Helping a Greenbank Student to Win the Golden Horse

 

20-bulleted list of key events in West Virginia history:

• 1742: The first European settlers arrive in West Virginia.
• 1753: George Washington surveys the Ohio River Valley, including much of what is now West Virginia.
• 1774: The first permanent settlement in West Virginia is established at Fort Harmar.
• 1775: West Virginia becomes part of the new state of Virginia.
• 1776: West Virginia's first constitution is written.
• 1787: West Virginia becomes part of the United States.
• 1800: The first census of West Virginia is conducted, with a population of 45,365.
• 1816: The first steamboat arrives in West Virginia.
• 1825: The first railroad in West Virginia is built.
• 1837: West Virginia's first newspaper, the Wheeling Gazette, is published.
• 1859: John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry takes place, just across the Potomac River from West Virginia.
• 1861: West Virginia seceded from Virginia and joined the Union during the Civil War.
• 1863: The Battle of Gettysburg is fought, with many West Virginia soldiers participating.
• 1870: West Virginia's first public school system is established.
• 1902: The first coal mine in West Virginia is opened.
• 1912: The Great Kanawha Flood devastates the Kanawha Valley, killing hundreds of people.
• 1921: The Battle of Blair Mountain takes place, the largest labor uprising in U.S. history.
• 1937: The New Deal brings much-needed economic relief to West Virginia.
• 1963: West Virginia passes the first law in the nation prohibiting racial discrimination in public accommodations.
• 1972: The Buffalo Creek Disaster occurs, killing 125 people and destroying hundreds of homes.
• 1985: The Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster occurs, killing 29 miners.
• 2006: The Sago Mine Disaster occurs, killing 12 miners.
• 2014: The Elk River Chemical Spill contaminates the drinking water supply of 300,000 people.

West Virginia has a rich and complex history, shaped by its people, its geography, and its industries. These are just a few of the key events that have helped to shape the state that it is today.