Cardinal and Rhododendron Postcard

The Belle of West Virginia

Harper's Ferry

Ah! tell me not of heights sublime,
The rocks at Harper's Ferry,
Of mountains rent in the lapse of time--
They're very sublime--oh very!
I'm thinking more of the glowing cheek
Of a lovely girl and merry,
Who climb'd with me to yon highest peak--
The girl of Harper's Ferry.
- St. Leger Landon Carter - The Girl of Harper's Ferry

Harper's Ferry is located on the banks of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers where Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia meet. The town was originally known as Shenandoah Falls at Mr. Harper's Ferry (1763) due to the ferry Robert Harper owned and operated. Historically, it is most noted for John Brown's raid on the Armory in 1859.

John Brown was an abolitionist who led a group of 22 men on a raid on the Arsenal, seizing weapons he believed he could use to start a slave uprising in the South. During that time it was illegal to assist fugitive slaves, so many people believed this act to be treason. John Brown and his group were eventually captured, and John Brown was put on trial for treason, where he was found guilty. He was hanged as a result of his conviction. Although he was killed for his attempts to free the slaves, his actions were a major catalyst in the Civil War.

The Civil War was the downfall of Harper's Ferry. Because of its strategic location, both Union and Confederate troops moved through Harper's Ferry. The town changed hands 8 times between 1861 and 1865.

"When Virginia seceded in April of 1861 the US garrison attempted to burn the arsenal and destroy the machinery. Locals saved the equipment, which was later transferred to a more secure location in Richmond. Arms production never returned to Harpers Ferry.

Shortly after the end of the Civil War, Harper's Ferry, along with all of both Berkeley and Jefferson Counties, was separated from Virginia and incorporated into West Virginia. The inhabitants of the counties as well as the Virginia legislature protested, but the federal government went ahead anyway, forming the West Virginia "panhandle" of today. Without the help of Harper's Ferry the North might have never won the war."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harpers_Ferry,_West_Virginia

Harper's Ferry National Monument was established in 1944 was was eventually changed to Harper's Ferry National Historic Park by an act of Congress in 1963. The park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. Today, the original house built by Robert Harper is the oldest remaining structure in the lower part of the park. There are several museums located in the park, preserving the history of Harper's Ferry for future generations to enjoy.

Harper's Ferry Slideshow

West Virginia License Plates Slideshow

Some Facts About West Virginia

State Abbreviation: WV

State Capital: Charleston

Admitted to Union: June 20, 1863

Largest City: Charleston

Highest Point: Spruce Knob - 4,863 feet above sea level

Lowest Point: Potomac River - 240 ft above sea level

State Nickname: The Mountain State

State Slogans: "Wild and wonderful," "Open for business," "Almost heaven"

State Soil: Monongahela Silt Loam

Major Industries: Coal mining, tourism, livestock, glass products, chemical manufacturing

Area: 24, 231 square miles, making it the 41st largest state

Major Rivers: Ohio River, Guyandotte River, Greenbrier River

National Forests: Monongahela National Forest, George Washington National Forest, Jefferson National Forest

West Virginia State Quarter

The West Virginia state quarter was the last state quarter to be issued in 2005. West Virginia is the 35th state admitted to the United States, so the state quarter is the 35th to be issued by the US Mint.

The back of the quarter depicts the New River Gorge and the New River Gorge Bridge. According to the US Mint's website:

"On March 31, 2004, West Virginia Governor Bob Wise announced his selection of the New River Gorge as the design he would submit to Treasury for final approval. The Department of Treasury approved the design on May 4, 2004. More than 1,800 design concepts were submitted from around the State, and students from the Governor’s School for the Arts narrowed the field to five finalists. Other designs considered included "Appalachian Warmth," "Bridge Day / New River Gorge," "River Rafters," and "Mother’s Day / Anna Jarvis."



(http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/50sq_program/states/index.cfm?flash=yes&state=WV)

West Virginia State Flag and Seal

West Virginia's official flag was adopted in 1929. The state seal, pictured on the state flag, has remained unchanged since it was first adopted in 1863. It was designed by Joseph H. Diss Debar.

"Etched in the stone is the date of West Virginia's entrance into the Union, June 20, 1863. Two rifles lie crossed in front of the boulder, and are draped with the Liberty Cap, signifying the state's willingness to defend itself in the name of Liberty. On one side of the boulder is a representation of Agriculture, as a farmer stands with his ax and plow before a cornstalk. On the other side, Industry is symbolized by a miner shouldering his pickax, and behind him an anvil and sledge hammer. These images are surrounded by the words "State of West Virginia", and the state's motto "Montani Semper Liberi", or "Mountaineers Always Free". "

(info taken from http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/seals/wv_seal.htm)


State Seal of West Virginia

The European Honey Bee - West Virginia's State Insect

The European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) was adopted as West Virginia's state insect in 2002. Mellifera is Latin, and means honey-carrying, and apis means bee: honey carrying bee.

The Honey Bee is also the state insect of; Arkansas, North Carolina, New Jersey (state bug), Georgia, Maine, Nebraska, Kansas, Louisiana, Vermont, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Mississippi, Utah, Missouri, Tennessee (official agricultural insect) and Oklahoma.

The Monarch Butterfly - West Virginia's State Butterfly

The Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) was adopted as West Virginia's state butterfly in 1995.

Male and female Monarchs look very similar. Females have thicker black wings veins, while males have a dark spot in the middle of their hind wings from which pheramones are released.

Monarchs are poisonous to the animals that eat them. This is due to the fact that they eat the poisonous milkweed plant when they are caterpillars. Animals who eat the Monarchs will get sick but generally do not die. They do, however, learn to recognize the Monarch and will avoid eating it in the future. The non-poisonous Viceroy butterfly is a Monarch mimic, and because of its similar coloring, animals will also avoid eating them as well.

The Monarch is the insect of Alabama, Idaho, Illinois, and Texas, and the state butterfly of Minnesota and West Virginia. It is also the national insect of Canada

The Brook Trout - West Virginia's State Fish

The Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) was adopted as West Virginia's state fish in 1973.

It is also known as the Speckled Trout. Although it is called Brook Trout, it is actually a char, not a trout. It is native to a wide part of eastern North America.

Along with being the state fish of West Virginia, it is also the state fish of Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

Montani Semper Liberi - West Virginia's State Motto

Montani Semper Liberi (Latin for "Mountaineers are Always Free") is the official motto of the state of West Virginia in the United States.

It was adopted as the official motto of the state in Article II, Section 2-7, of the state constitution signed in 1872. This article specifically states:

"[t]he present seal of the state, with its motto, "Montani Semper Liberi," shall be the great seal of the state of West Virginia, and shall be kept by the secretary of state, to be used by him officially, as directed by law".

The phrase was suggested as the motto by Joseph H. DisDebar, the artist who created the state's Great Seal.

(information taken from Wikipedia.org)

Lithostrotionella - West Virginia's State Gem

Lithostrotionella or Silicified Mississippian Fossil Coral, was adopted as West Virginia's state gem in 1990.

Fossil Coral is not really a gemstone. It is a fossil. This coral lived about 340 million years ago, during the Mississippian Period. During that time, the state was covered by a shallow sea.

Coral may resemble plants, but they are actually animals. What you see in the picture above is the fossilized calcium carbonate skeleton of a coral colony. A coral colony is made up of many individual animals called polyps.

In West Virginia, Lithostrotionella is found almost exclusively in the Hillsdale Limestone of Greenbrier and Pocahontas counties in the southeastern part of the state.

Rhododendron - West Virginia's State Flower

The Rhododendron (from the Greek: rhodos, "rose", and dendron, "tree") was adopted as West Virginia's state flower in 1903.

American Black Bear - West Virginia's State Animal

The American Black Bear (Ursus americanus) was adopted as West Virginia's state animal in 1973.

The American Black Bear is the most common bear species native to North America. It has a wide range, ranging from north into Canada down to Mexico, from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific. Today, it is estimated that some 800,000 American Black Bears live in North America, but it is said that some 2 million Black Bears may have roamed North America before European colonization of the continent.

Despite its name, the American Black Bear's coat may be a cinnamon brown color, chocolate brown, white as well as black. Females can be between 90 and 400 pounds, while males can weigh up to 500 pounds, though some have been recorded up to 800 pounds. Despite their rather bulky look, they are surprisingly fast runners, capable of sprinting up to 35 mph.

Cubs are typically born in January and February. They are born blind and helpless. weighing 10 - 14 ounces at birth. They will stay with their mother until they are a year and a half, then they will set out on their own.

American Black Bears are omnivores, meaning they will eat almost anything: from grasses to nuts, from fruits to insects, from fish to small rodents or fawns. They will also raid bee's nests to get honey and garbage dumps to get whatever they can to eat.

The Black Bear is typically a shy animal and will rarely attack unless threatened, cornered or wounded. They have an excellent sense of smell, so if you are out camping, don't leave food in the car or else you might not like what you see when you come back to your car. Bears have been known to tear out doors and trunk lids and break through windows to get a scrap of food that they smell in the car.

Northern Cardinal - West Virginia's State Bird

The Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) was adopted as West Virginia's state bird in 1949.

The Cardinal is named after the Roman Catholic Cardinals who wear red robes. Also, the bird's crest, to some, resembles the bishop's hat, called a mitre. They have been called "Redbirds" and "Virginia Nightinggales."

The male Cardinal is bright red, while the female is a fawn color with a reddish tint to their wings, tails and crests, and have red beaks.

The Cardinal's range goes from the east coast of the United states, from Maine to Nebraska, in the north to Canada and in the south from south Arizona, New Mexico and down to Baja-California to Mexico. They primarily reside in forests, swamps, suburbs, gardens and thickets. Their diet primarily consists of seeds, grains and fruits.

The Cardinal is the state bird of more states than any other species of bird, being the state bird of North Carolina, West Virginia, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Virginia, and in North America, the Cardinal is also often a symbol of Christmas, being featured on many Christmas cards.

State Tree - Sugar Maple

The Sugar Maple tree (Acer saccharum) was adopted as West Viriginia's state tree in 1949.

This tree can reach heights of 80 feet, and its leaves turn red and gold in the fall, creating a sea of color, something the east coast is famous for.

Sugar Maple trees are important in the production of maple syrup. In fact, it and the Black Maple are the 2 most used sap sources in the production of maple syrup.

The wood of the Sugar Maple is also the hardest of the maple woods. It is often used in making furniture, bowling alley lanes and pins, basketball court floors and baseball bats.

Some famous West Virginians

George Brett (baseball player), Glendale
Pearl S. Buck (author), Hillsboro
Phyllis Curtin (soprano), Clarksburg
Joanne Dru (actress), Logan
Thomas Stonewall Jackson (Confederate general), Clarksburg
John S. Knight (publisher), Bluefield
Don Knotts (actor), Morgantown
Peter Marshall (TV host), Huntington
Kathy Mattea (country music), South Charleston
Alfred Moore (jurist), Molinosville
Mary Lou Retton (gold-medal gymnast), Fairmont
Walter Reuther (labor leader), Wheeling
Eleanor Steber (soprano), Wheeling
Lewis L. Strauss (naval officer and scientist), Charleston
Cyrus Vance (government official), Clarksburg
Chuck Yeager (test pilot and Air Force general), Myra
Steve Yeager (baseball player), Huntington

West Virginia Hills Lyrics - State Song

West

Virginia Hills
Words by Mrs. Ellen King,
Music by H. E. Engle

Oh, the West Virginia hills! How majestic and how grand,
With their summits bathed in glory, Like our Prince Immanuel's Land!
Is it any wonder then, That my heart with rapture thrills,
As I stand once more with loved ones On those West Virginia hills?

CHORUS:

Oh, the hills, beautiful hills, How I love those West Virginia hills!
If o'er sea o'er land I roam, Still I'll think of happy home,
And my friends among the West Virginia hills.

Oh, the West Virginia hills! Where my childhood hours were passed,
Where I often wandered lonely, And the future tried to cast;
Many are our visions bright, Which the future ne'er fulfills;
But how sunny were my daydreams On those West Virginia hills!

CHORUS

Oh, the West Virginia hills! How unchang'd they seem to stand,
With their summits pointed skyward To the Great Almighty's Land!
Many changes I can see, Which my heart with sadness fills;
But no changes can be noticed In those West Virginia hills.

CHORUS

Oh, the West Virginia hills! I must bid you now adieu.
In my home beyond the mountains I shall ever dream of you;
In the evening time of life, If my Father only wills,
I shall still behold the vision Of those West Virginia hills.

CHORUS

Vintage Postcards Slideshow