June 20, 2023 – West Virginia

On this day in 1863, West Virginia became our 35th state! The western portion of Virginia had become sharply divided over the issue of secession from the Union, which led to their separation from the rest of the state. Other names considered for the state included Vandalia, Kanawha (after a Native American tribe), and Appalachia. But legislators went with a shortened version of “Western Virginia”, which was what the territory had been called up until that point. West Virginia holds the record for the most towns named after cities in other countries. In the Mountain State, you’ll find towns like Athens, Berlin, Calcutta, Cairo, and Shanghai! West Virginia is also home to the New River, which, contrary to its name, is actually one of the oldest rivers in the world. It also runs through Virginia and North Carolina and runs south to north because it predates the mountains around it. The first golf course in America opened in West Virginia in 1884. Oakhurst Links was converted to a pasture in 1912, but restored in the 1990s and the 9-hole course can still be enjoyed today. Learn more here.