Tag: Marshall County

September 27, 1777: Captain William Foreman and 21 Men Killed by Indians at Present McMechen

On September 27, 1777, Captain William Foreman and 21 men, including two of his sons, were killed by Indians at present McMechen in Marshall County. The latter half of 1777 was a time of bloody conflict between settlers and Indians in the Ohio Valley. Four weeks earlier, Indian warriors aligned with the British in the Revolutionary War had attacked Fort Henry at Wheeling.

After the assault on Fort Henry, a call went out on the frontier for troops. Among those to respond was Captain Foreman of Hampshire County. When further reports of Indian raids came in, Foreman, Captain Jacob Ogle, and 44 men were sent to check on Fort Tomlinson at present Moundsville. The search party discovered the fort had been attacked and abandoned within recent weeks. On their return back to Wheeling, Foreman and his column of 21 men were ambushed in their camp at McMechen.

The next day, a small group from Wheeling buried the slain men in a common grave near the scene of the ambush. In 1875, their remains were transferred to Mount Rose Cemetery in Moundsville.

Pipeline Company to Pay $122K for Environmental Violations

A company building a natural gas pipeline in West Virginia has agreed to pay $122,350 for environmental violations.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail cited a consent order made public Monday in reporting that Columbia Gas Transmission agreed to pay the amount to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection for 16 violations while building the Mountaineer Xpress Pipeline.

Columbia Gas Transmission is a subsidiary of TransCanada and will operate the Mountaineer Xpress Pipeline when it’s completed.

TransCanada spokesman Scott Castleman said the company implemented measures to address each environmental issue as it arose and has accepted the draft consent order.

The pipeline is one of many being built in the region and would run 170 miles (274 kilometers) from Marshall County to Wayne County.

Five W.Va. Counties to Receive Land & Water Conservation Grant

Five West Virginia counties will see federal funding to support improvements to their outdoor facilities.

Nearly $800,000 in federal grant money has been awarded to facilities in Tucker, Summers, Wayne, Marshall and Berkeley counties.

The grant comes from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which provides matching funds to state and local communities for acquisition, development and conservation of public parks and open spaces.

U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito released statements in support of the grant. Both cited the potential for growth in the state’s outdoor recreational opportunities.

The grant will support various improvements such as restoring a swimming pool, installation of some water and electrical services, and construction of picnic shelters.

Individual awards include:

  • $400,000 – City of Benwood to restore the swimming pool at Benwood City Park. This includes a new filtration system, gutter system, floor slabs, wall panels, decking, electrical upgrades, shade structure and ADA accessibility.
  • $184,871 – The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Division of State Parks to assist in the installation of water and electrical services to 32 sites in an existing campground at Pipestem State Park.
  • $100,000 – City of Parsons to assist in the installation of ADA compliant restroom fixtures and to construct a parking lot for their new splash pad at Mill Race Park.
  • $60,000 – Berkeley County Council, the City of Martinsburg and the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Parks and Recreation Board to assistant in the construction of two group picnic shelters, one at Faulkner Park and one at War Memorial Park.
  • $33,113 – City of Kenova to assist in the rebuilding and restoration of the tennis courts at the Dreamland Pool Complex, in compliance with the ADA.

Justice Asks Trump to Declare Federal Disaster in W.Va.

Gov. Jim Justice is seeking a federal disaster declaration for a dozen counties in northern West Virginia hit by flooding in late July.

Justice sent a letter to the White House on August 10 requesting the disaster declaration, according to a news release from the state Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety.

Justice outlined a preliminary flood-damage assessment in the letter. 161 homes were destroyed or suffered major damage in four of the twelve counties. Another 557 homes received minor damage.

Justice is requesting both individual and public assistance for Harrison, Marion, Marshall, Ohio, and Wetzel Counties, and public assistance for Doddridge, Monongalia, Preston, Randolph, Taylor, Tucker and Tyler Counties.

The letter specifically asks for help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Individuals and Household Program, crisis counseling, disaster legal services and unemployment assistance, and programs from other agencies like the Small Business Administration and the Federal Highway Administration.

The late-July storm also closed or damaged more than 20 roads in the northern part of the state after at least 3 inches of rain triggered flash floods and mudslides.

West Virginia’s federal congressional delegation also wrote a letter to the president in support of Justice’s request.

July Flooding Brings $10 Million in Damages

Last weekend’s flash flooding in northern and north-central West Virginia has caused over $10 million dollars in damages.

Eleven counties are facing damage costs totaling $10,604,778, according to the West Virginia Department of Transportation.

Doddridge County has the lowest damage cost at $60,000, while Marshall County has the highest at $3 million.

Additional counties impacted by flooding were Harrison, Marion, Monongalia, Preston, Taylor, Ohio, Wetzel, Randolph, and Tucker counties.

The Division of Highways says personnel have been sent out to continually review the roads and damage costs could rise.

Rain began late Friday, July 28 resulting in high, rushing water. Eight counties were declared a state of emergency by Governor Jim Justice. Members of the National Guard were sent to aid affected communities.

April 12, 1974: Archeologist Delf Norona Dies in Moundsville

Archeologist Delf Norona died in Moundsville on April 12, 1974, just before his 79th birthday. Born in Hong Kong, Norona spent much of his early life in the Philippine Islands.

A British subject, he emigrated to Canada and then to the United States, where he served in the U.S. Army during World War I. In 1930, he moved to West Virginia.

Norona is remembered for his important contributions to West Virginia history and archaeology, particularly relating to the Grave Creek Mound in Marshall County. He helped found the West Virginia Archaeological Society in 1949 and played a key role in building the Mound Museum at Moundsville in 1952. He served as the museum’s curator until the day of his death.

Norona was the first recipient of the Sigfus Olafson Award for his outstanding contributions to West Virginia archeology. He wrote numerous articles for the West Virginia History and West Virginia Archeologist journals, and was president of the West Virginia Historical Society and secretary of the American Philatelic Society. The modern museum at Grave Creek Mound in Moundsville is named in Delf Norona’s honor.

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