The first known inhabitants of the Ohio River Valley were the Adena people, also known as the "mound builders" because of the artifact-laden mounds they built, some over 2000 years ago. Since the 1500s, different Native American tribes lived in the Ohio Valley and in the area now called Huntington, such as the Hurons, but the area was also used as hunting grounds by the larger Shawnee of Ohio and the Iroquois Confederacy from New York. There was much fighting in the region between the British and Native Americans in the 1760s and 1770s, resulting in battles and massacres of entire villages. As more settlers entered the region after the American Revolution, the Mingo and Shawnee tribes were forced to move further inland.
In 1837 Marshall Academy, the forerunner of Marshall University, was created in the town of Barboursville. Named after U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall, it started as a subscription school, and after being closed during the Civil War it reopened as the State Normal School of Marshall College to train teachers.
Inhabitants of Cabell County during the Civil War were divided about their allegiances. The Border Rangers were a local pro-South militia formed in 1860, but the county's representative to the Virginia secession convention of 1861 voted to remain in the Union. While Virginia seceded, Cabell County voted to stay in the Union, with the exception of the town of Guyandotte, now part of Huntington. The Battle at Barboursville in 1861 was the first battle in the county, won by the Confederacy. The town was eventually captured by Union forces, which then burned most of Guyandotte to the ground. It was due to the area's Union leanings that caused the State of West Virginia to be created in 1862.
Huntington, originally called Halderby's Landing, was named after Collis P. Huntington, a railroad baron who was a major partner in the Central Pacific Railroad, and who bought out the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway. In 1869 he began construction of the western terminus to the C & O, connecting the Ohio River and trains from the Midwest to the Atlantic Seaboard. The city was incorporated in 1871 by the West Virginia State Legislature. In 1873, the first locomotive arrived from Richmond to the celebration of the entire community. The railroad was the city's largest employer for a century, until eventually becoming part of CSX in the 1970s.
In 1884 the Ohio River overflowed its banks, flooding the city and causing major damage. Huntington became the seat of Cabell County in 1887, just after the first electric streetlights were installed. Electric streetcars became a fixture in the city soon afterwards. Just west of Huntington, Central City was incorporated in 1893. Central City started as just a few farms but grew as manufacturers, such as glass and chain factories, entered the area, and in 1909 Central City was annexed by Huntington. The same year, construction of Ritter Park was begun, which was completed in 1913, and the park continues to be a valued part of Huntington today.
Again in 1913 the river flooded Huntington, causing serious damage. However, it was not as bad as the flood to come. The "Great Flood of 1937" left 6,000 residents homeless and the region devastated. The disaster caused the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to build a 15-mile flood wall to protect the town, which it continues to do today.
Readily available raw materials, cheap coal power, and connections to major markets by the railroad caused Huntington to grow into the industrial hub of the area. Steel producers and fabricators blossomed along with manufacturers of rail-cars and railroad equipment. Huntington is still known for its glassworks and pigment production.
In 1970, tragedy struck the city when a plane carrying 75 passengers, including the entire Marshall University football team, crashed in rain and fog on approach to Tri-State Airport. The crash was the worst aviation disaster in the country that year.
West Virginia's economy has had its ups and downs. At first, mechanization in mining increased the unemployment rate when fewer workers were needed. In the 1970s, when energy prices were high, the coal industry and state profited. When energy prices dropped in the 1980s it was a devastating blow to the entire state, affecting all the mining communities and all business sectors beyond. Huntington suffered from factory closures and a declining population.
Today's Huntington is still a center of manufacturing and shipping, especially of the region's coal. As Mayor David Felinton said in his 2004 State of the City Address, "West Virginia is experiencing a time of rebirth. We are on the edge of economic development with the potential for unprecedented growth and prosperity within the next five years. We can be confident that Huntington is on the right path for the future."
Historical Information: The City of Huntington, City Hall, 8th Street and 5th Avenue, Huntington, WV 25701; telephone: (304)696-5580