By Mary Catherine Brooks, The Register-Herald
BECKLEY, W.Va. — West Virginia became the 35th state June 20, 1863, when it split from Virginia – 156 years ago. Unofficial celebrations were held across the state for the next 64 years to mark the occasion. In 1927, the West Virginia Legislature made June 20 an official state holiday. The state’s first governor was Arthur I. Boreman, of Wood County, who was elected May 28, 1863 and took office June 20. Created during the Civil War (1861-1865), Boreman termed the new state “the child of the rebellion.”
Naturally divided by the Allegheny Mountains, there were many differences between the people of western Virginia and those in eastern Virginia. The eastern portion boasted large plantations on gentle-sloping terrain that produced cash crops such as tobacco. The western portion of the state is mountainous and the terrain much more rugged. …
