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. 13, 1863: The Battle of Bulltown took place. The location was valuable during the Civil War because the Weston & Gauley Bridge Turnpike crossed the Little Kanawha River on a covered bridge at this site.
Oct. 14, 1943: The army began transforming parts of Dolly Sods into an artillery range to train military troops bound for duty during World War II. The operation ended on July 1, 1944.
Oct. 14, 1947: In a Bell X-1 rocket airplane dropped from a B-29 bomber, Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier by flying 700 miles per hour. He set another speed record on December 12, 1953, by flying two-and-a-half times the speed of sound in a Bell X-1A.
Oct. 14, 1949: WSAZ-TV went on the air on channel 5. Early shows included the first telecast of a Marshall College (now University) basketball game on December 3, 1949.
Oct. 14, 1985: Kanawha Airport was renamed Yeager Airport in honor of Chuck Yeager.
Oct. 15, 1839: Aretas Brooks Fleming was born in Fairmont. In 1888, Fleming won the Democratic nomination for governor and then won West Virginia’s most controversial gubernatorial election.
Oct. 15, 1952: During the Korean War, Greenbrier County native Ralph Pomeroy was killed in action near Kumhuwa, Korea, while helping his unit contain an attack. The next year, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions.
Oct. 16, 1859: John Brown and his raiders captured the arsenal at Harpers Ferry, but they were soon besieged by townspeople, local militia and federal troops. The raid galvanized the nation, further alienating North and South and drastically reducing any possible middle ground for compromise before the Civil War.
Oct. 16, 1918: Dale Troy “Stoney” Cooper was born in Randolph County. He, his wife Wilma Lee and the Clinch Mountain Clan played country music on WWVA radio in Wheeling for a decade before spending the next 20 years on the Grand Ole Opry.
Oct. 16, 1922: The Rev. Leon Sullivan was born in Charleston. In 1977, Sullivan initiated the original Sullivan Principles, a code of conduct for companies operating in South Africa. The Principles were among the most effective efforts to end the system of apartheid.
Oct. 17, 1901: Folk artist S. L. Jones was born in Monroe County. He was widely recognized for his hand-carved, painted wood sculptures. His works are in the collections of the National Museum of American Art, Museum of American Art, Museum of American Folk Art, and West Virginia State Museum.
Oct. 18, 1941: William “Billy” Cox was born in Wheeling. He is one of two bassists to have played regularly with legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix.
Oct. 19, 1894: Historian and illustrator Julius Allan DeGruyter was born in Charleston. A self-taught painter and illustrator, DeGruyter’s art appeared in numerous exhibits and is represented in the collections of the State Museum. The artwork includes scenes of early Charleston.
