Minister Adam Clayton Powell Sr. was born a free person of color in Franklin County, Virginia, on May 4, 1865. He lived and worked many of his teenage years in eastern Kanawha County and later became pastor of HarlemƵs Abyssinian Baptist Church, one of the nationƵs largest churches.
Martin Robison Delaney
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John F. Kennedy defeated Hubert Humphrey in the West Virginia primary on May 10, 1960.
Abolitionist John Brown was born in Torrington, Connecticut, on May 9, 1800.. His 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry galvanized the nation, further alienating North and South in the lead-up to the Civil War.
CharlestonƵs Luna Park never reopened after a fire started on May 5, 1923, by welders working on a swimming pool.
Minister Adam Clayton Powell Sr. was born a free person of color in Franklin County, Virginia, on May 4, 1865. He lived and worked many of his teenage years in eastern Kanawha County and later became pastor of HarlemƵs Abyssinian Baptist Church, one of the nationƵs largest churches.
The Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center is photographed on June 6, 2024, in downtown Huntington.
The sun sets over the New River Gorge.
Courtesy of West Virginia Humanities Council William Alexander MacCorkle was born May 7, 1857, in Rockbridge County, Virginia, on his fatherƵs plantation. He served as West VirginiaƵs ninth governor.
Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton was designated as a National Historic Landmark on Oct. 5, 1992, one of only 16 in the state. The first MotherƵs Day observance took place at the church on May 10, 1908.
Confederate spy ƵBelleƵ Boyd was born in Martinsburg on May 9, 1843. On July 4, 1861, Boyd shot a Yankee soldier and started her spy career.
Jennings Randolph
CHARLESTON Ƶ The following events happened on these dates in West Virginia history. To read more, go to e-Ƶ: The West Virginia Encyclopedia at .
May 4, 1865: Minister Adam Clayton Powell Sr. was born a free person of color in Franklin County, Virginia. He lived and worked many of his teenage years in eastern Kanawha County and later became pastor of HarlemƵs Abyssinian Baptist Church, one of the nationƵs largest churches.
May 4, 1896: The ChildrenƵs Home Society of West Virginia was formed by a group of Charleston ministers. Their goal was to place orphaned and neglected children with caring families rather than crowd them into county poorhouses.
May 5, 1923: A fire started by welders working on a new swimming pool destroyed most of Luna Park, an amusement park in Charleston. Although LunaƵs owners announced they would rebuild, the park never reopened.
May 5, 1923: Golfer Bill Campbell was born in Huntington. He won more than 30 championships over a seven-decade career and is considered one of the best amateur players in history.
May 6, 1812: Activist and physician Martin Robison Delany was born in Charles Town. In February 1865, he was commissioned as a major in the U.S. Colored Troops. He was the only Black Civil War officer to be given a field command.
May 6, 1968: A continuous miner machine at the Gauley Coal & Coke Saxsewell No. 8 mine at Hominy Falls, Nicholas County, cut into an adjacent mine, which was filled with water. The resulting flood drowned four miners and trapped 21 others.
May 6, 1968: Newspaper publisher and Bluefield native John S. Knight received the Pulitzer Prize for his long record of service and his series of columns opposing the Vietnam War.
May 7, 1824: Logan County was created by the Virginia General Ƶsembly from parts of Giles, Tazewell, Cabell and Kanawha counties. The county seat was first known as Lawnsville, then Aracoma, and finally Logan.
May 7, 1857: William Alexander MacCorkle was born in Rockbridge County, Virginia, on his fatherƵs plantation. He served as West VirginiaƵs ninth governor.
May 7, 1928: The Keith-Albee Theater opened in Huntington. The opening program featured a comedy called ƵƵGood Morning, Judge,ƵƵ a newsreel, and five stage acts. But the theater itself, with its elaborate interior, clearly was the star of the evening.
May 7, 1983: The New River Gorge National Park and Preserve began operations when the first visitor center opened near Fayetteville.
May 8, 1864: Clarence Wayland Watson was born in Fairmont. Watson was a prominent coal baron and served in the U.S. Senate from 1911 to 1913.
May 8, 1998: Former U.S. Senator Jennings Randolph died at the age of 96. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1932 and served a total of 40 years in Congress.
May 9, 1800: Abolitionist John Brown was born in Torrington, Connecticut. His 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry galvanized the nation, further alienating North and South in the lead-up to the Civil War.
May 9, 1843: Confederate spy ƵBelleƵ Boyd was born in Martinsburg. On July 4, 1861, Boyd shot a Yankee soldier and started her spy career.
May 9, 1863: Confederate raiders arrived at Burning Springs, Wirt County. There they set fire to 150,000 barrels of oil, oil tanks, engines for pumping, engine houses, wagons, and oil-laden boats.
May 10, 1863: Just before dying of wounds suffered at the Battle of Chancellorsville, Stonewall Jackson uttered the words, ƵLet us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees.Ƶ He is buried in the Stonewall Jackson Cemetery in Lexington, Virginia.
May 10, 1908: The first official observance of MotherƵs Day was held at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton and simultaneously in Philadelphia. The holiday resulted from a vigorous campaign by Anna Jarvis, who wanted to commemorate the spirit of her motherƵs work as a social activist.
May 10, 1960: John F. Kennedy defeated Hubert Humphrey in the West Virginia primary. It dispelled the widely held belief that being a Roman Catholic was an insurmountable obstacle to becoming president.
e-Ƶ: 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, Ƶ 25301; 304-346-8500; or visit e-Ƶ at .
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