The following key events happened between September 1 and September 7 in West Virginia history. For more details, visit e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia at www.wvencyclopedia.org.
September 1, 1777
Fort Henry in Wheeling faced its first attack by Native Americans during the Revolutionary War. Nearly half of the militia were tricked outside the post and killed.
September 1, 1907
Walter Phillips Reuther was born in Wheeling to German immigrant parents. Reuther was a founder of the modern labor movement and a long-time president of the United Auto Workers.
September 1, 1921
By this date during the Battle of Blair Mountain, miners had taken control of half the 25-mile mountain ridge and were ready to move on Logan. President Warren Harding imposed martial law and ordered federal troops and bombers to intervene.
September 2, 1722
William Crawford, a frontiersman from present-day Jefferson County, was born. He was a farmer, soldier, surveyor, and George Washington’s land agent.
September 3, 1890
West Virginia Wesleyan College opened in Buckhannon as the West Virginia Conference Seminary. In its inaugural year, 201 students attended, with the school offering mainly preparatory courses. It gradually added college-level studies and awarded its first degrees in 1905.
September 3, 1966
President Lyndon B. Johnson dedicated the Summersville Dam and Lake. Summersville Lake is West Virginia’s largest, located on the Gauley River in Nicholas County, with 2,790 surface acres and 60 miles of shoreline.
September 4, 1862
General Albert G. Jenkins and his men crossed the Ohio River, becoming the first to raise the Confederate flag on Ohio soil during the Civil War.
September 4, 1894
Jessie Maynard, born in Williamson, lost two husbands in violent incidents during the Mine Wars: Cabell Testerman during the Matewan shootout in 1920 and Sid Hatfield on the McDowell County Courthouse steps in 1921.
September 5, 1861
Sutton was occupied by 5,000 Union troops. Later that year, General Rosecrans stationed 10,000 Union soldiers there, including future President William McKinley.
September 5, 1936
Baseball hall of famer Bill Mazeroski was born in Wheeling. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and his walk-off home run in the 1960 World Series is iconic in baseball history.
September 6, 1875
The James Gang allegedly robbed the Bank of Huntington and escaped on horseback. This robbery led to various legends, including stories about Frank James hiding in Wayne County.
September 6, 1942
Jude Binder, an award-winning woodcarver, dancer, playwright, and educator, was born in Maryland. In 1982, she founded Heartwood in the Hills, a school for the arts in Calhoun County. She has also been Charleston’s “FestivALL Princess” for two decades.
September 6, 1980
The new Mountaineer Field in Morgantown opened with a 41-27 win over Cincinnati. It was the debut game for coach Don Nehlen, who would become the most successful coach in West Virginia University history.
September 7, 1808
Peter Godwin Van Winkle, born in New York City, was elected in 1863 as one of the first two U.S. senators from the new state of West Virginia.
September 7, 1848
Christopher Harrison Payne, born in Monroe County, became the state’s first Black legislator in 1896 when he was elected to the House of Delegates from Fayette County.
September 7, 1937
Photographer Arnout “Sonny” Hyde Jr. was born in Bluefield. His images of nature and people appeared in magazines, books, and calendars across the U.S. and Europe.
