[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 80 (Tuesday, June 20, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6147-S6149]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        CELEBRATE WEST VIRGINIA

  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, on June 20, 1863, a new State was added to 
the Union. Today, 143 years later, we celebrate the birthday of West 
Virginia. I am always happy to have an excuse to share my love for West 
Virginia with the rest of the Nation.
  The story of West Virginia is unique and fascinating, a one-of-a-kind 
juxtaposition of geography, history, and politics. It is a story as 
interesting as the State is beautiful.
  The steeply folded mountain ridges that define the southern edge of 
the State, and her rich mineral and natural treasures that more than 
made up for her paucity of flat agricultural terrain, defined her early 
years and set her apart socially and economically from the rest of 
Virginia. West Virginia's natural attributes attracted a hardy, can-do 
breed of opportunistic settlers determined to scratch a living for 
their families from her rocky hillsides. They mined salt and coal, 
hunted and trapped, and cut small family farms out of the hillsides. 
These mountaineers had little in common with the gentrified, land-
owning and slave-owning plantation masters of eastern Virginia's 
tidewater and piedmont regions. Thus, even as the issue of slavery 
began to strain the relations between the Nation's industrial North and 
her agricultural South, the contrasts within Virginia were sharp.
  A child of conflict, West Virginia's birth was surprisingly peaceful. 
Before the Civil War, the Commonwealth of Virginia was a large State, 
fraught with its own internal divisions, based

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largely on geography and economics. The eastern coastal plains and 
piedmont regions, with their large plantation economies, had much in 
common with the secessionist Southern States, while the mountainous 
Blue Ridge and Appalachian western portions of the State were populated 
by small farmers and woodsmen who had little use for the practice of 
slavery. Thus, when the convention was held in Richmond, VA, on April 
17, 1861, to decide on Union or secession, the farmers and businessmen 
of western Virginia held with the North on the slavery question and the 
eastern half of the State held with the South. The matter was put to a 
statewide vote. Led by Clarksburg's John S. Carlile, Western delegates 
marched out of the Secession Convention and vowed to form a State 
government loyal to the Union.
  From May 13-15, 1861, another convention was held, this one in 
Wheeling. Delegates from western Virginia decided to wait for the 
results of the statewide vote, which approved Virginia's secession from 
the Union on May 23. After the statewide vote, it was proposed that 
delegates from the western counties be elected to a convention to 
decide the matter for themselves. The convention, conducted in Wheeling 
from June 11-25, 1861, established a Restored, or Reorganized 
Government of Virginia. Francis H. Pierpont was elected Governor. 
President Lincoln recognized the Restored Government as the legitimate 
government of Virginia, and senators and representatives were chosen to 
represent the pro-Union Virginia.
  In October 1861, residents of 39 counties in western Virginia 
approved the formation of a new Unionist State. A Constitutional 
Convention met in Wheeling from November 1861 to February 1862. At the 
convention, delegates selected counties to be included in the new 
State. In all, 50 counties were selected. Five additional West Virginia 
counties--Mineral, Grant, Lincoln, Summers, and Mingo--were formed 
after statehood to bring the total number of counties in West Virginia 
to its current 55.
  Some eastern and southern counties did not support statehood but were 
included in the new State for political, military, or economic reasons. 
The mountain range west of the Blue Ridge became the eastern border of 
the new State, to provide a natural barrier to a Confederate invasion 
which many feared. The secessionist Eastern Panhandle counties were 
included in order to control the important Baltimore and Ohio railroad 
line. The inclusion of secessionist counties in the new State made for 
a certain amount of tension and any number of fascinating war stories.
  Perhaps the most interesting war story involves the proclamation of 
West Virginia as a State. The U.S. Constitution requires that a new 
State gain approval for its establishment from the original State, 
which did not happen in the case of West Virginia. Virginia had seceded 
from the Union and was not, in any case, receptive to the idea of 
losing any part of its territory to the Union. Since President Lincoln 
had recognized the Restored Government of Virginia as the legal 
government of Virginia, it granted permission to itself on May 13, 
1862, to form the State of West Virginia.
  The U.S. Congress approved the West Virginia statehood bill after 
amending it to assure that another slave State was not created. The 
Senate passed the West Virginia Statehood Act on July 14, 1862, and on 
December 10, 1862, the House of Representatives followed suit. 
President Lincoln signed the bill into law on December 31, 1862. On 
March 26, 1863, the citizens of the 50 counties approved the statehood 
bill, and on June 20, West Virginia was officially established. The 
Restored Government of Virginia, with Pierpont continuing as Governor, 
moved to Alexandria, VA, from Wheeling, now that Wheeling was no longer 
in Virginia but in West Virginia.
  The naming of West Virginia was also up for debate. Several 
possibilities were debated, including Kanawha, New Virginia, Western 
Virginia, Alleghany, Columbia, and Augusta, before the name of West 
Virginia was adopted by a majority of 30 votes. The runner up was 
Kanawha, which garnered just nine votes, including that of Mister James 
Henry Brown of Kanawha.
  Mr. President, these few facts are but a drop of water in the lake of 
West Virginia's history. I invite the Nation to come and discover more 
in person. Our history runs deep, from the fossils hidden in the coal 
seams and rocks to the misnamed New River, which is, ironically, among 
the oldest rivers on the continent. There are historic sites across the 
State from frontier forts to Revolutionary War and Civil War 
battlegrounds.
  West Virginia boasts an extensive park system that preserves the 
natural beauty of the State for all to enjoy. Fairs and festivals 
celebrate food from apple butter, blackberries, ramps, grapes, molasses 
and maple syrup. Sternwheelers, dulcimers, and even George Washington's 
bathtub merit their own festivals. People are not ignored, either, as 
festivals celebrate pioneers and indians, Black history and Celtic 
culture, as well as the heritage of counties and countries from Ireland 
to Italy, Greece to Lebanon. Music, from Appalachian string bands to 
bluegrass to gospel, comes in for its share of the fun. And the great 
natural treasures of West Virginia are not forgotten. There are 
festivals and jubilees for trees, rivers, birds, mountains, marble, 
coal, oil and gas, and even monarch butterflies. One can hardly mention 
West Virginia without thinking of the State's great craftsmen and 
women, renowned for stunning handmade products that are featured in 
many fairs and festivals as well as being available throughout the 
State in galleries and studios. Quilts, carvings, paintings, pottery 
and glass are but a few of the selections.
  Larger commercial firms are also famous for their fine artistry. In 
honor of West Virginia's birthday, each year the Blenko Glass Company 
of Milton, WV, produces a limited number of special edition pieces--the 
number equaling the number of years the State is celebrating. The 2006 
edition consists of 143 glass vases, each 11 inches high in a blending 
jungle green base that fades to a topaz gold mouth, rimmed in cobalt. 
The beautiful commemorative vase this year was designed by Hank Murta 
Adams. What a lovely way to mark a special day.
  West Virginia is a special place. It may seem a little out of the 
way, but it is surprisingly close to many of the population centers on 
the east coast. It is full of quiet, peaceful spots--small towns with 
friendly people and breathtaking vistas of scenic beauty. It has 
churches and music, small farms and mills, rushing whitewater and still 
ponds. West Virginia is a place for family exploration, a place where 
it is easy to pull off the road and reenter the past, to stop and meet 
a craftsman at work, or just to eat a sandwich under a shady tree 
beside a cool stream. The more adventurous families might enjoy some of 
the whitewater rafting that West Virginia is famous for, or rock 
climbing, or paddling a canoe down a river canyon while watching for 
eagles overhead. You do not need to go on a crowded, canned cruise or 
to a hot, line-filled amusement park to find enjoyment. Just come to 
West Virginia and you will learn to love it as I do.
  Roy Lee Harmon wrote a poem about West Virginia that I would like to 
close with. Roy Lee Harmon was from Boone County and lived in Beckley 
for many years. He held the post of State Poet Laureate from 1937 until 
1978, some 41 years, becoming the Poet Laureate Emeritus in 1979. He 
wrote six books of poetry before he died in 1981. In his last book, 
published in 1978, he noted that after suffering from a long illness, 
when he died, ``I shall thank God of all creation who has allowed me to 
live so long in my beloved hills of West Virginia and write my poems.'' 
I wish the State and all of her inhabitants, my beloved Mountaineers, 
best wishes for another year of happiness in their mountain fastness. 
Happy Birthday, West Virginia, and may God continue to bless you for 
another 143 years.

                             West Virginia

     This was no land for lily-fingered men
     Who bowed and danced a neat quadrille,
     In towns and cities far beyond the ken
     Of mountaineers--who loved each rock and rill.

     It was a place for lean, tall men with love
     For freedom flowing strongly in their veins,
     For those attuned to vagrant stars above,
     To rugged peaks, deep snows, and June-time rains.

     And so our State was whelped in time of strife
     And cut its teeth upon a cannon ball;

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     Its heritage was cleaner, better life,
     Within the richest storehouse of them all.

     With timber, oil and gas and salt and coal,
     It bargained in the world's huge marketplace.
     The mountain empire reached a mighty goal;
     It never ran a pauper's sordid race.

     And best of all, it sire a hardy flock
     Whose fame will grow with centuries to be,
     Tough as a white-oak stump or limestone rock,
     The mountaineers who always shall be free.
  (At the request of Mr. Reid, the following statement was ordered to 
be printed in the Record.)
 Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, today, I am honored to 
celebrate the great State of West Virginia. June 20, 2006, 
commemorates; the 143rd birthday of the ``Wild and Wonderful'' State of 
West Virginia marking a milestone in both national and state history.
  The historical importance of West Virginia should not be 
underestimated. Born in 1863 out of the turmoil of the Civil War, it 
has become synonymous with dedication, hard work, and integrity. West 
Virginia emerged as a staunch supporter of individuality, freedom, and 
tolerance. The common experience of the Civil War forged a unique bond 
of fraternity and camaraderie between its citizens. The commendable 
citizens of our great State exemplify all of the aforementioned 
attributes through their unending commitments to their jobs, 
communities, and families.
  People, however, are not the sole attraction to the State. The West 
Virginia experience is transforming and mesmerizing. Visitors from 
around the world enjoy the vibrantly lush forests, clearly flowing 
streams, and majestic snow-capped mountains, which provide excellent 
outlets for recreational activity. Hiking, mountain biking, hunting, 
fishing, whitewater rafting, skiing, and golfing are just a few of the 
amenities provided in the treasure that is West Virginia.
  The culture of West Virginia rivals nature in beauty and intensity. 
Music, history, pottery, glass, and storytelling make up a patchwork 
quilt of extraordinary experiences. Each individual, young or old, 
visitor or native, is wrapped warmly into West Virginia's comforting 
blanket of culture and identity.
  The West Virginia motto, ``Mountaineers are always free,'' rings 
throughout the State with resounding force. Jerry West, Pearl Buck, 
Chuck Yeager, and Senator Robert C. Byrd are just a few of the 
influential people of our time from West Virginia. As of June 12, 2006, 
Senator Byrd has had the distinction of being the longest serving 
Senator in U.S. history. Clearly, West Virginia has provided and 
continues to provide successful and inspiring individuals to the world.
  Sadly, West Virginia has seen great tragedy in the last year: In four 
separate mining accidents, 19 miners have lost their lives. Coal 
production is woven into the fabric of our State. While we always knew 
of the risks, losing loved ones is always devastating. Following those 
accidents, the Nation finally focused on what West Virginia has long 
known--we must improve mine safety. Currently, 40,000 direct jobs are 
supplied by the coal industry's influence in the State. This month, the 
MINER Act was signed into law by President Bush. This momentous step in 
mine safety legislation will bring greater safety to the brave men and 
women who work in the mines. The important role coal plays in the 
culture, economy, and history of West Virginia cannot be understated. 
The jobs provided through the coal industry contribute to the well-
being of thousands of West Virginians, they increase State development, 
and they enhance the economic vitality of the State. It is our 
responsibility to make sure that miners are safe, secure, and 
protected.
  In addition to some of the hardships our State has faced since its 
142nd birthday, we also have a lot to celebrate: The Toyota Motor 
Manufacturing Plant located in Buffalo, WV, recently celebrated its 
10th anniversary. Since its inception in 1996, the plant has expanded 
five times and has been the single most productive engine and 
transmission facility in all of North America for 4 consecutive years. 
In 1996, 350 jobs were provided by the Toyota plant. By 2007, it is 
estimated that 1,150 workers will be employed by the organization.
  Additionally, the West Virginia University football team won the 
right to participate in the 2006 Sugar Bowl in Atlanta, GA. In a 
stunning victory, the West Virginia University Mountaineers upset the 
University of Georgia Bulldogs 38 to 35. The Mountaineers finished the 
season ranked fifth overall in the Associated Press poll tying the 
highest ranking in school history.
  I am proud to represent West Virginia. I am proud to live in West 
Virginia, and I am proud to be called a West Virginian. Today, it is my 
great honor to celebrate and commemorate the 143rd birthday of the 
``Wild and Wonderful'' State of West Virginia.

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