Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-12-15
STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA
Some interesting History on the
Naming Of the State.
KANAWHA WAS THE FIRST NAME
State Historian Virgil A. Lewis Gives
Some Unpublished History OF Our
Now Prosperous State.

I
ian and archivist, and found him com.
piling data relating to the convention
which framed our first constitution Of
West Virginia: body Of which. un.
fortunately for our history, too little Is
known Asked for q story tho archiv-
list said: There Is an interesting bit
OF history connected with the name OF
our state-West Virginia-which
have never seen in print, save as 1t
exists in the docum snts relating to its
formation and admission into the
union, what are some OF the facts
connected with the subject?" queried
the reporter
The second Wheeling convention, Z
said the historian, (which assembled
In that city, on the 18TH Of June, 1851,
reorganized the government of yir.
glnia; and at les adjourned session.
adopted, on the goth of August an or.
dinance providing for the formation of
new state out of portion of the ter
itory of Virginia. Section of this
ordinance declared that. "The people
OF Virginia by their delegates assem-
bled in convention In Wheeling, do or
dain that new state to be called
Kanawha, be formed and created out
of the following bounds. tIIere follow
ed description of the boundary
This ordinance was adopted by vote
of the people within the proposed new
state, where polls were opened, this
standing 1S,40S votes for the new state
and Isl against 1t. Thus the people
voted for the formation of the new
state of 'Kanawha.'
Under the provision OF another
section of the ordinance thus ratified,
delegates were elected to convention
to meet at Wheeling, November 26,
1861 to form constitution for the new
state of 'Kanawha.' This body, in
which from the first to the last OF its
session, sat fifty-two members, con-
vened at the appointed time and place
and engaged in the work before 1t.
ION the Both of November. the fifth
day of the session, the committee on
Fundamental and General Provisions
to be embodied In the constitution,
submitted report. the first two sec
tons of which were as follows:
Section 1.-The state of 'Kanawha'
shall be and remain one OF the United
States OF America.
Section 2--Writs, commissions and
other publications issued under state
authority, shall run In the name of,
and official bonds shall be made pay
able to the state of 'Kanawha. Writs
shall conclude against the peace and
dignity of the state of 'Kanawha.'
"On the same day, James H. Brown,
delegate from Kanawha county, sub
mitted Document No. 81
"This related to the Virginia debt
question and the position to be occu-
pied by the new state of 'Kanawha' in
this matter.
The first suggestion of change OF
the name of the new state. came on
the Goth of November-same daye as
the last above--when Hon. James Her
vey, delegate from Brooke county,
submitted Document No. az which
read as follows:
Resolved that 'Kanawha' In the
eighth line of an ordinance to provide
for the formation Of new state on.
of a portion OF the territory OF the
state OF Virginia, passed August 20.
1861, be stricken out, and New Vir-
ginia, inserted in its place This
would have been very appropriate
name.
This was referred to the proper
COMMUNICATION. Dudley A. Montague,
delegate from Putnam county, was
greatly in favor of retaining the name
of 'Kanawha,' as that OF the new state
and on the date last mentioned, sub
mitted Document No. AZ, AS follows.
Whereas, the people of Virginia,
by their representatives in convention
assembled in August last, passed an
ordinance providing for the erection OF
new state out OF part of the state
of Virginia, to be called the state OF
'Kanawha, and
Whereas, the people embraced in
the proposed new state, have by their
votes on the oath of October last, en-
dorsed and ratified the action Of said
convention by vote of almost unpre.
cedented majority.
Therefore, be II resolved, that this
convention deem it not only inexpe.
dent, but exceedingly discourteous to
change the name of the proposed new
state
But 'Kanawha' was not to be the
name OF the new state. On the morn
ing of the Ord of December, when the
first section OF the report OF the com
mittee on fundamental and general