State of West Virginia
Flag of West Virginia Seal Nickname(s): Mountain State Motto(s): Montani semper liberi
Official language(s)	none (de facto English)
Demonym	West Virginian
Capital	Charleston
Largest city	Charleston
Largest metro area	Charleston metro area
Area	Ranked 41st in the US
- Total	24,230 sq mi (62,755 km²)
- Width	130 miles (210 km)
- Length	240 miles (385 km)
- % water	0. The Flag of West Virginia consists of the State's coat of arms on a white field with a dark blue border The West Virginia State Seal was adopted in 1863. The center of the seal contains a boulder that has been inscribed June 20, 1863, the date West This is a list of US state nicknames, including officially adopted Nicknames and other traditional nicknames for individual states of the United States. Here is a list of state Mottos for the states of the United States of America. Montani Semper Liberi ( Latin for "Mountaineers are Always Free" is the official Motto The United States does not have an Official language; however the majority of the population speaks English as a native language (about 82% English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place This is a list of terms used to designate the residents of specific U Washington DC has been the capital of the United States since 1800 Charleston is the Capital of the US state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and This is a list of the largest cities of US states by population Charleston is the Capital of the US state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Table of United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas|Table of United States Core Based Statistical AreasIn the United States, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB has produced The Charleston Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of five counties in West Virginia, anchored Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. This is a complete list of the states of the United States and its major territories ordered by total area, land area, and water area The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand 6
- Latitude	37° 12′ N to 40° 39′ N
- Longitude	77° 43′ W to 82° 39′ W
Population	Ranked 37th in the US
- Total	1,808,344
- Density	75. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology This is a list of states of the United States by population (with inhabited non-state jurisdictions included for comparison as of July 1, 2007, according to the This article is a list of the 50 US States ordered by Population density. 1/sq mi  29. 0/km² (27th in the US)
- Median income	$38,029 (48th)
Elevation
- Highest point	Spruce Knob[1] 4,863 ft  (1,427 m)
- Mean	1,500 ft  (460 m)
- Lowest point	Harpers Ferry[1] 240 ft  (73 m)
Admission to Union	June 20, 1863 (35)
Governor	Joe Manchin (D)
Lieutenant Governor	Earl Ray Tomblin[2]
U.S. Senators	Robert C. Byrd (D) Jay Rockefeller (D)
Congressional Delegation	List
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Abbreviations	WV US-WV
Website	www.wv.gov

West Virginia (IPA: /ˌwɛstvɚˈdʒɪnjə/) is a state in the Appalachia / Upland South region of the United States. Household income is a measure of current private income commonly used by the United States government and private institutions Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below --> Spruce Knob, at, is the highest point in the state of West Virginia, USA and the summit of Spruce Mountain, the tallest mountain in the Alleghenies Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This is a list of U Events 451 - Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius ' defeats Attila the Hun. Year 1863 ( MDCCCLXIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common A governor is a governing official usually the executive (at least nominally to different degrees also politically and administratively of a non-sovereign level of government Joseph "Joe" Manchin III (born August 24, 1947 in Farmington West Virginia) is an American politician from the State of This is a complete and current List of United States Lieutenant Governors. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Robert Carlyle Byrd (born November 20 1917 is the senior United States Senator from West Virginia and a member of the Democratic Party. John Davison "Jay" Rockefeller IV (born June 18, 1937) generally known as Jay Rockefeller, has served as a Democratic U The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses These are tables of congressional delegations from West Virginia to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. This is a list of United States of America States by time zone The Eastern Time Zone ( ET) of the Western Hemisphere falls mostly along the east coast of North America and the west coast of South America Daylight saving time ( DST The traditional abbreviations for US states and territories were widely used in mailing addresses prior to the introduction of two-letter U ISO 3166-2US is an ISO standard which defines Geocodes it is the subset of ISO 3166-2 which applies to the United States of America. A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government Appalachia is a term used to describe a region in the eastern United States that stretches from southern New York state to northern Alabama, The terms Upper South and Upland South refer to the northern part of the Southern United States, in contrast to the Lower South or Deep South. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the West Virginia broke away from Virginia during the American Civil War and was admitted to the Union as a separate state on June 20, 1863 (an anniversary now celebrated as West Virginia Day in the state). The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty-three Events 451 - Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius ' defeats Attila the Hun. Year 1863 ( MDCCCLXIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common West Virginia Day is a holiday celebrated every June 20th in the American state of West Virginia. It is one of only two states formed during the American Civil War (along with Nevada) and is the only state to form by seceding from a Confederate state and one of two states to secede from another state (Kentucky also seceded from Virginia but before the Civil War). Nevada ( is a state located in the western region of the United States of America. The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861 The Commonwealth of Kentucky ( is a state located in the East Central United States of America.

West Virginia is one of the Civil War "Border States". A civil war is a War between a State and domestic political actors that are in control of some part of the territory claimed by the state The Census Bureau considers West Virginia part of the South because most of the state is south of the Mason-Dixon Line, though its northern panhandle extends adjacent to Pennsylvania and Ohio with Weirton on a parallel with Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title) is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census The Southern United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South &mdashconstitutes a large distinctive The Mason–Dixon Line (or "Mason and Dixon's Line" is a Demarcation line between four U The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads Weirton is a city located in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia. The unique position of West Virginia means that it is included in a wide variety of geographical regions (though often only marginally), such as the Upland South, the Southeastern United States, the Southern United States, the Mid-Atlantic, Appalachia and even the Midwestern United States and Northeastern United States. The terms Upper South and Upland South refer to the northern part of the Southern United States, in contrast to the Lower South or Deep South. The US Southeast is the eastern portion of the Southern United States, but the Census Bureau does not provide a standard definition of a "Southeast" region The Southern United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South &mdashconstitutes a large distinctive The Mid-Atlantic States (also called Middle Atlantic States or simply Mid Atlantic) form one of the nine geographic divisions within the United States that Appalachia is a term used to describe a region in the eastern United States that stretches from southern New York state to northern Alabama, The Northeast is a region of the United States. As defined by the U Notably, it is the only state which entirely lies within the area served by the Appalachian Regional Commission, which is a common definition of "Appalachia". The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC is a United States federal-state partnership that works with the people of Appalachia to create opportunities for self-sustaining ^[3] While West Virginians recognize that their state is part of Appalachia, many do not welcome the term for purposes of self-identification. ^[4] The state's Northern Panhandle, and North-Central region feel an affinity for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Northern Panhandle is a culturally and geographically distinct region in the U North-Central West Virginia (sometimes known as "Mountaineer Country" is a region of the U Also, those in the Eastern Panhandle feel a connection with the Washington, D.C. suburbs in Maryland and Virginia, and southern West Virginians often consider themselves Southerners. The Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia is a narrow stretch of territory in the northeast of the state bordering Maryland and Virginia, United States Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D South San Jose (cropjpg||thumb|A suburban development in San Jose California. The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state Southern West Virginia is a culturally and geographically distinct region in the U The Southern United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South &mdashconstitutes a large distinctive Finally, the towns and farms along the mid-Ohio River have an appearance and culture somewhat resembling the Midwest. The Ohio River is the largest Tributary by volume of the Mississippi River. ^[5] The capital and largest city is Charleston. Charleston is the Capital of the US state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and

The state is noted for its great natural beauty, its historically significant logging and coal mining industries, and its labor history. Logging is the process in which Trees are cut down for Forest management and Timber. Coal mining is the extraction or removal of Coal from the Earth by Mining. It is also known as a tourist destination for those people interested in outdoor activities such as skiing, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, fishing, hiking, mountain biking and hunting.

Contents 1 Geography 2 Climate 3 History 3.1 Prehistory 3.2 European exploration and settlement 3.3 Trans-Allegheny Virginia, 1776-1861 3.4 Separation from Virginia 3.5 Hidden resources 4 Demographics 5 Economy 6 Transportation 7 Law and government 7.1 Legislative branch 7.2 Executive branch 7.3 Judicial branch 7.4 Politics 8 Important cities and towns 8.1 Large cities (> 10,000 population) 8.2 Towns and small cities 8.3 Metropolitan Statistical Areas 8.4 Micropolitan Statistical Areas 9 Education 9.1 Colleges and universities 10 Sports 11 Miscellaneous topics 11.1 Film 11.2 Music 11.2.1 Appalachian music 11.2.2 Classical music 11.2.3 Musical innovation 12 See also 13 References 14 Further reading 15 External links

Geography

Main article: Geography of West Virginia

See also: List of counties in West Virginia and List of West Virginia county seats

West Virginia is bordered by Pennsylvania to the north; by Ohio to the north and west; by Kentucky to the west; by Maryland to the north and east; and by Virginia to the east and south. Geography of West Virginia Geology See also Geology of West Virginia Historical Geology Summary Prior to one billion years ago the geologic List of 55 counties in the US state of West Virginia: List |} See also List of West Virginia county name etymologies List of West Virginia County seats Barbour County - Philippi Berkeley County - Martinsburg The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads The Commonwealth of Kentucky ( is a state located in the East Central United States of America. The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state The Ohio and Potomac rivers form parts of the boundaries. The Ohio River is the largest Tributary by volume of the Mississippi River. The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid- Atlantic coast of the United States.

West Virginia is the only state in the nation located entirely within the Appalachian Mountain range, and in which all areas are mountainous; for this reason it is nicknamed The Mountain State. The Appalachian Mountains ( often called the Appalachians, are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. About 75% of the state is within the Cumberland Plateau and Allegheny Plateau regions. The Cumberland Plateau is the southern part of the Appalachian Plateau. The Allegheny Plateau is a large Dissected plateau area in western and central New York, northern and western Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia Though the relief is not high, the plateau region is extremely rugged in most areas.

On the eastern state line with Virginia, high peaks in the Monongahela National Forest region give rise to an island of colder climate and ecosystems similar to those of northern New England and eastern Canada. The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state The Monongahela National Forest (MNF was established by the U Climate encompasses the temperatures humidity rainfall atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorogical factors in a given region over long periods of An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants animals and micro-organisms( Biotic factors in an area functioning together with all of the non-living physical ( History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The highest point in the state is atop Spruce Knob, at 4,863 ft (1,482 m),^[1] is covered in a boreal forest of dense spruce trees at altitudes above 4,000 feet (1,220 m). Spruce Knob, at, is the highest point in the state of West Virginia, USA and the summit of Spruce Mountain, the tallest mountain in the Alleghenies Taiga (ˈtaɪgə from Turkic or Mongolian) is a Biome characterized by Coniferous forests Spruce refers to Trees of the genus Picea, a genus of about 35 species of Coniferous Evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae Spruce Knob lies within the Monongahela National Forest and is a part of the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area. Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area is a US National Recreation Area (NRA located within the Monongahela National Forest of eastern West [1] A total of six wilderness areas can also be found within the forest. Wilderness is generally defined as a Natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by Human activity Outside the forest to the south, the New River Gorge is a 1,000-foot (304 m) deep canyon carved by the New River. The New River, a tributary of the Kanawha River, is approximately 320 mi (515 km long flowing through the states of North Carolina, Virginia, and The National Park Service manages a portion of the gorge and river that has been designated as the New River Gorge National River, one of only 15 rivers in the U. The National Park Service ( NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation The New River Gorge National River is a unit of the United States National Park Service designed to protect S. with this level of protection.

Other areas under protection and management include:

Appalachian National Scenic Trail Bluestone National Scenic River Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park

Gauley River National Recreation Area George Washington National Forest Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge

The native vegetation for most of the state was originally mixed hardwood forest of oak, chestnut, maple, beech, and white pine, with willow and American sycamore along the state's waterways. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply The A The Bluestone National Scenic River protects a portion of the Bluestone River in Mercer County in southern West Virginia. The Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge (CVNWR in Tucker County West Virginia, is the 500th National Wildlife Refuge (NWR to be established (August 11 1994 The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located in the District of Columbia and the states The Gauley River National Recreation Area, located near Summersville West Virginia, protects a 25 mile (40 kilometer portion of the Gauley River and a 5 The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests are US National Forests that combine to form one of the largest areas of public land in the Eastern United States Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is located at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers in and around Harpers Ferry West Virginia. The Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge (ORINWR is a National Wildlife Refuge (NWR extending along of the Ohio River in the U List of 55 counties in the US state of West Virginia: List |} See also List of West Virginia county name etymologies Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region it refers to the Ground cover provided by plants The term hardwood is used to describe Wood from broad-leaved angiosperm Trees mostly Deciduous, but not necessarily in the case of tropical A forest is an area with a high density of Trees There are many definitions of a forest based on various criteria The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of about 400 species of Trees and Shrubs in the Genus Quercus (from Latin Chestnut ( Castanea) (including some chinkapin or Chinquapin) is a Genus of eight or nine Species of Deciduous Acer ( maple) is a Genus of Trees or Shrubs They are variously classified in a family of their own the Aceraceae, or For the babyfood see Beech-Nut. Beech ( Fagus) is a genus of ten Species of Deciduous Trees in the Eastern White Pine' ( Pinus strobus) is a large Pine native to eastern North America, occurring from Newfoundland west to Minnesota Willows, sallows and osiers form the Genus Salix, around 400 species of Deciduous Trees and Shrubs found primarily Many of the areas are rich in biodiversity and scenic beauty, a fact that is appreciated by native West Virginians, who refer to their home as Almost Heaven. Biodiversity is the variation of Life forms within a given Ecosystem, Biome or for the entire Earth. Ecologically, most of West Virginia falls into the Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests ecoregion. The Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests comprise an Ecoregion in the Appalachian Mountains in eastern North America. An ecoregion ( ecological region) sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area smaller than a "realm" or "

The underlying rock strata are sandstone, shale, bituminous coal beds, and limestone laid down in a near shore environment from sediments derived from mountains to the east, in a shallow inland sea on the west. Sandstone is a Sedimentary rock composed mainly of Sand -size Mineral or rock grains. Shale (also called mudstone) is a fine-grained Sedimentary rock whose original constituents were Clay minerals or Muds It is characterized by Bituminous coal is a relatively soft Coal containing a tarlike substance called Bitumen. Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 Some beds illustrate a coastal swamp environment, some river delta, some shallow water. Sea level rose and fell many times during the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian eras, giving a variety of rock strata. The Pennsylvanian is a subperiod of the Carboniferous period lasting from roughly   to  Ma (million years ago The Appalachian Mountains are some of the oldest on earth, having formed over 300 million years ago.

Climate

The climate of West Virginia borders on a humid subtropical climate (Koppen climate classification Cfa) in the lower elevations of the extreme southwestern part of the state (including Huntington) and parts of the Eastern Panhandle east of the Appalachians with hot, humid summers and milder winters. Humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cfa or Cwa) is a climate zone characterized by hot humid summers and chilly to mild winters The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems It was developed by Wladimir Köppen, a German climatologist Huntington is a city located in the State of West Virginia along the Ohio River. The rest of the state has a humid continental climate (Koppen climate classification Dfa, except Dfb at the higher elevations) with warm to hot, humid summers and cold winters, increasing in severity with elevation. The humid continental climate is a Climate found over large areas of land masses in the temperate regions of the mid-latitudes where there is a zone of conflict between The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems It was developed by Wladimir Köppen, a German climatologist However, the weather is subject in all parts of the state to change. The hardiness zones range from zone 5b in the central Appalachian mountains to zone 7a in the warmest parts of the lowest elevations. The Appalachian Mountains ( often called the Appalachians, are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. In the Eastern Panhandle and the Ohio River Valley temperatures are warm enough to see and grow subtropical plants such as Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), Crepe Myrtle, Albizia julibrissin, American Sweetgum and even the occasional needle palm and sabal minor. The Ohio River is the largest Tributary by volume of the Mississippi River. Magnolia grandiflora, commonly known as the Southern magnolia or bull bay, is a Magnolia native to the southeastern United This page is about the tree described by Antonio Durazzini. John Gilbert Baker used the same scientific name to refer to Prain's Albizia kalkora Liquidambar styraciflua ( American Sweetgum, Redgum) is a Deciduous Tree in the genus ''Liquidambar'' native to warm Rhapidophyllum hystrix ( Needle Palm) is a palm, the sole member of the genus Rhapidophyllum. The Dwarf Palmetto ( Sabal minor) is one of about 14 species of palmetto palm (Arecaceae genus Sabal) These plants don't thrive as well in other parts of the state.

Average January temperatures range from around 28°F (-2°C) near the Cheat River to 43°F (5°C) along sections of the border with Kentucky. July averages range from 67°F (19°C) along the North Branch Potomac River to 76°F (24°C) in the western part of the state. The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid- Atlantic coast of the United States. It is cooler in the mountains than in the lower sections of the state.

Annual precipitation ranges from less than 32 inches (810 mm) in the lower eastern section to more than 56 inches (1,400 mm) in higher parts of the Allegheny Front. Slightly more than half the rainfall occurs from April to September. Dense fogs are common in many valleys of the Kanawha section, especially the Tygart Valley. West Virginia is also one of the cloudiest states in the nation, with the cities of Elkins and Beckley ranking 9th. and 10th. in the U. S. respectively for the number of cloudy days per year (over 210). In addition to persistent cloudy skies caused by the damming of moisture by the Alleghenies, West Virginia also experiences some of the most frequent precipitation in the nation, with Snowshoe averaging nearly 200 days a year with either rain or snow. Snowshoe is an Unincorporated area in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. Snow usually lasts only a few days in the lower sections but may persist for weeks in the higher mountain areas. An average of 34 inches (86 cm) of snow falls annually in Charleston, although during the winter of 1995-1996 more than three times that amount fell as several cities in the state established new records for snowfall. Average snowfall in the Allegheny Highlands can range up to 180 inches per year.

Monthly normal high and low temperatures for various West Virginia cities
City	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Beckley	39/22	43/25	52/32	62/41	71/49	77/57	80/61	79/60	73/54	63/42	52/34	43/26
Charleston	43/24	47/27	57/34	67/42	75/50	82/58	85/63	84/62	77/55	67/43	56/35	47/28
Elkins	39/18	44/20	53/27	63/35	72/44	78/53	82/58	80/57	74/50	64/37	53/29	44/22
Huntington	41/24	46/28	56/36	67/44	75/53	82/61	85/65	84/64	77/57	66/45	55/37	45/29
[2]

History

Main article: History of West Virginia

West Virginia's unique geography allowed for exploration from two concurrent directions and a duality of a "Border State". MediaExampleogg[[Image NewRiverFromHawksNestWVjpg|250px|right|thumb| Trans-Allegheny at Hawks Nest American states]] formed during the [[American Civil War]] (1861-1865 along

Prehistory

Main article: West Virginia Prehistory

The area now known as West Virginia was a favorite hunting ground of numerous Native American peoples before the arrival of European settlers. See also History of West Virginia See also West Virginia Waterways The area now known as West Virginia was a favorite hunting ground of numerous Native Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States Many ancient man-made earthen mounds from various mound builder cultures survive, especially in the areas of Moundsville, South Charleston, and Romney. Mound Builder is a general term referring to the American Indians who constructed various styles of earthen Mounds for burial residential and ceremonial purposes Moundsville is a city in Marshall County, West Virginia, along the Ohio River. South Charleston is a city in Kanawha County, West Virginia, U Romney is a city in Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States of America. Although little is known about these civilizations, the artifacts uncovered give evidence of a complex, stratified culture that practiced metallurgy. Metallurgy is a domain of Materials science that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their intermetallic compounds, and their

European exploration and settlement

Further information: Vandalia (colony) and Westsylvania

In 1671, General Abram Wood, at the direction of Royal Governor William Berkeley of the Virginia Colony, sent a party which discovered Kanawha Falls. For the reputed King fo the Gypsies see King of the Gypsies. Captain Abram Epperson Wood was the first acting Military Superintendent of Yosemite Sir William Berkeley (pronounced "bark-lee" ( Hanworth Manor, Middlesex 1605–Berkeley House Mayfair, London July 9, The Colony of Virginia (also known frequently as the Virginia Colony and occasionally as the Dominion and Colony of Virginia) was the English colony In 1716, Governor Alexander Spotswood with about thirty horsemen made an excursion into what is now Pendleton County. Alexander Spotswood (c 1676 - 6 June 1740 was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the British Army and a noted Lieutenant Governor of Virginia Alexander Spotswood was Pendleton County is a County located in the US state of West Virginia. John Van Metre, an Indian trader, penetrated into the northern portion in 1725. The same year, German settlers from Pennsylvania founded New Mecklenburg, the present Shepherdstown, on the Potomac River, and others followed. The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern Shepherdstown is a town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, USA The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid- Atlantic coast of the United States.

King Charles II of England, in 1661, granted to a company of gentlemen the land between the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers, known as the Northern Neck. Charles II (Charles Stuart 29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685 was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia in the United States, approximately 184 mi (294 km in length The Northern Neck is the northernmost of three Peninsulas on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay The grant finally came into the possession of Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, and in 1746, a stone was erected at the source of the North Branch Potomac River to mark the western limit of the grant. Thomas Fairfax 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron ( October 22, 1693 &ndash December 9, 1781) was the son of Thomas Fairfax 5th Lord Fairfax The Fairfax Stone was a surveyor's marker, placed to settle a boundary dispute between Thomas Fairfax 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron and the English Privy Council The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid- Atlantic coast of the United States. A considerable part of this land was surveyed by George Washington between 1748 and 1751. George Washington (February 22 1732 December 14 1799 served as the first President of the United States of America (1789&ndash1797 and led the The diary kept by the surveyor indicates that there were already many squatters, largely of German origin, along the South Branch Potomac River. The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid- Atlantic coast of the United States. Christopher Gist, a surveyor in the employ of the first Ohio Company, which was composed chiefly of Virginians, explored the country along the Ohio River north of the mouth of the Kanawha River between 1751 and 1752. Christopher Gist (1706 &ndash 1759 was one of the first white explorers of the Ohio Country in what would become the United States, credited for providing The Ohio Company, formally known as the Ohio Company of Virginia, was a land speculation company organized for the colonization of the Ohio Country. The Ohio River is the largest Tributary by volume of the Mississippi River. The Kanawha River (pronounced ka-NAW-ah or kuh-NAW and earlier kuh-NOIE) is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 97 mi (156 km The company sought to have a fourteenth colony established with the name "Vandalia". Vandalia was the name of a proposed British colony in North America that never materialized Many settlers crossed the mountains after 1750, though they were hindered by Native American resistance. Few Native Americans lived permanently within the present limits of the state, but the region was a common hunting ground, crossed by many trails. During the French and Indian War the scattered British settlements were almost destroyed. The French and Indian War (1754&ndash1763 was the North American chapter of the Seven Years' War.

In 1774, the Crown Governor of Virginia John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore, led a force over the mountains, and a body of militia under then-Colonel Andrew Lewis dealt the Shawnee Indians, under Hokoleskwa (or "Cornstalk"), a crushing blow during the Battle of Point Pleasant at the junction of the Kanawha and the Ohio rivers. John Murray 4th Earl of Dunmore (1730 &ndash February 25, 1809) was a British peer and colonial governor Andrew Lewis ( October 9, 1720 &ndash September 26, 1781) was an American pioneer surveyor and soldier from Virginia The Shawnee, or Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are a people native to North America. Hokoleskwa or Cornstalk (c1720 &ndash November 10, 1777) was a prominent leader of the Shawnee people The Battle of Point Pleasant, sometimes known as the Battle of Kanawha, was the only major battle of Dunmore's War. Native American attacks continued until after the American Revolutionary War. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" During the war, the settlers in western Virginia were generally active Whigs and many served in the Continental Army, however Claypool's Rebellion of 1780-1781 where a group of men refused to pay Colonial taxes showed war-weariness in West Virginia. The American Continental Army was an Army formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America

Trans-Allegheny Virginia, 1776-1861

For more details on this topic, see Virginia. The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state

Social conditions in western Virginia were entirely unlike those in the eastern portion of the state. The population was not homogeneous, as a considerable part of the immigration came by way of Pennsylvania and included Germans, Protestant Ulster-Scots, and settlers from the states farther north. Ulster Scots, also known as Ullans, Hiberno-Scots, or Scots-Irish, refers to the variety of Scots (sometimes referred to as During the American Revolution, the movement to create a state beyond the Alleghanies was revived and a petition for the establishment of "Westsylvania" was presented to Congress, on the grounds that the mountains made an almost impassable barrier on the east. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses The rugged nature of the country made slavery unprofitable, and time only increased the social, political, economic and cultural differences (see Tuckahoe-Cohee) between the two sections of Virginia. Tuckahoe was a term used during the 18th and 19th centuries to describe a cultural group i

The convention that met in 1829 to form a new constitution for Virginia, against the protest of the counties beyond the mountains, required a property qualification for suffrage and gave the slave-holding counties the benefit of three-fifths of their slave population in apportioning the state's representation in the U. Suffrage (from the Latin suffragium, meaning "voting tablet" and figuratively "right to vote" probably from suffrago "hough" and originally S. House of Representatives. As a result, every county beyond the Alleghenies except one voted to reject the constitution, which nevertheless passed because of eastern support. Though the Virginia Constitution of 1850 provided for white male suffrage, the distribution of representation among the counties continued to give control to the section east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Blue Ridge, or Blue Ridge Mountains, is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division Another grievance of the west was the large expenditure for internal improvements at state expense by the Virginia Board of Public Works in the East compared with the scanty proportion allotted to the West. The Virginia Board of Public Works was a governmental agency which oversaw and helped finance the development of Virginia's internal transportation improvements during the 19th century

Separation from Virginia

See also: West Virginia in the American Civil War

West Virginia is the only state in the Union to secede from a confederate state, Virginia, during the American Civil War. West Virginia was formed and added to the Union as a direct result of the American Civil War (see History of West Virginia) John Snyder Carlile ( December 16, 1817 &ndash October 24, 1878) was an American merchant lawyer and politician including a The 1861 Wheeling Convention was held at West Virginia Independence Hall in Wheeling. The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state ^[6] On April 17, 1861 fifteen of the forty-six delegates from the area located in the present state of West Virginia voted to secede from the United States. Events 69 - After the First Battle of Bedriacum, Vitellius becomes Roman Emperor. Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common ^[7] Almost immediately after the vote to proceed with secession prevailed in the Virginia General Assembly, a mass meeting at Clarksburg recommended that each county in northwestern Virginia send delegates to a convention to meet in Wheeling on May 13, 1861. Secession (derived from the Latin term secessio is the act of withdrawing from an organization union or especially a political entity Wheeling is a city in West Virginia, in the United States. Most of the city is in Ohio County, with a small Events 1497 - Pope Alexander VI excommunicates Girolamo Savonarola. Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common When this First Wheeling Convention met, 425 delegates from 25 counties were present, though more than one-third of the delegates were from the northern panhandle area,^[8] but soon there was a division of sentiment. The 1861 Wheeling Convention was held at West Virginia Independence Hall in Wheeling. Some delegates favored the immediate formation of a new state, while others argued that, as Virginia's secession had not yet been passed by the required referendum, such action would constitute revolution against the United States. ^[9] It was decided that if the ordinance were adopted (of which there was little doubt), another convention including the members-elect of the legislature should meet at Wheeling in June. At the election on May 23, 1861, secession was ratified by a large majority in the state as a whole, but in the western counties approximately 34,677 voted against and 19,121 voted for the Ordinance. Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common ^[10]

The Second Wheeling Convention met as agreed on June 11 and declared that, since the Secession Convention had been called without the consent of the people, all its acts were void, and that all who adhered to it had vacated their offices. Events 1184 BC - Trojan War: Troy is sacked and burned according to the calculations of Eratosthenes. The Wheeling Conventions, and the delegates themselves, were never actually elected by public ballot to act on behalf of western Virginia. ^[11] An act for the reorganization of the government was passed on June 19. Events 1179 - The Norwegian Battle of Kalvskinnet outside Nidaros. The next day Francis H. Pierpont was chosen by other delegates at the convention to be governor of Virginia, other officers were elected and the convention adjourned. Francis Harrison Pierpont ( January 25 1814 March 24 1899) called the "Father of West Virginia " was an American The legislature was composed of 103 members, 33 of whom had been elected to the Virginia General Assembly^[12] on May 23. Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne This number included some hold-over Senators from 1859, and as such had vacated their offices to convene in Wheeling. The other members "were chosen even more irregularly-some in mass meetings, others by county committee, and still others were seemingly self-appointed"^[13] They met on June 20 and filled the remainder of the state offices, organized a state government and elected two United States senators who were recognized at Washington, D.C. At that point, therefore, there were two state governments in Virginia, one pledging allegiance to the United States and one to the Confederacy. Events 451 - Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius ' defeats Attila the Hun. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861

The Wheeling Convention, which had taken a recess until August 6, then reassembled on August 20, and called for a popular vote on the formation of a new state and for a convention to frame a constitution if the vote should be favorable. Events 1538 - Bogotá, Colombia, is founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada. Events 636 - Battle of Yarmouk: Arab forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid take control of Syria and Palestine At the election on October 24, 1861, 18,489 votes were cast for the new state and only 781 against. Events 69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus the commander of the Danube armies loyal to Vespasian, defeat Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Most of the affirmative votes came from ten counties in the Wheeling area. ^[14] Over 50,000 votes had been cast on the Ordinance of Secession, yet the vote on statehood gathered only a little over 19,000. In Ohio County, home to Wheeling, a little over one-quarter of the voters cast a vote. ^[15] At the Constitutional Convention in November 1861, Mr. Lamb of Ohio County and Mr. Carskadon said that in Hampshire County, out of 195 votes only 39 were cast by citizens of the state, the rest by Union soldiers. ^[16] In most of what would become West Virginia, there was no vote at all as two-thirds of the territory of West Virginia had voted for secession and county officers were still loyal to Richmond. ^[17] Votes recorded from Secession counties were mostly cast in the northwest by Unionist refugees from those counties. ^[18] The convention began on November 26, 1861, and finished its work on February 18, 1862, and the instrument was ratified (18,162 for and 514 against) on April 11, 1862. Events 43 BC - The Second Triumvirate alliance of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus ("Octavian" later "Caesar Augustus" Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 3102 BC - Epoch (origin of the Kali Yuga. 1229 - The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II Holy Year 1862 was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Monday Events 491 - Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I. Year 1862 was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Monday

On May 13, the state legislature of the reorganized government approved the formation of the new state. Events 1497 - Pope Alexander VI excommunicates Girolamo Savonarola. An application for admission to the Union was made to Congress, and on December 31, 1862, an enabling act was approved by President Abraham Lincoln admitting West Virginia, on the condition that a provision for the gradual abolition of slavery be inserted in the Constitution. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 1862 was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Monday Abraham Lincoln (February 12 1809 &ndash April 15 1865 the sixteenth President of the United States, successfully led his country through its greatest internal Many, including Lincoln, felt that West Virginia's admission as a state was unconstitutional, but wartime politics prevailed. ^[19] The Convention was reconvened on February 12, 1863, and the demand was met. Events 1429 - English Forces under Sir John Fastolf defend a supply convoy carrying rations to the army besieging Orleans from attack by the Year 1863 ( MDCCCLXIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The revised constitution was adopted on March 26, 1863, and on April 20, 1863, President Lincoln issued a proclamation admitting the state at the end of sixty days (June 20, 1863). Events 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor. Year 1863 ( MDCCCLXIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII. Year 1863 ( MDCCCLXIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 451 - Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius ' defeats Attila the Hun. Year 1863 ( MDCCCLXIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Meanwhile officers for the new state were chosen and Governor Pierpont moved his capital to Alexandria where he asserted jurisdiction over the counties of Virginia within the Federal lines. Alexandria is an Independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The question of the constitutionality of the formation of the new state was brought before the Supreme Court of the United States in the following manner: Berkeley and Jefferson counties lying on the Potomac east of the mountains, in 1863, with the consent of the reorganized government of Virginia voted in favor of annexation to West Virginia. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. Berkeley County is a County located in the US state of West Virginia. Jefferson County is a County located in the US state of West Virginia. Many voters absent in the Confederate Army when the vote was taken refused to acknowledge the transfer upon their return. The Virginia General Assembly repealed the act of secession and in 1866 brought suit against West Virginia asking the court to declare the counties a part of Virginia. The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Meanwhile, Congress, on March 10, 1866, passed a joint resolution recognizing the transfer. Events 241 BC - First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates Islands - The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing Year 1866 ( MDCCCLXVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Supreme Court, in 1870, decided in favor of West Virginia. ^[20]

During the American Civil War, West Virginia suffered comparatively little. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South George B. McClellan's forces gained possession of the greater part of the territory in the summer of 1861, culminating at the Battle of Rich Mountain, and Union control was never seriously threatened, in spite of the attempt by Robert E. Lee in the same year. George Brinton McClellan ( December 3 1826 October 29 1885) was a major general during the American Civil War. Robert Edward Lee (January 19 1807 &ndash October 12 1870 was a career United States Army officer, an Engineer, and among the most celebrated In 1863, General John D. Imboden, with 5,000 Confederates, overran a considerable portion of the state. John Daniel Imboden ( February 16, 1823 &ndash August 15, 1895) was a lawyer teacher Virginia state legislator Bands of guerrillas burned and plundered in some sections, and were not entirely suppressed until after the war ended.

The area which became West Virginia furnished about an equal number of soldiers to the Federal and Confederate governments[3], approximately 22,000-25,000 each. The Wheeling government found it necessary in 1865 to strip voting rights from returning Confederates. James Ferguson, who proposed the law, said that if it was not enacted he would lose election by 500 votes. ^[21] The property of Confederates might be confiscated, and in 1866 a constitutional amendment disfranchising all who had given aid and comfort to the Confederacy was adopted. The addition of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution caused a reaction, the Democratic party secured control in 1870, and in 1871, the constitutional amendment of 1866 was abrogated. The Fourteenth Amendment ( Amendment XIV) to the United States Constitution is one of the post- Civil War Reconstruction Amendments, first The Fifteenth Amendment ( Amendment XV) of the United States Constitution prohibits each government in the United States to prevent a citizen from voting based on that The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. The first steps toward this change had been taken, however, by the Republicans in 1870. On August 22, 1872, an entirely new constitution was adopted. Events 392 - Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor. Year 1872 ( MDCCCLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year

Beginning in Reconstruction, and for several decades thereafter, the two states disputed the new state's share of the pre-war Virginia government's debt, which had mostly been incurred to finance public infrastructure improvements, such as canals, roads, and railroads under the Virginia Board of Public Works. The Virginia Board of Public Works was a governmental agency which oversaw and helped finance the development of Virginia's internal transportation improvements during the 19th century Virginians, led by former Confederate General William Mahone, formed a political coalition which was based upon this theory, the Readjuster Party. William Mahone (December 1 1826 &ndash October 8 1895 of Southampton County Virginia, was a Civil engineer, Teacher, Soldier, Railroad The Readjuster Party was a political coalition formed in Virginia in the late 1870s during the turbulent period following the American Civil War. Although West Virginia's first constitution provided for the assumption of a part of the Virginia debt, negotiations opened by Virginia in 1870 were fruitless, and in 1871, that state funded two-thirds of the debt and arbitrarily assigned the remainder to West Virginia. The issue was finally settled in 1915, when the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that West Virginia owed Virginia $12,393,929. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. 50. The final installment of this sum was paid off in 1939.

Hidden resources

After Reconstruction, the new 35th state benefited from development of its mineral resources more than any other single economic activity.

Salt mining had been underway since the 18th century, though it had largely played out by the time of the American Civil War, when the red salt of Kanawha County was a valued commodity of first Confederate, and later Union forces. Salt is a Dietary mineral composed primarily of Sodium chloride that is essential for Animal life but toxic to most land plants Kanawha County (pronounced ka-NAW-ah' is a County located in the U Later, more sophisticated mining methods would restore West Virginia's role as a major producer of salt.

However, in the second half of the 19th century, there was an even greater treasure not yet developed, bituminous coal. Bituminous coal is a relatively soft Coal containing a tarlike substance called Bitumen. It would fuel much of the Industrial Revolution in the U. The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the S. and the steamships of many of the world's navies.

The residents (both Native Americans and early European settlers) had long known of the underlying coal, and that it could be used for heating and fuel. However, for a long time, very small "personal" mines were the only practical development. After the War, with the new railroads came a practical method to transport large quantities of coal to expanding U. S. and export markets. As the anthracite mines of northwestern New Jersey and Pennsylvania began to play out during this same time period, investors and industrialists focused new interest in West Virginia. Anthracite ( Greek Ανθρακίτης literally "a type of coal" from Anthrax, coal is a hard compact variety of mineral Coal that has a high Geologists such as Dr. A geologist is a contributor to the Science of Geology, studying the physical structure and processes of the Earth and planets of the solar system David T. Ansted surveyed potential coal fields and invested in land and early mining projects. David Thomas Ansted ( February 5, 1814 – May 13, 1880) was an English Geologist and Author.

The completion of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) across the state to the new city of Huntington on the Ohio River in 1872 opened access to the New River Coal Field. The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from many smaller railroads begun in the 19th century Huntington is a city located in the State of West Virginia along the Ohio River. The Ohio River is the largest Tributary by volume of the Mississippi River. The New River, a tributary of the Kanawha River, is approximately 320 mi (515 km long flowing through the states of North Carolina, Virginia, and Soon, the C&O was building its huge coal pier at Newport News, Virginia on the large harbor of Hampton Roads. A coal pier is a Transloading facility designed for the transfer of Coal between rail and ship Newport News is an Independent city in Virginia. It is at the south-western end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water and the region of land areas which surround it in southeastern Virginia in the USA. In 1881, the new Philadelphia-based owners of the former Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad (AM&O), which stretched across Virginia's southern tier from Norfolk, had sights clearly set on the Mountain State, where the owners had large land holdings. Atlantic Mississippi and Ohio Railroad (AM&O was formed in 1870 in Virginia from 3 east-west railroads which traversed across the southern portion of the state Norfolk is an Independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States Their railroad was renamed Norfolk and Western (N&W), and a new railroad city was developed at Roanoke to handle planned expansion. The Norfolk and Western Railway ( N&W), a US Class I railroad, was formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982 For the metropolitan area see Roanoke Metropolitan Area. Roanoke is an Independent city located in the Roanoke Metropolitan Area in After its new president Frederick J. Kimball and a small party journeyed by horseback and saw firsthand the rich bituminous coal seam which his wife named "Pocahontas", the N&W redirected its planned westward expansion to reach it. Frederick James Kimball ( March 6 1844 &ndash July 27 1903) was a Civil engineer. Soon, the N&W was also shipping from new coal piers at Hampton Roads.

In 1889, in the southern part of the state, along the Norfolk and Western rail lines, the important coal center of Bluefield, West Virginia was founded. Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The "capital" of the Pocahontas coalfield, this city would remain the largest city in the southern portion of the state for several decades. Pocahontas coalfield, which is also known as the Flat Top-Pocahontas Coalfield, is located in Mercer County, West Virginia, McDowell County, It shares a sister city with the same name, Bluefield, in Virginia.

In the northern portion of the state and elsewhere, the older Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) and other lines also expanded to take advantage of coal opportunities. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad ( B&O) was one of the Oldest railroads in the United States and the first Common carrier railroad The B&O developed coal piers in Baltimore and at several points on the Great Lakes. The Laurentian Great Lakes are a chain of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada–United States border. Other significant rail carriers of coal were the Western Maryland Railway (WM), Southern Railway (SOU), and the Louisville and Nashville Railroad (L&N). The Western Maryland Railway was an American Class I railroad which operated in Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. The Southern Railway is a former United States Railroad. It was the product of nearly 150 predecessor lines that were combined reorganized and recombined beginning The Louisville and Nashville Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States.

Particularly notable was a latecomer, the Virginian Railway (VGN). The Virginian Railway was a Class I railroad located in Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. By 1900, only a large area of the most rugged terrain of southern West Virginia was any distance from the existing railroads and mining activity. Within this area west of the New River Coalfield in Raleigh and Wyoming counties lay the Winding Gulf Coalfield, later promoted as the "Billion Dollar Coalfield. The Winding Gulf Coalfield is located in western Raleigh County and eastern Wyoming County, in southern West Virginia. "

A protégé of Dr. Ansted was William Nelson Page (1854-1932), a civil engineer and mining manager in Fayette County. A civil engineer is a person who practices Civil engineering, one of the many engineering professions Fayette County is a County located in the US state of West Virginia. Former West Virginia Governor William A. MacCorkle described him as a man who knew the land "as a farmer knows a field. William Alexander MacCorkle (b May 7, 1857, d September 24, 1930) was a United States Teacher, Lawyer, " Beginning in 1898, Page teamed with northern and European-based investors to take advantage of the undeveloped area. They acquired large tracts of land in the area, and Page began the Deepwater Railway, a short-line railroad which was chartered to stretch between the C&O at its line along the Kanawha River and the N&W at Matoaka, a distance of about 80 miles. The Deepwater Railway was an intrastate Short line railroad located in West Virginia in the United States which operated from 1898 to 1907 Short Line is also one of the four railroads in the popular Board game Monopoly, probably named after the Shore Fast Line, an Interurban streetcar The Kanawha River (pronounced ka-NAW-ah or kuh-NAW and earlier kuh-NOIE) is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 97 mi (156 km Matoaka is a small town in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States.

Although the Deepwater plan should have provided a competitive shipping market via either railroad, leaders of the two large railroads did not appreciate the scheme. In secret collusion, each declined to negotiate favorable rates with Page, nor did they offer to purchase his railroad, as they had many other short-lines. However, if the C&O and N&W presidents thought they could thus kill the Page project, they were to be proved mistaken. One of the silent partner investors Page had enlisted was millionaire industrialist Henry Huttleston Rogers, a principal in John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil Trust and an old hand at developing natural resources, transportation. Henry Huttleston Rogers ( January 29 1840 &ndash May 19 1909) was a United States capitalist, Businessman John Davison Rockefeller ( July 8, 1839 &ndash May 23, 1937) was an American Industrialist and philanthropist Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing transporting refining and marketing company A master at competitive "warfare", Henry Rogers did not like to lose in his endeavors, and also had "deep pockets". Deep pocket as a slang term Deep pocket is an American Slang term it usually means "extensive financial wealth or resources"

Instead of giving up, Page (and Rogers) quietly planned and then built their tracks all the way east across Virginia, using Rogers' private fortune to finance the $40 million cost. When the renamed Virginian Railway (VGN) was completed in 1909, no less than three railroads were shipping ever-increasing volumes of coal to export from Hampton Roads. The Virginian Railway was a Class I railroad located in Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. West Virginia coal was also under high demand at Great Lakes ports. The Laurentian Great Lakes are a chain of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada–United States border. The VGN and the N&W ultimately became parts of the modern Norfolk Southern system, and the VGN's well-engineered 21th century tracks continue to offer a favorable gradient to Hampton Roads. This article is about the present railroad formed in 1990 For the former regional railroad in Virginia and North Carolina a small part of the new one see Norfolk Southern

As coal mining and related work became major employment activities in the state, there was considerable labor strife as working conditions, safety issues, and economic concerns arose. Even in the 21st century, mining safety and ecological concerns is still challenging to the state whose coal continues to power electrical generating plants in many other states.

Coal is not the only valuable mineral found in West Virginia, as the state was the site of the 1928 discovery of the 34. 48 carat (6. 896 g) Jones Diamond. The “Jones Diamond” also known as the “Punch Jones Diamond” "The Grover Jones Diamond" or "The Horseshoe Diamond" was an 34

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1790	55,873		—
1800	78,592		40. 7%
1810	105,469		34. 2%
1820	136,808		29. 7%
1830	176,924		29. 3%
1840	224,537		26. 9%
1850	302,313		34. 6%
1860	376,688		24. 6%
1870	442,014		17. 3%
1880	618,457		39. 9%
1890	762,794		23. 3%
1900	958,800		25. 7%
1910	1,221,119		27. 4%
1920	1,463,701		19. 9%
1930	1,729,205		18. 1%
1940	1,901,974		10. 0%
1950	2,005,552		5. 4%
1960	1,860,421		-7. 2%
1970	1,744,237		-6. 2%
1980	1,949,644		11. 8%
1990	1,793,477		-8. 0%
2000	1,808,344		0. 8%

The center of population of West Virginia is located in Braxton County, in the town of Gassaway [4]. In Demographics, the center of population of a region is the geographical point nearest to all the inhabitants of that region on average Braxton County is a County located in the central part of the U Gassaway is a town in Braxton County, West Virginia, in the United States.

As of 2005, West Virginia has an estimated population of 1,816,856, which is an increase of 4,308, or 0. 2%, from the prior year and an increase of 8,506, or 0. 5%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural decrease since the last census of 3,296 people (that is 108,292 births minus 111,588 deaths) and an increase from net migration of 14,209 people into the state. Human migration denotes any movement by Humans from one locality to another sometimes over long distances or Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 3,691 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 10,518 people. American immigration ( emigration to the United States of America) refers to the movement of non-residents to the United States.

Only 1. 1% of the state's residents were foreign-born, placing West Virginia last among the 50 states in that statistic. It has the lowest percentage of residents that speak a language other than English in the home (2. 7%).

The five largest ancestry groups in West Virginia are: American (23. The ancestry of the people of the United States is widely varied and includes descendants of Populations from around the World, some presumably extinct 2%), German (17. German Americans ( German: Deutschamerikaner) are citizens of the United States of Ethnic German ancestry 2%), Irish (13. Irish Americans (Gael-Mheiriceánach are citizens of the United States who can claim ancestry originating in Ireland. 5%) (Many actually Scots-Irish), English (12%), Italian (4. Scotch-Irish (the historically common term in North America) or Scots-Irish refers to inhabitants of the United States and by some of Canada English Americans (occasionally known as Anglo -Americans although this may have a wider cultural meaning are Citizens of the United States whose ancestry An Italian American is an American of Italian descent and/or dual citizenship 8%).

Large numbers of people of German ancestry are present in the northeastern counties of the state. The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as

5. 6% of West Virginia's population were reported as under 5, 22. 3% under 18, and 15. 3% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 51. 4% of the population.

There were 20,928 births in 2006. Of these, 19,757 (94. 40% of the births, 95. 19% of the population) were to Non-Hispanic Whites. There were 22 births to American Indians (0. 11% of the births and 0. 54% of the population), 177 births to Asians (0. 85% of the births and 0. 68% of the population), 219 births to Hispanics (1. 05% of the births and 0. 88% of the population) and 753 births to Blacks and others (3. 60% of the births and 3. 56% of the population). [5]

Demographics of West Virginia (csv)
By race	White	Black	AIAN*	Asian	NHPI*
2000 (total population)	96. 01%	3. 49%	0. 59%	0. 66%	0. 05%
2000 (Hispanic only)	0. 63%	0. 04%	0. 02%	0. 01%	0. 01%
2005 (total population)	95. 99%	3. 56%	0. 56%	0. 69%	0. 05%
2005 (Hispanic only)	0. 80%	0. 04%	0. 02%	0. 01%	0. 01%
Growth 2000–05 (total population)	0. 46%	2. 49%	-3. 96%	5. 57%	-2. 80%
Growth 2000–05 (non-Hispanic only)	0. 28%	2. 30%	-4. 24%	5. 96%	-0. 52%
Growth 2000–05 (Hispanic only)	27. 74%	21. 51%	5. 56%	-20. 22%	-16. 67%
* AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native; NHPI is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Economy

Main article: Economy of West Virginia

The economy of West Virginia is one of the most fragile of any U.S. state. The Economy of West Virginia is one of the weakest in the United States (only Mississippi has a weaker economy A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government According to U.S. Census Bureau data, West Virginia is the third lowest in per capita income,^[22] ahead of only Arkansas and Mississippi. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title) is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census Arkansas ( is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Mississippi ( is a state located in the Deep South of the United States It also ranks last in median household income. ^[23] The proportion of West Virginia's adult population with a bachelor's degree is the lowest in the U. A bachelor's degree is usually an Undergraduate Academic degree awarded for a course or major that generally lasts for three four or in some cases and S. at 15. 3%. ^[24]

West Virginia's GDP was $55. 6B in 2006, which was a 0. 6% increase from 2005. This makes growth rate for the state the 2nd lowest in the nation, behind only Michigan. Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America.

One of the major resources in West Virginia's economy is coal. West Virginia also engaged in oil drilling, but currently only has a few small to medium sized oil and natural gas fields. Farming is also practiced in West Virginia, but on a limited basis because of the mountainous terrain over much of the state.

West Virginia personal income tax is based on federal adjusted gross income (not taxable income), as modified by specific items in West Virginia law. Citizens are taxed within 5 income brackets, which range from 3. 0% to 6. 5%. The state's consumer sales tax is levied at 6%. A sales tax is a Consumption tax charged at the Point of purchase for certain goods and services Effective January 1, 2004 calculation of WV consumer sales tax has been converted to a calculated figure from the bracket system, and remains at six percent for most goods (food goods are now taxable at four percent). New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The computation of tax is carried out to the third decimal place and rounded up when the third decimal place is five (. 005) or higher; and similarly rounded down if the third place is four (. 004) or lower. By virtue of this method, sales totaling $0. 08 and below would not have a sales tax associated with them. ^[25]

West Virginia counties administer and collect property taxes, although property tax rates reflect levies for state government, county governments, county boards of education, and municipalities. Property tax, or millage tax, is an Ad valorem tax that an owner pays on the value of the property being taxed Counties may also impose a hotel occupancy tax on lodging places not located within the city limits of any municipality that levies such a tax. Municipalities may levy license and gross receipts taxes on businesses located within the city limits and a hotel occupancy tax on lodging places in the city. A gross receipts tax, sometimes referred to as a gross excise tax, is a Tax on the total gross revenues of a company regardless of their source Although the Department of Tax and Revenue plays a major role in the administration of this tax, less than one-half of one percent of the property tax collected goes to state government. The primary beneficiaries of the property tax are county boards of education. Property taxes are paid to the sheriff of each of the state's 55 counties. SHERIFF is a telecom fraud detection and management system originally developed by BT and MCI. Each county and municipality can impose its own rates of property taxation within the limits set by the West Virginia Constitution. The West Virginia legislature sets the rate of tax of county boards of education. This rate is used by all county boards of education statewide. However, the total tax rate for county boards of education may differ from county to county because of excess levies. The Department of Tax and Revenue supervises and otherwise assists counties and municipalities in their work of assessment and tax rate determination. The total tax rate is a combination of the tax levies from four state taxing authorities: state, county, schools, and municipal. This total tax rate varies for each of the four classes of property, which consists of personal, real, and intangible properties. Property is assessed according to its use, location, and value as of July 1. "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. All property is reappraised every three years; annual adjustments are made to assessments for property with a change of value. West Virginia does not impose an inheritance tax. Estate tax and Death duty redirect here Inheritance tax, estate tax and death duty are the names given to various taxes which Because of the phase-out of the federal estate tax credit, West Virginia's estate tax is not imposed on estates of persons who died in 2005. Estate tax and Death duty redirect here Inheritance tax, estate tax and death duty are the names given to various taxes which

Transportation

Main article: Transportation in West Virginia

Highways form the backbone of transportation systems in West Virginia, with over 37,300 miles of public roads in the state. Transportation in West Virginia Roads Interstate highways See also Interstate Highways in West Virginia U ^[26] Airports, railroads, and rivers complete the commercial transportation modes for West Virginia. Commercial air travel is facilitated by airports in Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown, Beckley, Bluefield, Lewisburg, Clarksburg, Martinsburg, Wheeling, and Parkersburg. Cities like Charleston, Huntington, Clarksburg, Fairmont, Bluefield, and Logan have bus-based public transit systems. Charleston also has a limited number of trolley cars that run primarily through the downtown area. A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train West Virginia University in Morgantown boasts the PRT (personal rapid transit) system, the state's only single rail public transit system. West Virginia University is a Coeducational public Research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. The Morgantown Personal Rapid Transit ( WVU PRT) system is an experimental People Developed by Boeing, the WVU School of Engineering and the Department of Transportation, it was a model for low-capacity light transport designed for smaller cities. The Boeing Company is a major Aerospace and defense corporation originally founded by William E The United States Department of Transportation ( DOT) is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with Transportation It was also the model for DisneyWorld's tram system. Recreational transportation opportunities abound in West Virginia, including hiking trails,^[27] rail trails,^[28] ATV off road trails,^[29] white water rafting rivers,^[30] and two tourist railroads (Cass Scenic Railroad,^[31] and the Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad. Rail trail is a term for a Trail that makes use of a railroad right-of-way (ROW. Cass Scenic Railroad State Park is a State Park located in Cass, Pocahontas County, West Virginia. The South Branch Valley Railroad (SBVR consists of a 524 mile (84 ^[32])

West Virginia is crossed by several interstate highways. The Dwight D Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly called the Interstate Highway System (or simply the Interstate System) I-64 enters the state near White Sulphur Springs in the mountainous east, and exits for Kentucky in the west, near Huntington. Interstate 64 (abbreviated I-64) is an Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. White Sulphur Springs is a city in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, United States. The Commonwealth of Kentucky ( is a state located in the East Central United States of America. Huntington is a city located in the State of West Virginia along the Ohio River. I-77 enters from Virginia in the south, near Bluefield. Interstate 77 (abbreviated I-77) is an Interstate highway in the eastern United States. The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. It runs north past Parkersburg before it crosses into Ohio. Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads I-64 and I-77 are merged in a stretch of toll road known as the West Virginia Turnpike, on which construction began in 1952. Interstate 64 (abbreviated I-64) is an Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. Interstate 77 (abbreviated I-77) is an Interstate highway in the eastern United States. The West Virginia Turnpike is a toll road in the US state of West Virginia. It runs from just east of Charleston south to the exit for Princeton. Charleston is the Capital of the US state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Princeton is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. I-68's western terminus is in Morgantown. Interstate 68 (I-68 is an Interstate Highway in the United States. Morgantown is a city in and the County seat of Monongalia County, West Virginia, United States, on the banks of the Monongahela River From there it runs east into Maryland. At the I-68 terminus in Morgantown, it meets I-79, which enters from Pennsylvania and runs through the state to its southern terminus in Charleston. Interstate 68 (I-68 is an Interstate Highway in the United States. Interstate 79 (abbreviated I-79) is an Interstate highway in the eastern United States, designated from Interstate 77 in Charleston West Charleston is the Capital of the US state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and I-70 briefly runs through West Virginia, crossing the northern panhandle through Wheeling. Interstate 70 (I-70 is an Interstate highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort Utah, to a Park and Ride Wheeling is a city in West Virginia, in the United States. Most of the city is in Ohio County, with a small I-81 also briefly runs in West Virginia through the Eastern Panhandle where it goes through Martinsburg. Interstate 81 (abbreviated I-81) is an Interstate highway in the eastern part of the United States. The Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia is a narrow stretch of territory in the northeast of the state bordering Maryland and Virginia, United States Martinsburg is a city in Berkeley County, West Virginia, United States.

Rail lines in the state used to be more prevalent, but many lines have been discontinued because of increased automobile traffic. Many old tracks have been converted to rail trails for recreational use, and the state is still served by a few commercial lines for hauling coal and by Amtrak. Rail trail is a term for a Trail that makes use of a railroad right-of-way (ROW. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Doing business as Amtrak, is a Government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 In 2006 Norfolk Southern along with the West Virginia and U. This article is about the present railroad formed in 1990 For the former regional railroad in Virginia and North Carolina a small part of the new one see Norfolk Southern S. Government approved a plan to modify many of the rail tunnels in West Virginia, espeically in the southern half of the state, to allow for double stacked cars (see intermodal freight). Intermodal freight transport involves the transportation of freight in a container or Vehicle, using multiple modes of Transportation ( This is expected to also help bring economic growth to the southern half of the state.

Because of the mountainous nature of the entire state, West Virginia has several notable tunnels and bridges. The most famous of these is the New River Gorge Bridge, which was at a time the longest steel single-arch bridge in the world with a 3,031-foot (924 m) span. The New River Gorge Bridge is a steel- Arch bridge, in Fayetteville, West Virginia, USA. The bridge is also pictured on the West Virginia state quarter. The 50 State Quarters program ( is the release of a series of commemorative coins by the United States Mint. The Veterans Memorial Bridge (Weirton-Steubenville Bridge) was at its time of construction one of only three cable-stayed steel girder trusses in the United States. It connects Steubenville, Ohio with Weirton, West Virginia along US Route 22. Steubenville is a city located along the Ohio River in Jefferson County, Ohio, in the United States. Weirton is a city located in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia.

Law and government

Main article: Law and government of West Virginia

West Virginia's capital and seat of government is the city of Charleston, located in the southwest area of the state. The capital and seat of government in West Virginia is the city of Charleston, located in the southwest area of the state Charleston is the Capital of the US state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and

Legislative branch

Further information: West Virginia Legislature

The West Virginia Legislature is bicameral, consisting of the House of Delegates and the Senate. The West Virginia Legislature is the state legislature of the U In Government, bicameralism (bi + Latin la ''camera'' chamber is the practice of having two legislative or Parliamentary chambers Thus a bicameral The West Virginia House of Delegates is the Lower house of the West Virginia Legislature. The West Virginia Senate is the Upper house of the West Virginia Legislature. It is a citizen's legislature, meaning that legislative office is not a full-time occupation, but rather a part-time position. Consequently, the legislators often hold a full-time job in their community of residence.

Typically, the legislature is in session for 60 days between January and early April. The final day of the regular session ends in a bewildering fury of last-minute legislation in order to meet a constitutionally imposed deadline of midnight. During the remainder of the year, monthly interim sessions are held in preparation for the regular session. Legislators also gather periodically for 'special' sessions when called by the governor.

Executive branch

Further information: List of Governors of West Virginia

The governor, elected every four years on the same day as the U. This is a list of Governors of West Virginia List of Governors S. Presidential election, is sworn in during the following January.

Governors of West Virginia can serve two consecutive terms but must sit out a term before serving a third term in office.

Judicial branch

Further information: Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia

West Virginia is one of thirteen states that does not have a death penalty. The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia is the State supreme court of West Virginia, the highest of West Virginia's State courts It is located Capital punishment of a Felon in the United States, in modern times is employed and in practice only in cases involving murder

For the purpose of courts of general jurisdiction, the state is divided into 31 judicial circuits. Each circuit is made up of one or more counties. Circuit judges are elected in partisan elections to serve eight-year terms.

West Virginia’s highest court is the Supreme Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia is the busiest appellate court of its type in the United States. West Virginia is one of 11 states with a single appellate court. The state constitution allows for the creation of an intermediate court of appeals, but the Legislature has never created one. The Supreme Court is made up of five justices, elected in partisan elections to 12-year terms.

West Virginia is an alcoholic beverage control state. David Justin 1550 16 September However, unlike most such states, it does not operate retail outlets, having exited that business in 1990. It retains a monopoly on wholesaling of distilled spirits only.

Politics

Main article: Politics of West Virginia

West Virginia is currently considered a swing state. From the time of the Great Depression through the 1990s the politics of West Virginia were largely dominated by the Democratic party. A swing state (also battleground state or purple state) in United States At the state level, its politics are largely dominated by the Democratic Party, with Democrats currently holding the governorship, both senate seats, two of three house seats and both houses of the state legislature. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. West Virginia also has a very strong tradition of union membership. In the Republican landslide of 1988, it was one of only ten states, and the only southern state, to give its electoral votes to Michael Dukakis, and supported Bill Clinton by large margins in both 1992 and 1996. -->The United States presidential election of 1988 featured an open primary for both major parties Michael Stanley Dukakis (born November 3, 1933) is an American Democratic politician former Governor of Massachusetts, and was the Democratic The United States presidential elections of 1992 featured a battle between incumbent President, Republican George H The United States presidential election of 1996 was a contest between the Democratic national ticket of President Bill Clinton of Arkansas and Vice However, the West Virginia State Democratic Party, like many State Democratic Parties in the South, is on the whole more moderate than the national party. For example, Senator Robert Byrd was a member of the bipartisan Gang of 14, while Governor Joe Manchin and Congressmen Alan Mollohan and Nick Rahall are pro-life on the issue of abortion. Robert Carlyle Byrd (born November 20 1917 is the senior United States Senator from West Virginia and a member of the Democratic Party. The Gang of 14 was a term coined to describe the Bipartisan group of Senators in the 109th United States Congress who successfully negotiated a compromise Joseph "Joe" Manchin III (born August 24, 1947 in Farmington West Virginia) is an American politician from the State of Alan Bowlby Mollohan (born May 14 1943 in Fairmont West Virginia) is a Democratic member of United States House of Representatives, representing Nick Joe Rahall II (born May 20, 1949) American politician of Lebanese descent has been a Democratic member of the United

The most consistent support for Democrats is found in the coal fields of southern West Virginia (especially McDowell, Mingo, Logan, Wyoming, and Boone Counties), while Republicans are most numerous to the east of the Allegheny Mountains, especially in the state's Eastern Panhandle and Potomac Highlands. Coal mining is the extraction or removal of Coal from the Earth by Mining. Southern West Virginia is a culturally and geographically distinct region in the U McDowell County is a County located in the US state of West Virginia. Mingo County is a County located in the US state of West Virginia. Logan County is a County located in the US state of West Virginia. Wyoming County is located in the US state of West Virginia. As of 2000 the population was 25708 Boone County is a County located in the US state of West Virginia. The Allegheny Mountain Range (also spelled Alleghany and Allegany) &mdash informally the Alleghenies &mdash is part of the vast Appalachian The Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia is a narrow stretch of territory in the northeast of the state bordering Maryland and Virginia, United States The Potomac Highlands of West Virginia are the root of the Eastern Panhandle, bordering Maryland and Virginia. The Northern Panhandle and North-Central West Virginia regions usually split right down the middle in terms of being Republican or Democrat. The Northern Panhandle is a culturally and geographically distinct region in the U North-Central West Virginia (sometimes known as "Mountaineer Country" is a region of the U

Important cities and towns

See also: List of cities in West Virginia, List of towns in West Virginia, List of villages in West Virginia, List of census-designated places in West Virginia

Large cities (> 10,000 population)

Charleston, 53,421 (2006 estimate: 50,846) Huntington, 51,475 (2006 estimate: 49,007) Parkersburg, 33,099 (2006 estimate: 31,755) Wheeling, 31,419 (2006 estimate: 29,330) Morgantown, 26,809 (2006 estimate: 28,654) Weirton, 20,411 (2006 estimate: 19,250) Fairmont, 19,097 (2006 estimate: 19,145) Beckley, 17,254 (2006 estimate: 16,828)

Clarksburg, 16,743 (2006 estimate: 16,459) Martinsburg, 14,972 (2006 estimate: 16,392) South Charleston, 13,390 (2006 estimate: 12,578) Teays Valley, 12,704 (2006 estimate: N/A) St. Albans, 11,567 (2006 estimate: 11,063) Bluefield, 11,451 (2006 estimate: 11,053) Vienna, 10,861 (2006 estimate: 10,691) Cross Lanes, 10,353 (2006 estimate: N/A)

Towns and small cities

Barboursville Berkeley Springs Beckley Bridgeport Buckhannon Charles Town Dunbar Elkins Fayetteville Follansbee

Grafton Hamlin Harpers Ferry Hinton Kenova Keyser Kilsyth Kingwood Lewisburg Logan Madison Mannington

Marlinton Montgomery Moorefield Moundsville Mount Hope New Martinsville Nitro Oak Hill Paden City Petersburg Philippi

Pleasant Valley Point Pleasant Princeton Ranson Ravenswood Richwood Ripley Romney Salem Shepherdstown

Shinnston Spencer Summersville Wardensville Webster Springs Welch Wellsburg Weston Westover White Sulphur Springs

Williamson Williamstown

Metropolitan Statistical Areas

Charleston, WV MSA Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH MSA Morgantown, WV MSA Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna, WV-OH MSA

Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV MSA Cumberland, MD-WV MSA Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MSA Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH MSA Wheeling, WV-OH MSA Winchester, VA-WV MSA

Micropolitan Statistical Areas

Beckley, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) Bluefield, WV-VA MSA Clarksburg, WV MSA

Fairmont, WV MSA Oak Hill, WV MSA Point Pleasant, WV-OH MSA

Education

Main article: Education in West Virginia

West Virginia has received low marks for reading and math skills at the eighth-grade level and ranked 51st in college education rates. List of cities in West Virginia, arranged in alphabetical order List of towns in West Virginia, arranged in alphabetical order List of villages in West Virginia, arranged in alphabetical order List of census-designated places in West Virginia, arranged in alphabetical order Charleston is the Capital of the US state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Huntington is a city located in the State of West Virginia along the Ohio River. Wheeling is a city in West Virginia, in the United States. Most of the city is in Ohio County, with a small Morgantown is a city in and the County seat of Monongalia County, West Virginia, United States, on the banks of the Monongahela River Weirton is a city located in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia. Fairmont is a city in Marion County, West Virginia, United States. Beckley is a city in Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States, which was founded on April 4, 1838. Martinsburg is a city in Berkeley County, West Virginia, United States. South Charleston is a city in Kanawha County, West Virginia, U Teays Valley is a Census-designated place (CDP in Putnam County, West Virginia, United States. St Albans is a city in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States, at the confluence of the Kanawha and Coal Rivers Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. Vienna is a city in Wood County, West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Cross Lanes is an unincorporated Census-designated place suburb of Charleston in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States. Barboursville is a village in Cabell County, West Virginia, United States. Bath is a town in Morgan County, West Virginia. It is incorporated as Bath, but is referred to by the name of its Post office, Beckley is a city in Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States, which was founded on April 4, 1838. Bridgeport is a city in Harrison County, West Virginia, United States. Buckhannon is the only incorporated city in and the County seat of Upshur County, West Virginia, United States, and is located along the Not to be confused with the state capital Charleston West Virginia. See also Dunbar (disambiguation Dunbar is a city in Kanawha County, West Virginia, along the Kanawha River Elkins is a city in Randolph County, West Virginia, United States. Fayetteville is a town in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. Follansbee is a city in Brooke County, West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Grafton is a city in and County seat of Taylor County, West Virginia, USA Hamlin, originally named "Hamline" is a town in Lincoln County, West Virginia, United States, along the Mud River. Harpers Ferry redirects here For other uses see Harpers Ferry (disambiguation. Hinton is a city in Summers County, West Virginia, United States. Kenova is a city in Wayne County, West Virginia, at the confluence of the Ohio and Big Sandy Rivers Keyser is a city in and the County seat of Mineral County, West Virginia, United States. Kingwood is a city in and the County seat of Preston County, West Virginia, United States, and is part of the Pittsburgh DMA. Lewisburg is a city in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, United States. Logan is a city in Logan County, West Virginia, United States, along the Guyandotte River. Madison is a city in Boone County, West Virginia, United States. Mannington is a city in Marion County West Virginia, United States. Marlinton is a town in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, United States. Montgomery is a city in West Virginia, along the Kanawha River. Hardy County Courthouse-Moorefield WVjpg|thumb|right| Hardy County Courthouse in Moorefield West Virginia]] Moorefield is a town in Hardy County, West Virginia Moundsville is a city in Marshall County, West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Mount Hope is a city in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. New Martinsville is a city in Wetzel County, West Virginia, United States. Nitro is a city in West Virginia, along the Kanawha River. Most of the city lies in Kanawha County, with the remainder in Putnam County. Oak Hill is a city in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States and is the primary city within the Oak Hill WV Micropolitan Statistical Area Paden City is a city in Tyler and Wetzel Counties in the US state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Petersburg is a city in Grant County, West Virginia, United States. Philippi (pronounced 'FILL-uh-pea' is a city in and the County seat of Barbour County, West Virginia, United States. Pleasant Valley is a city in Marion County, West Virginia, United States. Point Pleasant is a city in Mason County, West Virginia, United States, at the confluence of the Ohio and Kanawha Rivers Princeton is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. Corporation of Ranson, more frequently known as Ranson (the name of its Post office) is a town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United Ravenswood is a city in Jackson County, West Virginia, United States, along the Ohio River. Richwood is a city in Nicholas County, West Virginia, United States. Ripley is a city in and the County seat of Jackson County, West Virginia, United States. Romney is a city in Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States of America. Salem is a city in Harrison County, West Virginia, United States. Shepherdstown is a town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, USA Shinnston is a city in Harrison County, West Virginia, United States, along the West Fork River. Spencer is a city in Roane County, West Virginia, United States. Summersville is a town in Nicholas County, West Virginia, United States. Wardensville is a town in Hardy County, West Virginia, United States. Webster Springs is a town in Webster County, West Virginia, United States. Welch is a city in McDowell County, West Virginia, USA The population was 2683 at the 2000 census Wellsburg is a city in Brooke County West Virginia, ZIP code 26070 Weston is a city in Lewis County, West Virginia, United States. Westover is a city in Monongalia County, West Virginia, United States. White Sulphur Springs is a city in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, United States. Williamson is a city in Mingo County, West Virginia, USA along the Tug Fork River. Williamstown is a city in Wood County, West Virginia, United States, along the Ohio River. The Charleston Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of five counties in West Virginia, anchored The Huntington - Ashland metropolitan area is a United States metropolitan area that includes 5 counties in West Virginia The Morgantown Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in north-central West The Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in West Virginia The Hagerstown Metropolitan Area, officially designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB as Hagerstown-Martinsburg MD-WV Metropolitan Cumberland MD-WV MSA, or Cumberland Metro for short denotes the Metropolitan Statistical Area of Cumberland Maryland and the surrounding economic The Washington DC Metropolitan Area, formally known as the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV MSA is a U The Weirton-Steubenville Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in the Northern Panhandle The Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in the Northern Panhandle of Winchester VA-WV MSA is a US Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB as of June Beckley is a city in Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States, which was founded on April 4, 1838. Table of United States Micropolitan Statistical Areas|Table of United States Core Based Statistical Areas United States Micropolitan Statistical Areas (µSA where the initial Greek letter Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. Fairmont is a city in Marion County, West Virginia, United States. Oak Hill is a city in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States and is the primary city within the Oak Hill WV Micropolitan Statistical Area The Point Pleasant Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties &ndash one in West Virginia Education in West Virginia falls under the auspices of the West Virginia Department of Education. ^[33]

Colleges and universities

Further information: List of colleges and universities in West Virginia

Alderson-Broaddus College Appalachian Bible College Bethany College Bluefield State College Concord University Davis and Elkins College Fairmont State University Glenville State College Marshall University Mountain State University New River Community and Technical College Ohio Valley University Salem International University

Shepherd University University of Charleston West Liberty State College West Virginia Northern Community College West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine West Virginia State University West Virginia University Potomac State College of West Virginia University West Virginia University Institute of Technology West Virginia University at Parkersburg West Virginia Wesleyan College Wheeling Jesuit University

Sports

Club	Sport	League
West Virginia Mountaineers	Football	College Football
Marshall Thundering Herd	Football	College Football
Bluefield Orioles	Baseball	Appalachian League
Princeton Devil Rays	Baseball	Appalachian League
West Virginia Power	Baseball	South Atlantic League
Wheeling Nailers	Ice hockey	ECHL
West Virginia Wild	Basketball	International Basketball League
Huntington Heroes	Indoor football	American Indoor Football Association
West Virginia Crash	Football	United States Football Alliance
Ohio Valley Greyhounds	Indoor football	United Indoor Football
West Virginia Chaos	Soccer	USL Premier Development League

Miscellaneous topics

West Virginia state insignia
Motto	Montani semper liberi (Latin, "Mountaineers are Always Free")
Slogan	Wild and Wonderful Open for Business' (former)' Almost Heaven (former)
Bird	Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
Animal	Black Bear (Ursus americanus)
Fish	Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)
Insect	European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Flower	Rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum)
Tree	Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
Song	"The West Virginia Hills" "This Is My West Virginia" "West Virginia, My Home Sweet Home"
Quarter	Released in 2005
Butterfly	Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
Wildflower	Fringed Gentian (Gentiana crinita)
Colors	Old Gold and Blue
Gemstone	Silicified Mississippian Fossil Coral (Lithostrotionella)
Soil	Monongahela Silt Loam
Fruit	Golden Delicious Apple (Malus domestica)

The state has a rich, lush beauty reflecting its temperate topography. This is a list of Colleges and universities in the US state of West Virginia. Alderson-Broaddus College, informally known as "A-B" is a private four-year Liberal arts college affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA The school is unrelated to Appalachian State University. Appalachian Bible College is a small non-profit private Christian college Bethany College is a private liberal arts college nestled in the rolling foothills of Bethany West Virginia. Bluefield State College (BSC is a historically black college located in Bluefield West Virginia. Concord University is a comprehensive public liberal arts institution located in Athens West Virginia, founded on February 28 1872, when the Fairmont State University is a public university located in Fairmont, West Virginia (population 19097 Glenville State College ( GSC) is a four-year college located in Glenville, a town in the rural north-central part of the U Marshall University is a Coeducational public Research university in Huntington West Virginia, founded in 1837 as a private subscription Mountain State University (MSU is an independent nonsectarian coeducational not-for-profit university based in Beckley West Virginia. Salem International University is a small For-profit school in Salem West Virginia. Accreditation The University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association phone 312/263-0456 The University of Charleston is a private university in Charleston West Virginia, United States of over 1000 students West Liberty State College is a state college located in West Liberty West Virginia near Wheeling. West Virginia Northern Community College (WVNCC or simply "Northern" is a public multi-campus Community college with the main campus located in downtown Wheeling The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, located in Lewisburg West Virginia, is a public institution that trains medical students for careers in osteopathic medicine West Virginia State University is a historically black (though now over 90 percent white public college in Institute, an Unincorporated area of Kanawha West Virginia University is a Coeducational public Research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Potomac State College of West Virginia University is a two-year Junior college affiliated as a division of West Virginia University. West Virginia University Institute of Technology is a four-year college located in Montgomery West Virginia. West Virginia University at Parkersburg, a regional campus of West Virginia University, is a Community college in Parkersburg West Virginia, and it serves West Virginia Wesleyan College is a regionally accredited private, Coeducational Liberal arts college in Buckhannon West Virginia Wheeling Jesuit University is a private co-educational Roman Catholic University in the United States. The West Virginia Mountaineers are the athletic teams of West Virginia University. American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with College football is American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, Colleges and military academies The Marshall Thundering Herd are the intercollegiate athletic teams that collectively represent the Marshall University in Huntington West Virginia. American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with College football is American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, Colleges and military academies The Bluefield Orioles, a professional Baseball team are a minor league affiliate of the Baltimore Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each The Appalachian League is a Rookie-class minor league that began play in 1937 with one year of inactivity in 1956 The Princeton Devil Rays are a Minor league baseball team in Princeton West Virginia, USA. The West Virginia Power is a Minor league baseball team of the South Atlantic League, and is the Class A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The South Atlantic League or "Sally League" is a Minor league baseball League which operates mostly in the Southeastern United States, The Wheeling Nailers are an ECHL Ice hockey team based in Wheeling West Virginia. Ice hockey, often referred to simply as hockey, is a team Sport played on Ice. The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a Professional Ice hockey league based in Princeton New Jersey, with teams scattered The West Virginia Wild were a basketball team that played in the International Basketball League and then later joined the National Professional Basketball League. Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m This article is about the International Basketball League formed in 2004. The Huntington Heroes is a professional indoor football franchise and member of the American Indoor Football Association. This article discusses indoor variations of American football for indoor versions of association football (soccer see Futsal and Indoor soccer and for the The West Virginia Crash are a minor league American football team based in Kenova West Virginia and currently play in the United States Football Alliance Football is the word given to a number of similar Team sports all of which involve (to varying degrees kicking a Ball with the foot in an attempt to score a The United States Football Alliance ( USFA) is a full contact outdoor semi-pro minor league American football league based in Sharon Pennsylvania. The Ohio Valley Greyhounds are a professional Indoor football team United Indoor Football was an Indoor football league that started in 2005 West Virginia Chaos is an American Soccer team founded in 2003. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered History In 1995 the USISL split into two leagues one professional and one amateur These are lists of US state insignia as designated by tradition or the respective state legislatures: List of U Here is a list of state Mottos for the states of the United States of America. Montani Semper Liberi ( Latin for "Mountaineers are Always Free" is the official Motto Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. This list of US state slogans is made up the Advertising slogans currently and formerly used by U This is a list of US state birds as designated by each state's legislature The Northern Cardinal ( Cardinalis cardinalis) is a North American Bird in the Cardinal family. A state mammal is the official or representative Animal of a U The American Black Bear ( Ursus americanus) is the most common Bear Species native to North America. This is a list of official and *unofficial US state fish:The only states lacking a state fish as of 2008 are Arkansas Indiana Kansas and Ohio The brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, (sometimes called the eastern brook trout, Adirondack coaster lake trout) is a Species of Fish This is a list of United States state insects note that some states have more than one designated insect or have multiple categories (e This is a list of US state flowers: See also List of US state trees Lists of U Rhododendron (from the Greek: rhodos, "rose" and dendron, "tree" is a genus of flowering plants in the family This List of US state trees includes official trees of the following states and U Acer saccharum ( Sugar Maple) is a species of Maple native to the hardwood forests of northeastern North America, from Nova Scotia Introduction Forty-nine states of the United States (all except New Jersey) have one or more state songs, selected by the state The 50 State Quarters program ( is the release of a series of commemorative coins by the United States Mint. This is a list of official US state butterflies: See also List of U The monarch ( Danaus plexippus) is a Milkweed butterfly ( Subfamily Danainae in the family Nymphalidae. This is a list of US state flowers: See also List of US state trees Lists of U Gentiana crinita (sometimes called "Fringed Gentian" is a biennial herbaceous species This is a list of US state colors: See also Lists of US state insignia Old Gold is a dark Yellow, which varies from light olive or olive Brown to deep or strong yellow Blue is a Colour, the Perception of which is evoked by Not every state has an official state mineral rock stone or gemstone Corals are Marine organisms from the class Anthozoa and exist as small Sea anemone –like Polyps typically in colonies of many This is a list of Representative US State Soils. A state soil is a Soil that has special significance to a particular state. This is a list of official US state foods: The Golden Delicious is a Cultivar of Apple with a yellow color Topography ( topo-, "place" and graphia, "writing" is the study of Earth 's Surface features or those of Planets Tourist sites include the New River Gorge Bridge,^[34] Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and many state parks. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel The New River Gorge Bridge is a steel- Arch bridge, in Fayetteville, West Virginia, USA. Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is located at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers in and around Harpers Ferry West Virginia. State Park is a term used in the United States and in Mexico for an area of land preserved on account of its natural beauty historic interest recreation or other The Greenbrier hotel and resort, originally built in 1778, has long been considered a premier hotel frequented by numerous world leaders and U.S. Presidents over the years. The Greenbrier is a Mobil four star and AAA Five Diamond Award winning Luxury resort located in the town of White Sulphur Springs in Greenbrier A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging usually on a short-term basis A resort is a place used for Relaxation or Recreation, attracting visitors for Holidays or Vacations Resorts are places towns or sometimes The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by West Virginia is also home to the Green Bank Telescope at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. The Robert C Byrd Green Bank Telescope ( GBT) is the world's largest fully steerable Radio telescope and the world's largest land-based movable structure The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center of the United States National Science Foundation operated

A common story told about West Virginia is the folktale about how it got the nickname "West, By God, Virginia". According to the legend, a West Virginia native who was being inducted into the US Army during the First World War (some versions make it as early as the Spanish-American War), was repeatedly asked by his induction officer, "What part of Virginia?" And the soldier, finally getting fed up with the confusion, said "Not Virginia! West Virginia! West, by God, Virginia!". World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All This story, whether true or not, has entered American folklore, and it is not unusual to hear not only West Virginians themselves, but other Americans, refer to the state as "West, By God, Virginia";, or often as "West By-God", or sometimes simply as "By-God". Many West Virginians, when travelling outside the state, or when abroad, enjoy paying homage to the legend by referring to their home state in this manner.

West Virginia has long been the butt of jokes as a backwater, in addition to incestuous relationships. At a National Press Club dinner on June 2, 2008, U. Events 455 - The Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common S. Vice President Cheney mentioned he had "Cheneys on both sides" of his family tree, ". . . and we don't even live in West Virginia. "^[35]

Film

See also: List of television shows and movies in West Virginia

Live Free or Die Hard (2007): One scene is set in the fictional town of Middleton, West Virginia. This is a list of Television shows and/or Movies that were either filmed or set in the U Live Free or Die Hard, released as Die Hard 40 outside the United States is a 2007 Action film, and the fourth installment in

Rocket Science (film) (2007)

We Are Marshall (2006): set at Marshall University in Huntington. Rocket Science is a 2007 Comedy-drama film concerning high school debate. We Are Marshall is a 2006 motion picture directed by McG about the aftermath of the 1970 plane crash that killed all of the Marshall University is a Coeducational public Research university in Huntington West Virginia, founded in 1837 as a private subscription Huntington is a city located in the State of West Virginia along the Ohio River. Filmed in Huntington, Kenova and Atlanta, Georgia. Kenova is a city in Wayne County, West Virginia, at the confluence of the Ohio and Big Sandy Rivers The State of Georgia ( is a state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule

Silent Hill (2006): adapted from the Konami video game series of the same name, this film is set in the fictional Toluca County, West Virginia. is a Survival horror Video game franchise developed and published by Konami. () is a leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys Trading cards, Anime, Tokusatsu, Slot machines

Walk the Line (2005): Actors Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon played Johnny Cash and June Carter in a scene featuring Wheeling, West Virginia in which they talk to locals and perform a concert. Walk the Line is a 2005 American biographical Drama film, directed by James Mangold and based on the life of country

Bubble (2005): set and filmed in Belpre, Ohio and Parkersburg. Bubble is a movie directed by Steven Soderbergh. It was shot on High-definition video and was made for a relatively small budget of $1 Belpre is a city in Washington County, Ohio, United States, along the Ohio River.

Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! (2004): set in Fraziers Bottom, West Virginia. Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! is a 2004 Romantic comedy film, directed by Robert Luketic and starring Kate Bosworth

Wrong Turn (2003): set in West Virginia, although the movie was filmed in Ontario, Canada. Wrong Turn is a 2003 Horror film, directed by Rob Schmidt and written by Alan B Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page

The Mothman Prophecies (2002): set in Point Pleasant, but filmed in Pennsylvania. The Mothman Prophecies is a 2002 film directed by Mark Pellington, adapted from the 1976 book of the same name by parapsychologist and Fortean Point Pleasant is a city in Mason County, West Virginia, United States, at the confluence of the Ohio and Kanawha Rivers The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern

October Sky (1999): set in Coalwood in McDowell County, but filmed in Tennessee. October Sky is a 1999 film produced by Charles Gordon, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Cooper and Laura Dern. Coalwood is an unincorporated Coal mining town in McDowell County, West Virginia, USA. McDowell County is a County located in the US state of West Virginia. Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States.

Whatever (1998): independent film set within Northern New Jersey in the early 1980s, but filmed in Wheeling, West Virginia. An independent film, or indie film, is a film that is produced outside of the Hollywood Studio system, a series of oligopolistic practices by several North Jersey is a name for the northern part of the US State of New Jersey, which is sandwiched between two important cities New York City (which North The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991): Partly filmed in Weirton, West Virginia. The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 suspense film directed by Jonathan Demme and starring Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins,

Paradise Park (1990): set and filmed in West Virginia. Paradise Park (1990, also known as Heroes of the Heart is a film shot in West Virginia, written and directed by Daniel Boyd

Matewan (1987): set in Matewan, filmed in Thurmond. Matewan ( 1987) is an American drama by John Sayles, illustrating the events of a Coal mine -workers' strike Matewan is a town in Mingo County, West Virginia, USA at the confluence of the Tug Fork River Thurmond is a town in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States, on the New River.

Reckless (1984): partially filmed in Weirton. Weirton is a city located in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia.

The Deer Hunter (1978): partially filmed in Weirton, but is set in Western Pennsylvania. The Deer Hunter is a 1978 war Drama film about a trio of Rusyn American steel worker friends and their infantry service in the Weirton is a city located in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia.

Fool's Parade (1971): set in 1930s West Virginia, filmed in Moundsville. Fools' Parade (also known as Dynamite Man from Glory Jail) is a 1971 drama film directed by Andrew McLaglen and starring James Moundsville is a city in Marshall County, West Virginia, along the Ohio River.

Holy Ghost People (1967): documentary on a congregation in Scrabble Creek, West Virginia. Holy Ghost People is a 1967 documentary directed and narrated by Peter Adair.

The Night of the Hunter (1955): filmed in Moundsville and Hollywood. This article is about the novel For the 1955 film adaptation see The Night of the Hunter (film. Moundsville is a city in Marshall County, West Virginia, along the Ohio River.

Music

Main article: Music of West Virginia

Appalachian music

West Virginia's folk heritage is a part of the Appalachian folk music tradition, and includes styles of fiddling, ballad singing, and other styles that draw on Scots-Irish music. West Virginia 's folk heritage is a part of the Appalachian folk music tradition and includes styles of fiddling, ballad singing and other styles that draw on Old-time music is a form of North American Folk music, with roots in the Folk musics of many countries including England, Scotland, Classical music Since the Baroque era the violin ( Baroque violin) has been one of the most important of all instruments in classical music, for several Ulster Scots, also known as Ullans, Hiberno-Scots, or Scots-Irish, refers to the variety of Scots (sometimes referred to as Camp Washington-Carver, a Mountain Cultural Arts Center located at Clifftop in Fayette County, hosts an annual Appalachian String Band Festival. Clifftop is an unincorporated community in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. Fayette County is a County located in the US state of West Virginia. ^[36] The Capitol Complex in Charleston hosts The Vandalia Gathering, where traditional Appalachian musicians compete in contests and play in impromptu jam sessions and evening concerts over the course of the weekend. ^[37]

Classical music

The West Virginia Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1939, as the Charleston Civic Orchestra, before becoming the Charleston Symphony Orchestra in 1943. The first conductor was William R. Wiant, followed by the prominent conductor Antonio Modarelli, who was written about in the November 7, 1949 Time Magazine for his composition of the River Saga, a six-section program piece about the Kanawha River according to the Charleston Gazette's November 6, 1999 photo essay, "Snapshots of the 20th Century". Events 1492 - The Ensisheim Meteorite the oldest Meteorite with a known date of impact strikes the Earth around noon in a Wheat Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 355 - Roman Emperor Constantius II promotes his cousin Julian to the rank of Caesar, entrusting him with Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) ^[38] Prior to coming to Charleston, Modarelli had conducted the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra, according to the orchestra's website. The Wheeling Symphony Orchestra is an American Orchestra based in Wheeling, West Virginia. The Philadelphia Orchestra is an Orchestra based in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, in the United States. ^[39]

Musical innovation

The West Virginia Cultural Center in Charleston^[40] is home to the West Virginia Division of Culture and History^[41] which helps underwrite and coordinate a large number of musical activities. The Center is also home to Mountain Stage, the internationally broadcast live-performance music radio program established in 1983. Mountain Stage is a radio show produced by West Virginia Public Broadcasting, and distributed by National Public Radio and the Voice of America ^[42] The program also travels to other venues in the state such as the West Virginia University Creative Arts Center in Morgantown. West Virginia University is a Coeducational public Research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. ^[43]

The Center hosts concerts sponsored by the Friends of Old Time Music and Dance, which brings an assortment of acoustic roots music to West Virginians. ^[44] The Center also hosts the West Virginia Dance Festival, which features classical and modern dance. ^[45]

Huntington's historic Keith-Albee Theatre, built by brothers A. Keith-Albee is a theatre located along Fourth Avenue in downtown Huntington West Virginia in the United States of America. B. and S. J. Hyman, was originally opened to the public on May 7, 1928, and hosts a variety of performing arts and music attractions. Events 558 - In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The theatre was eventually gifted to Marshall University and is currently going through renovation to restore it to its original splendor. Marshall University is a Coeducational public Research university in Huntington West Virginia, founded in 1837 as a private subscription

The town of Glenville has long been home to the annual West Virginia State Folk Festival. Glenville is a town in and the County seat of Gilmer County, West Virginia, United States, along the Little Kanawha ^[46]

The Mountaineer Opera House in Milton hosts a variety of musical acts. Milton is a town in Cabell County, West Virginia, United States.

The Boston, Massachusetts band Big Wreck wrote a song titled "West Virginia". Big Wreck was a Neo-progressive Hard rock band of the late 1990s The Pleasure and the Greed is the second and final album from Big Wreck.

See also

• List of West Virginia-related topics

References

Further reading

External links

• Visiting West Virginia
• State of West Virginia government website
• West Virginia Legislature website
• Governor Joe Manchin III's website
• Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia website
• Constitution of West Virginia
• West Virginia Code
• West Virginia Archives and History
• USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of West Virginia
• West Virginia State Fact Sheet from the U. S. Department of Agriculture

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