FUN WITH MAPS – ISSUE 2023-80 DAILY FEATURE:
By Steve Kovacs (Introduction by Chuck Gibson)
LOVELAND, OH (April 27, 2023) – In today’s edition of Fun with Maps from Steve Kovacs, we observe the splitting up of one U.S. territory to ultimately become two states in the union.
Twice Secede
On this date in 1861, the area of Western Virginia split from the state of Virginia.
Virginia had voted 10 days earlier to secede from the Union. The western area served as one of the five border states during the Civil War.
West Virginia did not achieve actual statehood until 1863. The originally suggested name was “Kanawha”, after a local Native American tribe, but people still wanted to honor Elizabeth I and the historic ties to the state named after her, Virginia.
Some fun facts about West Virginia:
- West Virginia is the only state completely lying within the Appalachian Mountain region.
- West Virginia is the nation’s third most forested state, and its average elevation is the highest of states east of the Mississippi River.
- The Mountain State and Nevada were the only 2 states formed during the Civil War.
This map predates West Virginia seceding – Colton’s 1855 map of old Virginia.
Virginia by Colton – Circa 1855 (Credit Steve Kovacs)
Steve Kovacs and his wife Theresa reside in Loveland, Ohio where they raised their two children. He is a passionate collector of antique maps.
Visit his antique map boutique world-on-paper online. Watch for his daily feature Steve Kovacs: Fun with Maps here on Loveland Beacon.
