Discover Point Pleasant: History, News, Travel, and Stories

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• In the Battle of Point Pleasant (October 10, 1774), fought on the future site of the town,
  over one thousand Virginia militiamen, led by Colonel Andrew Lewis (1720–1781), defeated a roughly equal force of an Algonquin confederation of Shawnee and Mingo warriors led by Shawnee Chief Cornstalk (ca. 1720-1777).
  wikipedia.org
  
• 1794 - In December 1794, the General Assembly of Virginia enacted legislation that set aside 200 acres of land from the property of Thomas Lewis and declared that a town be established under the name of Point Pleasant.
  By this act, Point Pleasant became the oldest town on the Ohio River.
  www.pointpleasantwv.org/ MasonCoHistory/ MasonCountyHistoryWebPage.htm
  
• Point Pleasant was incorporated in 1833.
  
  
• 1854 - Point Pleasant
  Point Pleasant, a post-village, capital of Mason co., Virginia, on the Ohio river just above the mouth of the Kanawha river, 358 miles W. N. W. from Richmond. It contains a court house, and several stores and mills.
  A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.
  
•   1888 - On the 14th two men were killed and three others fatally injured by the fall of a trestle on the railroad at Point Pleasant, W. Va.
  
  St Joseph Herald
  Saint Joseph, Michigan
  February 18, 1888
  
• 1895 - Point Pleasant
  Point Pleasant, a post-village, capital of Mason co., W. Va., is on the Ohio River, just above the mouth of the Kanawha River, 80 miles below Parkersburg, and 4 miles above Gallipolis, O. It has a court-house, 6 churches, a newspaper office, a national bank, and manufactures of machinery, barrels, flour, lumber, &c. Pop. in 1890, 1853.
  Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World Containing Notices of Over One Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Places ... Joseph Thomas January 1, 1895 J.B. Lippincott
  
• 1906
  Point Pleasant, a banking post-town, capital of Mason co., W.Va., is on the Ohio River, just above the mouth of the Great Kanawha River, 80 miles below Parkersburg, on the Ohio Central Lines and the Ohio River R. It has manufactures of boats, brick and tile, etc. Coal and salt are mined. Here the Virginians won a great victory over the Indians on Oct. 10, 1774. Pop. in 1900, 1934.
  Lippincott's New Gazetteer: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World, Containing the Most Recent and Authentic Information Respecting the Countries, Cities, Towns ... in Every Portion of the Globe Publisher J.B. Lippincott Company, 1906
  
•   1911 - MET TRAGIC DEATH
  Mrs. James GARDNER, Jr., of Pt. Pleasant, Died in Burning of Home
  Point Pleasant was the scene Wednesday of the funeral of Mrs. James Gardner, Jr., a young matron of that place who met death in a tragic manner Tuesday morning.
  
  Mrs. Gardner was seated in front of the fire in her home with her ten months old baby in her arms and her six year old daughter, Alice, beside her.
  
  The little girl pushed a chair to the mantel piece and stood on the chair, trying to get something from off the mantel. While so engaged she upset an oil lamp which was burning there. The lamp fell and broke, the fire which resulted enveloped Mrs. Gardner. The woman handed the baby to its sister and told her to run into the yard with it. Then she turned and went into a bed room, evidently with the intention of getting a comfort[er] in which to smother the flames. She was unable to accomplish this purpose, however, her body being burned until only the torso remained.
  
  The house in which the Gardners lived was ... Read MORE...
  
  
•   December 15, 1967 - The Silver Bridge connecting West Virginia and Ohio collapsed, resulting in the death of 46 people.
  OHIO RIVER SPAN COLLAPSES; DEATH TOLL MAY REACH SIXTY.
  
  Point Pleasant, W. Va., (UPI) - A depression-era bridge, groaning under the weight of rush hour traffic, collapsed with a roar at dusk Friday hurtling dozens of vehicles into the icy water and frozen banks of the Ohio River. There were fears the death toll would reach 60.
  
  Only six bodies were recovered but sheriff DENVER WALKER of Gallia County, who was directing rescue operations on the Ohio side of the river, said:
  
  "This is just a drop in the bucket. I'm afraid there are about 60 dead."
  
  At least 18 persons were hospitalized.
  
  Rescuers planned to close a lock on the river above the bridge and open one below it in an effort to lower the water depth to facilitate the search for bodies.
  
  Estimates of the number of vehicles on the 100-foot high bridge varied from 30 to 100.
  
  The bridge, built in 1928 and renovated after World War II, is about a third of a mile long and connects West Virginia with Ohio. The governors ... Read MORE...
  
  
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