Association Baldwin-Felts Agency attempted to end the Paint Creek-Cabin Creek strike Olgebay Hall, now Kirkpatrick Hall, added as a wing at Bethany College John Bishop published poem "To a Woodland Pool" in Harpers Weekly Alonzo Brooks received a B.A. in agriculture from WVU The Bull Moose Special armed train began operation Union Bank building finished in Clarksburg William Conley ran unsuccessfully for congressional 2nd district William Dawson embraced Theodore Roosevelt's Bull Moose presidential candidacy Diamond Shoe became the Diamond Shoe and Garment Co., later Diamond Department Store Samuel Dixon was purged from the New River Company by management from outside Clarence W. Alvord and Lee Bidgood concluded that the Batts and Fallam group only traveled to Peters Falls U.S. Supreme Court confirmed North Branch as Potomac main stream Fairmont State began adopting college curriculum The Golden Delicious Apple was discovered by Anderson Mullins in Clay County A Gasoline engine was placed in Howell's Gristmill Rimfire Hamrick was appointed Webster County game and fish warden Record floods hit Hardy County The state called troops to mining strikes Charles Hodel established himself in Beckley as editor and general manager of the Raleigh Register Holidays Cove incorporated Harold Houston returned to Charleston Thomas Moore Jackson died Hubert "Bumps" Myers was born in Clarksburg Regular services at Job's Temple were suspended Mother Jones returned to West Virginia to aid union miners on Paint Creek and Cabin Creek Dr. George A. MacQueen took over the lease and changed Barber Sanatorium to Barber Sanatorium and Hospital A new double-track tunnel at Kingwood Tunnel was opened High school at Jane Lew was constructed Luna Park was built by J. B. Crowley in Charleston I. T. Mann was a candidate for the U.S. Senate The Apollo Theater was built in Martinsburg Harry F. Bryd sold the Martinsburg Journal to Max von Schlegell Louis Marx began working for Ferdinand Strauss John McGraw was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention John McGraw's Bank of Grafton failed Prohibitionist John McWhorter served as chairman of the West Virginia Ratification Federation John Raine became president of the Meadow River Lumber Company The Minnehaha Springs Improvement Company was formed The Minter Lumber Company was founded by William E. Minter The Monongahela Railroad was completed to Pittsburgh Margaret Montague published Linda Matthew M. Neely left the office of clerk of House of Delegates Reported 223 different newspapers were publishing in West Virginia Ohio Valley Trades and Labor Assembly supported Eugene V. Debs for president Ogden's company had acquired the Parkersburg Daily Sentinel Ida Reed published her autobiography My Life Story The Pallottine Missionary Sisters came to West Virginia William MacCorkle became active in the Salvation Army Edward Stifel built Edemar mansion The Charleston Interurban Railroad was built to St. Albans The Huntington tobacco warehouse opened T. C. Townsend was elected as Kanawha County's prosecuting attorney Pittsburgh's flood commission called for a dam on the Tygart Miners Hospital No. One changed its name to Welch Hospital No. One The College of Physicians and Surgeons became an independent program at WVU WVU had 46,500 books in the library Carter Woodson received a doctorate at Harvard Tibbs Run Reservoir began providing water to city of Morgantown
1937
Monsignor Thomas Quirk died Other events that happened on or around 1937 Turquoise color was introduced for Fiestaware Louis W. Chappell began field recording of folksongs Garnet was classified as first-class high school Glenville State College received admission to the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education "Biggie" Goldberg lead University of Pittsburgh to the national football championship The Model L Gravely tractor was introduced Benjamin Gravely retired from the day-to-day management of the company The National Park Service conducted a survey of the Jefferson County site for the Harpers Ferry National Historic Park The U.S. Department of Agriculture began purchasing property in Randolph County to reforest the land and reclaim streams to create Holly River State Park U.S. Army Corp of Engineers constructed a floodwall to protect Huntington from the Ohio The Huttonsville Correctional Center was founded as part of the West Virginia penitentiary system Louis Johnson served in the Roosevelt Administration as assistant secretary of war Kenova experienced a disastrous flood The State Labor Federation joined the CIO's new West Virginia state organization Blanche Lazzell returned to Provincetown to study with Hans Hofmann Pare Lorentz shot and edited The River Lost River State Park opened Sam Mallison was hired as head of public relations for the Benedum-Trees Company The Marshall College centennial brought descendants of John Marshall to the campus for the unveiling of a bust of the chief justice Walter Martens completed the Riverview Terrace apartments in Charleston The Appalachian Trail was established The Reber Radio Telescope was originally built by Grote Reber The PSC was given jurisdiction over motor carriers of goods and passengers. Walter Reuther represented 30,000 workers in 76 shops for the United Auto Workers The original 440 sites designated by the Commission on Historic and Scenic Highway Markers were erected The Harrison Rural Electrification Association was established Recreation facilities were opened to the public in Seneca State Forest Flood waters rose in the lower section of the Smoot Theater Sam Snead joined the Professional Golf Association tour Harley Staggers was elected Mineral County sheriff The National Labor Relations Board charged Weirton Steel with unfair labor practices The United Steelworks signed a contract at Wheeling Steel Joe Stydahar was first named to the All-National Football League team DuPont's Belle Works began world production of nylon A large wood mill was built in the Tygart Valley Homesteads The trade center building in Tygart Valley Homesteads was completed The women of Friendly seated an all-female municipal government CCC Camps Seebert and Will Rogers were closed Volkmar Wentzel became a writer and photographer for National Geographic Phil Conley sold the West Virginia Review Harrison Ferrell became dean of West Virginia State College (now University) West Virginia Pulp & Paper Company built a bleached paperboard mill in South Carolina Wheeling Downs opened for harness racing Patty Willis exhibited her work at the Society of International Artists in New York Carter G. Woodson began the publication of The Negro History Bulletin Joseph Newman Alderson became the national WPA director Grote Reber built a telescope with a 31.4-foot diameter parabolic dish in his backyard Katherine Johnson graduated from West Virginia State College with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and French Sam Jones won the state marble-shooting championship View Articles by Existing Key Dates or Specify Your Own Date Range |
West Virginia Humanities Council | 1310 Kanawha Blvd E | Charleston, WV 25301 Ph. 304-346-8500 | © 2024 All Rights Reserved
About e-WV | Our Sponsors | Help & Support | Contact Us The essential guide to the Mountain State can be yours today! Click here to order.