Charleston, West Virginia

USA / West Virginia / Charleston /
 city, capital city of state/province/region, county seat
Capital city of West Virginia and county seat of Kanawha County. Largest city in West Virginia with a population of 50,302 in 2008. The first permanent Euro-American settlement was made in 1788 at Fort Lee, built by the Virginia Rangers. The settlement around the fort was named Charles Town, believed to have been derived from the father of the leader of the Rangers who built the fort. In 1794 the city was officially incorporated by the state legislature. It became a center for the salt trade in the early 19th century. Natural gas and coal were also discovered here during this period.

After Virginia secession, Union troops moved into the area. In September 1862 Confederate forces occupied the city, expelling the Union after the Battle of Charleston. Union forces reoccupied the city in November. When West Virginia seceded from Virginia the next year, Charleston became the state capital, and has remained so except for 1870-75 when the capital moved to Wheeling.

www.cityofcharleston.org/
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charleston,_West_Virginia
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   38°21'10"N   81°38'32"W

Comments

  • gorgeous, especially in fall. beautiful during all 4 seasons.
This article was last modified 13 years ago