Most people know little or nothing of West Virginia. But that's changing, as the Mountain State's driving tours draw more and more visitors to a wide variety of attractions.
The number of West Virginia visitors is growing quickly, as word spreads about what the state has to offer.
Visitors are drawn to incredible natural beauty, a wealth of outdoor recreation opportunities, many historical attractions, an excellent state park system, friendly people, and a simpler and slower-paced way of life.
Coal may have once been king in the Mountaineer State, but statistics show that tourists are now treated like royalty in West Virginia. Tourism is the second largest industry (behind chemicals) and is the fastest-growing segment, as new and old visitors continue to explore the state.
"I suppose that if the more than one million mountains in West Virginia were leveled flat, the state would reach all the way to Texas.
In any event, its boundaries extend farther north than Pittsburgh, farther south than Richmond (the capital of the Old Confederacy) as far east as Buffalo, New York, and as far west as Columbus, Ohio.
It is the most southern of the northern and the most northern of the southern; the most eastern of the western and the most western of the eastern.
It is where the East says good morning to the West, and where Yankee Doodle and Dixie kiss each other good night!
It is the state that is 'wild and wonderful' and 'almost heaven,' with its beautiful hills and its law-abiding, God-fearing, and patriotic people." ~Robert C. Byrd (D-WV), United States Senate, April, 1983
West Virginia is the most mountainous state east of the Rockies.
It is located entirely in the Appalachian region, the largest mountain system in the eastern United States.
Its irregular shape is the result of rivers and mountains that form its borders. It has two "panhandles" that stick out -- one in the north and one in the east. The rivers that form the borders are the Potomac River, the Ohio River, the Big Sandy River, and the Tug Fork River.
The crest of the highest point of the Appalachian mountains forms the eastern border between Virginia and West Virginia.
Mountains, rivers, and forests cover the state of West Virginia. There are some waterfalls, several caves, and some mineral springs, too. Deer and bear live throughout the state. Elk, bison, wolves, and mountain lions used to live here but they moved west when settlers came into the area. Lots of small animals, like rabbits, squirrels, groundhogs, chipmunks, etc., live here, too.
West Virginia is mostly a rural state. In fact, nearly two-thirds of the state's people live in rural areas.
The largest cities are the capital city of Charleston, Huntington and WHEELING
Coal may have once been king in the Mountaineer State, but statistics show that tourists are now treated like royalty in West Virginia. Tourism is the second largest industry (behind chemicals) and is the fastest-growing segment, as new and old visitors continue to explore the state.
West Virginia is also famous for its glassware and pottery and one of the best apple growing regions in the U.S. is in eastern West Virginia.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
The first people to live in the area that is now West Virginia were Indians called the Mound-Builders of the ancient Hopewell and Adena cultures. We know this because of the many artifacts and impressive burial mounds that are still here today.
Mound - Delf Natrona Museum
The Mound-Builders disappeared around the year 1,000. They may have moved somewhere else. They may have all died. Or they may have mixed in with other Indians. Nobody knows for sure.
When the Mound-Builders left, the Woodland Indians came to live in this area. One of the tribes of Woodland Indians was the Shawnee.
The Shawnee were hunters and farmers. They burned parts of the forests to make fields, and then they grew maize, beans, and pumpkins. They lived in wigwams, which they made by bending small trees and tying them together, then draping animal skins over them.
In the 1600s, Europeans started crossing the Appalachian Mountains to explore the area.
Alexander Spotswood from Virginia came in 1716 and claimed the land for England, and the first settlers began venturing over the mountains a few years after that.
The first known settler was named Morgan Morgan, and he came in 1730.
When the white people first settled in the area that is now West Virginia, the Shawnees were still here. Chief Cornstalk was a Shawnee. He was a very good chief, and was kind to the white settlers in the area.
The Indians in his tribe wanted to attack the American forts, but Chief Cornstalk would not let them. But the Indians did not want to obey their chief, and some of them left Cornstalk to join up with the British during the American Revolution.
These events led to the Battle of Point Pleasant, which is now considered the first battle of the American Revolution.
For more information about Chief Cornstalk, the Battle of Point Pleasant, the legend of "Mothman", and events leading up to the Silver Bridge disaster, see the
Point Pleasant Page
As more people crossed the mountains and settled in the western part of the state of Virginia, the part that is now West Virginia, the frontier settled down a bit, and most of the Indians went west. Most of the early settlers were either German or Scots-Irish. A few were English, Welsh, or Dutch.
In 1861, the Civil War began. Southern states began seceding from the Union to join the Confederate States of America.
Virginia was one of the states that seceded. Virginia was divided by the Appalachian Mountains. The two halves were very different.
The eastern half was smooth rolling hills with good farmland. The western half was mountainous and rugged.
The eastern Virginians were often wealthy, owning large prosperous farms which earned them much money. The western Virginians were poor, with small farms barely able to supply enough for their own families to eat.
The eastern Virginians were taking advantage of the poor westerners, exploiting them for their own benefit. The western Virginians did not like this, and so they wanted to become their own state.
The only way a state can be made from part of an old state is for the old state to approve it.
Virginia would not give its approval, because if they did, they wouldn't be able to make money by cheating the westerners anymore.
So the state of West Virginia was formed in a very unusual way.
Because the state of Virginia had illegally seceded from the Union; the United States had not given Virginia permission to leave and become part of the Confederacy.
It was decided that a new government of Virginia could be formed. This new government would be part of the Union.
So in 1861, some western Virginians formed the Restored Government of Virginia, which belonged to the United States, the NORTH.
The NORTH approved of this.
This "new" government of Virginia held a meeting to approve the formation of the state of West Virginia.
This was a very underhanded way for the Union to gain more land, because the real government of Virginia no longer belonged to them, but to the Confederacy.
And it worked, and on June 20, 1863, the state of WEST VIRIGINIA officially came into being.
The war ended, the years passed, and around the turn of the century, railroads were constructed throughout the state. The three major railroads were the B&O (Baltimore and Ohio), the C&O (Chesapeake and Ohio), and the N&W (Norfolk and Western).
One of the great railroad builders was Collis P. Huntington, for whom the city of Huntington was named.
When World War I started, the railroads were no longer able to handle all the freight and passenger traffic, so something had to be done.
The government began constructing locks and dams on the Ohio River so that would be easier for large, heavy vessels to travel on the river.
Around the time of World War II, the state began building better roads. Most of our major highways follow old Indian trails or pioneer trails,(that is why we have such winding roads). In the 1950s, interstates were built through West Virginia.
West Virginia has also seen a growth in industry in the twentieth century. Chemicals, iron, tin, steel, and nickel are all produced in West Virginia factories, and the state is famous for its glass and pottery.
Natural resources are abundant in West Virginia, particularly coal and natural gas. West Virginia's forests provide abundant lumber and wood products.
Tourism is growing each year as visitors come to enjoy the state's natural beauty, and cultural and historical landmarks. West Virginians are proud of their history and their cultural heritage.
Music, especially ballads and gospel songs, is a major part of the mountain culture. Clog-dancing is popular throughout the state.
Arts and crafts provide mountain people with both entertainment and a bit of extra income.
Museums and historic sites, and outdoor dramas like Honey in the Rock, the Hatfields and McCoys, the Aracoma Story, etc. make the past come to life.
Event Calendar
West Virginians are also hopeful for the future. Improvements have been made in education and technology, and new industries are moving into the state to provide more jobs for West Virginians.
West Virginian's do not forget their past; but they continue to work hard to make our beautiful state an even better place to live.
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