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Interesting Facts
- When sports historians think of Marshall University, they remember one tragic event over all others. On November 14, 1970, the Southern Airlines plane transporting players, coaches, boosters, and families from Greenville, NC, back to Huntington crashed and burned on a hillside just two miles short of Tri-State Airport, killing all 75 passengers. Today, a flame-shaped stone stands atop the hill where the plane crashed, and a fountain comprised of 75 strands of steel sits outside the Marshall Student Union. Both are reminders of what the school and community lost those many years ago.
- Presidential tidings? Huntington's old B&O (Baltimore & Ohio) Railroad station hosted many famous passengers during its heyday in the first half of the 20th century, including Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Warren G. Harding, and Dwight Eisenhower. In the 1960s, JFK was the last President to make a stop here – by train, that is.
- Christian rocker Michael W. Smith is a native of Huntington – Kenova to be exact. Born in 1957 and an avid piano player and singer growing up, Smith ultimately followed his dream to Nashville, where he worked as a keyboardist and songwriter. His big break came in 1983, when he produced his first album, "Michael W. Smith Project." He went on to release 13 albums over the next 20 years, racking up numerous honors, including two Grammys, two Platinum records, and seven Gold records. Smith is still going strong today.
- What's with all the green and white? Actually, they're the official colors of Marshall University, located just east of downtown Huntington. The university plays a prominent role in local life, and folks are particularly enthusiastic about MU's Thundering Herd teams, which have garnered numerous honors over the years. Among the more famous pro athletes who competed at MU are the NFL's Chad Pennington and Randy Moss, the NBA's Jason Williams, and MLB's Rick Reed.
- Huntington can trace its roots as far back as 1775, when Captain John Savage and his soldiers (veterans of the French-Indian War) received land on the banks of the Ohio River as payment from Britain's King George III. None of the men actually settled the land; however, the Guyandotte settlement sprang up nearby in 1806 and eventually grew to become Huntington.
- Once a picturesque town all its own, Central City was incorporated into Huntington (its easternmost neighbor) in the opening years of the 20th century. Industry flourished in the township, as did regional arts. Today, Central City boasts historic homes dating from the late 19th century, a popular antiques district, and the Central City Market.
- In 1937, Huntington, like the rest of the United States, was mired in the Great Depression. To make matters worse, the year kicked off with the Great Flood. In January, the Ohio River swelled its banks, causing millions of dollars of damage to communities lying in the Ohio River Valley and leaving thousands homeless. As a result of the flood, the city erected a flood wall, which still stands today.
- Huntington was named in honor of Collis Potter Huntington, a railroad entrepreneur who was a primary backer of the Central Pacific Railroad, the United States' first transcontinental railroad. Huntington also saw the need to connect the Ohio River Valley to the Atlantic Coast, and in 1873, his Chesapeake & Ohio Railway venture opened for business in the city that eventually would be named for him.
- Huntington's Blenko Glass Factory, located in nearby Milton since 1921, produces some of the most beautiful stained glass in the world. As the story goes, the company was called the Eureka Glass Company in its early days because founder William J. Blenko searched years and years for a type of ruby-red sheet glass that would not change colors when painted and fired. "Eureka!" he is said to have exclaimed when he was successful.
- Barboursville, near the confluence of the Mud and Guyandotte Rivers, was once the population hub of the area that is present-day Huntington. It was also designated the county seat in 1813. Barboursville lost its political and economic prominence after the Civil War, however, when railroads and industry began looking west, toward the southern banks of the Ohio River. By the time the 20th century rolled around, the county seat officially moved to Huntington, leaving Barboursville a quiet residential area. Today, it's home to a lovely historic district, as well as to the Tri-State region's largest enclosed shopping mall.
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