Preston County Through Time

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Preston County Through Time

All topics · All places · All years

Includes wider historical context · 390 entries · Geology in story order · historical events oldest to newest

Research in progress · Entry labels indicate research status.

390 entries

Geology in story order · historical events oldest to newest

330 million years ago
Geology & LandscapeVerified to source
Mississippian - About 330 million years ago
Ancient seas leave limestone beneath the future county
Long before Preston County existed, a shallow tropical sea spread across the region. Sediment accumulating in this marine setting became the limestone-rich Greenbrier Formation. These ancient layers remain part of the county’s deeper bedrock, exposed only in places where folding lifted the rocks and rivers later cut deep valleys. They connect the landscape of today with a time when this area lay beneath the sea.
Source / research lead: WVGES: Physiographic Provinces and Bedrock Geology — regional Greenbrier deposition at about 330 million years ago · Source link
Countywide
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: WVGES: Physiographic Provinces and Bedrock Geology — regional Greenbrier deposition at about 330 million years ago
The date is an approximate regional age for Greenbrier deposition, not an exact date for every limestone bed. Greenbrier limestone is not widespread at the surface; folding and deep erosion explain its local exposures.
The museum identifies specimen 73 as Mississippian and from Preston County, but does not establish its exact collecting location or formation.
Modern place names locate the evidence; they do not imply that present-day communities or county boundaries existed at the time.
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323–299 million years ago
Geology & LandscapeVerified to source
Pennsylvanian - About 323–299 million years ago
Sand and mud become the county’s rock layers
During Pennsylvanian time, rivers and shifting lowland environments deposited sand and mud across the region. Burial and cementation turned these materials into sandstone and shale. These layers became part of the bedrock of the future county. Much later, erosion exposed resistant sandstone at places such as Coopers Rock, leaving cliffs and rock masses that visitors can see today.
Source / research lead: WVGES: Historical Geology of West Virginia — sedimentation and coal-forming environments; see date caveat in Research Notes · Source link
Countywide
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: WVGES: Historical Geology of West Virginia — sedimentation and coal-forming environments; see date caveat in Research Notes
The broad period dates the depositional setting, not every individual sandstone bed. Renton identifies local Pottsville sandstone at Coopers Rock; modern cliff exposure occurred much later.
Sandstone and coal formation describe overlapping environments, not a strict before-and-after sequence. Coopers Rock is a county-border-area example.
Numerical boundaries follow the ICS June 2026 chart. WVGES’s older overview contains outdated numerical dates; it is used for depositional processes, not those dates.
Modern place names locate the evidence; they do not imply that present-day communities or county boundaries existed at the time.
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Geology & LandscapeVerified to source
Pennsylvanian - About 323–299 million years ago
Ancient wetlands lay the groundwork for Preston’s coal
Vegetation accumulated in waterlogged wetlands across the region during Pennsylvanian time. Some plant material survived decay as peat. Later, heat and pressure from burial transformed peat into coal. Repeated changes in the landscape left coal seams among layers of other sedimentary rocks. Those deposits, including the Upper Freeport coal in Preston County, would eventually become part of the county’s mining history.
Source / research lead: WVGES: Historical Geology of West Virginia — sedimentation and coal-forming environments; see date caveat in Research Notes · Source link
Countywide
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: WVGES: Historical Geology of West Virginia — sedimentation and coal-forming environments; see date caveat in Research Notes
The interval describes the accumulation of coal-forming material, not a single moment of completed coalification. Upper Freeport is one example among the county’s coal beds.
Regional plant research is not a Preston County fossil inventory. The historical resource assessment is not a current reserve estimate.
Numerical boundaries follow the ICS June 2026 chart. WVGES’s older overview contains outdated numerical dates; it is used for depositional processes, not those dates.
Modern place names locate the evidence; they do not imply that present-day communities or county boundaries existed at the time.
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325–260 million years ago
Geology & LandscapeVerified to source
Late Carboniferous–Permian - About 325–260 million years ago
Continental collision folds the rocks beneath Preston
As the present-day African part of Gondwana collided with ancestral North America, compression helped build the Appalachians and assembled smaller continents into the supercontinent Pangaea, a vast landmass joining continents that are now separated. Sedimentary layers were bent into upward arches called anticlines and downward troughs called synclines. In the Preston County region, structures such as the Ligonier Syncline and Preston Anticline preserve this folded arrangement. Later erosion reshaped the surface, so folds in the bedrock do not always match the hills and valleys above them. Chestnut Ridge is a familiar exception: the ridge corresponds to the anticline of the same name.
Source / research lead: John J. Renton, A Geology Field Trip — local formations and folds, printed pp. 3–6 and Figure 6 · Source link
Countywide
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: John J. Renton, A Geology Field Trip — local formations and folds, printed pp. 3–6 and Figure 6
The dates represent a regional mountain-building episode, not direct dating of each Preston County fold. The GSA abstract concerns southern Appalachian rocks.
Bull Run’s possible relationship to the Ligonier Syncline requires detailed local mapping. Proximity alone does not establish that the stream follows the fold axis throughout its course.
Modern place names locate the evidence; they do not imply that present-day communities or county boundaries existed at the time.
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2.6 million years ago–present
Geology & LandscapeVerified to source
Pleistocene to present - About 2.6 million years ago to the present
Rivers and streams continue shaping Preston’s landscape
Long after the region’s rock layers formed and folded, rivers and streams have continued to erode them. The Cheat River, Preston County’s largest river, has carved a deep canyon and exposed soluble rocks, including limestone of the Greenbrier Formation. Groundwater has developed caves in these rocks, and sediments deposited within the caves preserve evidence that helps geologists reconstruct the river’s downward cutting. This period represents one chapter in an ongoing process, rather than a precise starting date for the canyon. The landscape visible today is one stage in a continuing history of change.
Source / research lead: Springer, Kite, and Schmidt (1997), Cave sedimentation, genesis, and erosional history in the Cheat River Canyon, West Virginia — GSA Bulletin 109, 524–532; university record and abstract · Source link
Countywide
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Research notes
Where found: Springer, Kite, and Schmidt (1997), Cave sedimentation, genesis, and erosional history in the Cheat River Canyon, West Virginia — GSA Bulletin 109, 524–532; university record and abstract
The Pleistocene began about 2.6 million years ago; this epoch boundary is not an established origin date for the canyon. The local cave study examines a shorter interval within that history.
The study’s average incision estimate of 56.0–63.2 millimeters per thousand years is a long-term, study-area estimate. It does not imply steady annual erosion and should not be extrapolated to calculate the entire canyon’s age.
Modern place names locate the evidence; they do not imply that present-day communities or county boundaries existed at the time.
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10,000+ years ago
People & Social HistoryNeeds verification
More than 10,000 years ago
Indigenous people are present in the Preston region
Archaeological literature reports isolated fluted projectile-point finds from Preston County, providing evidence of human activity here during the Paleoindian era more than 10,000 years ago. Later archaeological remains and early historical accounts also document Indigenous use of the region's river valleys, uplands, travel routes, and burial places. The surviving record is incomplete and does not support assigning a particular tribal identity to the county's earliest finds.
Source / research lead: Phase III Archaeological Data Recovery of Site 36WM278, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, §4.1, p. 27; reports isolated Preston County fluted-point finds, citing Norona (1958) and Richard E. Jensen (1970). Earlier references not yet independently verified. Supporting statewide context: Richard L. Rosencrance, “Paleoindian Artifacts of West Virginia” (2018) · Source link
Preston region
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Phase III Archaeological Data Recovery of Site 36WM278, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, §4.1, p. 27; reports isolated Preston County fluted-point finds, citing Norona (1958) and Richard E. Jensen (1970). Earlier references not yet independently verified. Supporting statewide context: Richard L. Rosencrance, “Paleoindian Artifacts of West Virginia” (2018)
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1738
County Formation, Boundaries & GovernmentVerified to source
November 12, 1738
Virginia creates Frederick and Augusta counties across its western frontier
Virginia divided the vast territory west of the Blue Ridge previously attached to Orange County into Frederick and Augusta counties. Their boundary ran from the head spring of the Hedgman River to the head spring of the Potomac, but uncertain geography and open-ended western claims made jurisdiction beyond the settled frontier indistinct. Land that eventually formed present-day Preston County passed through this shifting Frederick–Augusta borderland—and later Hampshire and West Augusta—before Monongalia County was created in 1776.
Source / research lead: Virginia statutes establishing Frederick and Augusta counties; Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; e-WV, “Augusta County” and “Frederick County” · Source link
Future Preston County / Augusta County
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Research notes
Where found: Virginia statutes establishing Frederick and Augusta counties; Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; e-WV, “Augusta County” and “Frederick County”
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1745
County Formation, Boundaries & GovernmentVerified to source
April 6, 1745
The King of England defined the lands owned by Lord Fairfax, including all of present-day West Virginia east of the Fairfax Stone
The King of England defined the lands owned by Lord Fairfax, including all of present-day West Virginia east of the Fairfax Stone, which was erected in present-day Preston County the following year.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Fairfax Stone
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Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1746
County Formation, Boundaries & GovernmentVerified to source
October 17, 1746
The Fairfax Stone was placed at the headwaters of the North Branch of the Potomac River
The Fairfax Stone was placed at the headwaters of the North Branch of the Potomac River in present-day Preston County to mark the boundary of the lands of Thomas Fairfax.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Fairfax Stone
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1754
People & Social HistoryVerified to source
Circa 1754
Eckerlin Brothers Establish a Settlement at Dunkard Bottom
Brothers Samuel, Israel, and Gabriel Eckerlin—German-speaking religious dissenters formerly associated with Pennsylvania’s Ephrata Cloister—established a settlement at Dunkard Bottom on the Cheat River near present-day Camp Dawson. They are considered among the earliest recorded European settlers in what became Preston County. Sources disagree on whether they arrived in 1753, 1754, or 1756. Older Preston County accounts and the roadside marker call the leading brother Thomas Eckarly or Echarlin; modern research identifies him as Samuel Eckerlin.
Source / research lead: Library of Virginia, Dictionary of Virginia Biography, “Samuel Eckerlin (1703–1782)”; e-WV, “The Frontier”; Ephrata Cloister, “The Eckerlin Brothers” · Source link
Dunkard Bottom / Camp Dawson
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Research notes
Where found: Library of Virginia, Dictionary of Virginia Biography, “Samuel Eckerlin (1703–1782)”; e-WV, “The Frontier”; Ephrata Cloister, “The Eckerlin Brothers”
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1757
Military & WartimeVerified to source
Fall 1757
Dunkard Bottom Is Attacked and Two Eckerlin Brothers Are Captured
During the French and Indian War, a Native war party allied with French forces attacked the Eckerlin settlement at Dunkard Bottom and captured Israel and Gabriel Eckerlin. They were delivered to the French, taken from North America, and later died in captivity. Samuel survived because he was away; after returning with a Virginia militia party, he did not reestablish the settlement. Older local accounts and the roadside marker say the brothers were killed at Dunkard Bottom, but later research documents their capture.
Source / research lead: Library of Virginia, Dictionary of Virginia Biography, “Samuel Eckerlin (1703–1782)”; e-WV, “German Dunkards”; Ephrata Cloister, “The Eckerlin Brothers” · Source link
Dunkard Bottom / Camp Dawson
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Research notes
Where found: Library of Virginia, Dictionary of Virginia Biography, “Samuel Eckerlin (1703–1782)”; e-WV, “German Dunkards”; Ephrata Cloister, “The Eckerlin Brothers”
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1761
Military & WartimeVerified to source
1761
Fort Pitt Deserters Camp Near Present-Day Aurora
According to an account first published by historian Alexander Scott Withers in 1831, Fort Pitt soldiers William Childers, Joseph Linsey—also spelled Lindsey—and brothers John and Samuel Pringle deserted in 1761. They traveled up the Monongahela River before crossing into the glades at the headwaters of the Youghiogheny, where they camped and hunted for about a year. S. T. Wiley’s 1882 Preston County history places their camp approximately two and one-half miles east of present-day Aurora. In 1762, the four followed a path to the Looney’s Creek settlement in present-day Grant County. Childers and Linsey were apprehended there, while the Pringle brothers escaped and returned to the glades. Early county historians treated them as the next documented Euro-American group in present-day Preston County after the Eckerlin settlement, although the story rests largely on later recollections and local tradition.
Source / research lead: Alexander Scott Withers, Chronicles of Border Warfare (1831), pp. 89–90; S. T. Wiley, History of Preston County (1882), pp. 24–25; Preston County, “History of Preston County, West Virginia” · Source link
Aurora area
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Research notes
Where found: Alexander Scott Withers, Chronicles of Border Warfare (1831), pp. 89–90; S. T. Wiley, History of Preston County (1882), pp. 24–25; Preston County, “History of Preston County, West Virginia”
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1767
County Formation, Boundaries & GovernmentVerified
1767
Mason and Dixon mark Preston County’s future northern boundary
Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon surveyed the line that now forms Preston County’s northern boundary with Pennsylvania. Originally part of a colonial boundary settlement, the Mason-Dixon Line later became widely associated with the division between North and South.
Source / research lead: e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia, “Mason-Dixon Line” · Source link
Future Preston County / West Augusta
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Research notes
Where found: e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia, “Mason-Dixon Line”
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1769
Communities & Town DevelopmentCaptured · not verified
1769
John Judy settles on Big Sandy Creek
Wiley identifies John Judy's 1769 settlement on Big Sandy Creek as the first permanent Euro-American settlement within present-day Preston County.
Source / research lead: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 364–365 · Source link
Grant District / Big Sandy Creek
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Research notes
Where found: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 364–365
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1772
County Formation, Boundaries & GovernmentVerified to source
August 14, 1772
The British Privy Council approved the petition of the Walpole Company
The British Privy Council approved the petition of the Walpole Company (also known as the Grand Ohio Company) to establish Vandalia, comprising all of present-day West Virginia west and south of the Fairfax Stone in present-day Preston County, as the fourteenth colony. Due to the implausibility of obtaining quitrents and the revolution movement following the Boston Tea Party, the Vandalia scheme never developed.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Fairfax Stone
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1774
Military & ConflictVerified to source
By 1774
Fort Morris and Fort Butler Shelter Frontier Settlers
By 1774, settlers in the future Preston County relied on two small stockade refuges during periods of frontier violence. Fort Morris stood on Richard Morris's land near present-day Brandonville, while Fort Butler stood at the mouth of Roaring Creek on the Cheat River. Samuel T. Wiley's 1882 county history says both were mentioned in 1774 and were likely erected that year; a state historical marker describes Fort Morris as having been built before 1774.
Source / research lead: Samuel T. Wiley, History of Preston County, West Virginia (1882), pp. 28–29; West Virginia historical marker, “Brandonville” · Source link
Brandonville area / Cheat River
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Research notes
Where found: Samuel T. Wiley, History of Preston County, West Virginia (1882), pp. 28–29; West Virginia historical marker, “Brandonville”
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1775
Wider contextNational & World ContextVerified
April 19, 1775
The Revolutionary War begins at Lexington and Concord
Fighting between British regulars and colonial militia at Lexington and Concord opened the American Revolutionary War. Although the best-known early battles occurred far from western Virginia, the conflict shaped militia service and frontier defense in the region that included the land later formed into Preston County.
Source / research lead: National Park Service, Minute Man National Historical Park, “April 19, 1775” · Source link
British North American colonies
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Context source: National Park Service, Minute Man National Historical Park, “April 19, 1775”
View source
Research notes
Where found: National Park Service, Minute Man National Historical Park, “April 19, 1775”
1776
Wider contextNational & World ContextVerified
July 4, 1776
The colonies declare independence from Great Britain
The Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, announcing that the thirteen colonies were free and independent states. The declaration changed the political identity claimed for the western Virginia frontier that included present-day Preston County, while the war itself continued for seven more years.
Source / research lead: National Archives, Declaration of Independence (1776) · Source link
United States
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Context source: National Archives, Declaration of Independence (1776)
View source
Research notes
Where found: National Archives, Declaration of Independence (1776)
County Formation, Boundaries & GovernmentVerified to source
October 7, 1776
Monongalia County is created
Virginia divided the District of West Augusta into Monongalia, Ohio, and Yohogania counties. Much of the land that would later become Preston County fell within the new Monongalia County and remained under its jurisdiction until Preston County was created from its eastern portion on January 19, 1818.
Source / research lead: e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia, “West Augusta” and “Monongalia County” · Source link
Future Preston County / Monongalia County
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia, “West Augusta” and “Monongalia County”
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1783
Wider contextNational & World ContextVerified
September 3, 1783
The Treaty of Paris ends the Revolutionary War
Great Britain formally recognized the independence of the United States in the Treaty of Paris, ending the American Revolutionary War. The peace provides the immediate national backdrop to George Washington's September 1784 visit to Bruceton Mills already recorded on this timeline.
Source / research lead: National Archives, Treaty of Paris (1783) · Source link
United States and Great Britain
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Context source: National Archives, Treaty of Paris (1783)
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Research notes
Where found: National Archives, Treaty of Paris (1783)
1784
People & Social HistoryVerified to source
September 25, 1784
George Washington reaches James Spurgeon’s place near present-day Bruceton Mills
Traveling through what is now Preston County, George Washington crossed Laurel Hill and reached “the ford of Sandy Creek at one James Spurgeons,” which he placed about 15 miles from Ice’s Ferry. The editors of his diary identify the ford as apparently near present-day Bruceton Mills. Washington continued toward the Youghiogheny Glades, where he recorded spending the night outdoors, sheltered only by his cloak during a heavy rain. His diary names Spurgeon’s place as a landmark along his route but does not record an overnight stay at the Spurgeon home.
Source / research lead: The Diaries of George Washington, Volume IV, September 25, 1784 — Library of Congress PDF, page 50; editors’ note 3 on PDF page 51 · Source link
Bruceton Mills
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Research notes
Where found: The Diaries of George Washington, Volume IV, September 25, 1784 — Library of Congress PDF, page 50; editors’ note 3 on PDF page 51
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1785
TransportationVerified to source
September 1785
Thomas Butler Petitions to Operate a Ferry Across the Cheat River
Thomas Butler petitioned to operate a ferry where a major road crossed his lands on both sides of the Cheat River. His petition said that he had already provided the necessary boats and advertised his intention, documenting an early transportation crossing in the future Preston County during its Monongalia County period.
Source / research lead: Oren F. Morton, A History of Preston County, West Virginia, vol. I (1914), p. 77 · Source link
Cheat River / Dunkard Bottom area
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Research notes
Where found: Oren F. Morton, A History of Preston County, West Virginia, vol. I (1914), p. 77
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1787
Communities & Town DevelopmentCaptured · not verified
1787
John Stough establishes an early settlement at future Aurora
Preston County Economic Development Authority history traces Aurora's first Euro-American settlement to the Reverend John Stough at the summit of Cheat Mountain in 1787. The community was later known as Salem and Mount Carmel before taking the name Aurora.
Source / research lead: Preston County Economic Development Authority, “Aurora” · Source link
Aurora
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Research notes
Where found: Preston County Economic Development Authority, “Aurora”
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1790
Industry & ManufacturingVerified to source
1790
John Stough Builds a Mill on Wolf Creek
Oren F. Morton's 1914 county history reports that the Reverend John Stough built a small mill on Wolf Creek in 1790. Water reached the wheel through a spout set beneath a waterfall, and the millstones could grind about three bushels of corn per day.
Source / research lead: Oren F. Morton, A History of Preston County, West Virginia, vol. I (1914), p. 260 · Source link
Carmel / Aurora area
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Research notes
Where found: Oren F. Morton, A History of Preston County, West Virginia, vol. I (1914), p. 260
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1792
County Formation, Boundaries & GovernmentCaptured · not verified
July 25, 1792
First recorded petition seeks a separate county east of Laurel Hill
Morton reports that a petition dated July 25, 1792, asked Virginia to form a new county from the part of Monongalia County east of Laurel Hill; it carried 235 signatures.
Source / research lead: Morton, A History of Preston County, vol. I, ch. X, p. 90 (printed page) · Source link
Future Preston County / Laurel Hill
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Research notes
Where found: Morton, A History of Preston County, vol. I, ch. X, p. 90 (printed page)
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1793
Government, Politics & LawVerified to source
July 4, 1793
Mount Carmel Is Laid Out With a Site for a Courthouse
Leonard Deakins and a man identified in the historical account as Hogmire laid out Mount Carmel near the German Settlement. They marked a public square with four inscribed stones and reserved a site for a courthouse—an early sign that residents expected a new county to be created from northeastern Monongalia County.
Source / research lead: Samuel T. Wiley, History of Preston County, West Virginia (1882), pp. 46–47 · Source link
Mount Carmel / Aurora area
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Research notes
Where found: Samuel T. Wiley, History of Preston County, West Virginia (1882), pp. 46–47
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1795
County Formation, Boundaries & GovernmentCaptured · not verified
July–October 1795
A renewed county-division petition gathers broad support
Morton says the petition was advertised July 4 and presented in October 1795 with 215 names, plus more than 100 supporters said to be unable to sign.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. X, p. 91 (printed page) · Source link
Future Preston County / Monongalia County
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. X, p. 91 (printed page)
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1796
Government, Politics & LawVerified to source
1796
Fire Destroys Early Monongalia County Court Records
A fire in the Monongalia County clerk's office destroyed many early county court records. Because the future Preston County remained part of Monongalia until 1818, the loss created lasting gaps in the documentary record for its early settlers, land transactions, estates, and local government. Some surviving court papers and later record books remain at the West Virginia and Regional History Center.
Source / research lead: Samuel T. Wiley, History of Preston County, West Virginia (1882), p. 47; FamilySearch Research Wiki, “Monongalia County, West Virginia Genealogy”; West Virginia and Regional History Center, A&M 0026 · Source link
Present-day Preston County / Monongalia County
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Samuel T. Wiley, History of Preston County, West Virginia (1882), p. 47; FamilySearch Research Wiki, “Monongalia County, West Virginia Genealogy”; West Virginia and Regional History Center, A&M 0026
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1797
Communities & Town DevelopmentCaptured · not verified
Fall 1797 (Morton's estimate)
Kingwood's town site is laid out
From an early March 1798 lot sale and local conditions, Morton concludes that Kingwood was surveyed no later than fall 1797.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIV, p. 215 (printed page) · Source link
Kingwood
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Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIV, p. 215 (printed page)
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1798
County Formation, Boundaries & GovernmentCaptured · not verified
1798
Another petition for a new county draws 295 signatures
Morton identifies a 1798 petition with 295 signatures as part of the long campaign to divide Monongalia County and create a separate eastern county.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. X, p. 92 (printed page) · Source link
Future Preston County / Monongalia County
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. X, p. 92 (printed page)
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1800
People & Social HistoryVerified to source
September 25, 1800
Future congressman William Guy Brown is born in Kingwood
William Guy Brown, a future United States representative from Preston County, was born in Kingwood while the community was still part of Monongalia County, Virginia.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Kingwood
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1805
County Formation, Boundaries & GovernmentCaptured · not verified
1805
County-formation petitions propose a Bull Run boundary
Morton reports renewed petitions in 1805, including one proposal that used Bull Run as part of the boundary for the requested county.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. X, p. 95 (printed page) · Source link
Future Preston County / Bull Run
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Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. X, p. 95 (printed page)
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1811
Communities & Town DevelopmentCaptured · not verified
January 23, 1811
Virginia establishes Kingwood as a town
An Act of Assembly dated January 23, 1811, established the previously laid-out settlement as the town of Kingwood and appointed its first trustees.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIV, pp. 215–216 (printed pages) · Source link
Kingwood
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Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIV, pp. 215–216 (printed pages)
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1818
County Formation, Boundaries & GovernmentVerified
January 19, 1818
Preston County is created
The Virginia General Assembly created Preston County from the eastern portion of Monongalia County. The county was named for James Patton Preston, then governor of Virginia, and Kingwood became the county seat.
Source / research lead: Preston County History Master Timeline; e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia, “Preston County” · Source link
Preston County / Kingwood
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Research notes
Where found: Preston County History Master Timeline; e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia, “Preston County”
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County Formation, Boundaries & GovernmentCaptured · not verified
1818
Preston's first county court meets at William Price's tavern
After the county was created, Morton says the first court met at William Price's house in Kingwood, while John S. Roberts's store became the temporary Old Red Courthouse.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. X, p. 97 and ch. XXIV, p. 216 (printed pages) · Source link
Kingwood
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Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. X, p. 97 and ch. XXIV, p. 216 (printed pages)
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Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
1818
The National Road Connects Northern Preston to Regional Markets
By 1818, the National Road connected Cumberland, Maryland, with Wheeling, Virginia, through southwestern Pennsylvania. Although it passed north of Preston County, its traffic created nearby markets for the county’s farmers and merchants. Oren F. Morton later described the road’s taverns as buyers of local farm produce and associated its busy years with Brandonville’s growth. Connections to this neighboring transportation corridor helped shape the economy of northern Preston.
Source / research lead: Oren F. Morton, A History of Preston County, vol. I (1914), ch. XXIII, pp. 203–204; National Park Service, National Road · Source link
Grant / Brandonville area
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Research notes
Where found: Oren F. Morton, A History of Preston County, vol. I (1914), ch. XXIII, pp. 203–204; National Park Service, National Road
The 1818 date marks completion of the Cumberland–Wheeling connection, not the beginning of construction or the road’s later western extensions. Morton’s 1914 history supplies the local market connection; the National Park Service corroborates the broader chronology. Morton’s characterization of prosperity is retrospective, not a quantified measure of economic growth.
The Hagans Homestead nomination documents Harrison Hagans’s later promotion of feeder roads. These connections should not all be dated to 1818. During construction beginning in 1811, the future Preston area was still in Monongalia County, Virginia. Preston was created January 19, 1818. The Maryland portion now in Garrett County was then in Allegany County; Maryland’s 1816 completion date concerns its section of the road.
The linked e-WV image is a map titled “Map of the National Road between Cumberland and Wheeling,” credited there to the Library of Congress and to Description of the United States & Travellers Directory. It is a map, not a photograph of the 1818 opening. A matching original Library of Congress catalog record and item-specific reuse statement have not been verified. The image is linked at e-WV and is not reproduced here.
Open current source lead
1824
County Formation, Boundaries & GovernmentCaptured · not verified
1824
Preston builds a stone courthouse and jail in Kingwood
Morton says a stone courthouse and jail replaced the temporary county buildings on the present courthouse square in 1824.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIV, p. 216 (printed page) · Source link
Kingwood
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIV, p. 216 (printed page)
Open current source lead
1826
Communities & Town DevelopmentCaptured · not verified
January 12, 1826
Kingwood's town limits are extended
Morton cites an Act of Assembly dated January 12, 1826, extending Kingwood to include an addition laid out by William Price, William Sigler, and Charles Payne.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIV, p. 216 (printed page) · Source link
Kingwood
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIV, p. 216 (printed page)
Open current source lead
1827
Communities & Town DevelopmentVerified
1827
Henry Grimes Completes the Stone Building Later Known as Red Horse Tavern
Henry Grimes built the stone structure near present-day Aurora as a residence in 1825–1827. Standing beside the corridor that became the Northwestern Turnpike, it was later converted into the Red Horse Tavern and remains one of the area's oldest buildings.
Source / research lead: National Register of Historic Places, Red Horse Tavern additional documentation, Section 8; Brookside Historic District nomination, Section 8, p. 12 · Source link
Aurora area
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: National Register of Historic Places, Red Horse Tavern additional documentation, Section 8; Brookside Historic District nomination, Section 8, p. 12
Open current source lead
Communities & Town DevelopmentCaptured · not verified
1827
Jonathan Brandon lays out Brandonville
Local community history says Colonel Jonathan Brandon laid out the town in 1827 and gave Brandonville its name. This town-layout date predates the Virginia incorporation acts recorded for 1837 and 1858.
Source / research lead: Preston County Economic Development Authority, “Brandonville” · Source link
Brandonville
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Preston County Economic Development Authority, “Brandonville”
Open current source lead
Transportation & InfrastructureCaptured · not verified
1827
Northwestern Road Company is chartered
Morton dates the charter of the Northwestern Road Company to 1827, an early step toward the turnpike that crossed Preston County.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIII, pp. 204–205 (printed pages) · Source link
Preston County / Northwestern Virginia
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIII, pp. 204–205 (printed pages)
Open current source lead
1828
County Formation, Boundaries & GovernmentCaptured · not verified
1828
A strip of Randolph County is transferred to Preston
Morton reports that the first of two transfers from Randolph County to Preston occurred in 1828, adding territory that included part of the later Union and Aurora area.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. X, p. 98 (printed page) · Source link
Eastern Preston County / Randolph County boundary
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. X, p. 98 (printed page)
Open current source lead
1830
People & Social HistoryCaptured · not verified
1830
Preston's enslaved population reaches its reported high-water mark
Using census-era figures, Morton identifies 1830 as the county's high point of slavery, listing 125 enslaved people and 27 free Black residents.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XIV, p. 138 (printed page) · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XIV, p. 138 (printed page)
Open current source lead
1832
Communities & Town DevelopmentCaptured · not verified
1832
Kingwood has 29 households in Morton's reconstructed town survey
Morton's reconstruction of Kingwood in 1832 counts 29 households and describes a courthouse-centered village of tradespeople, merchants, tavern keepers, and county officers.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIV, pp. 217–220 (printed pages) · Source link
Kingwood
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIV, pp. 217–220 (printed pages)
Open current source lead
1833
Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
February 6, 1833
Lottery authorized to fund a road from the Pennsylvania state line to the Northwestern Turnpike
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act authorizing a lottery to fund the construction of a road from the Pennsylvania state line to intersect the Northwestern Turnpike at the Tygart's Valley River in Preston County, under the direction of the following commissioners: Harrison Hagans, Benjamin Shaw, John Rodeheaver, Buckner Fairfax, Thomas Magee, Jr., and William B. Zinn.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1834
Communities & Town DevelopmentVerified to source
January 28, 1834
Evansville is established on James Evans's property
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act establishing the town of Evansville on the property of James Evans, adjoining the lands of John Wilkins and Hugh Evans in Preston County, governed by the following trustees: Hugh Evans, Henry Walters, John Wilkins, Benjamin Leach, and James Evans.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Evansville
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
February 20, 1834
Altered the route of the Northwestern Turnpike Road so it would pass through the town of Evansville
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act altering the route of the Northwestern Turnpike Road so it would pass through the town of Evansville, Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Evansville
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1835
Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
February 11, 1835
Authorized the survey for a road from the Maryland state line near Smithfield, PA, to Brandonville
The Virginia General Assembly adopted a joint resolution authorizing the survey for a road from the Maryland state line near Smithfield, PA, to Brandonville in Preston County, to intersect the Northwestern Turnpike at or west of Evansville.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Brandonville / Evansville
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1836
Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
January 12, 1836
Altered the route of the Northwestern Turnpike so it would pass through Evansville, Preston County
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act altering the route of the Northwestern Turnpike so it would pass through Evansville, Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Evansville
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
January 12, 1836
Road survey directed from the German Settlement to Leading Creek
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act directing the survey for a road from the Northwestern Turnpike at the German settlement in Preston County to a point on Leading Creek in Randolph County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
German Settlement
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Agriculture, Foodways & Rural LifeVerified to source
January 13, 1836
Act passed forbidding trespassing by non-resident herdsmen in Preston County
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act forbidding trespassing by non-resident herdsmen in Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Military & WartimeVerified to source
March 9, 1836
Established the 148th Regiment of the Virginia Militia in Preston County
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act establishing the 148th Regiment of the Virginia Militia in Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
March 15, 1836
Provided for the construction of a road from the Ohio River at the mouth of Fishing Creek in Tyler County, to Morgantown, to Brandonville
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act providing for the construction of a road from the Ohio River at the mouth of Fishing Creek in Tyler County, to Morgantown, to Brandonville in Preston County, to the Maryland state line, under the superintendence of the following directors: Presly Martin of Tyler County; Thomas P. Ray and Richard Watts of Monongalia County; and Harrison Hagan of Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Brandonville
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1837
Communities & Town DevelopmentVerified to source
March 13, 1837
Brandonville incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Brandonville, Kingwood and Evansville Turnpike Company to construct a road from the Pennsylvania state line in Preston County, to Brandonville and Kingwood, to a point on the Northwestern Turnpike at or near Evansville. Subscription books were opened under the direction of the following commissioners: in Brandonville, under Harrison Hagan, John Scott, and Samuel Rodehaver; in Kingwood, under Elisha M. Hagan, Israel Baldwin, and Thomas McGee; and at Evansville, under Wick Johnson, John Wilkins, and William K. Smith.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Kingwood / Brandonville / Evansville
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Coal / Coke / MiningVerified to source
March 25, 1837
Preston Mining and Manufacturing Company incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Preston Mining and Manufacturing Company by H. R. Roby and unnamed stockholders. The company's purpose was to mine and manufacture iron and steel and other minerals in Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Coal / Coke / MiningVerified to source
March 27, 1837
Cheat River Mining incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Cheat River Mining, Lumber, Salt and Iron Company by Harrison Hagan, Elisha M. Hagan, and Buckner Fairfax. The company's purpose was to mine and manufacture iron, salt, and other minerals in Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Cheat River
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1838
Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
February 14, 1838
Further work on the Fishing Creek–Morgantown–Brandonville road authorized
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act further providing for the completion of the road from the Ohio River at the mouth of Fishing Creek in Tyler County, to Morgantown, to Brandonville in Preston County, to the Pennsylvania state line.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Brandonville
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
County Formation, Boundaries & GovernmentVerified to source
April 4, 1838
Part of Randolph County added to Preston County
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act adding part of Randolph County to Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
April 6, 1838
Board of Public Works authorized to survey a road from a point near the German Settlement to Kingwood
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act authorizing the Board of Public Works to survey a road from a point at or near the German Settlement in Preston County, to Kingwood, to a point on the Morgantown and Beverly road east of Laurel Hill.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
German Settlement / Kingwood
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
April 7, 1838
Provided for the construction of a road from Brandonville, to Kingwood, to intersect the Northwestern…
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act providing for the construction of a road from Brandonville, to Kingwood, to intersect the Northwestern Turnpike near Evansville, all in Preston County, under the superintendence of the following directors: Harrison Hagan, Israel Baldwin, and Benjamin Jeffers.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Kingwood / Brandonville / Evansville
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Transportation & InfrastructureCaptured · not verified
circa 1838
The Northwestern Road is completed to Parkersburg
Morton says the road took seven years to complete after coming under the Board of Public Works in 1831, placing completion around 1838.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIII, pp. 204–205 (printed pages) · Source link
Preston County / Northwestern Virginia
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIII, pp. 204–205 (printed pages)
Open current source lead
1839
Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
March 30, 1839
Provided for the completion of the road from the mouth of Fishing Creek in Tyler County, to Morgantown, to…
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act providing for the completion of the road from the mouth of Fishing Creek in Tyler County, to Morgantown, to Brandonville in Preston County, to the Pennsylvania state line.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Brandonville
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1840
RailroadsVerified to source
March 7, 1840
Preston Railroad incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Preston Railroad, Lumber, and Mineral Company by the following: Caspar W. Weaver, Zalmon Ludington, Harrison Hagans, Elisha M. Hagans, and Buckner Fairfax. The company's purpose was to construct a railroad around the falls of Cheat River, improve the navigation of the Cheat River below its falls, and mine and manufacture iron, other metals, and lumber, all in Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Cheat River
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Culture, Media & CommunicationsCaptured · not verified
1840
Kingwood's Philomathean Society is organized
Morton identifies the Philomathean Society, formed in 1840, as Kingwood's first apparent organization devoted to intellectual improvement.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIV, p. 221 (printed page) · Source link
Kingwood
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIV, p. 221 (printed page)
Open current source lead
1841
EducationVerified to source
January 2, 1841
Preston Academy at Kingwood incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Preston Academy at Kingwood, Preston County, directed by the following trustees: Elisha M. Hagans, Izrael Baldwin, Thomas Brown, Solomon P. Herndon, William Sigler, John P. Byrne, John Magee, John R. Stone, William Elliott, Buckner Fairfax, William Brown, and William B. Zinn.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Kingwood
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
County Formation, Boundaries & GovernmentVerified to source
March 15, 1841
Part of Preston County added to Monongalia County
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act adding part of Preston County to Monongalia County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
County Formation, Boundaries & GovernmentCaptured · not verified
1841
Morton reports a triangular boundary transfer from Monongalia to Preston
Morton describes a triangular tract being transferred from Monongalia County to Preston in 1841. This appears to conflict with an existing inbox summary and needs act-level reconciliation.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. X, pp. 98–99 (printed pages) · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. X, pp. 98–99 (printed pages)
Open current source lead
Transportation & InfrastructureVerified
1841
Red Horse Tavern Opens Along the Northwestern Turnpike
The former Grimes residence was converted into a tavern in 1841 to serve traffic on the Northwestern Turnpike. Operated at different times by George Hauser, Hiram Hanshaw, and William H. Grimes, the Red Horse Tavern remained a significant local stopping place until 1882.
Source / research lead: National Register of Historic Places, Red Horse Tavern additional documentation, Sections 8 and 9 · Source link
Aurora area / Northwestern Turnpike
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: National Register of Historic Places, Red Horse Tavern additional documentation, Sections 8 and 9
Open current source lead
EducationCaptured · not verified
1841
The Preston Academy building opens a permanent local school
Morton dates the building of Preston Academy to 1841, replacing the town's earlier practice of holding school in various houses.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIV, p. 221 (printed page) · Source link
Kingwood
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIV, p. 221 (printed page)
Open current source lead
1842
Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
February 25, 1842
Joint resolution directs a road survey from Morgantown through Kingwood to the Northwestern Turnpike
The Virginia General Assembly adopted a joint resolution directing the Board of Public Works to survey a road from Morgantown, to Kingwood in Preston County, to intersect the Northwestern Turnpike at or near the German Settlement in Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
German Settlement / Kingwood
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Industry & ManufacturingVerified to source
March 12, 1842
Monongalia Iron Company incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Monongalia Iron Company by the following: Evan T. Ellicott, Andrew Ellicott, and Elias Ellicott. The company's purpose was to manufacture iron and other articles in Monongalia County and Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Communities & Town DevelopmentVerified to source
March 26, 1842
Brownsville is established on John Garner's property
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act establishing the town of Brownsville on the property of John Garner in Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Brownsville
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Religion & Social InstitutionsCaptured · not verified
1842
Kingwood Methodists build a brick church
Morton reports that Kingwood's Methodists built a brick church in 1842, an early purpose-built church within the town.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIV, p. 221 (printed page) · Source link
Kingwood
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIV, p. 221 (printed page)
Open current source lead
1844
Industry & ManufacturingCaptured · not verified
1844
John W. Rigg begins commercial woolen production on Muddy Creek
Morton dates John W. Rigg's commercial woolen operations on Muddy Creek to 1844, an early example of mechanized textile production in the county.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXII, p. 199 (printed page) · Source link
Muddy Creek
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXII, p. 199 (printed page)
Open current source lead
1845
Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
February 15, 1845
Preston Navigation and Manufacturing Company incorporated for the purpose of making Cheat River navigable
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Preston Navigation and Manufacturing Company for the purpose of making Cheat River navigable for boats and rafts from Ice's Ferry to the Horseshoe Bottom, and to manufacture iron and lumber. Subscription books were opened in Preston County under the direction of the following commissioners: John Ambler, Gustavus Cresap, J. G. Ambler, James Averill, D. C. Ambler, and Buckner Fairfax.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Cheat River
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1847
Culture, Media & CommunicationsVerified to source
March 20, 1847
Evansville Literary Society of Preston County incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Evansville Literary Society of Preston County by the following: A. Barbee, J. Howard, James Morrison, Moses J. Robinett, E. E. Menshall, D. S. Stuart, John J. Hamilton, Charles Byrne, and Julius C. Kemble.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Evansville
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
RailroadsCaptured · not verified
1847
The B&O surveys its eventual route through Preston County
Morton reports that the route ultimately built by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad through Preston County was surveyed in 1847.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIII, p. 208 (printed page) · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIII, p. 208 (printed page)
Open current source lead
1848
Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
January 15, 1848
Cheat River Tollbridge Company incorporated to construct a toll bridge across the Cheat River
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Cheat River Tollbridge Company to construct a toll bridge across the Cheat River where it crossed the Brandonville, Kingwood, and Evansville Road. Subscription books were opened under the direction of the following commissioners: in Brandonville, Preston County, under Harrison Hagans, James Hetherington, and Asahel C. Leach; and in Kingwood, Preston County, under Israel Baldwin, Thomas Brown, Elisha M. Hagans, John P. Burns, and Gustavus Cresap.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Cheat River / Kingwood / Brandonville
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
March 13, 1848
Cheat River Navigation Company incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Cheat River Navigation Company to improve navigation on the Cheat River. Subscription books were opened at Ice's Ferry in Monongalia County and at Kingwood in Preston County, under the direction of the following commissioners: Evan T. Ellicott, John Rude, Seth Stafford, Jacob Baker, Elisha M. Hagans, Buckner Fairfax, Israel Baldwin, and John Ambler.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Cheat River / Kingwood
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
March 25, 1848
Kingwood and West Union Turnpike Company incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Kingwood and West Union Turnpike Company to construct a turnpike road from at or near the town of West Union on the Northwestern Turnpike Road to Kingwood in Preston County, to a point on the Beverly Road west of Laurel Hill in the direction of Morgantown. Subscription books were opened under the direction of the following commissioners: at German Settlement, Preston County, under Jacob Stertsman, John Shaver, and William H. Grimes; in Kingwood, under Buckner Fairfax, E. M. Hagans, and Israel Baldwin; and in Morgantown, under Edgar C. Wilson, Alexander Hayes, and William Lazier.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
German Settlement / Kingwood / West Union
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
EducationVerified to source
April 1, 1848
Authorized the sale of property in Preston County with proceeds directed to a school in West Union
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act authorizing the sale of property in Preston County with proceeds directed to a school in West Union, Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
West Union
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1849
Politics & ElectionsVerified to source
March 8, 1849
Established separate polling places in Preston County, in Wheeling, and at Laurel Point in Monongalia County
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act establishing separate polling places in Preston County, in Wheeling, and at Laurel Point in Monongalia County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
RailroadsVerified to source
1849–1852
The original Kingwood Tunnel is bored near Tunnelton
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad crews began boring the original Kingwood Tunnel near present-day Tunnelton late in 1849 and completed the 4,137-foot bore late in 1852. Excavation advanced from both portals and six additional headings reached through three shafts. It was the longest tunnel in the country when completed, though more work was needed before track could be laid.
Source / research lead: Historic American Engineering Record, Baltimore & Ohio Railroad: Kingwood Tunnel, HAER WV-16, pp. 1–3 · Source link
Kingwood Tunnel / Tunnelton
Open event page
Related historical photograph
Kingwood Tunnel photographs, Historic American Engineering Record
The gallery documents the tunnel but does not depict its 1849–1852 construction.
View related photograph
Research notes
Where found: Historic American Engineering Record, Baltimore & Ohio Railroad: Kingwood Tunnel, HAER WV-16, pp. 1–3
Open current source lead
County Formation, Boundaries & GovernmentCaptured · not verified
1849
Voters consider another three-county boundary proposal
Morton describes a proposed county drawn from Preston, Randolph, and Barbour and records voting on the plan in 1849.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. X, pp. 99–100 (printed pages) · Source link
Preston / Randolph / Barbour counties
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. X, pp. 99–100 (printed pages)
Open current source lead
1851
Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
March 24, 1851
Extension of the Kingwood and West Union Turnpike authorized from Kingwood in Preston County to Morgantown
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act authorizing the extension of the Kingwood and West Union Turnpike from Kingwood in Preston County to Morgantown.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Kingwood / West Union
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Industry & ManufacturingVerified to source
March 28, 1851
Spruce Run Manufacturing Company incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Spruce Run Manufacturing Company by the following: William F. Deakins, F. W. Deakins, John Ambler, and I. G. Ambler. The company's purpose was to manufacture cotton, wool, and other articles in Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
March 31, 1851
Leading Creek and Buffalo Creek Turnpike Company incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Leading Creek and Buffalo Creek Turnpike Company to construct a road from a point on the Beverly and Fairmont Turnpike Road near Leading Creek Bridge, to Leading Creek Valley, to the mouth of Clover Run on Cheat River, to the Buffalo Creek Valley, to the Northwestern Turnpike Road and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad near its crossing of Cheat River in Preston County. Subscription books were opened under the direction of the following commissioners: at William Ewing's, under William Ewing, William Harper, William Marsh, Francis Tolbert, and T. M. Purington; in Beverly, Randolph County, under David Blackman, Eli Butcher, William Faris, and Garrison Stalnaker; and in Kingwood, Preston County, under Elisha M. Hagans, Israel Baldwin, Thomas Brown, and Charles Hooton.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Cheat River / Kingwood
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Industry & ManufacturingCaptured · not verified
July 4, 1851
Bruceton Mills woolen factory installs an early stationary engine
Wiley says Charles Kantner installed the first stationary engine used in Preston County at the Bruceton Mills Woolen Factory on July 4, 1851.
Source / research lead: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 373–374 · Source link
Bruceton Mills
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 373–374
Open current source lead
RailroadsCaptured · not verified
December 25, 1851
B&O track reaches Cheat River
Morton states that Baltimore and Ohio Railroad track was completed to Cheat River on Christmas Day 1851.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIII, p. 208 (printed page) · Source link
Cheat River / Rowlesburg area
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIII, p. 208 (printed page)
Open current source lead
RailroadsVerified to source
1851
B&O builds a Fink truss bridge across the Cheat River at Rowlesburg
The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad built a Fink truss bridge across the Cheat River at Rowlesburg in 1851, according to the Historic American Engineering Record. HAER identifies it as the first of three successive bridges at this crossing. The Smithsonian’s B&O Railroad Records preserve an undated view specifically identified as the Fink bridge, along with another undated view of the Cheat River bridge near Rowlesburg. Together, the engineering record and archival images document the earliest bridge generation in this crossing’s history.
Source / research lead: Historic American Engineering Record, HAER WV-13, B&O Railroad, Rowlesburg Bridge, written historical and descriptive data (transmitted 1984); Smithsonian Institution, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Records, NMAH.AC.1086 · Source link
Rowlesburg / Cheat River
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Historic American Engineering Record, HAER WV-13, B&O Railroad, Rowlesburg Bridge, written historical and descriptive data (transmitted 1984); Smithsonian Institution, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Records, NMAH.AC.1086
1851 is the bridge construction date reported by HAER, not the date of the Smithsonian photographs. Box 19, Items 714 and 716 are cataloged as undated. Item 716 explicitly identifies a Fink bridge; Item 714 uses the broader description of a Cheat River bridge near Rowlesburg.
HAER’s sequence places the Fink generation before the Bollman bridge of 1870. Identifying the bridge targeted during the 1863 Jones–Imboden Raid as the Fink generation is an inference from that chronology and the wartime reports.
Open current source lead
County Formation, Boundaries & GovernmentCaptured · not verified
1851
Petition proposes dividing Preston along Cheat River
Morton reports a petition to divide Preston County along Cheat River, with the eastern county seat proposed at Brandonville.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. X, p. 99 (printed page) · Source link
Cheat River / Brandonville
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. X, p. 99 (printed page)
Open current source lead
RailroadsVerified to source
1851–1852
The original Tray Run Viaduct is constructed near Rowlesburg
The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad constructed the original Tray Run Viaduct on the Cheat River Grade near Rowlesburg in 1851–1852. Designed by Albert Fink, the 445-foot structure combined a massive stone base with a cast-iron trestle. Its pioneering design became an important step in the development of iron railroad bridges and later metal-frame construction.
Source / research lead: Historic American Engineering Record, B & O Railroad, Tray Run Viaduct, HAER WV-18, pp. 1–6 · Source link
Rowlesburg
Open event page
Related historical photograph
View on Cheat River Grade at the Tray Run Iron and Stone Viaduct, 1857 illustration
View related photograph
Research notes
Where found: Historic American Engineering Record, B & O Railroad, Tray Run Viaduct, HAER WV-18, pp. 1–6
Open current source lead
1852
Communities & Town DevelopmentVerified to source
November 30, 1852
Fellowsville is incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act incorporating the town of Fellowsville, Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Fellowsville
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
RailroadsVerified to source
November 30, 1852
Morgantown and Independence Railroad Company incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Morgantown and Independence Railroad Company to construct a railroad from the Pennsylvania state line at or near the mouth of Cheat River, to Morgantown, to intersect the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad at or east of Independence in Preston County. Subscription books were opened under the direction of the following commissioners: in Morgantown, under John Hanaway, William Lazier, Nicholas Pickenpaugh, and James Evans; and in Kingwood, under William G. Brown, John P. Byrne, Elisha M. Hagan, and John A. Dilly.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Cheat River / Kingwood
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
RailroadsCaptured · not verified
December 25, 1852
The B&O line reaches Wheeling one year after Cheat River
Morton says the railroad reached Wheeling exactly one year after track reached Cheat River, completing the route through Preston County to the Ohio River.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIII, p. 208 (printed page) · Source link
Preston County / Wheeling
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIII, p. 208 (printed page)
Open current source lead
RailroadsCaptured · not verified
1852–1854
Newburg's railroad-era name changes
Wiley says the settlement was called “88” in 1852, Simpson's Water Station in 1853, and Newburg in 1854, tracing how the railroad stop acquired its lasting name.
Source / research lead: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 493–494 · Source link
Newburg
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 493–494
Open current source lead
1853
Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
February 10, 1853
Cranberry Summit and Brandonville Turnpike Company incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Cranberry Summit and Brandonville Turnpike Company to construct a road from the Cranberry Summit on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to intersect the Maryland and Ohio Turnpike at Brandonville, all in Preston County. Subscription books were opened under the direction of the following commissioners: at Cranberry Summit, under William B. Crane, James Hays, E. M. Hagan, and James C. McGrew; at Jacob Guseman's store on Muddy Creek, under Jacob Guseman, Joseph Miller, and Jacob Crane; and at Brandonville, under Harrison Hagan, A. C. Leach, Jacob Fike, and Joseph Ritenhour.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Cranberry Summit / Brandonville / Muddy Creek
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
February 16, 1853
Gnatty Creek and West Union Turnpike Company incorporated
the Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Gnatty Creek and West Union Turnpike Company to construct a road from the Clarksburg Road and Buckhannon Turnpike at or near the mouth of Gnatty Creek, to Philippi in Barbour County, crossing the Cheat River at the mouth of Clover Run in Randolph County, to West Union in Preston County. Subscription books were opened at William Ewin's in Randolph County under the direction of the following commissioners: William Ewin, Solomon Parsons, Jacob Sturm, John N. Hall, and John C. Ratcliff.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Cheat River / West Union
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Business, Banking & CommerceVerified to source
February 23, 1853
Bank branches established
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act establishing a branch of the Bank of Virginia, the Farmers Bank of Virginia, the Bank of the Valley, the Exchange Bank of Virginia, the Northwestern Bank of Virginia, or the Merchants and Mechanics Bank of Wheeling in Kingwood, Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Kingwood
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Politics & ElectionsVerified to source
March 14, 1853
Election authorized on moving the Preston County seat from Kingwood to the Cheat River suspension bridge
the Virginia General Assembly passed an act authorizing an election to determine whether the Preston County seat should remain in Kingwood or be moved to the east end of the wire suspension bridge across Cheat River.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Cheat River / Kingwood
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Communities & Town DevelopmentVerified to source
March 22, 1853
Kingwood is incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act incorporating the town of Kingwood, Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Kingwood
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
RailroadsCaptured · not verified
March 27, 1853
Fatal B&O passenger-train wreck near Rowlesburg
Wiley reports that an Easter Sunday track spread about half a mile west of Rowlesburg sent two passenger cars roughly sixty feet down an embankment, killing nine people and wounding four. Robert Murray was among the dead.
Source / research lead: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 514–515 · Source link
Rowlesburg
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 514–515
Open current source lead
Communities & Town DevelopmentVerified to source
March 28, 1853
Bruceton Mills is incorporated as Bruceton
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act incorporating the town of Bruceton, Preston County, governed by the following commissioners: A. J. Bell, N. R. Harding, and Charles Kanter.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Bruceton Mills
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
March 30, 1853
Pleasant Valley and Tunnelton Turnpike Company incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Pleasant Valley and Tunnelton Turnpike Company to construct a road from at or near Ice's Ferry across Cheat River on the Maryland and Fishing Creek Turnpike, to the Pleasant Valley meeting house in Preston County between the property of James Reed and David C. Miles, by Zinn's Mills, to the Tunnelton Station on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Subscription books were opened under the direction of the following commissioners: Samuel Graham, Mahlin Hartley, Thomas Watson, David C. Miles, James Reed, Peter M. Heartley, Lemuel B. Menear, Robert Freeburne, Aquilla A. Fortney, David M. Riley, Buckner Fortney, Godfrey G. Murdock, John Weaver, Henry Le Bosquet, Caleb Coun, James C. McGrew, John Bowers, William N. Jarret, and William B. Weaver.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Cheat River / Tunnelton
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Coal / Coke / MiningVerified to source
March 31, 1853
Fellowsville Mining and Manufacturing Company incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Fellowsville Mining and Manufacturing Company by the following: Sylvanus Heermans, Joseph Fellows, and Zeno Albro. The company's purpose was to mine and manufacture mineral, vegetable, and animal substances in Preston County, Barbour County, Randolph County, and Taylor County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Fellowsville
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
April 11, 1853
Doddridge and Preston Turnpike Company incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Doddridge and Preston Turnpike Company to construct a road from the Salem and Harrisville Turnpike in Doddridge County, to West Milford in Harrison County, to Evansville in Preston County. Subscription books were opened under the direction of the following commissioners: at the house of Amaziah Bee in Doddridge County, under Amaziah Bee, Franklin Maxwell, Jeptha F. Randolph, Allison Barnet, and Ephraim Bee; in West Milford, under E. W. Patton, James Boring, A. S. Holden, A. M. Austin, and Morgan Ross, and in Evansville, under Moses J. Robinett, Julius C. Kemble, Hiram B. Hanshaw, John B. Young, and Samuel Evans.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Evansville
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
People & Social HistoryVerified to source
May 21, 1853
West Virginia Governor and Preston County newspaperman William Mercer Owens Dawson was born in Bloomington, MD
West Virginia Governor and Preston County newspaperman William Mercer Owens Dawson was born in Bloomington, MD.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Communities & Town DevelopmentCaptured · not verified
1853
The railroad community that becomes Terra Alta takes shape
Local community history dates Terra Alta's founding to 1853 as a settlement grew at the high point of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Known during its early history as Cranberry or Cranberry Summit, the community was incorporated as Portland in 1860.
Source / research lead: Preston County Economic Development Authority, “Terra Alta” · Source link
Cranberry Summit / Terra Alta
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Preston County Economic Development Authority, “Terra Alta”
Open current source lead
Industry & ManufacturingCaptured · not verified
1853
Virginia Furnace is built on Muddy Creek
Morton reports that the Virginia Furnace was built on Muddy Creek in 1853 and remained in operation until 1880.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXII, p. 200 (printed page) · Source link
Muddy Creek
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXII, p. 200 (printed page)
Open current source lead
Coal / Coke / MiningCaptured · not verified
1853
Wiley attributes an early West Virginia coal shipment to Newburg
Wiley says Lawrence Henry shipped a car of coal from Newburg after the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad arrived and calls it the first car of coal shipped from West Virginia. The statewide “first” claim needs independent confirmation.
Source / research lead: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 499–500 · Source link
Newburg
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 499–500
Open current source lead
1855
Coal / Coke / MiningCaptured · not verified
1855
A commercial coal mine opens near Newburg
Morton identifies a mine opened near Newburg in 1855 and purchased the following year by the Orrel Coal Company as an early commercial coal operation.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXII, p. 201 (printed page) · Source link
Newburg / Scotch Hill
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXII, p. 201 (printed page)
Open current source lead
1856
Coal / Coke / MiningVerified to source
February 21, 1856
Preston Coal and Iron Company incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Preston Coal and Iron Company by the following: Frederick Pentz, Samuel L. Mitchell, William Kensen, John C. Ernenpietsch, and John W. Whitlock. The company's purpose was to mine coal and other minerals, and to manufacture and transport iron in Hampshire County, Hardy County, and Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Industry & ManufacturingVerified to source
February 26, 1856
Rowlesburg Lumber and Iron Company incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Rowlesburg Lumber and Iron Company by the following: Owen D. Downey, Thomas C. Williams, John A. Lloyd, Charles Finley, and Charles M. Bishop. The company's purpose was to mine coal and other minerals and to manufacture iron, lumber, and other products in Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Rowlesburg
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
County Formation, Boundaries & GovernmentCaptured · not verified
1856–1857
Kingwood constructs a larger courthouse after a county-seat crisis
Morton describes a 1856 effort to move the county seat to Albright or Burchinal Town; James C. McGrew then organized construction of a new Kingwood courthouse, with building underway the following spring.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIV, p. 222 (printed page) · Source link
Kingwood / Albright / Burchinal Town
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIV, p. 222 (printed page)
Open current source lead
Communities & Town DevelopmentVerified to source
1856
Masontown is laid out
Oren F. Morton records that Masontown’s site was a clearing called “Hartley Green” until the fall of 1855, when William Mason built a store there. A small village was laid out in 1856, and its lots were sold at auction for $5 to $7 each. The Town of Masontown’s official history identifies Mason as its namesake, founder, and first postmaster. A federal appointment register lists William G. Mason at Masontown on July 3, 1856.
Source / research lead: Oren F. Morton, A History of Preston County, West Virginia, vol. I, p. 273 (printed page) · Source link
Masontown
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Oren F. Morton, A History of Preston County, West Virginia, vol. I, p. 273 (printed page)
The National Archives scan was visually checked on September 14, 2026. On the first image in this catalog record, the Masontown row is on the left-hand page, about two-thirds of the way down. The handwritten entry reads “William G. Mason” and “3 July 1856.”
Source citation: National Archives, Postmaster Appointments for Preston County, West Virginia, Record of Appointments of Postmasters, 1832–September 30, 1971, microfilm publication M841, roll 140, image 30439_065525-00442 (digital object 78783821).
The appointment register documents Mason's appointment as postmaster; it does not explain the town's name or establish the date of its layout or platting. The naming, founder, and first-postmaster attribution comes from the Town of Masontown's official “About Us” page.
Morton, volume I, printed page 273, was visually checked on September 14, 2026. His account places William Mason’s store construction in fall 1855, the village layout in 1856, and the auction prices at $5 to $7 per lot. The title uses “laid out” to match his wording. This precise citation replaces the earlier unlocated Morton reference; the entry is now Verified to source.
Open current source lead
1858
Coal / Coke / MiningVerified to source
January 29, 1858
Virginia Coal and Iron Company incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Virginia Coal and Iron Company by the following: John M. Pancake, Joseph C. Pancake, E. M. Armstrong, and William A. Vance. The company's purpose was to mine coal and manufacture and transport iron, coal, lumber, and other mineral and vegetable articles in Hampshire County, Hardy County, Tucker County, and Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Coal / Coke / MiningVerified to source
February 13, 1858
Laurel Iron and Coal Company incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Laurel Iron and Coal Company by the following: Meredith Clymer, John W. Seymour, and Rudolph C. Winterhoff. The company's purpose was to mine and transport coal, and manufacture and transport iron in Monongalia County and Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Communities & Town DevelopmentVerified to source
February 24, 1858
Virginia reincorporates Brandonville
The Virginia General Assembly passed another incorporation act for Brandonville, following an earlier act approved in 1837.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline records for March 13, 1837, and February 24, 1858 · Source link
Brandonville
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline records for March 13, 1837, and February 24, 1858
Industry & ManufacturingVerified to source
February 27, 1858
Authorized the Rowlesburg Lumber and Iron Company to purchase property in Preston County
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act authorizing the Rowlesburg Lumber and Iron Company, with its main office in Preston County, to purchase and own 30,000 acres of property in Preston County, Tucker County, and Randolph County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Rowlesburg
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
February 27, 1858
Horseshoe and Pheasant Run Turnpike Company incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Horseshoe and Pheasant Run Turnpike Company to construct a road from Chisholm's mills in Preston County, to the head of the Horseshoe Run in Tucker County, to Samuel Rudolph's, to George Parsons', up Cheat River to the mouth of Pheasant Run, to the head of Pheasant Run, to the Beverly and Buffalo Turnpike at John S. Hart's. Subscription books were opened in St. George, Tucker County, under Rufus Maxwell, George Parsons, William R. Parsons, Job Parsons, and James Long.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Cheat River
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Communities & Town DevelopmentVerified to source
February 27, 1858
Rowlesburg is incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act incorporating the town of Rowlesburg, Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Rowlesburg
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Culture, Media & CommunicationsVerified to source
March 4, 1858
Airey Lodge No. 131 incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Airey Lodge No. 131 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in Rowlesburg, Preston County by the following: A. L. Hooton, William Hall, Thomas Owens, and Russell Finnell.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Rowlesburg
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Coal / Coke / MiningVerified to source
March 8, 1858
Woodlawn Coal and Iron Company incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Woodlawn Coal and Iron Company by the following: W. Tyler Duvall, John M. Holmes, Gustavus Cresap, J. Pindall Cresap, and Robert E. Cowan. The company's purpose was to mine coal and manufacture iron in Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
March 23, 1858
Masontown and Independence Turnpike Company incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Masontown and Independence Turnpike Company to construct a road from Masontown, to Springdale, to the Pennsylvania, Morgantown, and Beverly Turnpike Road in the direction of Independence about two miles west of Three Fork, all in Preston County. Subscription books were opened in Independence, Preston County, under the direction of the following commissioners: John Howard, Samuel Rodgers, Jacob Weaver, George D. Zinn, and Philip Manear.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Masontown
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Religion & Social InstitutionsVerified to source
March 24, 1858
Sons of Temperance in Rowlesburg incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly incorporated a Sons of Temperance organization in Rowlesburg, showing that organized local temperance work had reached Preston County decades before either West Virginia or the nation enacted prohibition. The incorporators were William Hull, Albert L. Hooten, Charles M. Bishop, William Graham, and John H. Borice.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Rowlesburg
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Business, Banking & CommerceVerified to source
March 29, 1858
Preston Bank of Virginia in Kingwood incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Preston Bank of Virginia in Kingwood, Preston County by the following: James C. McGrew, William G. Brown, Gustavus Cresap, Abner Ravenscraft, John A. Dille, Harrison Hagans, Henry Smith, Henry Startzman, William H. Grimes, and John J. Brown.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Kingwood
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Communities & Town DevelopmentCaptured · not verified
1858
James C. McGrew begins developing Tunnelton
Local community history says James C. McGrew acquired the land and established a store and large tannery in 1858, helping form the settlement known as Tunnelton. The community took its name from its location at the eastern end of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Kingwood Tunnel.
Source / research lead: Preston County Economic Development Authority, “Tunnelton” · Source link
Tunnelton
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Preston County Economic Development Authority, “Tunnelton”
Open current source lead
1859
Health, Environment & DisastersVerified to source
Night of June 4–5, 1859
The June Frost of 1859 Devastates Preston County Crops
Wiley says a heavy frost fell Saturday night and was visible Sunday morning, destroying wheat. Farmers replanted large fields in buckwheat, corn, and potatoes. Wiley's errata changes “June 3” to “June 4,” supporting the night of June 4–5.
Source / research lead: Wiley, History of Preston County, p. 61 and errata · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Wiley, History of Preston County, p. 61 and errata
Open current source lead
Industry & ManufacturingCaptured · not verified
1859
George Hardman's Irondale furnace begins operation
Morton dates the beginning of George Hardman's furnace at Irondale to 1859, part of Preston County's nineteenth-century iron industry.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXII, p. 200 (printed page) · Source link
Irondale
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXII, p. 200 (printed page)
Open current source lead
Industry & ManufacturingCaptured · not verified
About 1859
Illuminating oil made from cannel coal near Fellowsville
Wiley reports that several barrels of illuminating oil were manufactured from cannel coal near Fellowsville. The operation stopped during the Civil War and was later abandoned after cheaper petroleum became available; the works subsequently burned.
Source / research lead: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 518–519 · Source link
Fellowsville / Sandy Creek
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 518–519
Open current source lead
1860
Business, Banking & CommerceVerified to source
February 23, 1860
Preston Bank of Virginia renamed the Bank of Preston
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act amending the incorporation of the Preston Bank of Virginia at Kingwood, Preston County, so as to change its name to the Bank of Preston. Subscription books were opened in Kingwood under the direction of the following commissioners: James C. McGrew, William G. Brown, Henry Startzman, Gustavus Cresap, John A. Dille, Eugene G. Brandon, Harrison Hagans, John H. Hoffman, William B. Crane, David Stemple, Jr., Isaac Startzman, Julius C. Kemble, Hezekiah Pell, John Feather, Thomas Brown, and Charles M. Bishop.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Kingwood
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Communities & Town DevelopmentVerified to source
March 13, 1860
Independence is incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act incorporating the town of Independence, Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Independence
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Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Communities & Town DevelopmentVerified to source
March 13, 1860
Portland, formerly Cranberry Summit, is incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act incorporating the town of Portland, formerly known as Cranberry Summit, Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Cranberry Summit / Terra Alta
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Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Industry & ManufacturingVerified to source
March 15, 1860
Great Falls Iron and Manufacturing Company incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Great Falls Iron and Manufacturing Company by the following: Harrison Hagans, William Hagans, and George M. Hagans. The company's purpose was to mine and manufacture iron and other minerals in Preston County and Taylor County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
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Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Politics & ElectionsVerified to source
November 12, 1860
Citizens of Kingwood, Preston County, adopted resolutions opposing secession
Citizens of Kingwood, Preston County, adopted resolutions opposing secession.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Kingwood
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Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Politics & ElectionsCaptured · not verified
November 1860
Preston gives Breckinridge a presidential-election plurality
Morton reports that Preston County voted by a majority for Southern Democratic candidate John C. Breckinridge in the 1860 presidential election.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XV, p. 143 (printed page) · Source link
Preston County
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Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XV, p. 143 (printed page)
Open current source lead
1861
RailroadsVerified to source
March 30, 1861
Preston and Augusta Railroad Company incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Preston and Augusta Railroad Company to construct a railroad from near Portland in Preston County on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to connect with the Virginia Central Railroad at or near Staunton in Augusta County. Source: Acts of the General Assembly of Virginia.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Coal / Coke / MiningVerified to source
April 2, 1861
Old Dominion Mining and Manufacturing Company incorporated
The Virginia General Assembly passed an act which incorporated the Old Dominion Mining and Manufacturing Company by George A. Hamill and Israel Robinson. The company's purpose was to mine coal and iron ore and manufacture iron, coal, oil, candles in Preston County. Subscription books were opened at an unidentified location under the direction of the following commissioners: George A. Hamill, Israel Robinson, Magnus T. Snodgrass, Francis H. Grupy, and William B. Hill. Source: Acts of the General Assembly of Virginia.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Politics & ElectionsVerified to source
April 20, 1861
James C. McGrew joins an early discussion of western Virginia’s political future
Three days after voting against Virginia’s ordinance of secession, Preston County delegate James C. McGrew joined a small private meeting of western delegates in Richmond. The group discussed leaving the convention, returning to their constituents, and organizing opposition to secession. The effort formed part of the political movement that soon gathered at Wheeling and ultimately led to West Virginia statehood.
Source / research lead: Samuel T. Wiley, History of Preston County, West Virginia (1882), pp. 242–245 · Source link
Preston County / Richmond
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Related historical photograph
Hon. James Clark McGrew of West Virginia, between 1860 and 1875
Brady-Handy Photograph Collection, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. No known restrictions on publication. This is a portrait of McGrew, not a photograph of the April 20, 1861 meeting.
View related photograph
Research notes
Where found: Samuel T. Wiley, History of Preston County, West Virginia (1882), pp. 242–245
Wiley’s account, published during McGrew’s lifetime, identifies April 20, 1861, and describes the meeting as an early step toward the Reorganized Government of Virginia and West Virginia statehood. It is a retrospective county history rather than a surviving minute book or contemporary report of the private meeting.
The broader sequence is well established: McGrew represented Preston County at Virginia’s 1861 convention, voted against secession, and later served in West Virginia’s first legislature. The wording avoids assigning sole credit for statehood to McGrew or this meeting.
The linked portrait depicts McGrew between approximately 1860 and 1875; it does not depict the April 20 meeting. The Library of Congress reports no known restrictions on publication.
Open current source lead
Politics & ElectionsCaptured · not verified
May 4, 1861
Kingwood convention calls for separation and loyalty to the Union
A county convention at Kingwood adopted resolutions favoring separation from seceding Virginia, affirming loyalty to the Union, and choosing delegates for the May 13 Wheeling meeting.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XV, p. 147 (printed page) · Source link
Kingwood
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Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XV, p. 147 (printed page)
Open current source lead
Politics & ElectionsCaptured · not verified
May 23, 1861
Preston voters overwhelmingly reject Virginia secession
Morton gives Preston County's referendum vote as 63 for secession and 2,256 against it.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XV, pp. 147–148 (printed pages) · Source link
Preston County
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Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XV, pp. 147–148 (printed pages)
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Politics & ElectionsCaptured · not verified
May 23, 1861
William G. Brown is chosen to represent the district in Congress
On the day of Virginia's secession referendum, Morton reports that Preston County voters helped choose Unionist William G. Brown for Congress.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XV, p. 148 (printed page) · Source link
Preston County
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Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XV, p. 148 (printed page)
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Military & WartimeCaptured · not verified
June 1861
Rowlesburg volunteers make an expedition to St. George
Morton says a detachment of about 40 men from Rowlesburg went to St. George, met no resistance, and brought back Confederate flags.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XV, p. 148 (printed page) · Source link
Rowlesburg / St. George
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Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XV, p. 148 (printed page)
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Military & WartimeCaptured · not verified
June 22, 1861
Captain Kirk's volunteers receive a flag at Pleasant Valley church
Morton records a flag presentation to Captain Kirk's volunteers at Pleasant Valley church between Masontown and Reedsville before the company was mustered at Baltimore.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XV, p. 148 (printed page) · Source link
Pleasant Valley / Masontown / Reedsville
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Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XV, p. 148 (printed page)
Open current source lead
Politics & ElectionsVerified to source
July 9, 1861
The Reorganized Government of Virginia elected additional officials: Secretary of the Commonwealth L
The Reorganized Government of Virginia elected additional officials: Secretary of the Commonwealth L. A. Hagans of Preston County; Auditor of Public Accounts Samuel Crane of Randolph County; Treasurer Campbell Tarr of Brooke County; United State Senators John S. Carlile and Waitman T. Willey; and House of Representatives members William G. Brown, Jacob B. Blair, and Kellian V. Whaley.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
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Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1862
Politics & ElectionsVerified to source
May 22, 1862
Commissioners appointed by the West Virginia Constitutional Convention arrived in Washington, D
Commissioners appointed by the West Virginia Constitutional Convention arrived in Washington, D. C. with a petition requesting the creation of the state of West Virginia. The commissioners were John Hall of Mason County, James Paxton of Ohio County, Elbert H. Caldwell of Marshall County, Peter G. Van Winkle of Wood County, and Ephraim B. Hall of Marion County, accompanied by Harrison Hagans of Preston County, Granville Parker of Cabell County, and Daniel Polsley of Mason County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Military & WartimeVerified to source
June 8, 1862
A skirmish was fought at Muddy Creek, Preston County
A skirmish was fought at Muddy Creek, Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Muddy Creek
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Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1863
RailroadsVerified to source
January 13, 1863
Franklin Furnace tram or railroad link to the B&O authorized
The Reorganized Government of Virginia General Assembly passed an act authorizing Charles H. Kimball, Trustee, to construct a tram or railroad from Franklin Furnace to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
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Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Military & WartimeVerified to source
April 26, 1863
Rowlesburg successfully defended during the Jones-Imboden Raid
Confederate forces under Brig. Gen. William E. "Grumble" Jones attacked Rowlesburg in an effort to destroy the strategically important Baltimore and Ohio Railroad bridges and viaducts. About 250 Union troops under Maj. John H. Showalter repelled the attack and preserved the rail line known as "Lincoln's Lifeline."
Source / research lead: West Virginia Archives & History — Jones-Imboden Raid · Source link
Rowlesburg
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Research notes
Where found: West Virginia Archives & History — Jones-Imboden Raid
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Military & WartimeCaptured · not verified
April 27, 1863
Jones-Imboden raiders damage the B&O at Newburg and Independence
Morton says Confederate troops passed Fellowsville and Evansville, tore up track, burned bridges near Newburg and Independence, and camped at Gladesville.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XV, p. 150 (printed page) · Source link
Fellowsville / Evansville / Newburg / Independence / Gladesville
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Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XV, p. 150 (printed page)
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Military & WartimeCaptured · not verified
April 28, 1863 (sequence-based date)
Raiders damage the Albright bridge and enter Kingwood
In Morton's day-by-day sequence, Confederate troops cut cables on the Albright suspension bridge, entered Kingwood, and continued through Reedsville toward Morgantown.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XV, p. 151 (printed page) · Source link
Albright / Kingwood / Reedsville
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Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XV, p. 151 (printed page)
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County Formation, Boundaries & GovernmentVerified
June 20, 1863
Preston County becomes part of West Virginia
West Virginia entered the Union, placing Preston County within the new state rather than Virginia. Preston was among the Virginia counties incorporated into West Virginia at statehood.
Source / research lead: Preston County History Master Timeline; National Archives, “West Virginia Statehood” · Source link
Preston County
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Research notes
Where found: Preston County History Master Timeline; National Archives, “West Virginia Statehood”
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Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
August 3, 1863
The West Virginia Legislature authorized the heirs of the late David Albright to establish a ferry
The West Virginia Legislature authorized the heirs of the late David Albright to establish a ferry across the Cheat River near Albright, Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Cheat River / Albright
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Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Politics & ElectionsVerified to source
December 8, 1863
First United States House of Representatives members from West Virginia
Unionist Jacob Beeson Blair of Wood County, Unionist William Gay Brown of Preston County, and Unionist Kellian V. Whaley of Cabell County became the first United States House of Representatives members from West Virginia.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
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Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1864
RailroadsVerified to source
March 2, 1864
West Virginia Central Railway Company incorporated
The West Virginia Central Railway Company was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: James H. Brown; Frederick Walker; John Slack, Sr.; Sydney M. Campbell; John R. McCutchen; Ellis Hyre; William Waggy; John Bowyer; William H. Shaw; Stephen Comstock; John Gilmore; J. P. B. R. Smith; Matthew Geary; Henry G. Chapman; G. Parker; Thomas J. Farnsworth; David S. Haselden; O. B. Loudin; Cyrus Kittle; Isaac Baker; Waldo P. Goff; Luther Haymond; L. E. Davidson; Harmon Sinsel; Jesse Teter; Peter Zinn; Spencer Dayton; William B. Crane; James W. Brown; Reuben Morris; Smith Crane; James H. Manown; Joseph Brown; William G. Brown; William B. Zinn; Elisha M. Hagans; Marcellus B. Hagans; Harrison Hagans; William Hagans; William Frey; Henry C. Hagans; Joseph H. Gibson; I. M. Harshbarger; Thomas Scott; Isaac McGrew; John Harrader; Harrison Spurgin; W. Cuppett; Jesse Spurgin; Samuel Fike; Joseph N. Miller; Samuel E. Crane; Simon Cameron; Thomas A. Scott; Francis H. Pierpont; Lucian A. Hagans; M. A. Sanner; H. L. Holbrook; John Hanna; Moses A. Ross; J. D. Roddy; W. J. Baer; and J. Weller. The company's purpose was to construct a railroad from the Pennsylvania state line in Preston County through Brandonville, through Taylor County, through Buckhannon in Upshur County, to Charleston, to Point Pleasant, Mason County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Brandonville
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Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Coal / Coke / MiningVerified to source
May 5, 1864
West Virginia Gas Coal company incorporated
The West Virginia Gas Coal company was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: James Kane, John Standish, Thomas G. McCulloh, Nelson Beall, and Frank A. Mason, all of Frostburg, MD. The company's purpose was to mine coal, iron, and other extractive minerals and to manufacture lumber at Rowlesburg, Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Rowlesburg
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Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1865
Coal / Coke / MiningVerified to source
July 26, 1865
Franklin Iron and Coal Company incorporated
The Franklin Iron and Coal Company was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: George Hardman as attorney for Nancy Hardman of Preston County; R. Richason Walker of Brooklyn, NY; John W. Jenkins, William Prescott Smith of Baltimore; and Samuel P. Hildreth of Wheeling. The company's main office was at Franklin Iron Works in Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Coal / Coke / MiningVerified to source
August 23, 1865
Tunnelton Coal Company of Preston County, West Virginia incorporated
The Tunnelton Coal Company of Preston County, West Virginia was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: John S. Barry, Allen A. Chapman, Hiram Woods, Jr., Abraham B. Patterson, John F. Ehlen of Baltimore; and Charles H. Hamill of Alleghany County, MD. The company's main office was in Baltimore.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Tunnelton
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Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Business, Banking & CommerceCaptured · not verified
November 14, 1865
The Bank of Kingwood begins business
Morton calls the Bank of Kingwood Preston's pioneer bank and says it was organized in 1865 with $100,000 paid-up capital, William G. Brown as president, and James C. McGrew as cashier. Wiley gives the opening date as November 14, 1865.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIV, p. 221; Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 466–467 · Source link
Kingwood
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Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIV, p. 221; Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 466–467
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1866
People & Social HistoryVerified to source
January 8, 1866
West Virginia governor William G. Conley born near Kingwood
West Virginia governor William G. Conley was born near Kingwood, Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Kingwood
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Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Coal / Coke / MiningVerified to source
January 18, 1866
Kingwood Gas Coal and Iron Company, Preston County, incorporated
The Kingwood Gas Coal and Iron Company, Preston County, was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: William S. Rayner, James L. Sutton of Baltimore; Peter W. Sheafer, William Kendrick, Peter D. Luther of Pottsville, PA; Edward Jessop, Henry Kauffelt, Arthur B. Farquhar of York, PA; Cornelius Slack and James B. Thomas of Mount Savage, MD. The company's main office was in Baltimore.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Kingwood
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Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Communities & Town DevelopmentVerified to source
February 28, 1866
extending the corporate limits of Brandonville, Preston County
The governor approved an act extending the corporate limits of Brandonville, Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Brandonville
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Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Culture, Media & CommunicationsVerified to source
May 19, 1866
The Preston County Journal begins publication
The Preston County Journal was published in Kingwood. Wiley dates its first issue to May 19, 1866, names Levi Mauser as founder, and describes it as the county's first Republican and sixth newspaper.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston; Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 467–468 · Source link
Kingwood
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston; Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 467–468
Coal / Coke / MiningCaptured · not verified
June 1866
Austen coal mines open
Wiley dates the opening of the Austen coal mines to June 1866. He says they operated until December 1876, reopened in April 1877, and had seventy-three coke ovens by the time of his writing.
Source / research lead: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 499–500 · Source link
Austen
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Related historical photograph
Tipple and Ovens at Austen Coal of Coke Company, Austen, W. Va., circa 1908
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Research notes
Where found: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 499–500
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1868
Communities & Town DevelopmentVerified to source
February 12, 1868
Newburg is incorporated
The West Virginia Legislature passed an act incorporating Newburg. Wiley's county-history chapter agrees with February 12, 1868, while his later district chapter gives May 4, 1868—possibly an organization or election date, or an error.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston; Wiley, History of Preston County, ch. IX and p. 493 · Source link
Newburg
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Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston; Wiley, History of Preston County, ch. IX and p. 493
RailroadsVerified to source
June 9, 1868
Railroad linking Franklin Iron Works to the B&O near Raccoon Creek authorized
The governor approved an act authorizing George Hardman and D. Randolph Martin to locate and construct a railroad from the Franklin Iron Works in Preston County to a point on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad near the mouth of Raccoon Creek in the same county.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
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Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Politics & ElectionsVerified to source
October 22, 1868
Republican James C. McGrew of Preston County defeated Democrat William G. Brown by a margin of 9,147 to 6,517 in the Second District
Republican William E. Stevenson was elected governor, defeating Democratic-Conservative Johnson N. Camden by only 5,098 votes, despite the fact former Confederates were not allowed to vote. Camden carried the city of Parkersburg, the hometown of both candidates, by a wide margin. In Congressional elections on the same day, Republican J. H. Duval of Brooke County defeated Democrat H. S. Walker by a margin of 11,569 to 10,729 in the First District; Republican James C. McGrew of Preston County defeated Democrat William G. Brown by a margin of 9,147 to 6,517 in the Second District; and Republican John S. Witcher of Cabell County defeated Democrat Charles P. T. Moore by a margin of 6,215 to 4,806 in the Third District.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
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Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Business, Banking & CommerceVerified to source
December 29, 1868
West Virginia Insurance Company incorporated
The West Virginia Insurance Company was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: D. D. T. Farnsworth of Buckhannon, Upshur County; W. E. Stevenson of Wood County; I. H. Duval of Brooke County; Thomas Boggess, J. M. McWhorter of Roane County; H. C. McWhorter of Kanawha County; D. H. K. Dix of Putnam County; W. B. Crane, Francis Heermans of Preston County; Jonathan Rowley, P. B. Dobbins, John H. Charnock of Ohio County; W. R. White of Marion County; George Koonce, David Billmyer of Jefferson County; and Thayer Melvin of Hancock County. The company's main office was in Wheeling.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1869
EducationVerified to source
February 22, 1869
Established a school district within the town of Brandonville, Preston County
The governor approved an act establishing a school district within the town of Brandonville, Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Brandonville
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Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Communities & Town DevelopmentVerified to source
February 26, 1869
The West Virginia Legislature altered the corporate limits of Portland, Preston County
The West Virginia Legislature altered the corporate limits of Portland, Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Politics & ElectionsVerified
March 4, 1869
James C. McGrew begins representing West Virginia in Congress
James Clark McGrew of Kingwood began the first of two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. A merchant and banker who had opposed Virginia’s secession in 1861, McGrew represented West Virginia’s Second Congressional District until March 3, 1873.
Source / research lead: U.S. House of Representatives, History, Art & Archives — James Clark McGrew · Source link
Kingwood / Preston County
Open event page
Related historical photograph
Hon. James Clark McGrew of West Virginia, between 1860 and 1875
Brady-Handy Photograph Collection, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. No known restrictions on publication. This is a portrait of McGrew, not a photograph of his first day in Congress.
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Research notes
Where found: U.S. House of Representatives, History, Art & Archives — James Clark McGrew
March 4, 1869, is the official beginning of McGrew’s service in the Forty-first Congress. He served through March 3, 1873, chaired the Committee on Mileage during the Forty-second Congress, and declined renomination in 1872.
McGrew was born near Brandonville on September 14, 1813, when the location was in Monongalia County, Virginia. Preston County was formed in 1818.
The linked portrait depicts McGrew between approximately 1860 and 1875 and is illustrative of the individual, not his first day in Congress. The Library of Congress reports no known restrictions on publication.
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Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
March 4, 1869
Randolph, Tucker and Preston Turnpike Company incorporated
The Randolph, Tucker and Preston Turnpike Company was incorporated in West Virginia to construct a road from New Interest in Randolph County to Holly Meadows in Tucker County, to West Union or Chisholm's Mills in Preston County. Subscription books were opened under the direction of the following: in Randolph County, under David Blackman, Archibald Wilmoth, and Elam Hart; in Tucker County, under Jacob H. Long, David B. Hart, Jesse Parsons, William Evans, and William Ewin; in Preston County, under A. D. Weills, Summers McCrum, and Isaac Startzman.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
West Union
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Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Courts, Crime & JusticeVerified
March 7, 1869
Preston County Courthouse is destroyed by fire
Fire destroyed the Preston County courthouse in Kingwood in the early morning of March 7, 1869. Nearly all courthouse records accumulated since the county's formation in 1818 were lost; the County Clerk reports that a few books survived. The destruction left lasting gaps in the records of land, estates, and families. The subsequent arson indictment against Elihu Gregg also described occupied living quarters in the courthouse basement, where Peter Voltz and his family resided. Court proceedings moved to Preston Academy while the county replaced the courthouse. Gregg's trials and appeal later that year are covered in a separate entry.
Source / research lead: Preston County Clerk: About Us — courthouse fire and surviving records · Source link
Kingwood
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Research notes
Where found: Preston County Clerk: About Us — courthouse fire and surviving records
The County Clerk says a few books survived; this entry therefore does not describe every county record as destroyed. The indictment's allegations and the later court judgments are distinguished in the linked Gregg trial entry.
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Culture, Media & CommunicationsVerified to source
May 21, 1869
Damon Lodge No. 5 of the Knights of Pythias organized at Newburg
Damon Lodge No. 5 of the Knights of Pythias was organized at Newburg, Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Newburg
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Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Courts, Crime & JusticeVerified
July–October 1869
Elihu Gregg is tried at Preston Academy; an appeal leads to a second trial
Following the courthouse fire, Elihu Gregg's arson case was heard at Preston Academy in Kingwood. Indicted on July 12, he was found guilty on July 19 and sentenced to hang. William G. Brown Sr. led the prosecution while prosecuting attorney Charles Hooton was ill. In August, the Supreme Court of Appeals reversed the judgment after finding that defense evidence had been improperly excluded. A second trial produced another guilty verdict, and on October 21 Gregg was again sentenced to death, with execution set for January 28, 1870. The proceedings connect the loss of Preston County's records with the Academy's temporary use as a courthouse and Brown's legal career.
Source / research lead: Gregg v. State, 3 W. Va. 705 (1869): first trial and grounds for reversal · Source link
Kingwood
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Research notes
Where found: Gregg v. State, 3 W. Va. 705 (1869): first trial and grounds for reversal
The first conviction was reversed, not an acquittal. The excluded defense material included Henry Boger's testimony and Gregg's bankruptcy-protection certificate. The 1880 opinion confirms that a second trial resulted in conviction in October 1869.
The prosecution presented the scheduled sale of Gregg's land and alleged threats as evidence of motive. Those allegations should not be confused with an independently established account of his intentions.
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RailroadsCaptured · not verified
October 1869
Preston voters approve a subscription to the West Virginia Central
Morton records an October 1869 county vote of 1,186 to 126 approving a capital subscription for the proposed West Virginia Central railroad route.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIII, p. 211 (printed page) · Source link
Preston County
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Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIII, p. 211 (printed page)
Open current source lead
Industry & ManufacturingVerified to source
October 27, 1869
Cheat River Lumbering and Manufacturing Company incorporated
The Cheat River Lumbering and Manufacturing Company was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: Albert Lee, Adam H. Bowman, William W. Shoch, Moses Casseday, James A. Gregg, Lewis May, Alexander R. Stewart, Winfield W. Gribble, and Jesse J. Fries, all of Rowlesburg, Preston County. The company's operations and main office were at Rowlesburg.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Cheat River / Rowlesburg
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Business, Banking & CommerceVerified to source
December 23, 1869
First Mutual Store of Newburg incorporated
The First Mutual Store of Newburg was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: William Hubbard, John H. Henry, Eli T. Nine, Benjamin F. Talbott, and J. M. Allen, all of Newburg, Preston County. The company's purpose was to establish a store from which to sell dry goods and groceries.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Newburg
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
County Formation, Boundaries & GovernmentVerified
1869–1870
Preston County replaces its burned courthouse in Kingwood
After the March 1869 courthouse fire, McCafferty, Smalley & Menear constructed a new two-story brick courthouse in Kingwood for $11,000. Completed in 1870, it served the county until it was torn down in 1933 for construction of the present courthouse.
Source / research lead: Judge Lawrance S. Miller Jr., History of the Preston County Courthouse; National Register nomination, Kingwood Historic District, Section 8, p. 33 · Source link
Kingwood
Open event page
Related historical photograph
Courthouse and Soldiers Monument at Kingwood, Preston County, W. Va., ca. 1908
View related photograph
Research notes
Where found: Judge Lawrance S. Miller Jr., History of the Preston County Courthouse; National Register nomination, Kingwood Historic District, Section 8, p. 33
Open current source lead
1870
Communities & Town DevelopmentVerified to source
March 2, 1870
The West Virginia Legislature extended the corporate limits of Kingwood
The West Virginia Legislature extended the corporate limits of Kingwood, Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Kingwood
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Industry & ManufacturingVerified to source
March 3, 1870
Cheat River Boom and Lumber Company incorporated
The Cheat River Boom and Lumber Company was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: Henry G. Davis, Charles M. Bishop, T. B. Davis, Charles Hooton, and W. R. Davis. The company's purpose was establish a lumber business on the Cheat River near the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad bridge, Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Cheat River
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Culture, Media & CommunicationsVerified
1870
The Preston County Herald begins publication in Kingwood
The Preston County Herald began publication in Kingwood in 1870. It was renamed the West Virginia Argus in 1877 and operated from the Bishop Building until 1945.
Source / research lead: Library of Congress, West Virginia Argus (LCCN sn86092245); National Register nomination, Kingwood Historic District, Section 8, pp. 29–30 · Source link
Kingwood
Open event page
Related historical photograph
West Virginia Argus Members, Kingwood, Preston County, W. Va., 1890
The photograph dates to 1890, after the newspaper adopted the West Virginia Argus name in 1877.
View related photograph
Research notes
Where found: Library of Congress, West Virginia Argus (LCCN sn86092245); National Register nomination, Kingwood Historic District, Section 8, pp. 29–30
Open current source lead
RailroadsUnder Review
1870
Twin Bollman truss bridges replace the Fink crossing at Rowlesburg
The Rowlesburg B&O crossing entered its Bollman-truss generation in 1870, following the earlier Fink bridge, according to HAER. A Smithsonian archival image dated circa 1870 records two adjacent bridges over the Cheat River, each carrying one track across two spans, with water spouts beside the tracks. The image provides a view of the crossing between its Fink and Warren generations; its later repair and replacement history still requires investigation.
Source / research lead: Historic American Engineering Record, HAER WV-13, B&O Railroad, Rowlesburg Bridge, written historical and descriptive data (transmitted 1984); Smithsonian Institution, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Records, NMAH.AC.1086 · Source link
Rowlesburg / Cheat River
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Historic American Engineering Record, HAER WV-13, B&O Railroad, Rowlesburg Bridge, written historical and descriptive data (transmitted 1984); Smithsonian Institution, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Records, NMAH.AC.1086
Identification under review. The Smithsonian catalogs this photograph as twin single-track Bollman bridges over the Cheat River at Rowlesburg, circa 1870. Questions have been raised about the identification based on the history of double-tracking and the track alignment visible in the photograph. PCTT is reviewing additional railroad and local-history evidence before treating the identification as settled.
Contemporary newspaper coverage of the July 1888 flood reported an iron B&O bridge at Rowlesburg washed away. How that report fits HAER’s three-bridge chronology remains unresolved: the affected structure or span and any subsequent rebuilding have not been established.
The Smithsonian dates Box 18, Item 697 to circa 1870. The image date is approximate. This entry does not assume that the bridges shown remained unchanged until the Warren bridge was built.
Open current source lead
1871
RailroadsVerified to source
February 28, 1871
Iron Valley and Pennsylvania Line Railroad incorporated
The Iron Valley and Pennsylvania Line Railroad was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: Andrew Stuart, Sebastian Rush, Levi Fike of Pennsylvania; D. R. Martin, W. W. Wharton of New York; John Heradar, George Manst, Thomas Scott, Charles Cantner, H. C. Hagans, Joseph Feather, John D. Rigg, David Morgan, Joseph H. Gibson, James W. Brown, William Albright, Charles E. Brown, Francis Hermans, William G. Brown, James C. McGrew, Smith Crane, James H. Carroll, William B. Zinn, Joseph Guseman, Reason A. Pell, George Hardman, Robert W. Monroe, George Orr, S. L. Allen, J. R. Smoot, and Joseph Jackson of West Virginia. The company's purpose was to construct a railroad from the Pennsylvania state line near Big Sandy Creek to Brandonville, Bruceton Mills, Muddy Creek Furance, Valley of Green's Run near Kingwood, Martin's Iron Works, to intersect the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad east of the mouth of Raccoon Creek, all in Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Bruceton Mills / Kingwood
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
RailroadsVerified to source
February 28, 1871
Iron Valley Railroad extension through Morgantown to the Pennsylvania line authorized
The governor approved an act authorizing the extension of the Iron Valley Railroad from Franklin Iron Works or Iron Dale in Preston County, to Morgantown to the Pennsylvania state line, Monongalia County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Courts, Crime & JusticeCaptured · not verified
February 28, 1871
State act provides for replacing Preston's lost county records
After the courthouse fire destroyed public records, the West Virginia Legislature passed an act establishing a process to supply and re-establish Preston County's lost records.
Source / research lead: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 204–207 · Source link
Preston County / Kingwood
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 204–207
Open current source lead
Coal / Coke / MiningVerified to source
May 13, 1871
Parkersburg Coal Company incorporated
The Parkersburg Coal Company was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: Edmond P. Chancellor, John W. Curtis, William N. Chancellor, Marcus C. C. Church, Lewis N. Logan, M. M. Clements, Charles H. Shattuck, Mathew Campbell of Parkersburg; Chapman J. Stuart of West Union, Doddridge County; Andrew S. Core of Ellenboro, Ritchie County; Ferdinand Y. Horner of Williamsburg, WV; George Hardman of Independence, Preston County; William Marbury of Volcano, Wood County; and Benjamin Wilson of Wilsonburg, Harrison County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
West Union
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1872
Business, Banking & CommerceVerified to source
1872
James H. Shaffer Builds a Large Summer Hotel in Aurora
Oren F. Morton's county history identifies a large Aurora hotel built by James H. Shaffer in 1872. It was one of two large hotels that particularly accommodated the visitors drawn each summer by Aurora's mountain setting, cool water, and opportunities for pleasure riding.
Source / research lead: Oren F. Morton, A History of Preston County, West Virginia, vol. I (1914), p. 261 · Source link
Aurora
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Oren F. Morton, A History of Preston County, West Virginia, vol. I (1914), p. 261
Open current source lead
RailroadsCaptured · not verified
1872–1875
The B&O double-tracks its Preston County line
Morton reports that double-tracking began in 1872 and was completed about three years later, increasing capacity on the mountain railroad.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIII, p. 210 (printed page) · Source link
Preston County B&O corridor
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIII, p. 210 (printed page)
Open current source lead
1873
RailroadsVerified to source
March 29, 1873
Preliminary survey for the Iron Valley and Pennsylvania Line Railroad authorized
The governor approved an act authorizing a preliminary survey of the Iron Valley and Pennsylvania Line Railroad from Preston County to connect the Pittsburgh, Washington and Baltimore Railroad with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Business, Banking & CommerceVerified to source
June 23, 1873
Newburg Loan Association incorporated
The Newburg Loan Association was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: James R. Smoot, Thomas M. Clayton, John E. Stuck, John A. Perrill, George W. Barnes, and John A. Vanzdant, all of Newburg, Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Newburg
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Religion & Social InstitutionsCaptured · not verified
October 19, 1873
Kingwood women's foreign missionary auxiliary organized
Wiley records the organization of Kingwood's auxiliary of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society with twenty-three women.
Source / research lead: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 475–476 · Source link
Kingwood
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 475–476
Open current source lead
1874
Industry & ManufacturingCaptured · not verified
1874
Frank Wolfe begins producing wintergreen extract on Laurel Run
Morton records Frank Wolfe's production of wintergreen extract on Laurel Run in 1874, documenting a small forest-products industry.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXII, p. 200 (printed page) · Source link
Laurel Run
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXII, p. 200 (printed page)
Open current source lead
1875
Health, Environment & DisastersCaptured · not verified
1875 or 1876 — conflicting dates in Wiley
Smallpox outbreak at Clifton Mills
Wiley's main chapter dates the outbreak to 1875 and reports more than forty cases; his appendix dates it to 1876 and reports forty cases with three deaths. The conflict should remain visible until resolved.
Source / research lead: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 375–376 and 525 · Source link
Clifton Mills
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Research notes
Where found: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 375–376 and 525
Open current source lead
1877
Transportation & InfrastructureCaptured · not verified
April 1877 — exact day to verify
Windstorm destroys the Albrightsville bridge
Wiley reports that a windstorm destroyed the Cheat River bridge at Albrightsville, but prints “Monday, April 18, 1877.” April 18, 1877 was a Wednesday, so the exact day requires verification.
Source / research lead: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 228–230 · Source link
Albrightsville / Cheat River
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 228–230
Open current source lead
Religion & Social InstitutionsCaptured · not verified
September 25, 1877
Preston Institute and Library Association organized
Wiley records the organization of the Preston Institute and Library Association at Fellowsville, a useful lead for local education, reading culture, and civic institution building.
Source / research lead: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 516–517 · Source link
Fellowsville
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 516–517
Open current source lead
1878
Health, Environment & DisastersCaptured · not verified
December 19, 1878
St. Joe mill destroyed by fire
Wiley says the uninsured mill at St. Joe burned to the ground and was later partially rebuilt.
Source / research lead: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 416–417 · Source link
St. Joe / Albrightsville / Cheat River
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 416–417
Open current source lead
1879
Courts, Crime & JusticeVerified to source
March 4, 1879
The West Virginia Legislature passed acts establishing a county court for Preston County and a county court…
The West Virginia Legislature passed acts establishing a county court for Preston County and a county court and board of commissioners for Pendleton County. They were approved by the governor on March 7.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Courts, Crime & JusticeCaptured · not verified
July 3, 1879
Body of an unidentified peddler discovered near Cranberry
Barnabas Dewitt found a badly decomposed body about forty yards from the Kingwood–Cranberry pike. Wiley describes a note signed “John Fictious,” skull injuries, and suspicious circumstances, but does not establish the man's identity or a murder as fact.
Source / research lead: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 418–419 · Source link
Near Cranberry / Kingwood–Cranberry road
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 418–419
Open current source lead
Industry & ManufacturingVerified to source
August 26, 1879
Hendrick's Patent Expansion Wheel Company incorporated
The Hendrick's Patent Expansion Wheel Company was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: A. C. Drawbaugh, A. C. Hendricks, C. L. Barnhart of Duffields, Jefferson County; Dr. S. M. Scott of Preston County; and A. R. Scott of Champaign City, IL. The company's purpose was to manufacture and sell the patent expansion wheel, patented by A. C. Hendricks, at Duffields, Jefferson County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1880
Culture, Media & CommunicationsCaptured · not verified
March 24, 1880
The Independent newspaper begins in Newburg
Wiley says The Independent, a small newspaper, was established at Newburg on March 24, 1880.
Source / research lead: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 494–495 · Source link
Newburg
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 494–495
Open current source lead
1881
Industry & ManufacturingVerified to source
April 7, 1881
Alleghany Land, Lumber and Boom Company incorporated
The Alleghany Land, Lumber and Boom Company was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: Samuel P. Brown, Charles C. Huntley, Nathaniel Wilson, Chapin Brown of Washington, D. C.; and Adam H. Bowman of Rowlesburg, Preston County. The company's purpose was to operate a lumber business on the Cheat River and its tributaries in Preston County, Tucker County, and Randolph County; with booms, saw mills, lumber yards, etc., at or near Rowlesburg in Preston County, at or near the Cheat Bridge five miles above Rowlesburg, and at or near the falls on the Black Fork of the Cheat River about twelve miles above the mouth of the fork in Tucker County. The company's main office was in Washington, D. C.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Cheat River / Rowlesburg
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Industry & ManufacturingVerified to source
April 21, 1881
Rowlesburg Boom and Water Power Company incorporated
The Rowlesburg Boom and Water Power Company was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: John H. Rice, John Lynch, Jr., Joseph Lockey, J. H. Herron of Washington, D. C.; and Paul Stevens of Camden, ME. The company's purpose was to establish a lumber business and mills on the Cheat River at or near Rowlesburg, Preston County, with its main office at Rowlesburg.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Cheat River / Rowlesburg
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Industry & ManufacturingCaptured · not verified
May 23, 1881
Rowlesburg lumber mill destroyed by fire
Wiley reports that the Rowlesburg mill formerly associated with the Rowlesburg Lumber & Iron Company, and later with Lynch, Winslow & Company, was destroyed by fire.
Source / research lead: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 512–515 · Source link
Rowlesburg
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 512–515
Open current source lead
Culture, Media & CommunicationsCaptured · not verified
June 15, 1881
Newburg Herald established
Wiley dates the establishment of the Newburg Herald by C. H. McCafferty & Company to June 15, 1881.
Source / research lead: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 494–495 · Source link
Newburg
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 494–495
Open current source lead
1882
Communities & Town DevelopmentVerified to source
January 12, 1882
Portland is renamed Cranberry
The West Virginia Legislature passed an act changing the name of the town of Portland to Cranberry, Preston County. It was approved by the governor on January 19.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Cranberry / Terra Alta
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Religion & Social InstitutionsCaptured · not verified
January 15, 1882
Kingwood Literary and Library Association organized
Wiley records the organization of the Kingwood Literary and Library Association, names its first officers, and says its collection began with about forty volumes.
Source / research lead: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 467–468 · Source link
Kingwood
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Wiley, History of Preston County, pp. 467–468
Open current source lead
Industry & ManufacturingVerified to source
February 9, 1882
Act passed authorizing the formation of corporations for the purpose of constructing booms or dams
The West Virginia Legislature passed an act authorizing the formation of corporations for the purpose of constructing booms or dams in the following counties: Mineral County, Pocahontas County, Gilmer County, Greenbrier County, Summers County, Raleigh County, Fayette County, Nicholas County, Webster County, Lewis County, Wetzel County, Jackson County, Wyoming County, Tucker County, Preston County, McDowell County, Randolph County, Mercer County, and Logan County. It was approved by the governor on February 15.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Religion & Social InstitutionsCaptured · not verified
March 1882
Masontown Methodist Episcopal Church burns
Wiley says the Masontown Methodist Episcopal church, built in 1872, burned in March 1882 and that a new church was under construction when he wrote.
Source / research lead: Wiley, History of Preston County, p. 527 · Source link
Masontown
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Wiley, History of Preston County, p. 527
Open current source lead
Culture, Media & CommunicationsVerified to source
November 2, 1882
Kingwood and Cranberry Telegraph Company incorporated
The Kingwood and Cranberry Telegraph Company was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: William G. Brown, Jr., Robert W. Monroe, Smith Crane, J. Ami Martin, William M. O. Dawson, John M. Crane, Neil J. Fortney of Kingwood, Preston County; S. Fuller Crane of Parkersburg; John P. Jones, S. Frank Riley, William H. Glover, Marshall W. Crane, Charles W. Jackson, John W. Hardesty, Ezra D. Benson, and A. Staley Shaw of Cranberry,
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Kingwood
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Business, Banking & CommerceVerified
1882
Wilmer P. Vale Begins Developing Brookside Resort
Wilmer P. Vale bought 329½ acres from William Stone in 1882 and added two adjoining parcels in 1884 and 1885. Named Brookside for nearby Rhine Creek, the property developed into Aurora's largest resort complex, with a large hotel and cottages along the former Northwestern Turnpike.
Source / research lead: National Register of Historic Places, Brookside Historic District nomination, Section 8, pp. 13–14; Preston County Deed Book 52, p. 64; Deed Book 55, p. 274; Deed Book 56, p. 433 · Source link
Brookside / Aurora area
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: National Register of Historic Places, Brookside Historic District nomination, Section 8, pp. 13–14; Preston County Deed Book 52, p. 64; Deed Book 55, p. 274; Deed Book 56, p. 433
Open current source lead
1883
Courts, Crime & JusticeVerified to source
February 22, 1883
Altered the Preston County Court
The West Virginia Legislature passed an act altering the Preston County Court. It was approved by the governor on February 24.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Industry & ManufacturingVerified to source
February 22, 1883
Buffalo Creek Boom and Dam Company incorporated
The Buffalo Creek Boom and Dam Company was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: John P. Jones, Scott T. Jones, William T. White, Burbridge Fraley of Cranberry, Preston County; and William Bell of Rowlesburg, Preston County. The company's purpose was to operate a lumber business at or near the mouth of Buffalo Creek at Cheat River in Preston County, with its main office at Cranberry.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Cheat River / Rowlesburg
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Culture, Media & CommunicationsVerified to source
September 29, 1883
Grafton and Greenbrier Telegraph Company incorporated
The Grafton and Greenbrier Telegraph Company was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: Augustus G. Davis, James B. Yeakle of Baltimore; John T. McGraw, John W. Mason, and John S. S. Herr of Grafton, Taylor County. The company's purpose was to install telegraph and telephone lines from a point on the Pennsylvania state line in Monongalia County, through Marion County or Preston County, to Grafton in Taylor County, through Barbour County, through Randolph County, through Pocahontas County, to a point on the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway in Greenbrier County. The company's main office was in Grafton.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Industry & ManufacturingVerified to source
November 13, 1883
Canaan Boom and Lumber Company incorporated
The Canaan Boom and Lumber Company was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: M. E. Howe, Adam H. Bowman, E. B. Stone of Rowlesburg, Preston County; William L. Boughner of Fairmont, Marion County; and Adam C. Minear of St. George, Tucker County. The company's purpose was to operate booms or dams and lumber business on the Black Fork or Blackwater River of the Cheat River in Canaan, Tucker County, at or near the mouth of Beaver prong of Black Fork at or near the Five Birches, with its main office at Rowlesburg, Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Cheat River / Rowlesburg
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Religion & Social InstitutionsVerified to source
1883
Mt. Zion Church Is Established in the Rohr Community
The Preston County Historical Society's 1979 county history dates the establishment of Mt. Zion Church in the Rohr community to 1883. A 1972 Dominion-Post profile preserves an earlier construction tradition, reporting that Jacob Cale donated the ground, Henry Rohr and Edwin Gibson hand-split stone for the foundation, and nine-year-old Calvin Rohr carried water for the builders. On February 24, 1893, Jacob and Clarissa E. Cale formally conveyed the approximately one-half-acre church parcel to trustees of the Evangelical Association of North America; the deed expressly records that Mt. Zion Church was already standing on the land.
Source / research lead: Preston County Historical Society, Preston County, West Virginia, History, 1979, 3rd printing (Kingwood, W.Va.: Preston County Historical Society, 2001), p. 24; Preston County Deed Book 74, p. 259, Jacob and Clarissa E. Cale to Evangelical Association church trustees, deed dated February 24, 1893; The Dominion-Post, “Mason-Dixonland Churches: Mt. Zion United Methodist Church,” January 2, 1972, p. 7-D · Source link
Rohr
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Preston County Historical Society, Preston County, West Virginia, History, 1979, 3rd printing (Kingwood, W.Va.: Preston County Historical Society, 2001), p. 24; Preston County Deed Book 74, p. 259, Jacob and Clarissa E. Cale to Evangelical Association church trustees, deed dated February 24, 1893; The Dominion-Post, “Mason-Dixonland Churches: Mt. Zion United Methodist Church,” January 2, 1972, p. 7-D
The entry is dated 1883 because the Valley District church table in Preston County, West Virginia, History, 1979, page 24, lists “Mt. Zion United Methodist — Rohr” with an establishment year of 1883. The photographed copy is the third printing issued in 2001.
The January 2, 1972 profile described the church as having been built 102 years earlier. Its statement that Calvin Rohr was nine during construction and was born in 1861 also points to circa 1870. This may represent construction or religious use preceding the church's formal establishment, but it could instead be an error in the retrospective account. The evidence presently available does not resolve the difference.
The February 24, 1893 deed places the parcel in Valley District, south of the county road from the Ices Ferry Pike to Friendship Schoolhouse and north of the junction with the road to Jenkins Mill. It describes the lot as bounded on the north and west by those roads and on the east and south by previously fixed boundaries, containing approximately one-half acre.
The deed names Emory Cale, I. J. Blaney, Christopher Cale, Jacob Cale, Oliver Jenkins, K. Jenkins, John W. Radabough, Jacob Radabaugh, and John L. Moore as trustees and their legal successors. The property was to be maintained as a place of worship for the ministry and membership of the Evangelical Association of North America.
The 1972 caption describes the church as formerly belonging to a Brethren denomination, while the 1893 deed specifically identifies the Evangelical Association of North America. The timeline preserves the deed's more precise contemporary denominational identification rather than treating the two descriptions as equivalent.
The 1972 article attributes its historical information to William H. Huff and credits Shelby Young for the accompanying photograph. It describes the church as standing between Rohr and Bull Run; the timeline classifies its location as Rohr in accordance with local geographic usage.
The deed confirms that Jacob and Clarissa E. Cale legally conveyed the parcel in 1893 after the church had been built. Because its stated consideration was the church already erected on the land, the record supports the newspaper's account of donated church ground while showing that the formal conveyance occurred after the 1883 establishment date.
Open current source lead
1884
Post Offices & PostmastersVerified to source
April 20, 1884
Cuzzart Post Office Is Proposed
On April 20, 1884, Albert Engle certified a federal application to establish a post office called Cuzzart in Preston County’s Pleasant District. Engle was named as the proposed postmaster and estimated that the office would serve about 100 people. The application proposed a special mail arrangement from Willey and identified nearby offices at Morgans Glade, Willey, and Grantsville. A companion hand-drawn map shows the proposed Cuzzart site, nearby roads, Muddy Creek, and surrounding post offices. Joseph N. Miller, postmaster at Morgans Glade, certified the application. The papers document the community’s request for a post office, not its final approval or opening.
Source / research lead: U.S. Post Office Department location paper and accompanying diagram for the proposed Cuzzart Post Office, certified April 20, 1884; National Archives and Records Administration · Source link
Cuzzart
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: U.S. Post Office Department location paper and accompanying diagram for the proposed Cuzzart Post Office, certified April 20, 1884; National Archives and Records Administration
The application is evidence that a Cuzzart post office was proposed in 1884. It does not itself establish the date on which the Post Office Department approved or opened the office.
Albert Engle signed as the proposed postmaster. Joseph N. Miller, postmaster at Morgans Glade, certified the application. The associated hand-drawn diagram identifies the proposed Cuzzart site and nearby roads, streams, and post offices.
Lulu Ringer’s 1980 History of Cuzzart says that Ashbel Chidester’s wife secured the name Cuzzart for the post office. Engle’s 1884 application confirms that Cuzzart was the name submitted to the Post Office Department, but does not identify who chose it.
Albert Engle was later appointed postmaster at Cuzzart on January 5, 1886. That appointment is documented in the linked 1886 entry.
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1885
Industry & ManufacturingVerified to source
February 6, 1885
Haddix, Shafter's Fork and Black Fork Boom and Lumber Company incorporated
The Haddix, Shafter's Fork and Black Fork Boom and Lumber Company was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: M. E. Howe, E. B. Stone of Rowlesburg, Preston County; J. D. Howe of Howesville, WV; George Hayes of Philadelphia; and C. Stockham, Jr., of Camden, NJ. The company's purpose was to construct booms or dams across the Shafer's Fork of Cheat River in Tucker County with one mile of the mouth of Haddix Creek, and across the Black Fork of Cheat River within two miles of the confluence of the Little Black Fork and Dry Fork. The company's main office was at St. George, Tucker County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Cheat River / Rowlesburg
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Industry & ManufacturingVerified to source
February 20, 1885
Hulings Lumber Company incorporated
The Hulings Lumber Company was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: Marcus Hulings, William J. Hulings, Noah F. Clark, John E. Butler, George W. Darr of Oil City, PA; and William B. Maxwell of St. George, Tucker County. The company's purpose was to operate lumber mills in Monongalia County, Preston County, Tucker County, and Randolph County, with booms or dams across Cheat River within two miles below the mouth of Shafer's Fork in Tucker County and at other points on Cheat River and its tributaries. The company's main office was at Oil City, PA, with a branch at St. George, Tucker County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Cheat River
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Religion & Social InstitutionsVerified to source
June 26, 1885
Union Cemetery Association of Grant District incorporated
The Union Cemetery Association of Grant District was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: Jeremiah Guthrie, David K. Harshbarger, David Frankhouse, Jonas Frankhouser, and Lindley H. Frankhouser, all of Brandonville, Preston County. The association's purpose was to establish a cemetery in the vicinity of Brandonville.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Brandonville
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Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Industry & ManufacturingVerified to source
August 18, 1885
Stockholders of the Buffalo Creek Boom and Dam Company elect to dissolve their company
In a meeting at their main office at Terra Alta, Preston County, stockholders of the Buffalo Creek Boom and Dam Company elected to dissolve their company. The president was Scott T. Jones.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Terra Alta
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Health, Environment & DisastersVerified to source
September 1885
Terra Alta-raised Harriet B. Jones begins practicing medicine in Wheeling
After growing up in Terra Alta and graduating with honors from the Woman’s Medical College of Baltimore in 1884, Harriet B. Jones began practicing medicine in Wheeling in September 1885. She became the first woman licensed as a physician in West Virginia and later specialized in gynecology and abdominal surgery.
Source / research lead: Gibson Lamb Cranmer, History of Wheeling City and Ohio County (1902), pp. 365–366; National Library of Medicine, Changing the Face of Medicine, “Dr. Harriet B. Jones”; West Virginia and Regional History Center, “Dr. Harriet B. Jones, West Virginia Physician, Suffragist, and Activist” · Source link
Terra Alta / Wheeling
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Related historical photograph
Portrait of Harriet B. Jones, circa 1897
This portrait was published circa 1897, about twelve years after Jones began practicing medicine in Wheeling.
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Research notes
Where found: Gibson Lamb Cranmer, History of Wheeling City and Ohio County (1902), pp. 365–366; National Library of Medicine, Changing the Face of Medicine, “Dr. Harriet B. Jones”; West Virginia and Regional History Center, “Dr. Harriet B. Jones, West Virginia Physician, Suffragist, and Activist”
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1886
RailroadsVerified to source
January 2, 1886
Pittsburgh and Preston County Railroad Company incorporated
The Pittsburgh and Preston County Railroad Company was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: Charles Kantner, William S. Armstrong, George H. Armstrong, Sanford K. Scott, Joseph W. Michael, Samuel T. Darby, Andrew Spindler, William H. Miller, and John H. Feather, all of Preston County. The company's purpose was to construct a railroad from the Pennsylvania state line near the residence of Jonas Haust in Grant District down Big Sandy Creek through Clifton Mills, Brandonville, and Bruceton through Grant District, Pleasant District, and Portland District to intersect the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad at a point east of Cheat River and west of the Maryland state line, all in Preston County. The company's main office was at Bruceton.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Clifton Mills / Cheat River / Bruceton Mills
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Post Offices & PostmastersVerified to source
January 5, 1886
Albert Engle Is Appointed Cuzzart Postmaster
On January 5, 1886, Albert Engle was appointed postmaster at Cuzzart, Preston County, in a federal Post Office Department ledger. The appointment follows an 1884 application, also associated with Engle, proposing a Cuzzart post office. It is the earliest Cuzzart postmaster appointment currently located in the records reviewed for Preston County. Later appointments document Joseph N. Kelly, Ashbel S. Chidester, and members of the Reckart family, showing that the small community’s post office remained an important local institution across generations.
Source / research lead: U.S. Post Office Department appointment ledger recording Albert Engle’s appointment at Cuzzart, January 5, 1886; National Archives and Records Administration · Source link
Cuzzart
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Research notes
Where found: U.S. Post Office Department appointment ledger recording Albert Engle’s appointment at Cuzzart, January 5, 1886; National Archives and Records Administration
The federal ledger records Albert Engle’s appointment on January 5, 1886. It is the earliest Cuzzart postmaster appointment currently located, not necessarily the date the post office was established or the community was founded.
The original ledger image is provided above and linked directly in the source section. It is image 30439_065525-00450.jpg in the Preston County transcription set, ledger page 181/facing page.
An 1884 application associated with Engle documents an earlier proposal for a Cuzzart post office. The application is a separate event and should not be treated as proof that the office was then approved or operating.
Lulu Ringer’s handwritten History of Cuzzart (1980), shared with permission by her granddaughter Judy Kay Lipscomb, preserves local memory of the schoolhouse, church, post office, businesses, storm damage, and electrification. It is presented here as a 1980 community-history account; its specific earlier dates and origin stories require independent corroboration before being treated as established fact.
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Coal / Coke / MiningVerified to source
January 21, 1886
Coal mine explosion in the Mountain Brook shaft of the Orrel Coal Company at Newburg, Preston County
Coal mine explosion in the Mountain Brook shaft of the Orrel Coal Company at Newburg, Preston County, twelve miles northeast of Grafton, killed 39.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Newburg
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Business, Banking & CommerceVerified to source
September 29, 1886
Bank of Kingwood incorporated
The Bank of Kingwood was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: Smith Crane, John M. Crane, Frances Herrmans, Charles McBishop, William G. Brown, James H. Carroll, James W. Parks, Julia E. Byrne, M. Ella Morris, Marcellus H. Murdock, John s. Murdock, Samuel Snider, Louisa Stone, James C. McGrew of Kingwood, Preston County; James H. Manown of Weston, Lewis County; Martin L. Shaffer of Tunnelton, Preston County; and Samuel McGrew of Brandonville, Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Kingwood / Tunnelton / Brandonville
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Business, Banking & CommerceVerified to source
1886
John A. Lantz Builds a Large Resort Hotel in Aurora
John A. Lantz, who had moved to Aurora in 1870, erected a large hotel in 1886. Morton's biographical history described it as a famous country resort patronized during the summer by affluent visitors from larger cities.
Source / research lead: Oren F. Morton, A History of Preston County, West Virginia, vol. II (1914), p. 735 · Source link
Aurora
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Research notes
Where found: Oren F. Morton, A History of Preston County, West Virginia, vol. II (1914), p. 735
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Industry & ManufacturingCaptured · not verified
1886
The county's last distillery burns near Brandonville
Morton says the last distillery in Preston County, located near Brandonville, burned in 1886 with an estimated loss of $4,000.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXII, p. 200 (printed page) · Source link
Brandonville area
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Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXII, p. 200 (printed page)
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1887
RailroadsCaptured · not verified
January 2, 1887
The first Tunnelton–Kingwood–Fairchance train enters Kingwood
Morton gives January 2, 1887, as the arrival of the first narrow-gauge train of the Tunnelton, Kingwood and Fairchance line in Kingwood.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIII, p. 211 (printed page) · Source link
Kingwood / Tunnelton
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Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIII, p. 211 (printed page)
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Coal / Coke / MiningVerified to source
March 3, 1887
Newburgh Orrell Coal and Coke Company incorporated
The Newburgh Orrell Coal and Coke Company was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: C. Morton Stewart of Stevenson, MD; Otho H. Williams, Richard M. McSherry, Charles O'Donnell Lee, John Stewart, James L. McLane, Alfred Jenkins, Josiah Lee Johnson, Charles Mackal of Baltimore; and James A. Gary of Howard County, MD. The company's purpose was to mine, manufacture, and sell coal, iron ore, fire clay, and limestone, with its main office at Newburgh, Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Newburg
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
County Formation, Boundaries & GovernmentVerified to source
May 3, 1887
West Virginia–Maryland boundary from the Fairfax Stone to Pennsylvania confirmed
The West Virginia Legislature passed an act confirming and establishing the boundary between West Virginia and Maryland from the Fairfax Stone to the Pennsylvania state line in Preston County. It was approved by the governor on May 6.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Fairfax Stone
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Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1888
Business, Banking & CommerceVerified to source
April 17, 1888
Newburg Live Stock Insurance Association incorporated
The Newburg Live Stock Insurance Association was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: J. R. Smoot, U. N. Orr, T. F. Lanham, John A. Clark, and H. B. Scranage, all of Newburg, Preston County. The association's main office was at Newburg.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Newburg
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Coal / Coke / MiningVerified to source
May 16, 1888
West End Coke Company incorporated
The West End Coke Company was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: Arnold J. Bonafield, William H. Watkins of Tunnelton, Preston County; John N. Baker of Evansville, WV; Melker M. Jeffreys and John W. Mason of Grafton, Taylor County. The company's purpose was to mine, manufacture, and sell coal and fire clay, with its main office at Tunnelton, Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Tunnelton / Evansville
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Culture, Media & CommunicationsVerified to source
June 4, 1888
Preston Telegraph Company incorporated
The Preston Telegraph Company was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: J. M. Chidester, William S. Armstrong, E. J. Bowermaster, T. W. King, J. S. Needrow, U. S. Bryte, John H. Keather, Joseph Feather, S. F. Conner, Jesse E. McGibbons, Annie E. Armstrong, Kate Armstrong, Lizzie E. Chidester of Bruceton Mills, Preston County; H. C. Hagans, R. B. Wadell of Brandonville, Preston County; J. A. Lenhart of Valley Point, Preston County; and L. M. Albright of Kingwood, Preston County. The company's purpose was to install magnetic telegraph of telephone lines from Kingwood to Albrightsville, Valley Point, Bruceton Mills, and Brandonville, all in Preston County, with its main office at Kingwood.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Bruceton Mills / Valley Point
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Health, Environment & DisastersVerified
July 10, 1888
Great Flood Devastates Rowlesburg
After prolonged heavy rain, the Cheat River surged through Rowlesburg. Contemporary reports said 17 houses, a sawmill, a planing mill, and an iron Baltimore & Ohio railroad bridge were washed away; five families lost everything, and damage at Rowlesburg was estimated at $125,000. Federal records place the flood peak at Rowlesburg on July 10, with an estimated discharge of 71,000 cubic feet per second.
Source / research lead: U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Data West Virginia; The Kanabec County Times, July 19, 1888; Spirit of Jefferson, July 20, 1888 · Source link
Rowlesburg / Cheat River
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Data West Virginia; The Kanabec County Times, July 19, 1888; Spirit of Jefferson, July 20, 1888
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Wider contextNational & World ContextVerified
1888
West Virginia voters reject an early prohibition amendment
After years of temperance organizing, an attempt to place statewide prohibition in the West Virginia Constitution failed at the polls. The defeat shows that the state's eventual prohibition law emerged from a long and contested campaign rather than appearing suddenly in the twentieth century.
Source / research lead: e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia, “Prohibition” · Source link
West Virginia
Open event page
Context source: e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia, “Prohibition”
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Research notes
Where found: e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia, “Prohibition”
1889
Industry & ManufacturingVerified to source
February 20, 1889
Act authorizing the incorporation of companies to establish lumber businesses with booms and dams on rivers
The West Virginia Legislature passed an act authorizing the incorporation of companies to establish lumber businesses with booms and dams on rivers or creeks in the following counties: Gilmer County; Greenbrier County; Summers County; Raleigh County; Fayette County; Mineral County; Pocahontas County; Pleasants County; Nicholas County; Webster County; Lewis County; Wetzel County; Jackson County; Wyoming County; Tucker County; Preston County; McDowell County; Randolph County; Barbour County; Mercer County; Logan County; Calhoun County; Braxton County; Cabell Counby; Boone County; Upshur County; Monroe County; Wood County; Ritchie County; and Kanawha County, except the Elk River and its tributaries in the county. Both houses passed the act over the veto of the governor.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
RailroadsVerified to source
March 9, 1889
West Virginia and Pennsylvania Railway Company incorporated
The West Virginia and Pennsylvania Railway Company was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: George W. L. Marshall of Philadelphia; William M. O. Dawson, Niel J. Fortney, B. M. Squires, and P. J. Crogan, all of Preston County. The company's purpose was to construct a railroad from at or near Rowlesburg, along the east side of Cheat River by the mouth of Muddy Creek, to Bruce, Brandonville, and Clifton Mills, up Big Sandy Creek to the Pennsylvania state line at or near Jones Mausts, all in Preston County. The company's main office was at Kingwood, Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Clifton Mills / Cheat River / Kingwood
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Industry & ManufacturingVerified to source
September 12, 1889
Horse Shoe Lumber and Boom Company incorporated
The Horse Shoe Lumber and Boom Company was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: S. Hinkle of Weston, Lewis County; J. A. Hostetter, D. N. Shaffer of Rowlesburg, Preston County; J. M. Macomber of Macomber Post Office, Preston County; and S. Eberly of Mechanicsburg, PA. The company's purpose was to operate booms and dams on Horse Shoe Run about three miles from St. George, Tucker County, with its main office at Rowlesburg.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Rowlesburg
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1890
County Formation, Boundaries & GovernmentVerified to source
February 7, 1890
Arbitrators requested to settle the West Virginia–Maryland boundary dispute
The West Virginia Legislature adopted a joint resolution requesting the governors of West Virginia and Maryland to appoint arbitrators to determine the dispute boundary between the two states in Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Agriculture, Foodways & Rural LifeVerified to source
April 10, 1890
Terra Alta Creamery Company incorporated
The Terra Alta Creamery Company was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: George A. Mayer, D. E. Foreman, A. J. Elliott, W. T. White, John M. Freeland, John D. Rigg, Parley DeBerry, John C. Mayer, Joseph M. Matheny, C. C. Crane, Offutt and Lakin, E. J. Miller, E. D. Benson, and D. W. Hardesty, all of Terra Alta, Preston County. The company's purpose was to manufacture butter and other milk products, with its main office in Terra Alta.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Terra Alta
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Coal / Coke / MiningVerified to source
April 17, 1890
H. G. Davis Coal Company incorporated
The H. G. Davis Coal Company was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: H. G. Davis, Harry G. Buxton, Robert F. Bopst of Piedmont, Mineral County; T. B. Davis of Keyser, Mineral County; R. M. G. Brown of Kingwood, Preston County; and F. S. Landstreet of Davis, Tucker County. The company's purpose was to mine, manufacture, and sell coal, and to construct necessary railways, with its main office in Piedmont.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Kingwood
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Industry & ManufacturingVerified to source
August 28, 1890
Deweing Boom and Improvement Company incorporated
The Deweing Boom and Improvement Company was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: W. S. Dewing, Charles A. Dewing, James H. Dewing, Jane A. Dewing, and James H. Mills, all of Kalamazoo, MI. The company's purpose was to operate booms and dams on the Cheat River and the Shavers Fork of Cheat River in Randolph County, Tucker County, and Preston County, and to improve the two rivers, with its main office in Beverly, Randolph County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Cheat River
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
RailroadsVerified to source
September 8, 1890
Harmon, Parsons and Rowlesburgh Railroad Company incorporated
The Harmon, Parsons and Rowlesburgh Railroad Company was incorporated in West Virginia by the following: Charles H. Barritt, James Goodfellow, Julius B. Price, Jr., William H. Smith of Philadelphia County; and Charles G. Mayhew of Wayne, PA. The company's purpose was to construct a railroad from at or near Harmon in Randolph County to a point at or near Rowlesburg in Preston County, with its main office in Parsons, Tucker County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Rowlesburg
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Communities & Town DevelopmentVerified to source
1890
Terra Alta is incorporated under its present name
The town's official history says the community was incorporated by circuit court as Terra Alta in 1890. The municipal milestone followed its earlier identities as Cranberry Summit, Portland, and Cranberry.
Source / research lead: Town of Terra Alta, “About Us” · Source link
Terra Alta
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Town of Terra Alta, “About Us”
Open current source lead
1891
County Formation, Boundaries & GovernmentVerified to source
March 13, 1891
Governor authorized to defend West Virginia in the Maryland boundary case before the U.S. Supreme Court
The West Virginia Legislature adopted a joint resolution authorizing the governor to defend and protect the interests of the state in the lawsuit brought by the state of Maryland to the United States Supreme Court concerning the true boundary between Preston County in West Virginia and Garrett County in Maryland from the Fairfax Stone northward to the Pennsylvania state line.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Fairfax Stone
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Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Business, Banking & CommerceVerified to source
October 21, 1891
The Terra Alta Bank is chartered
Business owners and community leaders secured a charter for the Terra Alta Bank on October 21, 1891, establishing Preston County's second bank and the first to serve the eastern part of the county. Directors were elected on November 13, and the bank opened in temporary quarters in May 1892.
Source / research lead: National Register of Historic Places nomination, Terra Alta Bank (1997), section 8, p. 2; Charles A. Thomas, Preston County (1998), p. 57 · Source link
Terra Alta
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: National Register of Historic Places nomination, Terra Alta Bank (1997), section 8, p. 2; Charles A. Thomas, Preston County (1998), p. 57
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Business & CommerceVerified to source
October 21, 1891
The Terra Alta Bank is chartered
The Terra Alta Bank was chartered in Terra Alta in 1891. More than a century later, it combined with Bruceton Bank in the transaction that created Clear Mountain Bank.
Source / research lead: Clear Mountain Bank, Our History; FDIC branch history · Source link
Terra Alta
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Clear Mountain Bank, Our History; FDIC branch history
The bank's official history gives 1891 as the charter year. FDIC branch-history listings report October 21, 1891 for the Terra Alta office. This entry describes the charter and later institutional continuity, not a continuous corporate identity under the same name.
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1893
Business, Banking & CommerceVerified to source
October 1893
The Terra Alta Bank opens its permanent brick building
The permanent Terra Alta Bank building opened in October 1893 after construction began the previous year. The three-story Italianate commercial building at East Washington and Latrobe streets was constructed by Gakes Brothers and Sharp and became one of downtown Terra Alta's largest structures.
Source / research lead: National Register of Historic Places nomination, Terra Alta Bank (1997), section 8, p. 2; Charles A. Thomas, Preston County (1998), p. 57 · Source link
Terra Alta
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: National Register of Historic Places nomination, Terra Alta Bank (1997), section 8, p. 2; Charles A. Thomas, Preston County (1998), p. 57
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1896
Health, Environment & DisastersVerified to source
Night of July 21, 1896
Cloudburst damages Tunnelton
A severe nighttime cloudburst damaged or destroyed a substantial portion of Tunnelton and ruined nearby crops and fencing. Contemporary reports mentioned possible loss of life, but no names or confirmed death total have been located.
Source / research lead: The Clarksburg Telegram, July 24, 1896, p. 7, "A cloudburst at Tunnelton" · Source link
Tunnelton
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: The Clarksburg Telegram, July 24, 1896, p. 7, "A cloudburst at Tunnelton"
The Clarksburg Telegram described the Tuesday-night cloudburst as having destroyed one half of Tunnelton, ruined crops and fencing, and reportedly taken lives, but supplied no names or particulars.
A Parkersburg telegraph report in the New-York Tribune on July 23 used still more dramatic language, saying the town was almost wiped out and that four people were reported missing. It did not identify victims or confirm deaths.
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1897
Labor & Working LifeVerified to source
August 10, 1897
Eighty coal miners at the Preston County mines of the Austin Coke and Works went on strike
Eighty coal miners at the Preston County mines of the Austin Coke and Works went on strike, demanding an increase in wages. They returned to work at the former rate on August 17.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Labor & Working LifeVerified to source
August 17, 1897
Eighty striking miners at Austin Coke and Works return at their former wages
Eighty coal miners at the Preston County mines of the Austin Coke and Works returned to work at the former wages. They had been on strike since, August 10, demanding higher wages.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1898
Coal / Coke / MiningCaptured · not verified
1898
Preston coal output reaches 169,044 tons
Morton reports county coal production of 169,044 tons in 1898, a benchmark early in the industry's rapid expansion.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXII, p. 201 (printed page) · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXII, p. 201 (printed page)
Open current source lead
Business, Banking & CommerceVerified to source
1898 — exact opening date to verify
Street's Store opens in Masontown
Frank L. Street opened Street's Store in Masontown in 1898 after local farmers encouraged and helped him get started. The fourth-generation family business began as a feed store and later expanded into lumber and general merchandise.
Source / research lead: Morgantown magazine, “Street's Has It All” (September 4, 2019), based on an interview with Roger Street · Source link
Masontown
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Related historical photograph
S. L. Street’s Building, circa 1905–1925
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Research notes
Where found: Morgantown magazine, “Street's Has It All” (September 4, 2019), based on an interview with Roger Street
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1899
EducationVerified to source
February 20, 1899
Established the independent school district of Terra Alta, Preston County
The West Virginia Legislature passed an act establishing the independent school district of Terra Alta, Preston County. It was approved by the governor on February 24.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Terra Alta
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Labor & Working LifeVerified to source
April 22, 1899
175 Tunnelton miners strike for higher wages
One hundred and seventy-five coal miners at the Tunnelton Mine in Preston County went on strike, demanding an increase in wages. They returned to work at their former wages with a two-week pay period on May 4.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Tunnelton
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Labor & Working LifeVerified to source
May 4, 1899
175 Tunnelton miners return to work at their former wages
One hundred and seventy-five coal miners at the Tunnelton Mine in Preston County returned to work at their former wages with a two-week pay period. They had been on strike since April 22, demanding a wage increase.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Tunnelton
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
RailroadsCaptured · not verified
Fall 1899
Track laying begins on the Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad
James J. Brown reports that track laying for the Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad began in fall 1899. By the end of 1900, twelve miles of standard-gauge, single-track railroad had been completed from Morgantown to Cascade.
Source / research lead: James J. Brown, “The Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad,” Proceedings and Papers of the Monongalia Historical Society, no. 8 (December 2010), p. 3
Morgantown / Kingwood
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: James J. Brown, “The Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad,” Proceedings and Papers of the Monongalia Historical Society, no. 8 (December 2010), p. 3
1901
Labor & Working LifeVerified to source
December 8, 1901
Forty coal miners in Preston County went on strike for 12 days over the method of mining
Forty coal miners in Preston County went on strike for 12 days over the method of mining.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1902
Labor & Working LifeVerified to source
May 7, 1902
One hundred and sixty coal miners in Preston County went on strike for 78 days
One hundred and sixty coal miners in Preston County went on strike for 78 days.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
RailroadsCaptured · not verified
1902
The Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad reaches Masontown
Brown reports that the Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad reached Masontown in 1902, extending the growing line into this Preston County community.
Source / research lead: James J. Brown, “The Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad,” Proceedings and Papers of the Monongalia Historical Society, no. 8 (December 2010), p. 4
Masontown
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: James J. Brown, “The Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad,” Proceedings and Papers of the Monongalia Historical Society, no. 8 (December 2010), p. 4
1903
Industry & ManufacturingVerified to source
June 1903
Buckhorn Portland Cement Begins Operations at Manheim
The Buckhorn Portland Cement Company began operating its Manheim plant in June 1903. An earlier notice in the Preston County Journal of March 12 sought able-bodied laborers for the cement works near Rowlesburg at 15 cents per hour, directing applicants to Buckhorn at Manheim. A 1912 geological report described its original average daily capacity as 800 barrels and identified its raw materials as local Greenbrier limestone and shale. The cement works connected the Cheat River valley’s geology with a new manufacturing industry. Buckhorn operated with occasional interruptions until October 1907, when financial losses forced it to suspend business.
Source / research lead: T. Poole Maynard, A Report on the Limestones and Cement Materials of North Georgia, Geological Survey of Georgia, Bulletin No. 27 (1912), p. 65. · Source link
Manheim
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: T. Poole Maynard, A Report on the Limestones and Cement Materials of North Georgia, Geological Survey of Georgia, Bulletin No. 27 (1912), p. 65.
The 1912 geological report establishes the 1903 opening year, initial capacity, and raw materials. McGraw v. Mott gives June 1903 as the beginning of operations in its account of the pleadings; no exact opening day is asserted.
The March 12, 1903 Preston County Journal notice (p. 3, column 2) was checked against the digitized page. It names Buckhorn Portland Cement Company, Manheim, and advertises labor at 15 cents per hour. It establishes recruitment before June, but does not identify the work as construction or prove that cement production had already begun.
The court opinion records Buckhorn’s shutdown in October 1907 and receivership proceedings in March 1908. Alpha’s acquisition of the same mill in early 1909 is covered in the companion entry.
The separately supplied, undated advertisement for 200 laborers remains unidentified. The dated March 12, 1903 Journal notice is a different advertisement and does not establish the date or newspaper of that earlier clipping.
Open current source lead
RailroadsCaptured · not verified
September 1903
The Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad reaches Bretz
Brown dates the arrival of the Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad at Bretz to September 1903, carrying the line farther along the Deckers Creek Valley.
Source / research lead: James J. Brown, “The Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad,” Proceedings and Papers of the Monongalia Historical Society, no. 8 (December 2010), p. 4
Bretz
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: James J. Brown, “The Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad,” Proceedings and Papers of the Monongalia Historical Society, no. 8 (December 2010), p. 4
Business & CommerceVerified to source
1903
Bruceton Bank is chartered
Bruceton Bank was chartered in Bruceton Mills in 1903. It later became the surviving institution in the 2005 combination with The Terra Alta Bank that adopted the name Clear Mountain Bank.
Source / research lead: Clear Mountain Bank, Our History; Federal Reserve CRA Public Evaluation, 2007 · Source link
Bruceton Mills
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Research notes
Where found: Clear Mountain Bank, Our History; Federal Reserve CRA Public Evaluation, 2007
The bank's official history gives 1903 as Bruceton Bank's charter year. Federal regulatory history identifies Bruceton Bank as the surviving institution when it acquired its affiliate, The Terra Alta Bank, in 2005. The separate July 20, 1921 timeline entry concerns a confrontation at Bruceton Mills after a reported robbery at John A. Benson’s home in Brandonville. The contemporary newspaper account describes a suspected intended bank robbery; it does not establish that Bruceton Bank was robbed.
Open current source lead
1904
Labor & Working LifeVerified to source
January 22, 1904
One hundred coal miners in Preston County went on strike for 24 days over frequency of payment
One hundred coal miners in Preston County went on strike for 24 days over frequency of payment.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1905
Communities & Town DevelopmentVerified to source
1905
Masontown is incorporated
The Town of Masontown's official history dates its incorporation by circuit court to 1905. The legal milestone came nearly half a century after the community was laid out and platted in 1856.
Source / research lead: Town of Masontown, “About Us” · Source link
Masontown
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Town of Masontown, “About Us”
Open current source lead
1906
RailroadsCaptured · not verified
March 1906
The Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad reaches Kingwood
Brown reports that the railroad from Bretz to Kingwood was completed by March 1906. The M&K was then making two daily trips between Morgantown and Kingwood.
Source / research lead: James J. Brown, “The Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad,” Proceedings and Papers of the Monongalia Historical Society, no. 8 (December 2010), p. 4
Kingwood
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: James J. Brown, “The Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad,” Proceedings and Papers of the Monongalia Historical Society, no. 8 (December 2010), p. 4
Coal / Coke / MiningVerified to source
1906
Construction begins on the Bretz beehive coke ovens
After acquiring the town of Bretz and its adjacent coal mine from the West Virginia Coal Company in 1906, the Elkins Coal & Coke Company began constructing a bank of 400 beehive coke ovens.
Source / research lead: National Register of Historic Places nomination, Elkins Coal and Coke Company Historic District (1978), section 8, p. 3; West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office, National Historic Landmarks · Source link
Bretz
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Research notes
Where found: National Register of Historic Places nomination, Elkins Coal and Coke Company Historic District (1978), section 8, p. 3; West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office, National Historic Landmarks
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Communities & Town DevelopmentVerified to source
1906
Reedsville is incorporated
Local community history dates Reedsville's incorporation to 1906. The town was named for James Reed, who owned much of the land on which the community developed.
Source / research lead: Preston County Economic Development Authority, “Reedsville” · Source link
Reedsville
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Research notes
Where found: Preston County Economic Development Authority, “Reedsville”
Open current source lead
1907
RailroadsCaptured · not verified
July 1907
The Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad reaches Rowlesburg
Brown reports that the M&K extension to Rowlesburg was completed in July 1907, bringing the railroad to a total of 47.9 miles of standard-gauge track, in addition to its yard and siding tracks.
Source / research lead: James J. Brown, “The Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad,” Proceedings and Papers of the Monongalia Historical Society, no. 8 (December 2010), p. 4
Rowlesburg
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: James J. Brown, “The Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad,” Proceedings and Papers of the Monongalia Historical Society, no. 8 (December 2010), p. 4
Coal / Coke / MiningVerified to source
1907
Bretz coke ovens enter full production
The Elkins Coal & Coke Company's Bretz plant entered full production in 1907. The Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad connected the operation with its principal customer, the Maryland Steel Company plant and shipyard at Sparrows Point near Baltimore.
Source / research lead: National Register of Historic Places nomination, Elkins Coal and Coke Company Historic District (1978), section 8, p. 3; e-WV, “Bretz Coke Ovens” · Source link
Bretz
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: National Register of Historic Places nomination, Elkins Coal and Coke Company Historic District (1978), section 8, p. 3; e-WV, “Bretz Coke Ovens”
Open current source lead
1908
Coal / Coke / MiningCaptured · not verified
1908
Twenty-one Preston coal mines employ 1,741 workers
Morton reports that 21 mines operated in Preston County in 1908 and employed 1,741 workers, following production above one million tons in 1907.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXII, p. 201 (printed page) · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXII, p. 201 (printed page)
Open current source lead
1909
Industry & ManufacturingVerified to source
By March 4, 1909
Alpha Portland Cement Acquires the Manheim Plant
By March 4, 1909, Alpha had purchased the Buckhorn Portland Cement Company’s plant at Manheim. That day’s Preston County Journal reported the completed transfer and plans for $250,000 in repairs before operations resumed. It described a daily capacity of 1,500 barrels and a payroll of 200 men, with further expansion contemplated. The purchase began a new chapter for the works following Buckhorn’s shutdown and receivership. Later National Register documentation connects Alpha with Manheim’s development as a company town providing employee housing, electricity, and water.
Source / research lead: Preston County Journal, March 4, 1909, p. 2, column 1, “Buckhorn Cement Works Will Resume Operations.” · Source link
Manheim
Open event page
Related historical photograph
Alpha Cement Plant, Manheim, Preston County, W. Va. — G. E. Gibson, Kingwood
WVU Libraries, West Virginia & Regional History Center, West Virginia History OnView, image 050521, collection A&M 0454. Catalog date: ca. 1890–1940; exact photograph date unknown. Open the photograph to view the original image and catalog record.
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Research notes
Where found: Preston County Journal, March 4, 1909, p. 2, column 1, “Buckhorn Cement Works Will Resume Operations.”
The March 4, 1909 Journal article was checked against the digitized page. It says negotiations closed “last Friday” and the transfer took place Monday. Relative to the issue date, these would be February 26 and March 1, 1909. However, the item ends “—Ex.,” suggesting a reprint from another newspaper whose date is not identified. The entry therefore uses “By March 4, 1909” rather than treating March 1 as a confirmed transfer date.
The headline announces that operations will resume; the article describes planned repairs and a future restart. It does not establish the date when cement production actually resumed.
The article reports 1,500 barrels of daily capacity, 200 men on the payroll, and $250,000 in planned repairs. These are contemporary reported figures, not independently audited totals. The 1912 geological report gives an original Buckhorn capacity of 800 barrels and attributes an increase to 1,500 to Alpha. Read together, the accounts do not establish precisely when that increase was completed.
The newspaper also reports a purchase price of about $1 million and, with “It is said,” a federal order for Panama Canal cement. These claims require additional corroboration and are not treated here as independently established facts.
The National Register nomination corroborates the 1909 purchase and describes company housing and utilities. It does not establish that all of those improvements were completed in 1909.
The WVU photograph is cataloged under Alpha Cement Company. Its broad catalog range, ca. 1890–1940, does not establish when the photograph was taken; it is not presented as a photograph of the 1909 acquisition.
Open current source lead
Military & WartimeVerified to source
May 1909
Camp Dawson Established Near Kingwood
West Virginia acquired approximately 195 acres along the Cheat River in Portland District for use as a permanent military training ground. The installation was named Camp Dawson in honor of Preston County newspaperman and political leader William M. O. Dawson, who served as governor from 1905 to 1909. It became the West Virginia National Guard’s primary training site.
Source / research lead: West Virginia Argus, July 1, 1909, p. 2; e-WV, “Camp Dawson” · Source link
Camp Dawson / Kingwood / Cheat River
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Research notes
Where found: West Virginia Argus, July 1, 1909, p. 2; e-WV, “Camp Dawson”
Open current source lead
Culture, Media & CommunicationsCaptured · not verified
June 9, 1909
Oak Park opens beside the M&K Railroad in Masontown
James J. Brown dates Oak Park’s opening near Masontown to June 9, 1909, although the exact opening date remains under review. Brown describes its entrance as facing the railroad tracks and says the amusement park generated excursion traffic for the M&K, including trains arriving from as far away as Pittsburgh. A July 22, 1909 newspaper notice advertised a Knights of Pythias basket picnic at Oak Park for August 26. The notice described cooperation with M&K Railroad officials, connections with B&O trains, and a special $1 round-trip fare from M&K Junction.
Source / research lead: James J. Brown, “The Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad,” Proceedings and Papers of the Monongalia Historical Society, no. 8 (December 2010), p. 4; “Attention Knights,” The Preston County Journal (Kingwood, West Virginia), July 22, 1909, p. 1; Peggy Ross, “Echoes of Things Past: Preston County’s Oak Park,” Goldenseal 20, no. 2 (Summer 1994), pp. 46–52 · Source link
Masontown
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Related historical photograph
Oak Park beside the M&K Railroad (date unknown)
This undated photograph illustrates Oak Park beside the railroad tracks; it is not identified as a photograph of the park’s 1909 opening day.
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Research notes
Where found: James J. Brown, “The Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad,” Proceedings and Papers of the Monongalia Historical Society, no. 8 (December 2010), p. 4; “Attention Knights,” The Preston County Journal (Kingwood, West Virginia), July 22, 1909, p. 1; Peggy Ross, “Echoes of Things Past: Preston County’s Oak Park,” Goldenseal 20, no. 2 (Summer 1994), pp. 46–52
Opening date unresolved: the Brown-based research lead gives June 9, 1909; e-WV gives June 19, 1909. The July 22 newspaper notice does not establish the opening day, so the entry remains a research lead.
The “Attention Knights” notice announces a planned August 26, 1909 picnic celebrating Damon Lodge No. 5’s 40th anniversary. It documents advertised arrangements, not confirmation that the outing occurred. It should not be equated without further evidence with e-WV’s account of crowds on August 25.
Peggy Ross’s 1994 Goldenseal article preserves retrospective interviews with people who knew Oak Park. It says visitors began coming “about 1905” (p. 47), but supplies neither of the precise June 1909 opening dates. That approximate chronology needs corroboration. Ross also acknowledges conflicting memories of ownership (p. 52); the recollections are used here for visitor experiences rather than to settle the opening date.
Open current source lead
1910
County Formation, Boundaries & GovernmentVerified to source
February 21, 1910
Supreme Court Upholds the Deakins Line Along Preston’s Maryland Border
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the long-recognized Deakins line in the boundary dispute between Maryland and West Virginia. The decision directly affected the border between Garrett and Preston counties. The Court considered the established practices of residents who paid Preston County taxes, voted there, and used West Virginia schools. Commissioners subsequently surveyed and marked the boundary, and the Court confirmed their majority report on May 2, 1912.
Source / research lead: Maryland v. West Virginia, 217 U.S. 1 (1910), especially pp. 40–47; 225 U.S. 1 (1912) · Source link
Eastern Preston County / Maryland border
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Related historical photograph
Fairfax Stone Historical Monument State Park, September 9, 2020
Photograph by Antony-22, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Modern illustrative site photograph, not a photograph of the 1910 decision or 1910–1911 survey. The original photographer’s upload provides attribution and license information.
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Research notes
Where found: Maryland v. West Virginia, 217 U.S. 1 (1910), especially pp. 40–47; 225 U.S. 1 (1912)
Distinguish the February 21, 1910 opinion, the May 31, 1910 decree appointing commissioners, and the May 2, 1912 confirmation. The survey took place in 1910–1911. The Court’s opinion in the 1910 volume begins at printed page 22; preceding pages include lawyers’ arguments, not the Court’s findings.
The boundary’s southern starting point was on the North Branch of the Potomac where the line from the Fairfax Stone met the river. The stone itself should not be described as Maryland’s present southwestern corner. The Court preserved a boundary supported by longstanding recognition rather than selecting a new astronomically exact north–south line.
This entry does not establish acreage won, a count of affected residents, or individual transferred parcels. The linked 2020 photograph is illustrative of a site associated with the dispute; it does not depict the court proceedings, the survey, or the original eighteenth-century stone.
Open current source lead
RailroadsCaptured · not verified
August 26, 1910
Work begins on the new Kingwood railroad tunnel
Morton dates the start of work on the new double-track Kingwood Tunnel to August 26, 1910; the project cost about $1.5 million.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIII, p. 213 (printed page) · Source link
Kingwood Tunnel / Tunnelton
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIII, p. 213 (printed page)
Open current source lead
Business, Banking & CommerceVerified to source
November 12, 1910
Preston County Supply Company incorporated
West Virginia corporate records date Preston County Supply Company’s filing to November 12, 1910. A February 1912 newspaper notice places the business at Cascade, where it was gathering ice for the coming summer and filling a newly built icehouse larger than its previous one. The company changed its name to Preston Supply Company in 1973; state records document its voluntary dissolution in 1977.
Source / research lead: West Virginia Secretary of State, Business Organization Detail, Preston County Supply Company, organization 94127 · Source link
Cascade
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Research notes
Where found: West Virginia Secretary of State, Business Organization Detail, Preston County Supply Company, organization 94127
The West Virginia Secretary of State’s online record for Preston County Supply Company, organization 94127, lists November 12, 1910 as its effective and filing date. This is the corporate date, not a verified store-opening date. The original charter has not been examined.
The Preston County Journal, February 15, 1912, page 1, identifies the company at Cascade and reports that it was storing ice for summer in a new icehouse larger than its former one. The newspaper date documents when this activity was reported; it does not establish the icehouse’s precise construction or opening date.
The original company record renders its office location as “CADCADE.” Interpreting this as a transcription error for Cascade is an inference supported by the contemporary newspaper and the successor corporation’s explicit Cascade address.
Both corporate records document the February 28, 1973 name change to Preston Supply Company. The successor record, organization 94216, records voluntary dissolution on June 27, 1977. These legal events should not be treated as proven dates of store closure.
The two state records disagree on the reference for a June 30, 1915 capital amendment: the original record gives Book 85, page 326, while the successor gives Book 185, page 326. Consult the underlying filing before citing that book reference.
Founders, ownership, exact premises, mining-company affiliations, scrip issuance and redemption practices, and the beginning and end of retail operations remain unverified.
Open current source lead
RailroadsVerified to source
Circa 1910
B&O builds a riveted Warren truss bridge at the Rowlesburg crossing
Around 1910, a riveted Warren truss bridge carried the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad across the Cheat River at Rowlesburg. HAER describes it as the third bridge at this site, following the Fink bridge of 1851 and the Bollman bridge of 1870. Its surviving documentation includes four photographs and a short written history, preserving a record of this early twentieth-century railroad structure.
Source / research lead: Historic American Engineering Record, HAER WV-13, B&O Railroad, Rowlesburg Bridge, written historical and descriptive data (transmitted 1984) and Library of Congress catalog · Source link
Rowlesburg / Cheat River
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Historic American Engineering Record, HAER WV-13, B&O Railroad, Rowlesburg Bridge, written historical and descriptive data (transmitted 1984) and Library of Congress catalog
The HAER written data sheet gives the date as circa 1910; the Library of Congress catalog lists 1910 as initial construction. This entry retains the written report’s approximate dating.
Contemporary newspaper coverage of the July 1888 flood reported an iron B&O bridge at Rowlesburg washed away. How that report fits HAER’s three-bridge chronology remains unresolved: the affected structure or span and any subsequent rebuilding have not been established.
Open current source lead
Politics & ElectionsCaptured · not verified
1910
Kingwood narrowly retains the Preston County seat
Morton reports that a hard-fought 1910 campaign and popular vote to relocate the county seat to Terra Alta ended with Kingwood retaining it by a narrow margin.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIV, p. 222 (printed page) · Source link
Kingwood / Terra Alta
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Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIV, p. 222 (printed page)
Open current source lead
1911
Health, Environment & DisastersVerified to source
February 11, 1911
West Virginia authorizes the tuberculosis sanitarium later known as Hopemont
The West Virginia Legislature passed an act authorizing a state tuberculosis sanitarium on February 11; the governor approved it on February 18. The authorization followed years of campaigning by the Anti-Tuberculosis League of West Virginia and its executive secretary, Dr. Harriet B. Jones, who had grown up in Terra Alta. The selected farm near Terra Alta belonged to Jones’s brother-in-law, W. T. White. White and his wife, Harriet’s sister Adaline Jones White, executed a deed conveying the property to the state on November 11, 1911. The institution became West Virginia’s first state tuberculosis sanitarium and was later known as Hopemont.
Source / research lead: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline, record 8121; West Virginia Department of Health, “Hopemont Hospital History”; Preston County Deed Book 131, p. 504; Oren F. Morton, A History of Preston County, vol. II, biographical sketch of John P. Jones · Source link
Terra Alta / Hopemont
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline, record 8121; West Virginia Department of Health, “Hopemont Hospital History”; Preston County Deed Book 131, p. 504; Oren F. Morton, A History of Preston County, vol. II, biographical sketch of John P. Jones
Open current source lead
Politics & ElectionsVerified to source
March 4, 1911
William G. Brown Jr. of Preston County joins West Virginia’s U.S. House delegation
Democrats John W. Davis of Harrison County, William G. Brown, Jr., of Preston County, Adam B. Littlepage of Kanawha County, and John M. Hamilton of Calhoun County joined Republican James A. Hughes as United States House of Representatives members from West Virginia. Democrat William E. Chilton of Kanawha County succeeded Republican Nathan B. Scott as United States Senator from West Virginia.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1912
RailroadsCaptured · not verified
May 28, 1912
The new Kingwood railroad tunnel is completed
Morton records completion of the 4,211-foot, double-track Kingwood Tunnel on May 28, 1912.
Source / research lead: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIII, p. 213 (printed page) · Source link
Kingwood Tunnel / Tunnelton
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Morton, vol. I, ch. XXIII, p. 213 (printed page)
Open current source lead
Wider contextNational & World ContextVerified
November 5, 1912
West Virginia voters approve statewide prohibition
West Virginia voters ratified a constitutional amendment prohibiting the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquor. The successful vote followed decades of temperance organizing and set statewide prohibition to begin on July 1, 1914.
Source / research lead: West Virginia Legislature, Constitution of West Virginia, amendment history · Source link
West Virginia
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Context source: West Virginia Legislature, Constitution of West Virginia, amendment history
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Research notes
Where found: West Virginia Legislature, Constitution of West Virginia, amendment history
Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
1912
Bull Run (Jenkinsburg) Bridge is built over the Cheat River
The Canton Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio, constructed the steel bridge near the small logging community of Jenkinsburg. Carrying County Route 14/4 across the Cheat River, it is a 10-panel, pin-connected Pennsylvania through-truss with a 220-foot main span and an overall length of about 224 feet.
Source / research lead: West Virginia Land Trust, Jenkinsburg Recreation & Natural Area · Source link
Jenkinsburg / Bull Run / Cheat River
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: West Virginia Land Trust, Jenkinsburg Recreation & Natural Area
West Virginia Land Trust identifies 1912 as the construction year and names the Canton Bridge Company. The 2013 National Bridge Inventory data sheet independently records 1912 as the year built, steel through-truss construction, a maximum span of 67.1 meters (about 220 feet), and an overall length of 68.4 meters (about 224 feet). The sheet presents state-submitted federal inventory data in a format prepared by HistoricBridges.org; it is not an original construction contract. The exact opening date, original cost, and commissioning authority have not yet been established.
Open current source lead
1913
Wider contextNational & World ContextVerified
1913
The Yost Law establishes West Virginia's prohibition system
The West Virginia Legislature enacted the Yost Law to enforce the newly approved state prohibition amendment. The law created a Department of Prohibition and built the legal machinery that would affect liquor shipments, raids, arrests, and court cases across the state.
Source / research lead: West Virginia University Libraries, New Research on Prohibition in West Virginia · Source link
West Virginia
Open event page
Context source: West Virginia University Libraries, New Research on Prohibition in West Virginia
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Research notes
Where found: West Virginia University Libraries, New Research on Prohibition in West Virginia
Health, Environment & DisastersVerified to source
1913
Three patient cottages are constructed at the State Tuberculosis Sanitarium
Three cottages were constructed at the State Tuberculosis Sanitarium near Terra Alta in 1913, providing space for 60 patients. The construction developed the institution authorized in 1911; it did not mark the sanitarium’s initial establishment.
Source / research lead: West Virginia Department of Health, “Hopemont Hospital History”; West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline, record 8228 · Source link
Terra Alta / Hopemont
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Related historical photograph
Gore Hospital at the State Tuberculosis Sanitarium, Hopemont, June 1927
This 1927 photograph shows the later Gore Hospital building; it does not depict the three cottages constructed in 1913.
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Research notes
Where found: West Virginia Department of Health, “Hopemont Hospital History”; West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline, record 8228
Open current source lead
1914
Wider contextNational & World ContextVerified
July 1, 1914
Statewide prohibition begins in West Virginia
West Virginia's constitutional prohibition amendment took effect, making the state dry nearly six years before national Prohibition. This state law provides the immediate legal background for Preston County liquor prosecutions, illicit distilling, shipments, raids, and newspaper reports from 1914 onward.
Source / research lead: West Virginia Legislature, Constitution of West Virginia, Article VI, Section 46 editor's note · Source link
West Virginia
Open event page
Context source: West Virginia Legislature, Constitution of West Virginia, Article VI, Section 46 editor's note
View source
Research notes
Where found: West Virginia Legislature, Constitution of West Virginia, Article VI, Section 46 editor's note
Wider contextNational & World ContextVerified
July 28, 1914
World War I begins in Europe
Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, beginning a conflict that spread across Europe and beyond. Although the United States remained neutral until 1917, news of the war already formed part of the world Preston County residents encountered in newspapers, correspondence, markets, and migration.
Source / research lead: U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian, Foreign Relations of the United States, 1914 Supplement · Source link
World
Open event page
Context source: U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian, Foreign Relations of the United States, 1914 Supplement
View source
Research notes
Where found: U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian, Foreign Relations of the United States, 1914 Supplement
Communities & Town DevelopmentCaptured · not verified
1914
Albright is incorporated and takes its present name
Local community history dates Albright's incorporation to 1914 and says the town was named for prominent landowner David Albright. The municipal date marks the modern town, while settlement in the surrounding Cheat River area reaches back to the Revolutionary era and nearby Butler's Fort.
Source / research lead: Preston County Economic Development Authority, “Albright” · Source link
Albright
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Research notes
Where found: Preston County Economic Development Authority, “Albright”
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Coal / Coke / MiningVerified to source
1914
Preston County produced over a million tons of coal
McDowell, Fayette, Marion, Logan, Kanawha, Harrison, and Raleigh counties each produced over 5 million tons of coal, and Mercer, Mingo, Preston, Tucker, Barbour, and Taylor counties eached produced over a million tons.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1916
People & Social HistoryVerified to source
March 9, 1916
U.S. Representative William G. Brown Jr. of Preston County dies
United States Representative William G. Brown Jr., a Kingwood lawyer and banker who had served in Congress since 1911, died in Washington, D.C.
Source / research lead: U.S. Congress, William Gay Brown Jr.: Memorial Addresses (1917), proceedings of March 9, 1916, pp. 5 and 67; biographical statement, pp. 14–15. · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Related historical photograph
William G. Brown, Jr., portrait
Library of Congress
View related photograph
Research notes
Where found: U.S. Congress, William Gay Brown Jr.: Memorial Addresses (1917), proceedings of March 9, 1916, pp. 5 and 67; biographical statement, pp. 14–15.
The earlier entry gave 1915. The House and Senate proceedings of March 9, 1916 announce his death that day, establishing the corrected year.
Open current source lead
EducationVerified to source
August 3, 1916
Valley District seeks bids to construct Bull Run School
The Valley District Board of Education advertised for sealed bids to construct a one-room frame school building near the Bull Run store. Bids were due August 11, 1916, and plans were available from board secretary H. M. Martin in Masontown. The notice establishes that construction was planned but does not confirm when the building was completed or opened.
Source / research lead: West Virginia Argus, August 3, 1916, p. 3, “Notice to Contractors” (Newspapers.com clipping by Shirley Radabaugh; accessed September 5, 2026) · Source link
Bull Run
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Research notes
Where found: West Virginia Argus, August 3, 1916, p. 3, “Notice to Contractors” (Newspapers.com clipping by Shirley Radabaugh; accessed September 5, 2026)
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1917
Wider contextNational & World ContextVerified
April 6, 1917
The United States enters World War I
The United States declared war on Germany. Military registration, enlistment, bond drives, wartime production, and casualty notices soon brought the conflict into the daily lives and family records of Preston County residents.
Source / research lead: National Archives, World War I Records of American Involvement · Source link
United States
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Context source: National Archives, World War I Records of American Involvement
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Research notes
Where found: National Archives, World War I Records of American Involvement
1918
EducationVerified to source
January 3, 1918
Masontown High School burns to the ground
A fire believed to have begun with an overheated furnace destroyed Masontown’s twelve-room high school. Built in 1914 for $25,000 by Kingwood contractor Charles Spindler, the building was insured for $15,000; the Preston County Journal estimated the total loss at more than $30,000. Masontown had no fire protection, and none of the school’s new furniture was saved.
Source / research lead: Preston County Journal, January 10, 1918, p. 1, “Masontown School Building Burned” · Source link
Masontown
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Research notes
Where found: Preston County Journal, January 10, 1918, p. 1, “Masontown School Building Burned”
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EducationVerified to source
January 6, 1918
Masontown residents rally to rebuild their high school
Three days after the fire, residents gathered at the Methodist Episcopal church and pledged approximately $17,000 toward rebuilding Masontown High School. The surviving foundation was considered suitable for the new structure. With the subscriptions, $15,000 in insurance and the foundation’s estimated $5,000 value, the community had assembled about $37,000 toward a replacement expected to cost at least $45,000.
Source / research lead: Preston County Journal, January 10, 1918, p. 5, “Masontown to Rebuild High School” · Source link
Masontown
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Research notes
Where found: Preston County Journal, January 10, 1918, p. 5, “Masontown to Rebuild High School”
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RailroadsVerified to source
April 17, 1918
West Virginia Northern wreck at Marion kills three
A West Virginia Northern freight train ran out of control while descending the grade from Jessop toward Tunnelton. Just south of the Marion water station, the locomotive derailed on a curve and overturned into the county road, with three coal-loaded boxcars piling up behind it. Engineer Frank Pugh, fireman Patsy Hohman, and N. B. Johns, a friend riding on the engine, were killed. Conductor Scott Wilson and two brakemen jumped clear and escaped injury.
Source / research lead: The Preston County Journal, April 18, 1918, p. 1, far-left column, “West Va. Northern Railroad Wreck” · Source link
Marion water station / near Tunnelton
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Research notes
Where found: The Preston County Journal, April 18, 1918, p. 1, far-left column, “West Va. Northern Railroad Wreck”
The Preston County Journal reported the wreck the following day, describing the engineer’s unsuccessful attempts to regain control and estimating the train’s speed at 35–40 miles per hour. This contemporary account establishes the date, reported location, and fatalities, but does not establish a formally investigated mechanical cause.
Open current source lead
Wider contextNational & World ContextVerified
Fall 1918
The influenza pandemic reaches its deadliest American wave
A severe fall wave of the 1918–1919 influenza pandemic swept across the United States while the country was still at war. Illness, quarantine notices, disrupted schools and gatherings, and sudden deaths in local records belong to this much larger public-health crisis.
Source / research lead: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, History of the 1918 Flu Pandemic · Source link
World and United States
Open event page
Context source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, History of the 1918 Flu Pandemic
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Research notes
Where found: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, History of the 1918 Flu Pandemic
Wider contextNational & World ContextVerified
November 11, 1918
The World War I armistice ends the fighting
The armistice took effect at eleven o'clock on November 11, ending the fighting on the Western Front. For Preston County families, the date framed celebrations, homecomings, veterans' lives, and grief for those who did not return.
Source / research lead: National Archives, World War I Records of American Involvement · Source link
World and United States
Open event page
Context source: National Archives, World War I Records of American Involvement
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Research notes
Where found: National Archives, World War I Records of American Involvement
EducationVerified to source
1918
Masontown’s replacement high school is completed
After fire destroyed Masontown’s 1914 high school building on January 3, residents immediately began raising money for a replacement. Later accounts date completion of the new three-story school building to 1918. It subsequently served as Masontown High School, Valley High School, West Preston Senior High School and, after Preston High School opened, West Preston Middle School.
Source / research lead: Preston County Journal, January 10, 1918, pp. 1 and 5; Preston County News, “Memories spark as Valley District alumni revisit old West Preston,” July 21, 2017; Preston County News, “Maintenance supervisor: Better to sell West Preston by winter,” July 25, 2017 · Source link
Masontown
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Preston County Journal, January 10, 1918, pp. 1 and 5; Preston County News, “Memories spark as Valley District alumni revisit old West Preston,” July 21, 2017; Preston County News, “Maintenance supervisor: Better to sell West Preston by winter,” July 25, 2017
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1919
RailroadsCaptured · not verified
October 1919
The Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad is sold to the B&O
Brown reports that the Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad retained its name until it was sold to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in October 1919. He notes that control by Stephen Elkins was not completely relinquished until January 1, 1922.
Source / research lead: James J. Brown, “The Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad,” Proceedings and Papers of the Monongalia Historical Society, no. 8 (December 2010), p. 5
Morgantown / Preston County
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Research notes
Where found: James J. Brown, “The Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad,” Proceedings and Papers of the Monongalia Historical Society, no. 8 (December 2010), p. 5
1920
Wider contextNational & World ContextVerified
January 17, 1920
National Prohibition takes effect—but West Virginia was already dry
The Eighteenth Amendment extended prohibition nationwide, but this was not the beginning in West Virginia: the state had already prohibited alcohol since July 1, 1914. Federal law added another enforcement layer to Preston County moonshine cases, liquor raids, court proceedings, and newspaper reports.
Source / research lead: National Archives, The Constitution: Amendments 11–27 · Source link
United States
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Context source: National Archives, The Constitution: Amendments 11–27
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Research notes
Where found: National Archives, The Constitution: Amendments 11–27
Wider contextNational & World ContextVerified
August 18, 1920
The Nineteenth Amendment is ratified
Ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment prohibited denying the right to vote on account of sex. The change reshaped voter registration, elections, civic participation, and the public records in which Preston County women appear.
Source / research lead: National Archives, 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Women's Right to Vote · Source link
United States
Open event page
Context source: National Archives, 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Women's Right to Vote
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Research notes
Where found: National Archives, 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Women's Right to Vote
1921
Religion & Social InstitutionsVerified to source
May 21, 1921
Maple Grove Child Rescue Home Opens Near Eglon
The Maple Grove Child Rescue Home was dedicated and opened to children on the former Charlie Jones farm near Eglon. The Eglon Church of the Brethren congregation had proposed a receiving home for homeless children in 1919, building on district child-welfare work begun in 1914. The First and Second Districts of West Virginia and the Western District of Maryland jointly purchased and operated the property. Children could be cared for at Maple Grove and placed in private family homes; the term “orphanage” was commonly used, although the institution also served dependent and homeless children who were not necessarily without living parents.
Source / research lead: Foster Melvin Bittinger, A History of the Church of the Brethren in the First District of West Virginia (1945), pp. 113–114; Gospel Messenger, January 18, 1936, pp. 10–11 · Source link
Eglon
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Related historical photograph
Maple Grove Child Rescue Home near Eglon, published January 18, 1936
The Gospel Messenger identifies the building on this page as Maple Grove Child Rescue Home.
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Research notes
Where found: Foster Melvin Bittinger, A History of the Church of the Brethren in the First District of West Virginia (1945), pp. 113–114; Gospel Messenger, January 18, 1936, pp. 10–11
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Courts, Crime & JusticeVerified
July 20, 1921
Suspected bank robbers are confronted at Bruceton Mills
Citizens anticipating an attempted bank robbery confronted four men approaching Bruceton Mills after a reported robbery at John A. Benson’s home in Brandonville. According to the newspaper account, John Moore fired at Dr. Defoe, who returned fire, fatally wounding Moore and wounding William Madden. The other two men surrendered.
Source / research lead: Hinton Daily News, July 21, 1921, “Bank Robbers Have Rather Poor Success,” datelined Kingwood, July 20; West Virginia History OnView, identifier 053394 (photograph). · Source link
Bruceton Mills
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Research notes
Where found: Hinton Daily News, July 21, 1921, “Bank Robbers Have Rather Poor Success,” datelined Kingwood, July 20; West Virginia History OnView, identifier 053394 (photograph).
The Hinton Daily News clipping reports that the confrontation occurred that afternoon. July 21, 1921 is the newspaper’s publication date; July 20, 1921 is the event date established by its Kingwood dateline.
WVU catalogs the photograph as August 16, 1921; contemporary newspaper reporting places the confrontation on July 20, 1921. The significance of the later date is unknown.
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1922
Health, Environment & DisastersVerified to source
1922
Branson Haas Purchases Brookside Woods and Surrounding Land
Branson Haas purchased more than 400 acres from the McBride estate in 1922. The property included Brookside Woods—the old-growth hemlock forest associated with the resort—as well as surrounding farmland, and Haas became a determined advocate for preserving the forest.
Source / research lead: National Register of Historic Places, Brookside Historic District nomination, Section 8, pp. 18–19 · Source link
Brookside / Aurora area
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Research notes
Where found: National Register of Historic Places, Brookside Historic District nomination, Section 8, pp. 18–19
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EducationVerified to source
1922–1923
Bruceton High School’s new building opens
Construction of a new Bruceton High School began in 1922 at a cost of $25,000, financed through a locally authorized school levy. The building was in use during the 1922–1923 school year, and its auditorium hosted its first graduating class in spring 1923. Later additions expanded the school, which remains at the same Bruceton Mills location.
Source / research lead: Preston County News, “Bruceton School celebrates its centennial,” January 6, 2023, reporting research by Preston County Schools published in The Beat of Excellence · Source link
Bruceton Mills
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Research notes
Where found: Preston County News, “Bruceton School celebrates its centennial,” January 6, 2023, reporting research by Preston County Schools published in The Beat of Excellence
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Politics & ElectionsVerified to source
1922
Izetta Jewell Brown ran for a seat in the United States Senate.
Izetta Jewell Brown, a former actress from Washington, District of Colombia, and wife of Preston County Congressman, ran for a seat in the United States Senate. She was the first woman to run for the Senate south of the Mason-Dixon Line.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
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Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
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Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
EducationVerified
1922
Kingwood High School is constructed
Kingwood High School was constructed in 1922 in the Neo-Colonial Revival style. Morgantown architect Francis J. Simmons designed the building, which later housed Central Preston Senior High School and Central Preston Middle School.
Source / research lead: National Register nomination, Kingwood Historic District, Section 7, p. 18 and Section 8, p. 31; Kingwood High School historical marker · Source link
Kingwood
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Related historical photograph
Central Preston Sr. High School, Preston County, W. Va., ca. 1975–1985
This later photograph shows the building during its subsequent use as Central Preston Senior High School.
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Research notes
Where found: National Register nomination, Kingwood Historic District, Section 7, p. 18 and Section 8, p. 31; Kingwood High School historical marker
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1924
Politics & ElectionsVerified to source
November 1924
Harriet B. Jones is elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates
Harriet B. Jones, who had grown up in Terra Alta, was elected as a Republican to represent Marshall County in the West Virginia House of Delegates. She was one of two women elected to the House that November and later won reelection to a second term.
Source / research lead: West Virginia Legislature, Chronology of Women in the West Virginia Legislature (revised April 2025), pp. 3 and 43; West Virginia and Regional History Center, “Dr. Harriet B. Jones, West Virginia Physician, Suffragist, and Activist” · Source link
Terra Alta / Marshall County
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: West Virginia Legislature, Chronology of Women in the West Virginia Legislature (revised April 2025), pp. 3 and 43; West Virginia and Regional History Center, “Dr. Harriet B. Jones, West Virginia Physician, Suffragist, and Activist”
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1925
EducationVerified to source
1925
Terra Alta High School opens
Terra Alta High School opened at its new location in 1925 with approximately 100 students and eight teachers. Its first graduating class at the new school completed its studies in spring 1926. The building later became the original portion of East Preston Senior High School.
Source / research lead: Preston County Schools, “History of Terra Alta East Preston School” · Source link
Terra Alta
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Research notes
Where found: Preston County Schools, “History of Terra Alta East Preston School”
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1926
Industry & ManufacturingVerified to source
May 31, 1926
Lake Lynn Hydroelectric Plant Begins Operating on the Cheat River
The Lake Lynn hydroelectric plant began operating on the Cheat River in Monongalia County, downstream from Preston County. Its dam created the reservoir now known as Cheat Lake and formed part of a power system serving northern West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania. The project also has a documented Preston connection through the construction albums of civil engineer and Preston County resident Harry Snedden Laird, preserved at West Virginia University.
Source / research lead: WVU, Vaughn L. Kiger Collection, A&M 3986; Historic American Engineering Record, WV-30; WVU, Harry S. Laird albums, A&M 3827 · Source link
Cheat River / Monongalia County
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Related historical photograph
Construction of the Cheat Lake dam, November 3, 1912
Harry S. Laird albums, A&M 3827, image 040051, West Virginia and Regional History Center, WVU Libraries. Photographer unidentified. Actual early construction, not the 1926 opening. Linked for viewing; reproduction permission has not been established.
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Research notes
Where found: WVU, Vaughn L. Kiger Collection, A&M 3986; Historic American Engineering Record, WV-30; WVU, Harry S. Laird albums, A&M 3827
The exact operating date is verified to WVU’s A&M 3986 finding aid, which distinguishes first overflow on December 23, 1925, from operation beginning May 31, 1926. The federal HAER record corroborates the 1925–1926 completion phase. A contemporary operating report would further strengthen the exact-day attribution.
Construction occurred in separate early and later phases. The HAER narrative’s early dates are not completely consistent, while WVU photographs establish work underway in 1912. The linked November 3, 1912 photograph depicts actual early dam construction, not the 1926 opening.
The dam stands in Monongalia County, not Preston or Fayette County. The Laird collection identifies a Preston resident’s connection to documentation of the work, but does not establish his exact contractual role or authorship of every photograph. This entry makes no claim about a particular Preston town’s first electric service.
The linked construction image is WV History OnView 040051, Harry S. Laird albums, A&M 3827, West Virginia and Regional History Center, WVU Libraries. Photographer unidentified. The collection’s use statement requires copyright-holder permission for reproduction; this entry links to the catalog rather than reproducing the image. The additional LOC photograph by Jet Lowe dates to September 1980 and depicts the completed structure, not the 1926 opening.
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1928
Courts, Crime & JusticeVerified to source
August 10, 1928
Lawrence Fike was executed at the West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville (Marshall County) for a murder…
Lawrence Fike was executed at the West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville (Marshall County) for a murder committed in Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Politics & ElectionsCaptured · not verified
October 1928
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. speaks at Kingwood High School
Colonel Theodore Roosevelt Jr., eldest son of President Theodore Roosevelt and a decorated World War I veteran, reportedly addressed an audience in the Kingwood High School auditorium during a West Virginia Republican campaign tour. The Kingwood Historic District nomination dates the appearance to October 19, 1928; contemporary local newspaper confirmation is still being sought.
Source / research lead: National Register nomination, Kingwood Historic District, Section 8, p. 31; Logan Banner, October 19, 1928 (campaign-tour context) · Source link
Kingwood
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Research notes
Where found: National Register nomination, Kingwood Historic District, Section 8, p. 31; Logan Banner, October 19, 1928 (campaign-tour context)
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1929
Wider contextNational & World ContextVerified
October 29, 1929
The stock market crash becomes a symbol of the Great Depression
The market collapse of October 1929 became the defining symbol of a much broader economic breakdown. In Preston County, the Depression provides context for bank restrictions, unemployment, mine and railroad contraction, farm hardship, migration, and the search for relief work.
Source / research lead: Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library, Great Depression Facts · Source link
United States and world
Open event page
Context source: Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library, Great Depression Facts
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Research notes
Where found: Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library, Great Depression Facts
Culture, Media & CommunicationsVerified to source
1929–1930
Youghiogheny Forest Colony Is Established Near Aurora
Geologist Frank Reeves purchased about 100 acres of old-growth hemlock and hardwood forest near the West Virginia–Maryland line in 1929. Beginning around 1930, he developed the Youghiogheny Forest Colony, an informal community of approximately twelve log cabins occupied by artists, writers, architects, musicians, physicians, and other residents during the Depression years before World War II.
Source / research lead: Michele Moure, “Youghiogheny Forest Colony,” e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia; Traveling 219, “Transcript: Youghiogheny Forest Colony” · Source link
Youghiogheny Forest / Aurora area
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Research notes
Where found: Michele Moure, “Youghiogheny Forest Colony,” e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia; Traveling 219, “Transcript: Youghiogheny Forest Colony”
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1930s–1970s
Culture, Media & CommunicationsVerified to source
1930s–1970s
Lewis Stemple Paints the Landscape and Everyday Life of Rural Preston County
Self-taught artist Lewis E. Stemple, born in Fairmont in 1910, lived and worked in Aurora for much of his life. He developed his art through his association with artists at the nearby Youghiogheny Forest Colony and spent several decades painting the hills, ridges, natural landscapes, and intimate small-town scenes of rural Preston County. Most of his work remained in private collections.
Source / research lead: Preston County Journal, July 17, 2002, p. 1; Aurora Project, “2026 Exhibitions: Lewis Stemple” · Source link
Aurora
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Research notes
Where found: Preston County Journal, July 17, 2002, p. 1; Aurora Project, “2026 Exhibitions: Lewis Stemple”
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Culture, Media & CommunicationsVerified to source
1930
Oak Park closes
Oak Park closed its gates in 1930. e-WV attributes the park’s decline to the growing popularity of automobile travel, the weakening rail and coal industries, and the onset of the Great Depression. Peggy Ross’s 1994 Goldenseal article preserves an eyewitness recollection that the park likely closed around 1929, when the Bretz mine and the powerhouse supplying Oak Park shut down.
Source / research lead: Brad Martin, “Oak Park,” e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia, last revised February 8, 2024; Peggy Ross, “Echoes of Things Past: Preston County’s Oak Park,” Goldenseal, vol. 20, no. 2 (Summer 1994), pp. 46–52 · Source link
Bretz / Masontown
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Brad Martin, “Oak Park,” e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia, last revised February 8, 2024; Peggy Ross, “Echoes of Things Past: Preston County’s Oak Park,” Goldenseal, vol. 20, no. 2 (Summer 1994), pp. 46–52
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1931
Business, Banking & CommerceVerified to source
December 5, 1931–January 16, 1936
The Terra Alta Bank survives the Great Depression
The Terra Alta Bank operated under depositors' agreements and State Banking Commission restrictions from December 5, 1931, through January 16, 1936. Federal deposit insurance protected deposits up to $5,000 beginning in October 1933, helping it remain the only bank in Preston County to stay solvent through the Great Depression.
Source / research lead: National Register of Historic Places nomination, Terra Alta Bank (1997), section 8, p. 3 · Source link
Terra Alta
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Research notes
Where found: National Register of Historic Places nomination, Terra Alta Bank (1997), section 8, p. 3
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1933
Wider contextNational & World ContextVerified
March 31, 1933
The Civilian Conservation Corps is created
The Civilian Conservation Corps became one of the New Deal's earliest work-relief programs, employing young men on conservation and public-land projects. CCC enrollment, camp life, wages sent home, and completed projects can help explain Preston County family and community records from the Depression years.
Source / research lead: Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library, FDR's First 100 Days · Source link
United States
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Context source: Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library, FDR's First 100 Days
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Research notes
Where found: Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library, FDR's First 100 Days
Communities & Town DevelopmentVerified to source
October 4, 1933
Federal government acquires land for Arthurdale
After Eleanor Roosevelt visited depression-stricken coal communities in northern West Virginia, the federal government acquired Richard Arthur's farm near Reedsville on October 4, 1933, for its first experimental subsistence-homestead community. The Preston County Journal reported the following day that the purchased farm comprised 1,017 acres and that the price was understood to have been $35,000. These figures refer to the Arthur farm purchase, rather than the larger project tract assembled through additional acquisitions. Initially called the Reedsville Experimental Community, the settlement was subsequently named Arthurdale for the former landowner.
Source / research lead: Preston County Journal, “Government Buys Arthurdale Farm for $35,000.00,” October 5, 1933 — transcription, West Virginia Archives and History; SAH Archipedia, “Arthurdale”; National Park Service, “Arthurdale: A New Deal Community Experiment,” p. 14; e-WV, “Arthurdale” · Source link
Arthurdale
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Research notes
Where found: Preston County Journal, “Government Buys Arthurdale Farm for $35,000.00,” October 5, 1933 — transcription, West Virginia Archives and History; SAH Archipedia, “Arthurdale”; National Park Service, “Arthurdale: A New Deal Community Experiment,” p. 14; e-WV, “Arthurdale”
Purchase date: The October 5, 1933 Preston County Journal states that the deal closed “yesterday” and identifies the day as Wednesday, establishing October 4, 1933 as the reported closing date. The newspaper reports 1,017 acres and qualifies the $35,000 price as understood, rather than documenting it from a deed.
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Wider contextNational & World ContextVerified
December 5, 1933
National Prohibition is repealed—but West Virginia's ban remains
Ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment ended national Prohibition and the federal framework behind many liquor prosecutions and raids. West Virginia, however, still had its own constitutional prohibition amendment; state voters would repeal it the following year.
Source / research lead: National Archives, The Constitution: Amendments 11–27 · Source link
United States
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Context source: National Archives, The Constitution: Amendments 11–27
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Research notes
Where found: National Archives, The Constitution: Amendments 11–27
1934
Communities & Town DevelopmentVerified to source
June 1934
First homesteader families move into Arthurdale
The first 50 homesteader families began moving into Arthurdale in June 1934. About half were miners, one-quarter were sawmill workers, and one-quarter were farmers. Although Eleanor Roosevelt wanted the community to reflect the racial and immigrant diversity of Scotts Run, opposition from the selection committee and prospective white residents prevented integration, and the first families selected were white.
Source / research lead: National Park Service, “Arthurdale: A New Deal Community Experiment,” pp. 14–15 · Source link
Arthurdale
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Research notes
Where found: National Park Service, “Arthurdale: A New Deal Community Experiment,” pp. 14–15
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County Formation, Boundaries & GovernmentVerified
August 25, 1934
Preston County dedicates its present courthouse
Preston County dedicated its present Art Deco courthouse in Kingwood after an all-day program on August 25, 1934. The sandstone building cost $113,500.90, and former Kingwood attorney John Barton Payne delivered the dedication address.
Source / research lead: Judge Lawrance S. Miller Jr., History of the Preston County Courthouse; National Register nomination, Kingwood Historic District, Section 7, p. 9 and Section 8, p. 31 · Source link
Kingwood
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Related historical photograph
Preston County Courthouse, Kingwood, W. Va., 1967
The photograph dates to 1967, more than three decades after the courthouse was dedicated.
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Research notes
Where found: Judge Lawrance S. Miller Jr., History of the Preston County Courthouse; National Register nomination, Kingwood Historic District, Section 7, p. 9 and Section 8, p. 31
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People & Social HistoryVerified to source
1934
Arthurdale's racial exclusion influences Eleanor Roosevelt's civil-rights work
Arthurdale's first homesteaders were selected without African American families. When Eleanor Roosevelt tried to support an integrated colony, local resistance blocked the effort. The episode exposed racial inequity inside the New Deal and helped move Roosevelt toward a more public civil-rights role, including a January 1934 White House meeting with Black leaders.
Source / research lead: National Park Service, Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, “Walter White” and “Black Civil Rights Leaders and the Roosevelts” · Source link
Arthurdale
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Research notes
Where found: National Park Service, Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, “Walter White” and “Black Civil Rights Leaders and the Roosevelts”
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Wider contextNational & World ContextVerified
1934
West Virginia voters repeal the state's prohibition amendment
West Virginia voters approved a constitutional amendment ending the state's separate prohibition mandate. The vote completed the legal transition begun by national repeal and allowed the state to replace absolute prohibition with a regulated system of alcohol control.
Source / research lead: West Virginia Legislature, Constitution of West Virginia, amendment history · Source link
West Virginia
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Context source: West Virginia Legislature, Constitution of West Virginia, amendment history
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Research notes
Where found: West Virginia Legislature, Constitution of West Virginia, amendment history
1935
Labor & Working LifeVerified to source
July 15, 1935
CCC Camp Opens Near Caddell
A Civilian Conservation Corps camp began on Preston County Country Club property at Caddell, near present-day Camp Dawson. First known as Camp Fairfax and later as Camp Preston, it was fully operating by September. Its planned work included roads on Caddell Mountain, forest cleanup, and a telegraph line; the camp became the predecessor of Camp Rhododendron.
Source / research lead: National Park Service, New Deal Resources in West Virginia, Section E, pp. 6–7 · Source link
Caddell / Camp Dawson / Kingwood area
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Related historical photograph
Civilian Conservation Corps Boys in Camp Preston, Kingwood, W. Va. — West Virginia History OnView 031779 (date unknown)
This undated photograph shows unidentified Camp Preston members; it is not identified as a photograph of the camp’s July 15, 1935 opening.
View related photograph
Research notes
Where found: National Park Service, New Deal Resources in West Virginia, Section E, pp. 6–7
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Wider contextNational & World ContextVerified
August 14, 1935
The Social Security Act becomes law
The Social Security Act created old-age benefits, unemployment insurance, and several forms of public assistance. It also generated records—such as Social Security applications—that can preserve birthplaces, parents' names, employers, and identities for Preston County family research.
Source / research lead: National Archives, Social Security Act (1935) · Source link
United States
Open event page
Context source: National Archives, Social Security Act (1935)
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Research notes
Where found: National Archives, Social Security Act (1935)
EducationVerified to source
1935
Arthurdale opens an experimental progressive school
A new school was constructed at Arthurdale in 1935 under educator Elsie Ripley Clapp. Its progressive curriculum emphasized hands-on learning, handicrafts, manual arts, agriculture, and practical community life alongside academic study.
Source / research lead: e-WV, “Arthurdale”; National Park Service, “Arthurdale: A New Deal Community Experiment” · Source link
Arthurdale
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Research notes
Where found: e-WV, “Arthurdale”; National Park Service, “Arthurdale: A New Deal Community Experiment”
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Culture, Media & CommunicationsVerified to source
ca. 1935–1939
WPA Historical Records Survey Preserves Preston County Records
As part of a statewide public-records survey funded by the Works Progress Administration, workers gathered and copied records from Preston County and every other West Virginia county. The surviving collection includes birth, marriage, and death registers; wills and estate settlements; land and court records; cemetery readings; and surveys of church records—preserving information that remains valuable to historians and family researchers.
Source / research lead: West Virginia and Regional History Center, U.S. Works Progress Administration, West Virginia Historic Records Survey, Records, A&M 0046 · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: West Virginia and Regional History Center, U.S. Works Progress Administration, West Virginia Historic Records Survey, Records, A&M 0046
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Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
1935–1940
WPA Sidewalk Projects Improve Kingwood Streets
During the Great Depression, the Works Progress Administration constructed concrete sidewalks along several Kingwood streets. Work began on Beverly Street in 1935, continued on Price Street and Brown Avenue in 1937, and reached High Street in 1940. Surviving examples are reminders of the federal work-relief program’s lasting influence on the town’s streetscape.
Source / research lead: National Park Service, Kingwood Historic District National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, Section 8, pp. 4–5 · Source link
Kingwood
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Related historical photograph
High Street, Kingwood, W. Va. — West Virginia History OnView 043812 (date unknown)
This undated postcard shows one of the streets later associated with Kingwood’s WPA sidewalk work; it is not identified as a photograph of the WPA project or its construction.
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Research notes
Where found: National Park Service, Kingwood Historic District National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, Section 8, pp. 4–5
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1936
Labor & Working LifeVerified to source
May 18, 1936
CCC Crews Begin Developing Coopers Rock State Forest
Following the state’s purchase of the forest land in March, 45 Civilian Conservation Corps men established a tent camp at the old Keefover Homestead while another 90 men traveled daily from Camp Preston. By June they had opened a rough but passable route from West Virginia Route 73. Camp Rhododendron crews went on to build roads, trails, picnic shelters, staff buildings, stonework, and the overlook and walkway during the CCC era.
Source / research lead: National Park Service, New Deal Resources in West Virginia, Section E, pp. 6–9 · Source link
Coopers Rock State Forest / Preston–Monongalia border
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Related historical photograph
Civilian Conservation Corps Camp Rhododendron members — West Virginia History OnView 031660 (date unknown)
This undated photograph shows three Camp Rhododendron members beside the Company 3527 sign; it is not identified as a photograph from May 18, 1936.
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Research notes
Where found: National Park Service, New Deal Resources in West Virginia, Section E, pp. 6–9
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1937
Communities & Town DevelopmentVerified to source
1937
Construction of Arthurdale's 165 homesteads is completed
The last 40 houses, a group of stone-veneered homes begun during the summer of 1936, were finished in 1937. Their completion brought Arthurdale's three-phase homestead construction program to the 165 houses originally planned.
Source / research lead: SAH Archipedia, “Arthurdale”; e-WV, “Arthurdale” · Source link
Arthurdale
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Related historical photograph
One of Forty Native Stone Houses Built in Home Project, Arthurdale, W. Va., ca. May 24, 1938
The photograph is dated circa May 24, 1938, about a year after the final houses were completed. It shows one of Arthurdale's 40 native-stone houses, not the construction work itself.
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Research notes
Where found: SAH Archipedia, “Arthurdale”; e-WV, “Arthurdale”
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Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
1937
WPA-Assisted Survey Maps Preston County’s Roads and Communities
The State Road Commission of West Virginia prepared a detailed Preston County highway map in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads and with assistance from the Works Progress Administration. Based on a statewide highway-planning survey, the map recorded roads, bridges, railroads, streams, communities, schools, churches, mines, businesses, farms, forests, and other features of the county’s landscape.
Source / research lead: West Virginia and Regional History Center, County Highway Maps for West Virginia, A&M 4479 · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: West Virginia and Regional History Center, County Highway Maps for West Virginia, A&M 4479
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1938
EducationVerified to source
May 27, 1938
President Franklin D. Roosevelt addresses Arthurdale graduates
President Franklin D. Roosevelt visited Arthurdale and delivered the high school's commencement address on May 27, 1938. The occasion is remembered as the only high-school commencement address of his presidency, placing the small Preston County community on a national stage.
Source / research lead: FDR Presidential Library speech file 1135; American Presidency Project; West Virginia History OnView 005249; Arthurdale Heritage · Source link
Arthurdale
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: FDR Presidential Library speech file 1135; American Presidency Project; West Virginia History OnView 005249; Arthurdale Heritage
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Culture, Media & CommunicationsVerified to source
October 13–15, 1938
Preston County holds its first Buckwheat Festival in Kingwood
From October 13 through 15, 1938, Kingwood hosted the first Preston County Buckwheat Festival, an end-of-harvest homecoming organized by the Kingwood Volunteer Fire Department with local civic groups. Activities on the courthouse’s east lawn included crop exhibits, horse trading, a farmers’ auction, community contests, and the crowning of the festival’s first king and queen.
Source / research lead: Preston County Buckwheat Festival commemorative plaque, erected 1991; official festival history; Theresa Marthey, WV News, September 16, 2019; Golden Harvest (1991), p. 2 · Source link
Kingwood
Open event page
Related historical photograph
King and queen of the first Buckwheat Festival, 1938
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Research notes
Where found: Preston County Buckwheat Festival commemorative plaque, erected 1991; official festival history; Theresa Marthey, WV News, September 16, 2019; Golden Harvest (1991), p. 2
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1939
Wider contextNational & World ContextVerified
September 1, 1939
World War II begins in Europe
Germany's invasion of Poland began World War II in Europe. Before the United States formally entered the conflict, Preston County residents encountered the growing war through newspapers, radio, defense preparations, military enlistment, and concern for relatives overseas.
Source / research lead: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, World War II Dates and Timeline · Source link
World
Open event page
Context source: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, World War II Dates and Timeline
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Research notes
Where found: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, World War II Dates and Timeline
1940
Transportation & InfrastructureVerified
June 14, 1940
Mountain Top Garage Receives Authority to Operate a Wrecker Service
West Virginia's Public Service Commission issued Certificate F-279 to George Rodney Lipscomb, doing business as Mountain Top Garage at Aurora. The certificate authorized the transport of disabled and wrecked automobiles within twenty-five miles of Aurora, with occasional longer trips elsewhere in West Virginia.
Source / research lead: Public Service Commission of West Virginia, Case No. 81-319-MC-TC order, September 30, 1981, reciting Certificate F-279 issued June 14, 1940 · Source link
Aurora
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Research notes
Where found: Public Service Commission of West Virginia, Case No. 81-319-MC-TC order, September 30, 1981, reciting Certificate F-279 issued June 14, 1940
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Religion & Social InstitutionsVerified to source
1940–1942
Maple Grove Child Rescue Home Closes and Is Sold
Church leaders recommended closing and selling the Maple Grove Child Rescue Home in 1940. Their history cited increasingly restrictive interstate-placement laws, more demanding state licensing requirements, fewer requests to place children in family homes, and a growing belief that children’s needs could be better met in private homes. By 1942, the property had been sold to Clifford Feather for $4,000. The proceeds were divided among the three sponsoring Church of the Brethren districts in the same proportions as their original contributions, and some of the money supported the district’s work at Camp Galilee.
Source / research lead: Foster Melvin Bittinger, A History of the Church of the Brethren in the First District of West Virginia (1945), p. 114 · Source link
Eglon
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Research notes
Where found: Foster Melvin Bittinger, A History of the Church of the Brethren in the First District of West Virginia (1945), p. 114
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1941
Wider contextNational & World ContextVerified
December 7–8, 1941
Pearl Harbor brings the United States into World War II
Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, and Congress declared war the following day. The shift quickly affected Preston County through enlistment and the draft, rationing, war production, bond drives, military correspondence, and casualty notices.
Source / research lead: National Archives, Joint Address to Congress Leading to a Declaration of War Against Japan · Source link
United States and world
Open event page
Context source: National Archives, Joint Address to Congress Leading to a Declaration of War Against Japan
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Research notes
Where found: National Archives, Joint Address to Congress Leading to a Declaration of War Against Japan
1942
Health, Environment & DisastersVerified
1942
Branson Haas Sells Brookside Woods to the State for Cathedral State Park
Branson Haas sold the 118.5-acre tract containing Brookside Woods to the State of West Virginia for $13,000. The State Conservation Commission established Cathedral State Park, and Haas remained there as caretaker until his death in 1955. A separate 7.5-acre parcel was acquired later for park facilities.
Source / research lead: National Register of Historic Places, Brookside Historic District nomination, Section 8, pp. 18–19; Preston County Deed Book 215, p. 449; Deed Book 339, p. 182 · Source link
Cathedral State Park / Aurora area
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: National Register of Historic Places, Brookside Historic District nomination, Section 8, pp. 18–19; Preston County Deed Book 215, p. 449; Deed Book 339, p. 182
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1945
Wider contextNational & World ContextVerified
May 8, 1945
Victory in Europe Day marks the end of the war in Europe
Germany's surrender took effect on May 8. For Preston County families with service members in Europe, V-E Day brought celebration and relief, but also grief, uncertainty, and—in some cases—continued military service while the Pacific war remained unfinished.
Source / research lead: National Archives, Surrender of Germany (1945) · Source link
World and United States
Open event page
Context source: National Archives, Surrender of Germany (1945)
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Research notes
Where found: National Archives, Surrender of Germany (1945)
Wider contextNational & World ContextVerified
September 2, 1945
Japan's formal surrender ends World War II
Japanese representatives signed the formal Instrument of Surrender aboard the USS Missouri. The war's end began a long transition of homecomings, demobilization, veterans' benefits, memorialization, and family adjustment in communities including those across Preston County.
Source / research lead: National Archives, Surrender of Japan (1945) · Source link
World and United States
Open event page
Context source: National Archives, Surrender of Japan (1945)
View source
Research notes
Where found: National Archives, Surrender of Japan (1945)
Courts, Crime & JusticeVerified to source
December 28, 1945
William Turner was executed by hanging at the West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville
William Turner was executed by hanging at the West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville (Marshall County) for a murder committed in Preston County.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1947
Politics & ElectionsVerified to source
January 3, 1947
Melvin C. Snyder of Preston County joins West Virginia’s U.S. House delegation
Republicans Francis J. Love of Ohio County, Melvin C. Snyder of Preston County, and E. G. Rohrbough of Gilmer County joined Republican Hubert S. Ellis, and Democrats John Kee and E. H. Hedrick as United States House of Representatives members from West Virginia.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
Communities & Town DevelopmentVerified to source
By 1947
Arthurdale homes pass into private ownership
The federal government began selling Arthurdale property in 1941. By 1947, all of the community's homes had been sold, most to the homesteader families occupying them. Public land, community buildings, and businesses were sold or transferred separately to private owners and institutions, ending Arthurdale's federal-project phase while the settlement itself continued.
Source / research lead: National Park Service, “Arthurdale: A New Deal Community Experiment,” p. 17; SAH Archipedia, “Arthurdale”; e-WV, “Arthurdale” · Source link
Arthurdale
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Research notes
Where found: National Park Service, “Arthurdale: A New Deal Community Experiment,” p. 17; SAH Archipedia, “Arthurdale”; e-WV, “Arthurdale”
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1949
Business & CommerceVerified to source
Early 1949
Harlan Castle Opens Cool Springs Park Along U.S. Route 50
In early 1949, Harlan Castle rented a small log cabin near Rowlesburg and opened the roadside business that became Cool Springs Park. He chose U.S. Route 50 for its east–west traveler traffic and began selling hamburgers, hot dogs, soft drinks, and gasoline. Picnic tables and restrooms were already on the property. After five years of renting, Castle bought the property and continued expanding it. Over the years, Cool Springs grew to include a general store, restaurant, picnic area, machinery and railroad collection, animals, a trout pond, a covered-bridge replica, and a waterwheel.
Source / research lead: Norman Julian, “Cool Springs Park: Harlan Castle Goes Into Business,” Goldenseal, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Spring 1991), pp. 57–61. · Source link
Rowlesburg area
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Norman Julian, “Cool Springs Park: Harlan Castle Goes Into Business,” Goldenseal, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Spring 1991), pp. 57–61.
The 1949 date refers to Harlan Castle opening his business, not the earliest use of the roadside property.
Backburner: investigate the earlier roadside site and the reported first West Virginia State Road Commission drinking fountain in Preston County around 1930. Do not treat 1929 as an established opening date.
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1950
Wider contextNational & World ContextVerified
June 25, 1950
The Korean War begins
North Korean forces invaded South Korea, and the United States soon entered the conflict under United Nations command. Draft notices, enlistments, service records, casualties, and veterans' experiences connected Preston County families to a war fought far from home.
Source / research lead: National Archives, US Enters the Korean Conflict · Source link
World and United States
Open event page
Context source: National Archives, US Enters the Korean Conflict
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Research notes
Where found: National Archives, US Enters the Korean Conflict
1951
Military & WartimeVerified to source
November 16, 1951
Air Force B-26 crashes near Eglon
On the evening of November 16, 1951, a U.S. Air Force Douglas RB-26C Invader returning from Pittsburgh to Langley Air Force Base on a routine training flight suffered an engine failure and struck a mountaintop near Eglon, southeast of Aurora. All three Air Force Reserve officers aboard—Jerome J. Walsh, William L. Langdon, and Prentice Ross Jr.—were killed. Wreckage scattered across the Ernest Shaffer farm, and one engine narrowly missed the family’s house. Hundreds of military personnel, National Guardsmen, police officers, Civil Air Patrol crews, hunters, and local volunteers participated in a weeklong winter search centered at Aurora High School.
Source / research lead: The Republican (Oakland, Maryland), November 22, 1951, p. 1, “Crash of B-26 Bomber Near Eglon Takes Two Lives, Possibly Three” · Source link
Eglon
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Research notes
Where found: The Republican (Oakland, Maryland), November 22, 1951, p. 1, “Crash of B-26 Bomber Near Eglon Takes Two Lives, Possibly Three”
The contemporary newspaper placed the crash on a mountaintop near Route 24, about a mile from Eglon, on the Ernest Shaffer farm; military aircraft records place it approximately 2 to 2.5 miles southeast of Aurora.
Aircraft records identify the plane as Douglas RB-26C Invader serial number 44-35434, assigned to the 4400th Replacement Training Squadron at Langley Air Force Base.
Jerome J. Walsh was found between Youghiogheny Forest and Brookside, helping explain the Brookside association in local memory even though the reported crash site was nearer Eglon.
The November 29 follow-up identifies the third airman as Prentice F. Ross Jr.; the November 22 report appears to give the middle initial as E. The timeline text omits the disputed initial.
Military aircraft records attribute the crash to engine failure. The contemporary newspaper also mentioned a belief that the aircraft may have descended while attempting to escape icing conditions, but did not establish icing as the cause.
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1953
Wider contextNational & World ContextVerified
July 27, 1953
The Korean Armistice halts the fighting
The Korean Armistice Agreement brought active hostilities to a halt without creating a permanent peace treaty. For local veterans and their families, the date marked the end of combat but not necessarily the end of military service or the consequences of war.
Source / research lead: National Archives, Korean Armistice Agreement (1953) · Source link
World and United States
Open event page
Context source: National Archives, Korean Armistice Agreement (1953)
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Research notes
Where found: National Archives, Korean Armistice Agreement (1953)
RailroadsVerified to source
1953
Passenger service ends on the former M&K branch
Passenger service on the former Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad ended in 1953. The route remained in use for freight, carrying coal, limestone, and other industrial traffic under Baltimore & Ohio operation.
Source / research lead: WVNC Rails, “Morgantown and Kingwood Railroad,” history and operational notes · Source link
Morgantown / Rowlesburg
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Research notes
Where found: WVNC Rails, “Morgantown and Kingwood Railroad,” history and operational notes
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1958
Religion & Social InstitutionsVerified to source
1958
Our Lady of the Pines Opens at Silver Lake
Peter and Elizabeth “Beanie” Milkint completed Our Lady of the Pines, a tiny sandstone chapel near Eglon, as a memorial to their parents. Measuring 24 by 12 feet outside, its sanctuary contains six stained-glass windows and six pews seating 12 worshippers. The Milkints intended it as both a place of devotion and a roadside attraction, promoting it as the “Smallest Church in 48 States.” The chapel became a popular setting for prayer, christenings, and small weddings and eventually drew tens of thousands of visitors annually.
Source / research lead: Carl E. Feather, “The Small Church With a Big Heart,” Goldenseal, vol. 26, no. 1 (Spring 2000), pp. 52–56; Robert Thomson, “In W.Va., a Tiny Church That Touches the Heart,” The Washington Post, August 14, 2001 · Source link
Silver Lake / Eglon area
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Related historical photograph
Our Lady of the Pines at Silver Lake, photographed in 2017
Photograph by Bohemian Baltimore, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. This modern view documents the chapel but does not depict its 1957–1958 construction.
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Research notes
Where found: Carl E. Feather, “The Small Church With a Big Heart,” Goldenseal, vol. 26, no. 1 (Spring 2000), pp. 52–56; Robert Thomson, “In W.Va., a Tiny Church That Touches the Heart,” The Washington Post, August 14, 2001
The date is recorded as 1958 because the Milkints’ postcard history states that the chapel was built in 1957–1958, while Carl E. Feather’s Goldenseal article says it was completed and named in 1958. No exact opening or dedication date has been located.
“Smallest Church in 48 States” is treated here as the chapel’s historic promotional claim, not a verified record. Feather noted that smaller churches existed, including West Virginia’s Little Hidden Valley Prayer Chapel, built in 1975.
Although the chapel has an Eglon mailing address and is commonly described as being in Eglon, it is physically located at Silver Lake near Horse Shoe Run. It was a privately established Catholic memorial chapel rather than a conventional parish church: Goldenseal reported no regular service schedule or membership roll, although the chapel was used for prayer, christenings, and weddings.
The principal source is Carl E. Feather’s 2000 Goldenseal article, based partly on interviews with the Milkints’ relatives and later caretakers Marie and Ellis Teets and John Cook. A 2001 Washington Post article independently corroborates the chapel’s construction, dimensions, purpose, and history.
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1964
Health, Environment & DisastersVerified
October 14, 1964
Cranesville Swamp Becomes a National Natural Landmark
Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall designated Cranesville Swamp Nature Sanctuary a National Natural Landmark. Straddling Preston County, West Virginia, and Garrett County, Maryland, Cranesville was one of nine sites included in the program’s first group of designations and protects a rare boreal wetland ecosystem.
Source / research lead: National Park Service, “The First NNLs”; e-WV, “Cranesville Swamp” · Source link
Cranesville / Cranesville Swamp
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Research notes
Where found: National Park Service, “The First NNLs”; e-WV, “Cranesville Swamp”
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Politics & ElectionsVerified to source
November 3, 1964
Preston County Votes for Lyndon Johnson
Preston County voters gave Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson 6,264 votes, or 60.94 percent, to Republican Barry Goldwater’s 4,015 votes. The result was a striking departure from the county’s longstanding Republican preference in presidential elections.
Source / research lead: West Virginia Blue Book, 1965, p. 779 · Source link
Preston County
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Research notes
Where found: West Virginia Blue Book, 1965, p. 779
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1965
Wider contextNational & World ContextVerified
March 8, 1965
U.S. ground combat forces arrive in Vietnam
The arrival of 3,500 U.S. Marines at Da Nang marked a major expansion of American combat involvement in Vietnam. The era shaped draft records, military service, protest, correspondence, obituaries, and veterans' lives within Preston County families.
Source / research lead: National Archives, Remembering Vietnam, Episode 5: America Goes to War · Source link
United States and world
Open event page
Context source: National Archives, Remembering Vietnam, Episode 5: America Goes to War
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Research notes
Where found: National Archives, Remembering Vietnam, Episode 5: America Goes to War
Health, Environment & DisastersVerified
1965
Cathedral State Park Becomes a National Natural Landmark
Cathedral State Park was designated a National Natural Landmark in recognition of its old-growth hemlock forest. The Preston County park preserves West Virginia’s only remaining stand of virgin hemlock forest.
Source / research lead: National Park Service, “1964–1966 NNL Designations”; e-WV, “National Natural Landmarks” · Source link
Cathedral State Park / Aurora area
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Research notes
Where found: National Park Service, “1964–1966 NNL Designations”; e-WV, “National Natural Landmarks”
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Health, Environment & DisastersVerified
1965
Hopemont Sanitarium Becomes Hopemont State Hospital
The West Virginia Legislature passed House Bill 994 on March 10, 1965, discontinuing Hopemont’s exclusively tuberculosis-focused sanitarium and establishing Hopemont State Hospital for chronically ill, aged, and infirm residents. The law took effect 90 days after passage and directed that Hopemont’s tuberculosis patients be transferred to Pinecrest Sanitarium by July 1, 1968.
Source / research lead: West Virginia Legislature, Enrolled House Bill 994, 1965, pp. 1–3; West Virginia Department of Health, “Hopemont Hospital History” · Source link
Hopemont / Terra Alta
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Research notes
Where found: West Virginia Legislature, Enrolled House Bill 994, 1965, pp. 1–3; West Virginia Department of Health, “Hopemont Hospital History”
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1968
RailroadsVerified to source
May 31, 1968
Tunnelton Depot Closes to Passenger Service
The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad depot at Tunnelton closed its doors to passenger service after selling its final passenger tickets. Freight handling continued into the 1980s, but the 1968 closure marked the end of the depot’s long role as a passenger gateway for central and southern Preston County.
Source / research lead: National Register nomination, Tunnelton Railroad Depot, Section 8, pp. 3 and 9; bibliography, p. 10, citing the B&O Daily Report of Sales and Closing Number of Local Tickets · Source link
Tunnelton
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Research notes
Where found: National Register nomination, Tunnelton Railroad Depot, Section 8, pp. 3 and 9; bibliography, p. 10, citing the B&O Daily Report of Sales and Closing Number of Local Tickets
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Religion & Social InstitutionsVerified to source
1968
Kingwood Public Library Moves into Its Present Building
Kingwood Public Library moved to its present building at 205 West Main Street. Formed by local women’s organizations in 1941, the library had previously been housed at two former county-jail sites.
Source / research lead: West Virginia Library Commission, Kingwood Public Library directory history · Source link
Kingwood
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Research notes
Where found: West Virginia Library Commission, Kingwood Public Library directory history
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1969
Culture, Media & CommunicationsVerified to source
November 28, 1969
An Earth Satellite Station, one of only four in the country, went into operation at Etam, Preston County
An Earth Satellite Station, one of only four in the country, went into operation at Etam, Preston County to transmit telephone calls from around the world.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Etam
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1972
RailroadsVerified to source
January 5, 1972
B&O seeks to abandon the Reedsville–Kingwood section
The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad applied for authority to abandon approximately 9.49 miles of its Morgantown and Kingwood Branch between Reedsville and Kingwood. Removal of this middle section divided the former M&K into western and eastern remnants.
Source / research lead: Interstate Commerce Commission docket index, Finance Docket 26983, January 5, 1972, pp. 438–439; WVNC Rails, “Morgantown and Kingwood Railroad” · Source link
Reedsville / Kingwood
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Research notes
Where found: Interstate Commerce Commission docket index, Finance Docket 26983, January 5, 1972, pp. 438–439; WVNC Rails, “Morgantown and Kingwood Railroad”
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1973
Wider contextNational & World ContextVerified
January 27, 1973
The Paris Peace Accords mark the end of U.S. combat in Vietnam
The Paris Peace Accords provided for the withdrawal of U.S. troops and marked the end of direct American combat in Vietnam. Prisoner returns, homecomings, veterans' health, and unresolved grief continued long after the agreement.
Source / research lead: U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian, Paris Peace Accords · Source link
United States and world
Open event page
Context source: U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian, Paris Peace Accords
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Research notes
Where found: U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian, Paris Peace Accords
Communities & Town DevelopmentVerified
July 2, 1973
Lewis Stemple’s Nomination Helps Place Red Horse Tavern on the National Register
Aurora artist Lewis E. Stemple prepared the March 1973 National Register nomination for Red Horse Tavern. The historic stone building was entered in the National Register of Historic Places on July 2, connecting Stemple's artistic legacy with preservation of Aurora's turnpike history.
Source / research lead: Lewis E. Stemple, National Register of Historic Places Inventory–Nomination Form: Red Horse Tavern, March 1973; National Register listing date, July 2, 1973 · Source link
Red Horse Tavern / Aurora area
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Research notes
Where found: Lewis E. Stemple, National Register of Historic Places Inventory–Nomination Form: Red Horse Tavern, March 1973; National Register listing date, July 2, 1973
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1975
Wider contextNational & World ContextVerified
April 30, 1975
The fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
North Vietnamese forces captured Saigon, bringing the long conflict to an end. Its effects remained present in the lives of veterans, refugees, military families, and communities—including the stories and records preserved by Preston County families.
Source / research lead: Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum, Casting Light · Source link
World and United States
Open event page
Context source: Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum, Casting Light
View source
Research notes
Where found: Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum, Casting Light
1977
Health, Environment & DisastersVerified to source
January 1977
Terra Alta Records 104 Inches of Snow in One Month
Persistent northwest winds brought repeated snowfalls during West Virginia’s coldest month on record. Terra Alta measured 104 inches of snow during January, establishing a state monthly snowfall record.
Source / research lead: e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia, “The Weather” · Source link
Terra Alta
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Research notes
Where found: e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia, “The Weather”
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EducationVerified to source
1977
Preston County creates three regional high schools
Preston County reorganized several community high schools under three regional identities in 1977. Kingwood High School became Central Preston High School; Terra Alta and Aurora high schools consolidated as East Preston Senior High School; and the former Valley High School in Masontown began operating as West Preston High School. These regional schools preceded the later countywide consolidation into Preston High School.
Source / research lead: Preston County Schools, “History of Terra Alta East Preston School”; Morgantown Morning Reporter, September 2, 1977, identifying Central, East and West Preston and describing West Preston as formerly Valley High; Preston County News, February 14, 2022, on Kingwood High School’s 1977 renaming · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Preston County Schools, “History of Terra Alta East Preston School”; Morgantown Morning Reporter, September 2, 1977, identifying Central, East and West Preston and describing West Preston as formerly Valley High; Preston County News, February 14, 2022, on Kingwood High School’s 1977 renaming
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1981
Health, Environment & DisastersVerified to source
July 13, 1981
Fire Destroys Much of Cool Springs Park
On July 13, 1981, a fire destroyed much of Cool Springs Park along U.S. Route 50 near Rowlesburg. In Norman Julian’s 1991 Goldenseal account, the fire was attributed to old electrical wiring in the original log cabin. Harlan Castle recalled that he had no insurance. Castle and his family rebuilt, and Cool Springs continued serving travelers and local customers.
Source / research lead: Norman Julian, “Cool Springs Park: Harlan Castle Goes Into Business,” Goldenseal, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Spring 1991), pp. 57–61. · Source link
Rowlesburg area
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Norman Julian, “Cool Springs Park: Harlan Castle Goes Into Business,” Goldenseal, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Spring 1991), pp. 57–61.
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Coal / Coke / MiningCaptured · not verified
1981 — exact date to verify
Last beehive coke ovens at Bretz cease operation
The end of production marked the close of a long industrial era at Bretz, where coal mining and beehive coke production had shaped the community for generations.
Source / research lead: Kin & Coal fieldwork and article notes
Bretz
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Research notes
Where found: Kin & Coal fieldwork and article notes
1985
Health, Environment & DisastersVerified
November 4–5, 1985
Election Day Flood Devastates the Cheat Valley Across County Lines
After prolonged heavy rain, the Cheat River reached a record crest of 36.9 feet at Rowlesburg. Floodwaters devastated Rowlesburg, Albright, and neighboring Cheat Valley communities, destroying homes, businesses, bridges, roads, and railroad infrastructure; 110 of Albright’s 132 homes were destroyed. Upstream in Tucker County, Parsons also suffered devastating flooding. Scientific study of the Cheat River and Black Fork documented exceptional flooding, erosion, and debris deposits, placing Preston’s losses within the wider disaster across the shared watershed.
Source / research lead: U.S. Geological Survey, Flood of November 1985; NOAA National Water Prediction Service, Cheat River at Rowlesburg; Preston County News, “Thirty-five years since flood devastated Preston County” · Source link
Rowlesburg / Albright / Cheat River
Open event page
Related historical photograph
Floodwater at Dorsey’s TV Sales in Parsons, November 1985
Photograph by John Warner, published in Tucker Culture’s “The Great Flood of 1985: Finding Strength in Community.” The linked essay includes the First Street scene in Parsons, upstream from Preston’s Cheat Valley communities. This is an actual Tucker County flood photograph; reproduction permission has not been established.
View related photograph
Research notes
Where found: U.S. Geological Survey, Flood of November 1985; NOAA National Water Prediction Service, Cheat River at Rowlesburg; Preston County News, “Thirty-five years since flood devastated Preston County”
USGS research places the November 4–5, 1985 event in the connected Cheat–Black Fork river system. Tucker County documentary photographs provide an upstream community perspective. The Parsons photographs depict the actual disaster in Tucker County, not damage in Rowlesburg or Albright.
The existing Rowlesburg crest and Albright home-loss figures are retained from the entry’s cited local sources; they were not independently reverified for this regional expansion. A gauge crest is measured against that station’s datum, not the depth of water throughout a town. Damage totals, discharge figures, and casualty counts must remain tied to their particular locations.
The added watershed context does not establish a dam failure or attribute the flood to a single facility. John Warner’s photographs are credited in Tucker Culture’s presentation, but no open reuse license is stated. They are linked, not reproduced. The exact exposure date and physical negative repository are not specified.
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1986
Culture, Media & CommunicationsVerified to source
December 6, 1986
WKMM - FM radio went on the air, the first FM radio station in Kingwood, Preston County
WKMM - FM radio went on the air, the first FM radio station in Kingwood, Preston County. It was owned by the Buckwheat Broadcasting, Inc.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Kingwood
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1989
Culture, Media & CommunicationsVerified to source
February 1, 1989
Arthurdale Historic District enters the National Register
The Arthurdale Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on February 1, 1989. The designation recognized the surviving New Deal community plan, homesteads, public buildings, industrial structures, roads, and other historic resources.
Source / research lead: West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office, Preston County National Register listings; National Register nomination · Source link
Arthurdale
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Research notes
Where found: West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office, Preston County National Register listings; National Register nomination
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1990
RailroadsVerified to source
1990–1991
Rail service ends along the future Deckers Creek Trail
The last train reportedly ran over the western Morgantown–Reedsville portion of the former M&K in 1990. With no traffic remaining in 1991, CSX abandoned the section; its rails were removed in the early 1990s, leaving the corridor that would become the Deckers Creek Rail-Trail.
Source / research lead: Mon River Trails Conservancy, local history account; TrailLink, “Deckers Creek Rail-Trail History”; Morgantown and Kingwood historical marker · Source link
Morgantown / Reedsville
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Research notes
Where found: Mon River Trails Conservancy, local history account; TrailLink, “Deckers Creek Rail-Trail History”; Morgantown and Kingwood historical marker
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1991
Health, Environment & DisastersVerified to source
April 9, 1991
Derecho Sweeps Across Preston County
A fast-moving line of severe thunderstorms struck Preston County with destructive straight-line winds. Kingwood recorded a 69-mph gust, more than 100 pine trees fell near Kingwood, and two people were injured near Rowlesburg when their mobile home was blown from its base.
Source / research lead: National Weather Service Charleston, “The West Virginia Derecho of April 9, 1991” · Source link
Kingwood / Rowlesburg / Preston County
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: National Weather Service Charleston, “The West Virginia Derecho of April 9, 1991”
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Business, Banking & CommerceVerified to source
June 24, 1991
The Terra Alta Bank leaves its historic downtown building
After 98 years in its 1893 building, the Terra Alta Bank opened a modern facility on State Route 7 on June 24, 1991. In June 1993, the former bank building was sold to the Preston County Historical Society for ten dollars and became the Preston County History House.
Source / research lead: National Register of Historic Places nomination, Terra Alta Bank (1997), section 8, p. 3; Charles A. Thomas, Preston County (1998), p. 57 · Source link
Terra Alta
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: National Register of Historic Places nomination, Terra Alta Bank (1997), section 8, p. 3; Charles A. Thomas, Preston County (1998), p. 57
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1992
EducationVerified to source
May 8, 1992
The State Board of Education ruled that students from one county could attend public schools of another
The State Board of Education ruled that students from one county could attend public schools of another county without the approval of either county's board of education. The case stemmed from a situation in Preston County, where residents were closer to schools in Tucker County than any schools in their own county.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
EducationVerified to source
August 14, 1992
Preston County students who lived closer to Tucker County schools could choose which schools to attend
The State Board of Education ruled that Preston County students who lived closer to Tucker County schools than those in their own county could choose which schools to attend.
Source / research lead: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Source: West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Memory Timeline.
View West Virginia Memory entry
Research notes
Where found: WV Memory Timeline search: Preston
1994
Health, Environment & DisastersVerified to source
Spring 1994
Friends of the Cheat Forms After a Mine Blowout Pollutes the Cheat River
Polluted water from a large, illegally sealed underground coal mine near Albright blew out a hillside and poured into Muddy Creek, then the Cheat River, turning the river orange for miles. Concerned citizens and other stakeholders organized Friends of the Cheat to restore the river and coordinate work against more than a century of mining-related pollution.
Source / research lead: Friends of the Cheat, “FOC History” and “FOC 101”; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Rebirth of the Cheat River” · Source link
Albright / Muddy Creek / Cheat River
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Friends of the Cheat, “FOC History” and “FOC 101”; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Rebirth of the Cheat River”
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1995
Health, Environment & DisastersVerified to source
1995
Friends of Deckers Creek Forms to Restore the Watershed
An informal group of kayakers, rock climbers, anglers, and other creek supporters formed Friends of Deckers Creek, beginning with illegal-dump cleanups and water-quality monitoring. The organization serves the full Deckers Creek watershed, which crosses Preston and Monongalia counties and includes Preston County areas around Arthurdale, Masontown, and Reedsville.
Source / research lead: Friends of Deckers Creek, “History”; West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, West Virginia Stream Partners 2013, p. 16; Friends of Deckers Creek, The State of the Creek, 2003, pp. 4–7 · Source link
Deckers Creek watershed
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Friends of Deckers Creek, “History”; West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, West Virginia Stream Partners 2013, p. 16; Friends of Deckers Creek, The State of the Creek, 2003, pp. 4–7
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1996
Health, Environment & DisastersVerified to source
January 19–20, 1996
Snowmelt Flood Strikes the Cheat Valley
Warm air rapidly melted a snowpack as deep as 25 inches before rain accelerated the runoff. The Cheat River crested at 24.2 feet at Rowlesburg—8.2 feet above flood stage. Across Preston and Tucker counties, 85 homes sustained major damage, 127 had minor damage, and 141 were minimally affected; Preston County property damage was estimated at $710,000.
Source / research lead: NOAA/National Weather Service, Storm Data, January 1996, West Virginia, pp. 156–157 · Source link
Rowlesburg / Cheat River / Preston County
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: NOAA/National Weather Service, Storm Data, January 1996, West Virginia, pp. 156–157
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RailroadsVerified to source
1996
Former M&K corridor is railbanked for recreational use
In 1996, the 51-mile former CSX corridor that included the Morgantown–Reedsville portion of the M&K was acquired and railbanked as a nonmotorized trail system. The conversion preserved the abandoned railroad grade for public recreation and future transportation use.
Source / research lead: Mon River Trails Conservancy, “Railroad History of the Deckers Creek Rail-Trail” interpretive sign · Source link
Deckers Creek / Preston County
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Mon River Trails Conservancy, “Railroad History of the Deckers Creek Rail-Trail” interpretive sign
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1998
Health, Environment & DisastersVerified to source
June 2, 1998
F2 Tornado Crosses Northeastern Preston County
An F2 tornado entered the northeastern tip of Preston County at about 9:45 p.m. and crossed into Garrett County, Maryland, about five minutes later. Along its full 12-mile path through Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland, the tornado destroyed a dairy barn and two house trailers, damaged roofs, and cut a path of uprooted and sheared trees as wide as 300 yards. No injuries were reported.
Source / research lead: National Weather Service Pittsburgh, “The June 2nd 1998 Tornado Outbreak” · Source link
Northeastern Preston County
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: National Weather Service Pittsburgh, “The June 2nd 1998 Tornado Outbreak”
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RailroadsVerified to source
1998
Construction begins on the regional rail-trail system
Construction of the Mon River and Deckers Creek rail-trail system began in 1998, and the network's first section opened that year. The former M&K grade along Deckers Creek was developed in phases into a public route for walking, running, and cycling.
Source / research lead: The Dominion Post, “A new path to economic development” (August 22, 2020); Morgantown magazine, “Going Regional” (July 27, 2018); City of Morgantown rail-trail property record citing an April 22, 1998 deed · Source link
Deckers Creek / Preston County
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: The Dominion Post, “A new path to economic development” (August 22, 2020); Morgantown magazine, “Going Regional” (July 27, 2018); City of Morgantown rail-trail property record citing an April 22, 1998 deed
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1999
Health, Environment & DisastersVerified to source
January 13–15, 1999
Ice Storm Causes Preston County’s Worst Outage in Years
A powerful winter storm left more than one inch of ice in parts of Preston County. Falling branches and power lines cut electricity to more than 3,000 county homes, producing what the utility called Preston County’s worst power outage since 1983.
Source / research lead: NOAA/National Weather Service, Storm Data, January 1999, West Virginia, p. 243 · Source link
Preston County
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: NOAA/National Weather Service, Storm Data, January 1999, West Virginia, p. 243
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2001
Wider contextNational & World ContextVerified
September 11, 2001
The September 11 terrorist attacks transform American life
Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four airplanes and attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon; Flight 93 crashed in nearby southwestern Pennsylvania. The attacks reshaped military service, public safety, travel, and community life for Preston County residents and families.
Source / research lead: National September 11 Memorial & Museum, 9/11 FAQs · Source link
United States
Open event page
Context source: National September 11 Memorial & Museum, 9/11 FAQs
View source
Research notes
Where found: National September 11 Memorial & Museum, 9/11 FAQs
2003
RailroadsVerified to source
2003
CSX seeks to abandon the final M&K remnant
After the last coal mines served by the eastern portion closed, CSX filed in 2003 to abandon the final 14.3-mile remnant of the former M&K between M&K Junction near Rowlesburg and Albright. The track was subsequently removed, bringing railroad use of the original M&K route to an end.
Source / research lead: WVNC Rails, “Morgantown and Kingwood Railroad”; Morgantown and Kingwood historical marker · Source link
Rowlesburg / Albright
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Research notes
Where found: WVNC Rails, “Morgantown and Kingwood Railroad”; Morgantown and Kingwood historical marker
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2005
Business & CommerceVerified to source
October 11, 2005
Bruceton Bank and The Terra Alta Bank become Clear Mountain Bank
On October 11, 2005, Bruceton Bank acquired its affiliate, The Terra Alta Bank, and the combined institution became Clear Mountain Bank. The bank remained headquartered in Bruceton Mills while continuing the older banks' service in Preston County and nearby communities.
Source / research lead: Federal Reserve CRA Public Evaluation, 2007; West Virginia Secretary of State business record · Source link
Bruceton Mills / Terra Alta
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: Federal Reserve CRA Public Evaluation, 2007; West Virginia Secretary of State business record
The Federal Reserve states that Clear Mountain Bank was formed on October 11, 2005, when Bruceton Bank acquired The Terra Alta Bank. The West Virginia Secretary of State record documents Clear Mountain Bank as a trade name later that month and records the merger. The sources reviewed do not explain why the name 'Clear Mountain' was selected; this entry makes no claim that it was named for a particular mountain.
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2013
Communities & Town DevelopmentVerified
May 8, 2013
Brookside Historic District Enters the National Register
The 139-acre Brookside Historic District near Aurora was entered in the National Register of Historic Places. The district connects the surviving Brookside resort properties—including Gaymont, cottages, the farm, and Red Horse Tavern—with Cathedral State Park and the history of transportation and mountain tourism along U.S. Route 50.
Source / research lead: West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office, National Register list for Preston County; Brookside Historic District nomination · Source link
Brookside / Aurora area
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office, National Register list for Preston County; Brookside Historic District nomination
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2016
Health, Environment & DisastersVerified to source
June 9, 2016
EPA Documents the Rebirth of the Cheat River
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported that years of restoration work had returned fishing and whitewater recreation to the Cheat River mainstem, while treatment of polluted tributaries continued. The agency said restoration work reduced acid-mine-drainage pollution entering the Cheat watershed by more than 1.7 million pounds between 2000 and 2013.
Source / research lead: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Rebirth of the Cheat River,” June 9, 2016; Friends of the Cheat, “FOC 101” · Source link
Cheat River / Preston County
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Rebirth of the Cheat River,” June 9, 2016; Friends of the Cheat, “FOC 101”
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2020
Health, Environment & DisastersVerified to source
September 2020
West Virginia Land Trust secures public access at Jenkinsburg
The West Virginia Land Trust purchased 13.5 acres at Jenkinsburg from longtime owners Dave and Cynthia Hough for permanent public access. The property lies at the confluence of Big Sandy Creek and the Cheat River, abuts the Bull Run Bridge, and connects river access with the Allegheny Trail and nearby public lands.
Source / research lead: West Virginia Land Trust, Jenkinsburg Recreation & Natural Area · Source link
Jenkinsburg / Blue Hole / Cheat River
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: West Virginia Land Trust, Jenkinsburg Recreation & Natural Area
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2025
Transportation & InfrastructureVerified to source
March 17, 2025
WVDOH permanently closes Bull Run (Jenkinsburg) Bridge to vehicles
The West Virginia Division of Highways permanently closed the 1912 bridge to vehicular traffic, effective immediately, after an annual inspection found major deficiencies and severe safety concerns. WVDOH said the deficiencies were unrepairable and that there were no immediate plans to repair or replace the bridge. Drivers were directed to cross the Cheat River at Albright or Cheat Lake, and emergency-response routes to the Blue Hole area became substantially longer.
Source / research lead: WBOY, “WVDOH closes Bull Run Bridge in Preston County” (March 17, 2025); WV MetroNews (March 18, 2025) · Source link
Jenkinsburg / Bull Run / Blue Hole / Cheat River
Open event page
Research notes
Where found: WBOY, “WVDOH closes Bull Run Bridge in Preston County” (March 17, 2025); WV MetroNews (March 18, 2025)
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Explore Preston County across time

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When?

Ancient seas leave limestone beneath the future county

Sand and mud become the county’s rock layers

Ancient wetlands lay the groundwork for Preston’s coal

Continental collision folds the rocks beneath Preston

Rivers and streams continue shaping Preston’s landscape

Indigenous people are present in the Preston region

Virginia creates Frederick and Augusta counties across its western frontier

The King of England defined the lands owned by Lord Fairfax, including all of present-day West Virginia east of the Fairfax Stone

The Fairfax Stone was placed at the headwaters of the North Branch of the Potomac River

Eckerlin Brothers Establish a Settlement at Dunkard Bottom

Dunkard Bottom Is Attacked and Two Eckerlin Brothers Are Captured

Fort Pitt Deserters Camp Near Present-Day Aurora

Mason and Dixon mark Preston County’s future northern boundary

John Judy settles on Big Sandy Creek

The British Privy Council approved the petition of the Walpole Company

Fort Morris and Fort Butler Shelter Frontier Settlers

The Revolutionary War begins at Lexington and Concord

The colonies declare independence from Great Britain

Monongalia County is created

The Treaty of Paris ends the Revolutionary War

George Washington reaches James Spurgeon’s place near present-day Bruceton Mills

Thomas Butler Petitions to Operate a Ferry Across the Cheat River

John Stough establishes an early settlement at future Aurora

John Stough Builds a Mill on Wolf Creek

First recorded petition seeks a separate county east of Laurel Hill

Mount Carmel Is Laid Out With a Site for a Courthouse

A renewed county-division petition gathers broad support

Fire Destroys Early Monongalia County Court Records

Kingwood's town site is laid out

Another petition for a new county draws 295 signatures

Future congressman William Guy Brown is born in Kingwood

County-formation petitions propose a Bull Run boundary

Virginia establishes Kingwood as a town

Preston County is created

Preston's first county court meets at William Price's tavern

The National Road Connects Northern Preston to Regional Markets

Preston builds a stone courthouse and jail in Kingwood

Kingwood's town limits are extended

Henry Grimes Completes the Stone Building Later Known as Red Horse Tavern

Jonathan Brandon lays out Brandonville

Northwestern Road Company is chartered

A strip of Randolph County is transferred to Preston

Preston's enslaved population reaches its reported high-water mark

Kingwood has 29 households in Morton's reconstructed town survey

Lottery authorized to fund a road from the Pennsylvania state line to the Northwestern Turnpike

Evansville is established on James Evans's property

Altered the route of the Northwestern Turnpike Road so it would pass through the town of Evansville

Authorized the survey for a road from the Maryland state line near Smithfield, PA, to Brandonville

Altered the route of the Northwestern Turnpike so it would pass through Evansville, Preston County

Road survey directed from the German Settlement to Leading Creek

Act passed forbidding trespassing by non-resident herdsmen in Preston County

Established the 148th Regiment of the Virginia Militia in Preston County

Provided for the construction of a road from the Ohio River at the mouth of Fishing Creek in Tyler County, to Morgantown, to Brandonville

Brandonville incorporated

Preston Mining and Manufacturing Company incorporated

Cheat River Mining incorporated

Further work on the Fishing Creek–Morgantown–Brandonville road authorized

Part of Randolph County added to Preston County

Board of Public Works authorized to survey a road from a point near the German Settlement to Kingwood

Provided for the construction of a road from Brandonville, to Kingwood, to intersect the Northwestern…

The Northwestern Road is completed to Parkersburg

Provided for the completion of the road from the mouth of Fishing Creek in Tyler County, to Morgantown, to…

Preston Railroad incorporated

Kingwood's Philomathean Society is organized

Preston Academy at Kingwood incorporated

Part of Preston County added to Monongalia County

Morton reports a triangular boundary transfer from Monongalia to Preston

Red Horse Tavern Opens Along the Northwestern Turnpike

The Preston Academy building opens a permanent local school

Joint resolution directs a road survey from Morgantown through Kingwood to the Northwestern Turnpike

Monongalia Iron Company incorporated

Brownsville is established on John Garner's property

Kingwood Methodists build a brick church

John W. Rigg begins commercial woolen production on Muddy Creek

Preston Navigation and Manufacturing Company incorporated for the purpose of making Cheat River navigable

Evansville Literary Society of Preston County incorporated