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This Week In W.Va. History

CHARLESTON — 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.

Nov. 11, 1929: The Memorial Arch was dedicated on Armistice Day in Huntington. The Memorial Arch stands at the intersection of 11th Avenue and Memorial Boulevard. The arch pays tribute to Cabell County soldiers who fought in World War I.

Nov. 12, 1844: Henry Schmulbach was born in Germany. Schmulbach became a leading businessman in Wheeling, buying Nail City Brewery in 1882 and becoming president of the German Bank, now WesBanco.

Nov. 13, 1879: Educator Elsie Clapp was born. Under her direction the community school at Arthurdale stressed education for real-life situations and revived traditional music to strengthen reading and writing skills.

Nov. 14, 1788: Kanawha County, named for the Kanawha River which flows through it, was created on this date.

Nov. 14, 1939: The Charleston Civic Orchestra gave its first concert at the Municipal Auditorium. The group changed its name to Charleston Symphony Orchestra in 1943 and in 1988 became the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra.

Nov. 14: 1970: A chartered plane slammed into a hillside just short of Huntington’s Tri-State Airport near Ceredo, killing all 75 of the passengers and crew. The victims included nearly the entire Marshall University football team, all but one of their coaches, and several fans.

Nov. 15, 2010: The landmark Aracoma Hotel in Logan was damaged by fire. It was demolished later that year.

Nov. 16, 1734: Samuel Washington was born at Pope’s Creek, Virginia. Samuel, a younger brother of George Washington, was the first of several members of the Washington family to live in what is now the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.

Nov. 16, 1823: Politician and industrialist Henry Gassaway Davis, known in the early 20th century as West Virginia’s ”Grand Old Man,” was born in Baltimore, Md.

Nov. 17, 1927: Composer and performer Robert Drasnin was born in Charleston. He performed with classic combos and big bands such as Tommy Dorsey and Les Brown, and scored music for movies and television.

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.

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