West Virginia...Southern or Northern? (Wheeling, Morgantown: how much, median income, live)

[eaduke]

Virginia or West Virginia, as it is now, was also home to Henderson Hall a working plantation with slaves.This is in Wood County near Williamstown right across from the Ohio River.
Here's a link with a pretty good article about Henderson Hall.
'I'll fight until I die'

[Colby "The Punk" Wells]

Thanks for the info eaduke, never knew about this plantation. I do remember a hotel and restaurant on Interstate 79 in Jane Lew called the Wildernes Plantation. I don't know of it was around since the Civil War days or not. Could be just the name of it. By the way, Bobilee, thought I would let you know that I just bought A House Divided online last night for 15 bucks. Can't wait till I get it.

Also, I definitely agree with you about Tudor's Buscuit World. It's Southern cooking at it's best.

Oh yeah, one final thing. I saw the map with the proposed counties. That would have been great If we were able to get the SV counties. Is this why Carlile had a change of heart, because Winchester wasn't included in the new state? In my opinion, I think the Wheeling Unionists should have taken present Southwest Virginia as well. Instead of bordering 5 states, we could have been bordering 7.

[David Kennedy]

ha ha...the Wilderness Plantation was an idea of a Ken Auvil...He's about the age of the civil war if he's still living...
About Henderson Hall...was the old Marine Commandant, Archibald Henderson from that great family...?

During the civil war, WV was one of the greatest land grabs of that century...Virginia had just completed the Wheeling/Richmond Turnpike and the B&O Railroad...had it stolen from them fairly and squarely by the speculators...got all that coal...oil and natural gas and by 1920 had cut all the timber in the entire state...
If we had been kept part of Virginia...we would have had a legacy of wealth...not poverty. It was the 1880's before the school systems were reinstated...no government.
Sadly, we still have a lot of that...no government or rather, poor government..

[Colby "The Punk" Wells]

Originally Posted by David Kennedy

ha ha...the Wilderness Plantation was an idea of a Ken Auvil...He's about the age of the civil war if he's still living...
About Henderson Hall...was the old Marine Commandant, Archibald Henderson from that great family...?

During the civil war, WV was one of the greatest land grabs of that century...Virginia had just completed the Wheeling/Richmond Turnpike and the B&O Railroad...had it stolen from them fairly and squarely by the speculators...got all that coal...oil and natural gas and by 1920 had cut all the timber in the entire state...
If we had been kept part of Virginia...we would have had a legacy of wealth...not poverty. It was the 1880's before the school systems were reinstated...no government.
Sadly, we still have a lot of that...no government or rather, poor government..

I feel kind of stupid about the Wilderness Plantation thing. I do remember when Weston radio station WSSN had live remote broadcasts from there. I'm guessing they held parties there as well.

I definitely agree with you David. Virginia, unfortunately is more wealthier than West Virginia is, and probably always will be. Instead of the "Mountain State", our nickname should be the "Poor State. Just kidding of course. If you think about it though, the majority of the Southern states are in poverty. Arkansas, West Virginia and Mississippi are three of the poorest states in the nation. Alabama, southern Georgia, and eastern Kentucky aren't too far behind.

[appalachiangirl]

So if someone lives in Wheeling,WV they are Southern,but a few miles across the panhandle to Washington,Pa they are Northern? I've never noticed a difference between PA(southern) and northern WV (have lived both places--not in the panhandle either). But I agree the southern couties such as Raleigh,Kanawa,Greenbrier do seem Southern to some degree. I thinks the Southern states are less poor today and with more jobs than some more Northern ones-ex.Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Pa have a lot of poverty versus growing states like North Carolina,Virginia, Texas (may be considered a Western state). It's a shame WV stays a poor state though as does east Kentucky.

[blueeyes30]

Originally Posted by The Punk

I feel kind of stupid about the Wilderness Plantation thing. I do remember when Weston radio station WSSN had live remote broadcasts from there. I'm guessing they held parties there as well.

I definitely agree with you David. Virginia, unfortunately is more wealthier than West Virginia is, and probably always will be. Instead of the "Mountain State", our nickname should be the "Poor State. Just kidding of course. If you think about it though, the majority of the Southern states are in poverty. Arkansas, West Virginia and Mississippi are three of the poorest states in the nation. Alabama, southern Georgia, and eastern Kentucky aren't too far behind.

Well I think since the entire state of West Virginia is in Appalachia, that explains the higher poverty rate. Appalachian portions of northern states (PA, OH, and NY) tend to be poorer than the non-Appalachian portions. I know for a fact that Appalachian Virginia is pretty poor in spots. The influence of Washington, DC has helped Virginia in many ways.

Also I have seen the poverty in the rural areas of the Deep South. I'd rather be poor in the mountains.

[appalachiangirl]

Yes,I've traveled a bit and seen poor areas in the South,but WV,east Kentucky, and southern Pa are about the poorest regions I've ever seen. The Shenandoah area of VA has poverty but doesn't seem nearly as poor as WV.
I don't think it matters whether one lives in the mountains or flatlands, poverty is poverty,and winter in the central and northern appalachian regions can be brutal (increased heating costs)

[appalachiangirl]

Punk
I've eaten at the Wilderness Plantation with my family several years ago. Is it still in business? The food was delicious as I remember!

[bigbrowneyes3586]

Originally Posted by David Kennedy

West Virginia is an entity of its own.
Politically an orphan until Senator Robert "Big Daddy" Byrd brought the bags of cash and changed EVERYTHING.
Looked down upon by every other state and its own people too.
Gave up generations to the USA as productive workers and citizens....and has had the last laugh...Everyone is wanting to come here and live in this peaceful, safe wilderness wonderland.
Unique, unified in its own way by the shared hardship that everyone here has felt and faced...coloquial and pristine. Certainly a step back in time with older more moral values and mores of honesty and friendship.
In all of its strangeness, its people are unified from one end of the state to the other.
West Virginia is a place proud of itself and by itself...it's US...period.
If a place of comparison would be found I believe it would be France.

I whole-heartedly agree. The best way to describe our state is one carved out by the people who live here. To characterize it as north or south is just difficult. I live in Fairmont, just north of Clarksburg. I have to admit that North Central WV is the best of both worlds. We have some southern charm and a northern pace. In fact, you'd be surprised that the majority of people in this region are Italian ( thus the invention of the Pepperoni Roll, unique to WV). Really, I think you'd be hard pressed to find better Italian food this side of the Atlantic. Ok, I'm exaggerating. But either way, we're pretty much our own state. . .

[NCN]

I have found this thread very interesting because of the way people think. I thought the question was whether West Virginia is a Southern or Northern state and the answer should be a clear Northern state, because is that not why West Virginia is separated from Virginia? Virginia is Southern and West Virginia is Northern. Did I miss something somewhere or is history being rewritten by current posters? What does poverty have to do with a state being Southern or Northern? There is some really strange thinking going on here!