50 YEARS
BEFORE WEST VIRGINIA'S RATIFICATION OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION
- Barboursville,
appointed seat of Cabell County in West Virginia.
- First glass
factory opened in Wellsburg, Brooke County, West Virginia.
1814
- Population, 339 inhabitants in
Barboursville, West Virginia.
- Tyler County established in West
Virginia, seat Middlebourne.
1816
-
Lewis County established in West Virginia, seat Weston.
1818
- Charles Town, renamed Charleston,
in Kanawha County, West Virginia.
- Nicholas County established in
West Virginia, seat Summersville.
- Preston County established in
West Virginia, seat Kingwood.
1820
- West Virginia population, 136,808
residents.
- Middletown (now Fairmont) on
the Monongahela River, incorporated in Marion County,
West Virginia.
- Morgan County estabalished in
West Virginia, seat Berkeley Springs.
- The North House built in Lewisburg,
Greenbrier County, West Virginia.
1821
-
Pocahontas County established in West Virginia, seat Marlinton.
1824
- Thomas J. 'Stonewall' Jackson,
born in Clarksburg, Harrison County, West Virginia. Confederate
military leader.
- Logan County established in West
Virginia, seat Logan.
1830
- West Virginia population, 176,924
residents.
- Contentment House, an Antebellum
house built in Ansted, West Virginia.
1831
- Fayette County established in
West Virginia, seat Fayetteville.
- Jackson County established in
West Virginia, seat Ripley.
1833
-
September 21, James Madison Harvey, born near Sulphur Springs,
Monroe County(Virginia) in present West-Virginia. Fifth
governor of Kansas.
1835
- John Johnson discovered iron
ore in the Valley Furnace area in Barbour County, West
Virginia.
- Marshall County established in
West Virginia, seat Moundsville.
1836
- Jefferson County Courthouse,
built in Carles Town, West Virginia.
- Wildwood House Museum completed,
home of the Beckley city founder General Alfred Beckley,
in West Virginia.
- January 15, Braxton County created
from parts of Kanawha, Lewis and Nicholas counties in
Virginia(now West Virginia), named for Virginia statesman
Carter Braxton. County seat Sutton.
1837
- Marshall Academy formed in Cabell
County, West Virginia. Named to John Marshall, Chief Justice
of the U.S. Supreme Court.
- Mercer County established in
West Virginia, seat Princeton.
1838
-
Beckley settled by General Alfred Beckley, located in Raleigh
County, West Virginia. Coordinates 37°46'N-81°13'W.
Attractions & Recreation
: Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine, Grandview State
ParK, Lake Stephens, Twin Falls State Park.
1839
-
First hotel opened by Lawson B. Maulsby in West Union, Doddridge
County, West Virginia.
1840
- West Virginia population, 224,537
residents.
- Bethany College founded by the
Disciples of Christ, in Bethany, West Virginia.
1842
- Fairmont appointed seat of Marion
County, West Virginia. Coordinates 39°29'N-80°09'W.
- Marion County established in
West Virginia, seat Fairmont.
- Wayne County established in West
Virginia, seat Wayne.
1843
- Barbour County established in
West Virginia, seat Philipi.
- Middletown merged with Palatine
to form Fairmont in Marion County, West Virginia.
- Ritchie County established in
West Virginia, seat Harrisville.
1844
- Belle Boyd, a spy for
the Confederacy, born in Martinsburg, Berkeley County,
West Virginia.
- Taylor County established in
West Virginia, seat Grafton.
1845
- Doddridge County established
in West Virginia, seat West Union.
- Gilmer County established in
West Virginia, seat Glenville.
1846
-
Wetzel County established in West Virginia, seat New Martinsville.
1847
-
Boone County formed from Cabell,
Kanawha and Logan counties in Virginia(
now West Virginia). Named for explorer, frontiersman
and hunter Daniel Boone. County seat Ballardsville
(now Madison).
1848
- Hancock County established in
West Virginia, seat New Cumberland.
- Putnam County established in
West Virginia, seat Winfield.
- Iron furnace built in Valley
Furnace, Barbour County, West Virginia.
- Wirt County established in West
Virginia, seat Eizabeth.
1849
-
Historic place, William G. Morgan House 'Morgan Acres' built
in Berkeley County, West Virginia.
1850
- West Virginia population, 302,313
residents.
- Raleigh County in West Virginia,
formed and proposed by General Alfred Beckley, seat Beckley.
- Wyoming County established in
West Virginia, seat Pineville.
- March 14, West Union incorporated
in Doddridge County, West Virginia.
1851
- Pleasants County established
in West Virginia, seat Saint Marys.
- Upshur County established in
West Virginia, seat Buckhannon.
1852
- The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
arrived in Fairmont, Marion County, West Virginia.
- Grafton, settled by construction
crews of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, on the Tygart
Valley River, seat of Taylor County in West Virginia.
Coordinates 39°20'N-80°01'W.Attractions & Recreation :
Tygart Dam, Tygart Lake State Park.
1853
-
Arden settled in Barbour County, West Virginia.
1854
- First post office in Arden opened,
Barbour County, West Virginia.
- Historic place, Washington Gold
House & Rippy Cabin 'Mountain View' built in Berkeley
County, West Virginia.
1856
- Calhoun County established in
West Virginia, seat Grantsville.
- Tucker County established in
West Virginia, seat Parsons.
1858
- Beckley incorporated in Raleigh
County, West Virginia.
- Clay County established in West
Virginia, seat Clay.
- McDowell established in West
Virginia, seat Welch.
- March 27, a fire laid the town
of West Union in ashes, Doddridge County, West Virginia.
1859
- Abolitionist Jonh Brown, tried
and hanged in Charles Town, Jefferson County, West Virginia.
- Elk city area surveyed in Barbour
County, West Virginia.
1860
- West Virginia population, 376,688
residents.
- Webster County established in
West Virginia, seat Webster Springs.
1861
APRIL - BEGINNING
OF THE CIVIL WAR
- June, southern
General Thomas J. 'Stonewall' Jackson destroyed the
railroad cars at the B&O Railroad complex in Martinsburg,
Berkeley County, West Virginia.
- June 3, the Battle
of Philippi fought nearby present Philippi (Virginia)
in West Virginia.
- July 2, the North's
General Robert Patterson crossed the Potomac River at
Williamsport in West Virginia to defeat the southern
Generals Thomas J. 'Stonewall' Jackson and Joseph E.
Johnston.
- July 4, Union
soldiers broke into the house of Belle Boyd, a spy for
the Confederacy, in Martinsburg, Berkeley County, West
Virginia.
- August 20, West
Virginia, requests admission as the state of Kanawha.
- November 26, Kanawha(West
Virginia), renamed West Virginia.
- Battle at Barboursville
on Fortification Hill, first Civil War engagement in
Cabell County, West Virginia.
1862
Civil War period
- October, the Martinsburg B&O
Railroad complex and Roundhouses in Berkeley County, West
Virginia, were burned.
- September 13, Battle of Charleston
in Kanawha County, West Virginia.
1863
Civil War period
June
20, West Virginia WV, 35th
state admitted to the Union
West
VirginiaToday
: capital Charleston,
area 24,231 sq.mi.(62.758km²), 41st largest state.Counties 55 : Barbour,
Berkeley, Boone, Braxton, Brooke, Cabell, Calhoun, Clay,
Doddridge, Fayette, Gilmer,
Grant, Greenbrier, Hampshire, Hancock, Hardy, Harrison,
Jackson, Jefferson, Kanawha, Lewis, Lincoln, Logan, Marion,
Marshall, Mason, McDowell, Mercer, Mineral, Mingo, Monongalia,
Monroe, Morgan, Nicholas, Ohio, Pendleton, Pleasants,
Pocahontas, Preston, Putnam, Raleigh, Randolph, Ritchie,
Roane, Summers, Taylor, Tucker, Tyler, Upshur, Wayne,
Webster, Wetzel, Wirt, Wood, Wyoming. Attractions
& Recreation : Appalachian National Scenic
Trail, Beech Fork Lake, Belleville Locks and Dam, Bluestone
Lake, Bluestone National Scenic River, Burnsville Lake,
Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Coal Heritage
Trail, East Lynn Lake, Gauley River National Recreation
Area, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Highland
Scenic Byway, Hildebrand Lock and Dam - Monongahela River,
Jennings Randolph Lake,
- June
20, Arthur L. Boreman, elected governor of West Virginia
(1863-February 26, 1869).
- June
20, Boone County in Virginia became Boone County in West
Virginia. Municipalities : Danville,
Madison, Sylvester and Whitesville.Attractions
& Recreation : Water Ways Park,
- November, Berkeley County
became a part of West Virginia, that supported the North.
1865
MAY - ENDING OF THE CIVIL
WAR
- Courthouse
constructed in Boone County, West virginia.
1866
- Grant County established in West
Virginia, seat Petersburg.
- Mineral County established in
West Virginia, seat Keyser.
- March 4, Alexander Campbell,
died in Bethany, West Virginia. Clergyman, writer and
founder of Bethany College, the Christian Baptist and
the Disciples of Christ, works e.g. 'The Living Oracles'.
1867
- Fairmont State College founded
in Fairmont, Marion County, West Virginia.
- Lincoln County established in
West Virginia, seat Hamlin.
1868
-
March 30, Martinsburg incorporated in Berkeley County, West
Virginia.
1869
- February 26, Daniel T. Farnsworth,
elected governor of West Virginia (1869-March 4, 1869).
- March 4, William E. Stevenson,
elected governor of West Virginia (1869-March 4, 1971).
1870
- West Virginia population, 442,014
residents.
- Charleston in Kanawha County,
nominated state capital of West Virginia. Coordinates
38°21'N-81°38'W.
1871
- Charles Town, for the second
time appointed seat of Jefferson County in West Virginia.
Coordinates 39°17'N-77°52'W.
- Summers County established in
West Virginia, seat Hinton.
- March 4, John J. Jacob, elected
governor of West Virginia (1871-March 4, 1877).
1872
- Charles Town, incorporated in
Jefferson County, West Virginia.
- The Pennsylvania railroad came
to the Berkeley County area in West Virginia.
1873
-
April 13, John William Davis, born in Clarksburg, West Virginia.
Lawyer and politician.
1877
-
March 11, Henry M. Mathews, elected governor of West Virginia
(1877-March 4, 1881).
1879
-
Garfton, appointed seat of Taylor County in West Virginia.
1880
-
West Virginia population, 618,457 residents.
1881
- Railroad arrived in Bluefield,
Mercer County, West Virginia.
- March 4, Jacob B. Jackson, elected
governor of West Virginia (1881-March 5, 1885).
- July 20, Town of West Union established,
seat of Doddridge County in West Virginia.
1885
- March 4, E. Willis Wilson, elected
governor of West Virginia (1885-February 6, 1890).
- September, Pennsylvania born
Dr. Harriet B. Jones, first female doctor practicing her
profession in Wheeling, Ohio County, West Virginia.
1887
-
First postoffice charted in Bluefield, Mercer County, West
Virginia
1888
-
Morris Harvey College established in Charlesto, Kanawha
County, West Virginia.
1889
-
Bluefield, incorporated in Mercer County, West Virginia.
Coordinates 37°16'N-81°13'W.
1890
- West Virginia population, 762,794
residents.
- A. Brooks Fleming, elected governor
of West Virginia (1890-March 4, 1893).
- Leadsville renamed Elkins, and
incorporated in Randolph County, West Virginia. Coordinates
38°55'N-79°51'W. Attractions
& Recreation : Bowden National Fish Hatchery,
Monongahela National Forest, Stuart Recreation Area
1891
-
West Virginia State College, established in Institute, near
Charleston in Kanawha County, West Virginia.
1892
- May 21, John Peale Bishop, born
in Charles Town, Jefferson County, West Virginia. Critic,
novelist and poet, works e.g. 'Green Fruit'.
- June 26, Pearl Buck(Sydenstricker),
born in Hillsboro, West Virginia. Author (Nobel Prize
and Pulitzer Prize) works e.g. 'The Good Earth'.
1893
-
March 4, William A. MacCorkle, elected governor of West
Virginia (1893-March 4, 1897).
1895
- Bluefield State College, founded
in Bluefield, Mercer County, West Virginia.
- Mingo County established in West
Virginia, seat Williamson.
1897
-
George W. Atkinson, elected governor of West Virginia (1897-March
4, 1901).
1899
-
Grafton, incorporated in Taylor County, West Virginia.
1900
- West Virginia population, 958,800
residents.
- Elkins appointed seat of Randolph
County in West Virginia.
1901
-
March 4, Albert B. White, elected governor of West Virginia
(1901-March 4, 1905).
1902
-
Carnegie Hall, part of Greenbrier College for Women, built
in Lewisburg, Greenbrier County, West Virginia.
1903
-
Davis and Elkins College established in Elkins, Randolph
County, West Virginia.
1905
-
March 4, William M.O. Dawson, elected governor of West Virginia
(1905-March 4, 1909).
1906
-
Madison incorporated as seat of Boone County, West Virginia.
Named for Colonel William Madison Peyton.
1907
- A coal mine explosion took 359
lives in Monongah, Marion County, West Virginia.
- Winding Gulf coalfield opened
in Beckley, Raleigh County, West Virginia.
1909
-
March 4, William E. Glasscock, elected governor of West
Virginia (1909-March 14, 1913).
1910
-
West Virginia population, 1,221,119 residents.
1913
- March 14, Henry
D. Hatfield, elected governor of West Virginia (1913-March
5, 1917).
50 YEARS
AFTER WEST VIRGINIA'S RATIFICATION OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION
