This week in West Virginia history: November 3 through November 9
October 30, 2024
Charleston WV – The following events happened on these dates in West Virginia history. To read more, go to e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia at www.wvencyclopedia.org.
Nov. 3, 1947: Kanawha Airport (now Yeager International Airport) was dedicated. World War I ace Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker was among the dignitaries present.
Nov. 4-5, 1985: Heavy rains led to devastating floods in parts of West Virginia. Forty-seven people were killed, and several towns were severely damaged.
Nov. 5, 1891: Alfred Earle “Greasy” Neale was born in Parkersburg. He was one of West Virginia’s greatest all-around athletes.
Nov. 5, 1922: Cecil Underwood was born at Josephs Mills in Tyler County. Underwood, West Virginia’s 25th and 32nd governor, served as the state’s youngest and oldest chief executive.
Nov. 5, 1927: Musician “Ellie” Mannette was born in Trinidad and helped popularize steel drum music worldwide. In 1992, he became an artist-in-residence at WVU, coordinating the school’s steel drum program. In 1999, he was named a National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellow, the nation’s highest arts honor.
Nov. 6, 1863: Confederate troops led by Brig. Gen. John Echols were defeated at Droop Mountain by a larger federal force led by Brig. Gen. William W. Averell. This was one of the most important Civil War battles fought on West Virginia soil.
Nov. 6, 1923: A methane gas explosion killed 27 men inside the Glen Rogers coal mine in Wyoming County. The mine, which opened in 1921, became one of the state’s largest. A total of 160 fatalities over a 31-year period occurred at the mine before it was closed.
Nov. 7, 1775: The historic Forks-of-Cheat Baptist Church was organized about six miles north of Morgantown. It is the oldest church with continuous records west of the Alleghenies in West Virginia.
Nov. 7, 1943: During World War II, Medal of Honor recipient Herbert J. Thomas Jr. was killed in the South Pacific. Thomas, who grew up in South Charleston, died by throwing himself on a grenade, saving his fellow squad members. WVU Medicine’s Thomas J. Memorial Hospital in South Charleston is named in his honor.
Nov. 8, 1936: “It’s Wheeling Steel,” a half-hour musical variety radio program, debuted over WWVA in Wheeling. The program was an instant success with local audiences and later became a nationwide sensation.
Nov. 9, 1874: Matthew Mansfield Neely was born in Doddridge County. He was the 21st governor of West Virginia.
Nov. 9, 1952: The Huntington Museum of Art opened as Huntington Galleries. The museum is located on more than 50 acres in the Park Hills section of Huntington.
“This Week in West Virginia History” is produced by e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia -a full-featured electronic reference resource – and The West Virginia Humanities Council.
