1916

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This article is about the year 1916 Please help improve this article by conforming to date guidelines and by adding citations to reliable sources.

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Facts

• There were 335 marriage licenses issued in Charlottesville in 1916.

Events

According to the 1916-1917 City Directory: "Charlottesville is a hustling community that has multifarious advantages as a locality, richly endowed by nature as and Educational, Residential and Industrial center. The most progressive city in the state at the present time with a population of 13,000."

• January 14 – City Health Officer Lindsay Robertson tells Charlottesville City Council that la grippe is widespread. "In a great majority of cases, it is of a very mild type, although there has been some pneumonia. The danger of contracting pneumonia being very great when the system has been weakened by la grippe, those convalescing from it should use great care in not exposing themselves unnecessarily."
• March 10 – Virginia enacted statewide prohibition with an act of the General Assembly–commonly known as the “Mapp Act.”
• June 13 – In today’s municipal election, E. G. Haden was elected Mayor over Frederick W. Souders, Jr., a young attorney, by 52 majority. The councilmen chosen were Marshall Timberlake, a young druggist, who defeated W. Rice Barksdale, president of the Council; Robert A. Watson, James E. Gleason, E. A. Joachim, Fred W. Twyman and John S. Patton. The Council elected, will go into office on the first of September and be incumbent until the bicameral body is elected. The date of that election is to be set by Judge Dabney of the Corporation Court. Haden took the oath of office soon after the election in preparation for his first day in office. This would be the last municipal election under the current city charter.
• June 27 – more than 75 members of the Monticello Guard, Company D, 1st Regiment departed Charlottesville to join other Virginia Guard groups, totaling nearly 4,000, heading to the border lines of the Mexican Revolution. The guardsmen returned home in late that year.
• August 1 – Charlottesville became a city of the first-class with the annexation of over 2,500 acres of Albemarle county territory and suburbs surrounding the city. More than tripling in land size, the city's the population exceeded 10,000, which triggered the state law requiring the city's legislative government must consist of a two chamber city council. The university successfully opposed attempts to include it in the political boundaries of Charlottesville.
• August 10 – The last regular meeting of the present City Council, held this evening, was attended by nine members; three members were absent. The council passed, under a suspension of the rules, an ordinance providing that the bicameral council, now required in cities of over ten thousand inhabitants, should be constituted of four aldermen, one from each ward, and of eight members of the common council, two from each ward. This is the smallest representation allowed in a city of four wards.
• August 31 – This night at 12 o’clock, the city’s executive powers and duties passed from the hands of A. V. Conway to E. Geury Haden, who was elected by the people to the office of Mayor at the election that took place last June.
• The city council, elected June 13, 1916, held their last meeting on September 14, 1916.
• September 14 – The council elected in June, held its last meeting this night.
• September 20 – The City of Charlottesville held a special election for a new 12-member council. Under a form of Legislative government prescribed by law for the cities of the first class, the City Council is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Common Council (8 members), and an upper house, the Board of Aldermen (4 members).
• September 25 – As prescribed by law. the officials that were elected on June 13, 1916, were deposed and the officials elected on September 20, 1916 were instated.  
• September 25 – The Common Council, elected at the special election held for that purpose on September 20, 1916. met on this date at 8 o'clock P. M., being the date prescribed by law for the beginning of the term of the said Council. The Clerk read the certificate of election of the councilmen from the Clerk of the Corporation and upon the roll being called the following were found to be present: W. T. Elliott, W. M. Forrest, J. E. Gleason, W. E. Graves, W. F. Souder, Jr., W. F. Long, F. W. Twyman and N. T. Wingfield. The Clerk then called the meeting to order and proceeded with the organization of the body resulting in the election of the following officers: President, W. F. Souder, Jr.; Vice President, Dr. W. M. Forrest; Clerk, E. I. Carruthers. On motion a committee consisting of councilors Graves and Gleason was appointed to co-operate with a committee from the Board of Aldermen to draft a proper ordinance providing for the election of a City Engineer or a commissioner of public utilities to supersede the office of Business Manager; such ordinance to define his duties, compensation, etc.
• September 29 – A special meeting of the Council was held on the date with the following members present; Elliott, Forrest, Gleason, Long, Souder, Twyman and Wingfield. The resignation of A. V. Conway, Business Manager, was presented to take effect October 6th, which was accepted with thanks for his remaining in the office until this time. His compensation to be at the rate of $100. per month from Sep. 1st. The Mayor was authorized to take over the duties of the office of Business Manager for thirty days, or until such time as a Business Manager is secured, and also he is further authorized to employ a stenographer at a salary not to exceed $40 per month.
• October 31 – At midnight, the entire Commonwealth of Virginia went dry – three years before national prohibition began.
• November 29 – City Council appoints Hubert A. Stecker as business manager and city engineer at a salary of $2,000 a year.

Births

• April 10 – Frank Peregoy, killed in World War II and posthumously awarded Medal of Honor.

Deaths

• July 12 – George F. Compton (1818-1916), City of Charlottesville’s Clerk of the Corporation Court and deputy clerk of the Albemarle County Circuit Court.