This Day in Haunted History-February

The year 2013 is a very special year for us here in West Virginia!  On June 20th, we'll be celebrating 150 years of statehood!  As a tribute to our Sesquicentennial year, I've decided to do something a little fun on the Theresa's Haunted History Facebook fan page:  I've been taking the daily This Day in History facts from the WV Division of Culture and History and sharing any "haunted" history that may be related.  These posts accompany a link to a location on my blog that discusses the topic at hand.  Not all days will be represented...just the ones where I can justify a haunted history event!  Unfortunately, I didn't have a ton to work with this month, but there were a few good ones!  Oh, and as I found out while doing these, there are some dates that have a haunted history connection...but I have yet to fully research and post them, so those will be omitted for right now.

Since Facebook has decided that I have to PAY in order to ensure that all my fans see my posts, I've decided to do monthly re-caps of the This Day in Haunted History Feature...just in case you've missed any.  The original text from the Division of Culture and History will be in italics, with my own commentary in normal font.  Please join in helping me celebrate the awesome (haunted) history of the Mountain State!

 (WV Division of Culture and History "On This Day in WV History" master list)

February 10
On February 10, 1949, a bill favoring the electric chair over hanging was introduced in the House of Delegates. The legislation was approved on March 12. Since there is SO much out there already on WV State Penitentiary (where these executions took place for our state) I thought I'd share the story of one of Huntington's own victims of the chair...in fact, he was Cabell County's first man to die by this method. Rotary Park

February 16
The West Virginia Colored Tuberculosis Sanitarium was established on February 16, 1917. The West Virginia Board of Control purchased 185 acres of land and several buildings at Denmar in Pocahontas County, and the facility opened in January 1919. A doctor, wearing a white coat and stethoscope is seen exiting an elevator and disappearing. Terror at the TB Hospital

February 22
On February 22, 1911, the legislature passed an act establishing the West Virginia Colored Orphans' Home near Huntington. While there have been scant reports about this building (now torn down) being haunted, MOST of the stories have actually come from another building that was once part of this campus, the Industrial School for Colored Girls. People have heard screams and crying coming from the building and even the Marshall police force (which were summoned by a concerned neighbor, lol) had some ghost stories about the building to share with us! Industrial School for Colored Girls

February 28
On this day in 1872, the legislature passed an act to establish a state normal school at Concord.  That school would later evolve into Concord College, where female students staying in the Wilson dormitory have had a long history with terrible nightmares and even apparitions.  Concord College