• July 21, 1879: 22 coal miners in Elk Garden walk off their jobs in support of striking miners in Ohio and Pennsylvania. They returned to work two weeks later.
• July 22, 1972: A fire at a Consolidation Coal Company mine west of Morgantown killed nine miners.
• July 23, 1749: Lord Fairfax conveyed 350 acres along the South Branch in present-day Hampshire County to a John Parker, who would later build Fort Parker at the site.
These and other historical footnotes have been brought to you this week in the Mineral Daily News-Tribune courtesy of David T. Boggs, author of our new daily “Today in History” feature.
A native of Elkins, Boggs was raised in Piedmont and Westernport, and attended Potomac State College before graduating from WVU with bachelors and masters degrees in broadcast journalism. In 1976 he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, where he worked in Air Defense and Armed Forces radio and television services.
Currently a resident of Alexandria, Va., Boggs is director of Broadcasting for the Soldiers Media Center and the American Forces Netwok in Arlington, responsible for broadcast operations in 177 countries. He plans to move back to the Tri-Towns upon retirement next year.
In addition to the daily feature, Boggs will also write a longer piece every Saturday, providing an in-depth examination of a particular community or event.
An amateur historian, Boggs brings a passion to his work that is evident in the Today in History pieces we run each day. Reading his bulletins, one gets the sense of a man who loves to dig in archives and libraries, unearthing historical nuggets otherwise lost to us — and always looking for the next bit of treasure to share.
More than just a lively, entertaining read, Boggs’ features educate us about little-known Americans who helped blaze the trail to nationhood, and about struggles, on the battlefield, in the workplace and elsewhere, that forged us as a people.
Best of all, it all happened here in our regional backyard. Local history you just won’t find anywhere else.
We welcome David to the News-Tribune family, and are delighted to bring his feature to our readers. If you ever have a question for him, or want to share your own insights into some aspect of local history, write to us at letters@newstribune.info, and we’ll send him your message.
In the meantime, look for Today in History, every day in the News-Tribune.