Happy Birthday, West Virginia!

[Drum]

June 20, 1863

Montani Semper Liberi

🟦🟨

[rsdsharp]

1. Katie Lee (one of Billy Joel's exes) from Food Network's The Kitchen

always describes herself as a southerner because she’s from West Virginia. I don’t really see it, either geographically or historically.

[appalachiablue]

4. I don't see it either but know that the times and conditions have changed there and elsewhere.

In school teachers emphasized that WV seceded from Virginia in 1861 in order to stay in the Union, the North. In 1863 it officially became a separate state.

WV's border with Northern states Ohio and Pennsylvania is another factor. During the Civil War however, there were both Federal and Confederate units in the Mountain state as in other strategic border states like KY and MD. The balance in WV depends on what you read.

A few years ago I was puzzled to see WV classified as a southern state by the Census Bureau. Things really do change.

[Botany]

2. W.V. has some pretty scenery as any place in the world. Dolly Sods.

Too bad preachers, hate talk radio/tv/web sites along with chemical/coal/energy million
Companies and Bosses have got the majority of the residents of W.V. to work and vote
against their own best interests.

[Pmut]

3. Pretty state

Very pretty state for shire I enjoy my time there.