I am proud to be a West Virginian!
Mountaineers are noted for their qualities of character and decency, nurturing generations of superb craftsmen and dedicated military veterans. We West Virginians are proud of our heritage and our historic mountain culture. Appropriately, the state's motto is:
"Mountaineers are always free."
In 1863, West Virginia officially became the thirty-fifth state to join the Union. On June 20th of that year, the hardworking founders of the State of West Virginia watched their dreams become a reality, as the northwestern and western counties of Virginia finally were recognized by the U.S. Congress and President Lincoln.
West Virginia boasts a variety of wildlife and abundant natural resources. Our old, rounded hills and towering mountains have been declared the "essence of Mother Earth herself." West Virginia offers much to its residents and visitors:
"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."
I have travelled throughout the world, and I can assure you that our state offers unparalleled charm, beauty, and serenity. West Virginia's heritage is rich, and should be appreciated, as well as respected. Please take this opportunity to discover all that West Virginia has to offer.
*** Photography courtesy of the West Virginia Division of Tourism
Photographers: David Fattaleh and Steve Shaluta, Jr.
I invite my fellow West Virginians and those of you who want to learn more about the great State of West Virginia to visit the following websites:
