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.
July 21, 1924: Don Knotts was born in Morgantown. The comedy legend will be forever remembered for portraying Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show.
July 22, 1859: Athlete “Jack” Glasscock was born in Wheeling. Glasscock, who played bare-handed, was one of baseball’s premier shortstops of the 19th century.
July 22, 1937: Musician Tommy Thompson was born in St. Albans, Kanawha County. Through his group, the Red Clay Ramblers, and a career that spanned four decades, Thompson played a major role in spreading the popularity of old-time music.
July 23, 1863: Financier and industrialist Isaac Thomas Mann was born in Greenbrier County.As president of the Bank of Bramwell and the Pocahontas Fuel Company for three decades, “Ike” Mann held vast holdings in coal, timber and especially financial institutions.
July 23, 1919: Novelist Davis Grubb was born in Moundsville. His renown came with his first novel, The Night of the Hunter (1953), a gripping suspense story adapted into a classic film in 1955 and for TV in 1991.
July 24, 1823: Arthur Boreman, West Virginia’s first governor, was born in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. His family moved to Middlebourne, Tyler County, when he was still an infant.
July 24, 1919: Sam Taylor of Mercer County became the first West Virginia State Police trooper. During his tenure, Taylor tracked moonshiners and bootleggers, and helped set up new state police detachments.
July 24, 1929: Cornelius Charlton was born in East Gulf, Raleigh County. Charlton was killed in battle during the Korean War, and he was honored posthumously with the Medal of Honor.
July 24, 1942: Actor Chris Sarandon was born in Beckley. A film, stage and television performer, some of his credits include The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Princess Bride and an Oscar nomination for Dog Day Afternoon.
July 24, 1983: Kansas City Royals player and Glen Dale native George Brett was involved in the “Pine-Tar Bat Incident.” After hitting a game-winning home run against the New York Yankees, the umpires ruled that Brett’s bat contained too much pine tar and called him out. The ensuing melee at home plate is classic baseball lore.
July 25, 1864: A colony of eight Catholic nuns set out from Washington, D.C., and Frederick, Maryland, for Parkersburg. The sisters, who created a monastery there and named it DeSales Heights, ran a boarding school for young women for 75 years.
July 26, 1942: Camp Washington-Carver was dedicated and opened to the public. The camp, located at Clifftop, Fayette County, was the first statewide 4-H camp for African Americans in the country. The camp’s Great Chestnut Lodge is West Virginia’s largest log structure.
July 27, 1896: Clark Kessinger was born near Charleston. He was among the most prolific and influential fiddlers of the 20th century, and one of West Virginia’s most important traditional musicians.
July 27, 1909: Coach “Dyke” Raese was born in Davis, Tucker County. He directed West Virginia University to its first major sports national championship, winning the 1942 National Invitation Tournament in basketball.
