Charleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2000 census, it has a population of 53,421, with its urban area having a population of 212,991, and its metropolitan area 309,635. However, the 2008 Census Estimate has Charleston with a population of 50,302, and a 2008 estimated metro area population of 303,944. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.
Early industry important to Charleston included salt and the first natural gas well. Later, coal became central to economic prosperity in the city and the surrounding area. Today, trade, utilities, government, medicine and education play the central role in the city's economy.
The first permanent settlement, Ft. Lee, was built in 1788. In 1791, Daniel Boone was a member of the Kanawha County Assembly.
Charleston is the home of the West Virginia Power (formerly the Charleston Alley Cats) minor league baseball team, the West Virginia Wild minor league basketball team, and the annual 15-mile (24 km) Charleston Distance Run. Yeager Airport and the University of Charleston are also located in the city.
Charleston is also home to the 130th Airlift Wing of the West Virginia Air National Guard.
The city also contains public parks, such as Cato Park and Coonskin Park, and the Kanawha State Forest, a large public state park that sustains a pool, camping sites, several biking/walking trails, picnic areas, as well as several shelters provided for recreational use.
History
Beginnings
After the American Revolutionary War, pioneers began making their way out from the early settlements. Many slowly migrated into the western part of Virginia. Capitalizing on its many resources made Charleston an important part of Virginia and West Virginia history. Today, Charleston is the largest city in the state and the state capital.
Charleston's history goes back to the 18th century. Thomas Bullitt was deeded 1,250 acres (5 km 2 ) of land near the mouth of the Elk River in 1774. It was inherited by his brother, Cuthbert Bullitt, upon his death in 1782 and sold to Col. George Clendenin in 1786. The first permanent settlement, Fort Lee, was built in 1788 by Col. Clendenin and his company of Virginia Rangers. This structure occupied the area that is now the intersection of Brooks Street and Kanawha Boulevard. Historical conjecture indicates that Charleston is named after Col. Clendenin's father, Charles. Charles Town was later shortened to Charleston to avoid confusion with another Charles Town in present day West Virginia.
Six years later, the Virginia General Assembly officially established Charleston. On the 40 acres (160,000 m 2 ) that made up the town in 1794, 35 people inhabited seven houses.
Charleston is part of Kanawha County. The origin of the word Kanawha (pronounced "KA-NAW"), "Ka(h)nawha", derives from the region's Iroquois dialects meaning "water way" or "Canoe Way" implying the metaphor, "transport way", in the local language. It was and is the name of the river that flows past Charleston. The grammar of the "hard H" sound soon dropped out as new arrivals of various European languages developed West Virginia. . In fact, a two-story jail was the first county structure ever built, with the first floor literally dug into the bank of the Kanawha River.
Daniel Boone, who was commissioned a lieutenant colonel of the Kanawha County militia, was elected to serve in 1791 in the Virginia House of Delegates. As told in historical accounts, Boone walked all the way to Richmond.
Industrial growth
By the early 1800s, salt brines were discovered along the Kanawha River and the first salt well was drilled in 1806. This created a prosperous time and great economic growth for the area. By 1808, 1,250 pounds of salt were being produced a day. An area adjacent to Charleston, Kanawha Salines, now Malden, would become the top salt producer in the world. In 1818, Kanawha Salt Company, first trust in United States, went into operation.
Captain James Wilson, while drilling for salt, struck the first natural gas well in 1815. It was drilled at the site that is now the junction of Brooks Street and Kanawha Boulevard (near the present-day state capitol complex.) In 1817, coal was first discovered and gradually became used as the fuel for the salt works. The Kanawha salt industry declined in importance after 1861, until the advent of World War I brought a demand for chemical products. The chemicals needed were chlorine and sodium hydroxide, which could be made from salt brine.
Political growth
The town continued to grow until the Civil War began in 1861. The state of Virginia seceded from the Union, and Charleston was divided between Union and Confederate loyalty. On September 13 , 1862 , the Battle of Charleston was fought. Although the Confederate States Army was victorious, occupation of the city was short-lived. Union troops returned just six weeks later and stayed through the end of the war.
The Northern hold on Charleston and most of the western part of Virginia created an even larger problem. Virginia already had seceded from the Union, but the western part was under Union control. The issue of statehood was raised. So amid the tumultuous Civil War, West Virginia officially became a state through Presidential Proclamation. Abraham Lincoln declared the northwestern portion of Virginia to be returned to the Union, and on June 20 , 1863 , West Virginia became the 35th state.
While it is often said that West Virginia separated from Virginia because of differing views on slavery, the real driving factor was economics. The heavy industries in the North, particularly the steel business of the upper Ohio River region, were dependent on the coal available from western Virginia mines. Federalized military units were dispatched from Ohio to western Virginia early in the war to secure access to the coal mines and transportation resources.
Although the state now existed, settling on a state capital location proved to be difficult. For several years, the capital of West Virginia intermittently traveled between Wheeling and Charleston. In 1877, however, state citizens voted on the final location of their capital. Charleston was chosen and eight years later, the first capitol building was opened.
After a fire in 1921, a hastily built structure was opened but burned down in 1927. However, a Capitol Building Commission, created by the Legislature in 1921, authorized construction of the present capitol. Architect Cass Gilbert designed the buff Indiana limestone structure, in the Italian Renaissance style, that was to have a final cost of just under $10 million. After the three stages of construction were completed, Governor William G. Conley dedicated the capitol on June 20, 1932.
Development in the 1900s
Charleston was now the center for state government. Natural resources, such as coal and natural gas, along with railroad expansion also contributed to growth. New industries, such as chemical, glass, timber and steel migrated to the state, attracted by the area's natural resources. There was a huge amount of new construction in Charleston. A number of those buildings, including churches and office buildings, still stand in the heart of downtown along and bordering Capitol Street.
During World War II, the first and largest styrene-butadiene plant in the U.S. opened in nearby Institute, providing a replacement for rubber to the war effort. After the war ended, Charleston was on the brink of some significant construction. One of the first during this period was Kanawha Airport (now Yeager Airport, named after General Chuck Yeager), which was perhaps one of the most phenomenal engineering accomplishments of its time. Built in 1947, the construction encompassed clearing 360 acres (1.5 km 2 ) on three mountaintops moving more than nine million cubic yards of earth.
In 1959, the Charleston Civic Center opened its doors. It stands today, totally renovated and providing the largest meeting and exhibit space available in West Virginia.
In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Federal Aid Highway Act. Charleston became part of that system in the 1960s when three major interstate systems—I-64, I-77 and I-79 were constructed, all converging in the heart of Charleston. These roads provide convenient access to Midwestern, Northeastern and Southern cities. Charleston is within a day's drive of 60 percent of the U.S. population.
Modern development
In 1983, the Charleston Town Center opened its doors downtown. It was the largest urban-based mall east of the Mississippi R
United Bank - WM Services
United Bank WM Services. With over 170 years of experience and in excess of $4 billion in assets, United Bank's Wealth Management Group provides a complete range of ...
United Bank
United Bank WV Home Page
United National Bank, Charleston, WV : Reviews and maps - Yahoo! Local
United National Bank, Charleston, WV : Reviews and maps - Yahoo! Local, 304.965.6651. Get Ratings, Reviews, Photos and more on Yahoo! Local.
Fiserv - Fiserv Signs United Bank of West Virginia as Check ...
Print page | E-mail page | Download PDF | Add to briefcase « Previous Release | Next Release » Fiserv Signs United Bank of West Virginia as Check Outsourcing Continues to ...
United Bank (Parkersburg, WV): Private Company Information ...
Get United Bank (Parkersburg, WV) company research & investing information. Find executive management and the latest company developments.
United Bank in Parkersburg, West Virginia (WV), OH - Detailed ...
United Bank; General: FDIC Certificate #: 6784 Status: Active Federal Reserve ID: 1010930 Bank Holding Company (Regulatory Top Holder): United Bankshares, Inc. (RSSDID: 1076217 ...
Fiserv Signs United Bank of West Virginia as Check Outsourcing ...
BROOKFIELD, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), the nation’s largest third-party check processor, announced today that United Bank, a $4
Map of Spring Hill, WV by MapQuest
United Bank. 5151 Maccorkle Ave SW Spring Hill, WV 25309 (304) 768-3174
Finextra: United Bank of West Virginia chooses Fiserv for cheque ...
Finextra: United Bank of West Virginia chooses Fiserv for cheque processing - company announcement from Fiserv
Map of Charleston, WV by MapQuest
United Bank - ATM