Interesting Facts About West Virginia

West Virginia is coal country and filled with fascinating historical history especially related to slavery and the civil war.

On October 16, 1859, the abolitionist John Brown led a group of 21 men in a raid on the Harpers Ferry arsenal. Five of the men were African American comprising of three free African Americans, one a freed slave and one a fugitive slave. Its important to note that during this time assisting fugitive slaves was illegal. Brown attacked and captured several buildings hoping to start an armed slave uprising in the south.

The New River Gorge Bridge was for many years the world’s longest steel single-span arch bridge it is now the fourth longest.

Planning for the bridge began in 1961 in Ohio and in 1964 in West Virginia. The bridge’s construction was finally approved n 1978. Construction began in 1979 and the bridge opened on May 1, 1990 at a cost of $70 million.

West Virginia is known as coal country and coal is a major component of the West Virginia economy.

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