West Virginia to New Mexico Car Shipping

During the Civil War that lasted between 1861 and 1865, the Virginia state voted to disaffiliate from the United States. People from the mountainous western part of the state were against the decision and decided to create their own state to support the Union. That was what led to the formation of the state West Virginia. On June 20, 1863, congress instituted West Virginia as a state. 

The West Virginia town of Harpers Ferry was the location of John Brown’s ill-fated 1859 raid on the federal arsenal there. Although Brown’s plan to arm a large-scale slave rebellion with weapons from the armory eventually failed, and Brown was hanged. The raid was not successful with inflaming white Southern fears of slave rebellions and increased the increasing tension between the North and South preceding the Civil War. 

Today, West Virginia is a major coal-producing state, contributing 15% of the country’s coal. The New River Gorge Bridge near Fayetteville is the longest steel arch bridge in the world. Every October, the town hosts a Bridge Day celebration when the road is closed to traffic, and people are allowed to parachute and bungee jump off the bridge. The event entices almost 100,000 participants and spectators each year. Popular West Virginia natives include actor Don Knotts, gymnast Mary Lou Retton, and test pilot Chuck Yeager.