Antique Maps and Prints of Historic West Virginia.
This short
REFERENCE PAGE is designed to provide no more than a 'glimpse' of
the history of the State,
with a couple of examples of antiquarian maps and engravings and some interesting Links.
This Page is provided as a REFERENCE
RESOURCE - it is NOT an Inventory.
Genuine
historical maps and prints by mail order - all are eminently suitable for framing and
are offered On Approval, which
GUARANTEES
YOUR ENTIRE SATISFACTION!
Look us over, but don't
overlook us.
STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA
The article below was written in 1885 and makes interesting reading.
Topography: The greatest length of the State north and south is about 240 miles; greatest breadth, 160 miles; area, 24,780 square miles, or 15,859,200 acres.
West Virginia is extremely hilly. The Alleghany range on its eastern boundary contains several large peaks, and west of this range and running parallel with it, at an average distance of thirty miles, are a series of mountains scarcely inferior in height, which enclose many fertile valleys.
The scenery of the mountain regions is very fine, and forms a special attraction for tourists. A few of the smaller streams in the east are tributary to the Potomac, but the rivers generally drain into the Ohio. The western division is a rolling table land, with a gradual slope from the mountains, where its elevation is nearly 2,500 feet to the banks of the Ohio, 900 feet above the sea-level.
The Potomac forms part of the eastern boundary. The Big Sandy, Great and Little Kanawha, Guayandotte and Monongahela are all navigable. The slackwater navigation of the Kanawha and Monongahela is of much service to the commerce of the State, and by means of the Ohio the southern and south western cities can be reached.
Climate: The climate is generally equable, and is not marked by any great extremes.
The mean annual temperature is about 52º; that of winter, 31º spring, 50º summer, 72º autumn, 54º Fahrenheit. The average rainfall is from forty-three to forty-five inches, and except in the more elevated sections little inconvenience is experienced in the winters.
The climate much resembles that of Virginia, and is well adapted for all agricultural purposes. The State is very healthy, the death rate being less than one per cent.
History: West Virginia was formed into a State during the earlier years of the Civil war, and was composed of the northern and western counties of Virginia.
The people of this district, separated by a range of mountains from the fertile plains of the Old Dominion, and holding but few slaves, had little in common with the wealthy planters and large slave owners of the east and south. Many of them, too, were of Northern descent, especially those residing along the Ohio river, and when the struggle began they took sides with the Union.
On April 22, 1861, a meeting was held at Clarksburg, at which the passage of the ordinance of secession by the Richmond convention was denounced, and a call issued for a convention to be held in Wheeling, May 13.
This body, representing twenty-five counties, met, and rejected the ordinance, and an election of delegates having been held, representatives of forty counties met June 11, repudiated the action of the State authorities, and on June 20 elected Francis H. Peirpoint governor, and also chose an executive council and other officials.
This government had its headquarters at Wheeling until 1863, when it was transferred to Alexandria, and exercised authority over so much of Virginia as was under the control of the Federal government - a constantly varying territory. At first it was proposed to create the "State of Kanawha," but the name was changed in December, 1861, and in May, 1862, a State constitution was ratified by the people and the legislature.
Congress gave consent, on Dec. 31, 1862, to the admission of the new State at the end of the year, conditioned upon the ratification of the then pending amendment to the constitution permitting persons of African descent to reside within the State. The amendment was ratified March 26, 1863, and on June 20 the new government was inaugurated, Wheeling being made the capital. From 1870 to 1875 the seat of government was at Charleston, but in the last named year it was again transferred to Wheeling, where it remained until 1884, when it was a second time removed to Charleston.
During 1861 there were a number of minor engagements between the Federal and Confederate troops in West Virginia, mostly on the Maryland and Virginia frontiers. The State raised, in all, 32,068 troops for the Federal army, and after 1861 the theatre of military operations was changed to Virginia proper. An amended constitution was adopted in 1872, and six new counties have been added to the original forty-eight, making fifty-four at this time.
Population: Census of 1880: Males, 314,495; Females, 303,962; Native, 600,192; Foreign, 18,265; White, 592,537; Colored, 25,920, including 5 Chinese, and 29 Indians and Half-breeds.
ANTIQUARIAN MAP OF WEST VIRGINIA
Published by Rand, McNally - 1885
INTERESTING LINKS
OTHER POSTAPRINT US STATES FEATURE PAGES
West Virginia Cities, Counties etc.
West Virginia Historical attractions
Contributions and suggestions for additional links would be most welcome.
After very many years in the Trade,
I am now
retired and the
Postaprint Website
as such is no longer available.
However this large collection of Reference Pages
is being
left on line, as we hope you will find them to informative and helpful. They
provide details of many of the maps, books and engravings we had the pleasure of dealing in over so
many years.
For a complete index of all
such Reference Pages PLEASE DO CLICK
HERE.
However,
my wife has a
store on eBay, with
many offers of delightful antiquarian maps & prints
& engravings.
SOME INTERESTING & UNUSUAL GIFT IDEAS FROM JULIE
DO VISIT MY EBAY SHOP
FOR UNUSUAL IDEAS FOR PRESENTS
Perhaps a map or print of somewhere important in
someone's life. For example, where
they were born, got married, went on honeymoon etc. I do have a wide selection
of topographical views and historical maps.
America's,
UK,
Europe,
Asia,
Africa,
Australia,
The World, Etc.
...Or do a search for their last name, you will be surprised
what you might discover!
Specialist mail order suppliers of collectible historical antique maps and engravings.