The state's first governor after admission into the Union, Arthur I. Boreman, served the most consecutive terms, resigning a week before the end of his third term. Before the state's admission, Francis H. Pierpont, the, "Father of West Virginia," was elected governor during the Wheeling Convention of 1861.

What did Arthur I Boreman do?

Arthur Ingram Boreman (July 24, 1823 – April 19, 1896) was an American lawyer, politician and judge who helped found the U.S. state of West Virginia.

When did WV become a state?

Lincoln signed the bill admitting West Virginia to the Union, on December 31. On March 26, 1863, West Virginia ratified the revised constitution to include the gradual emancipation of slaves. President Lincoln proclaimed that West Virginia would officially be recognized as a state on June 20, 1863.

What is West Virginia known for?

Located in the Appalachian region, West Virginia has some of the most rugged land in the country. The state's rolling mountains, hills and valleys earned it the nickname of The Mountain State, and it is well-known for its range of outdoor activities, including hiking, mountain biking, skiing and whitewater rafting.

Who is the most famous person from West Virginia?

• Hal Greer, professional basketball player.
• Mary Lou Retton, professional gymnast.
• Randy Moss, professional football player.
• John Chambers, CEO of Cisco Systems.
• George Preston Marshall, owner and president of the Washington Redskins.
• Ted Cassidy, actor.
• Jennifer Garner, actress.

Carte Goodwin, West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin's 36-year-old former chief counsel, takes his oath

Did West Virginia fight for the North or South?

The U.S. state of West Virginia was formed out of western Virginia and added to the Union as a direct result of the American Civil War (see History of West Virginia), in which it became the only modern state to have declared its independence from the Confederacy.

Who founded WV?

In 1671, General Abraham Wood, at the direction of Royal Governor William Berkeley of the Virginia Colony, sent the party of Thomas Batts and Robert Fallum into the West Virginia area. During this expedition the pair followed the New River and discovered Kanawha Falls.

Is West Virginia considered the South?

THE SOUTH. ... According to the Census Bureau, the South consists of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma. Washington, DC, is also included in the South.

How old is WV?

The phrase reflects the history and identity of the state and indicates how West Virginia became the 35th state in the Union on June 20, 1863.

How long is WV governor term?

Executive branch

The chief executive of West Virginia is the governor of West Virginia, who is elected to a four-year term at the same time as presidential elections. The governor is sworn in the January following the November election. A governor may only serve two consecutive terms.

Why is West Virginia shape so weird?

Its unusual configuration is the result of the Revolutionary-era claims of Virginia's former Yohogania County boundary lying along the Ohio River, conflicting with interpretations of the Colony of Pennsylvania's royal charter.

Is West Virginia above the Mason Dixon line?

As defined by the U.S. federal government, it includes Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Does West Virginia have an accent?

Everyone who speaks at all speaks a dialect, and the major languages occur in countless variations around the world. West Virginians participate in many dialects, with some variant of what is often called Appalachian English being heard in much of the state.

Why is Virginia not called East Virginia?

When Virginia's Secession Convention finally voted to leave the Union in April 1861, the representatives of the western counties chose to meet separately and to "secede" from Virginia. ... All the trade and commerce of the West is with other States, and not with Eastern Virginia.

Why did WV break away from VA?

West Virginia is the only state formed because of the Civil War. Just as North battled South in the country, West confronted East in Virginia. The two regions formed a single state in name, but not in geography, economy, climate, descent of its residents or way of life.

Why is it called West Virginia?

The western portion of Virginia seceded from the Confederate state and named itself West Virginia, the Mountain State, forsaking the rebellion of the Confederacy for membership in the Union. ... Virginia's secession from the Union in early 1861 angered westerners: they didn't want to be dragged into rebellion.

Who is the most famous Civil War general from West Virginia?

Stonewall Jackson captured 13,000 Union troops during the Maryland campaign of 1862, marking the largest amount of Union troops to surrender there in the entire war. Speaking of Stonewall Jackson, one of the war's most iconic commanders on either side, he was a Clarksburg, West Virginia native.

Who were the first settlers in West Virginia?

The white settlement of present-day West Virginia probably began with the first German settlers at Mecklenburg (present-day Shepherdstown) in 1727, despite earlier claims that Morgan Morgan had been the first.