The following events happened on these dates in West Virginia history:
April 23, 1857: Andrew S. Rowan was born in Gap Mills, Monroe County. Rowan, a military officer, was chosen as the messenger when President William McKinley wanted to send a message to Cuban General Calixto Garcia during the Spanish-American War. The 1899 pamphlet A Message to Garcia made the incident famous.
April 24, 1865: McNeill’s Rangers surrendered to Union troops at New Creek (now Keyser). The Confederate guerrilla force probably never numbered more than 100 men at any time but managed to inflict regular damage on Union operations.
April 25, 1863: About 1,500 Confederate soldiers under Gen. William “Grumble†Jones advanced through Greenland Gap, a deep pass through New Creek Mountain in present Grant County. The Confederates encountered 87 Union soldiers who held off several assaults before finally surrendering.
April 25, 1923: Union leader Arnold Ray Miller was born at Leewood on Cabin Creek in Kanawha County. In December 1972 he defeated Tony Boyle to become president of the United Mine Workers.
April 26, 1816: General Alexander Welch Reynolds was born in Lewisburg. He served in both the U.S. and Confederate armies. After the war, Reynolds accepted a commission as a colonel in the forces of the khedive of Egypt, which ruled Egypt under the Ottoman Empire.
April 26, 1900: Baseball great Lewis Robert “Hack†Wilson, whose 1930 single season runs-batted-in record stands today, was born in Pennsylvania. He started his pro career with the Martinsburg Blue Sox. He returned to Martinsburg after his retirement and is buried at Rosedale Cemetery.
April 26, 1937: The first West Virginia highway historical marker was installed in Charleston, detailing the many travels of our state capital.
April 27, 1758: Fort Upper Tract in present-day Pendleton County was destroyed by an Indian attack during the French and Indian War. The next day, Delaware and Shawnee warriors destroyed Fort Seybert in the same county.
April 27, 1978: An accident at the Willow Island Power Station on the Ohio River killed 51 men. The scaffolding that had been erected for use in the construction of a new cooling tower collapsed, sending the workers plunging to the ground.
April 28, 1884: Musician Henry Reed was born in Peterstown, Monroe County. Reed was a legendary West Virginia fiddler whose repertory contributed to the old-time music revival in the last half of the 20th century.
April 28, 1914: An explosion at the Eccles No. 5 mine in Raleigh County killed 174 men. The mine connected with Eccles No. 6, operating in another coal seam. Nine men in No. 6 died of injuries and of afterdamp, the deadly gas left after a mine explosion.
April 28, 1920: The Monongahela National Forest was created by presidential proclamation. It is the only national forest completely within the boundaries of West Virginia.
April 28, 1924: An explosion ripped through the Benwood coal mine south of Wheeling, killing 119 miners.
April 28, 1948: Watt Powell Park opened in Charleston. About 8,000 people, including Governor Okey L. Patteson, attended the city’s inaugural game in the Class A Central League. After the 2004 season, Watt Powell Park was replaced by what is now known as GoMart Ballpark, and the old park was demolished in 2005.
April 29, 1863: Confederate General William E. “Grumble†Jones waged a battle at Fairmont that involved a force of 500 regulars, home guards and volunteers. The Confederates prevailed, burning the personal library of Francis Pierpont, governor of the Restored Government of Virginia, and exploding an iron railroad bridge across the Monongahela River.
April 29, 1924: Playwright, teacher, and actress Ann Kathryn Flagg was born in Charleston. She is best remembered for her play Great Gettin’ up Mornin’, which was broadcast by CBS-TV in 1964.
