Charleston WV – The following events happened on these dates in West Virginia history. To read more, go to e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia at www.wvencyclopedia.org.
Oct. 23, 1890: The Fast Flying Virginian passenger train wrecked due to a rockslide near Hinton, killing engineer George Alley. It became the source of a folk song known variously as “The Wreck on the C&O,” “Engine 143,” and “The FFV,” among other titles.
Oct. 23, 1913: In 1975, newspaper journalist Jack Maurice became the first West Virginian to earn a Pulitzer Prize for Journalism for his coverage of the Kanawha County Textbook Controversy.
Oct. 23, 1943: German prisoners arrived at Camp Ashford in White Sulphur Springs.
Built by the U.S. War Department, Camp Ashford was one of two camps in West Virginia that housed prisoners of war during World War II.
Oct. 24, 1929: Composer George Crumb was born in Charleston. In 1968, Crumb was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for “Echoes of Time and the River: Four Processionals for Orchestra.”
Oct. 25, 1918: Athlete Marshall “Biggie” Goldberg was born in Elkins. He led the Chicago Cardinals to the 1947 NFL championship in 1947 (its last to date) and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1958 and the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1980.
Oct. 25, 1926: Professor Roy B. Clarkson was born and raised in Cass. He would become the state’s most historian of the timber industry, particularly through his book Tumult on the Mountains, and of the state’s most prominent botanists.
Oct. 25, 1951: Writer Denise Giardina was born in Bluefield and raised in neighboring McDowell County. She is best known as a novelist and also has a long history of community activism, including a run for governor.
Oct. 26, 1801: Jefferson County was established from a portion of Berkeley County by the Virginia General Assembly and named for Thomas Jefferson.
Oct. 26, 1888: Baseball player Dick Hoblitzell was born in Waverly (Wood County).
Despite two outright World Series rings, Hoblitzell is best known today for being “Babe” Ruth’s roommate with the Boston Red Sox and his rare T-205 baseball card.
Oct. 26, 1934: Athlete Rodney Clark “Hot Rod” Hundley was born in Charleston. Hundley earned first team All-American recognition his senior year at West Virginia University. He averaged 24.5 points per game and scored 2,180 points over his college career, ranking second in WVU history.
Oct. 27, 1879: Howard B. Lee was born in Wirt County. He was elected state attorney general in 1924, and served for eight challenging years. His term saw the impeachment of a state auditor, the lawlessness of Prohibition and labor troubles in the coalfields.
Oct. 28, 1929: Painter Charles Lewis “Chuck” Ripper was born in Pittsburgh and later moved to Huntington. He was one of the country's best-known wildlife artists, with paintings appearing on nearly 100 magazine covers and 80 U.S. postage stamps.
Oct. 28, 1972: Brad Paisley was born in Glen Dale. Paisley has received the Entertainer of the Year award from the Country Music Association,Oct. 29, 1861: Confederate commander Robert E. Lee ended his ill-fated western Virginia campaign. His three months in the region were marked by rain, mud, inexperienced officers, diseases among the troops and rampant criticism of his leadership.
e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia is a project of the West Virginia Humanities Council. For more information contact the West Virginia Humanities Council, 1310 Kanawha Blvd. E., Charleston, WV 25301; (304) 346-8500; or visit e-WV at www.wvencyclopedia.org.