Fairmont State University LibGuides: West Virginia: Happy 150th!

WV150 Tweets

Celebrating 150 Years

On June 20, 1863, West Virginia became the 35th state to enter the Union.

The official celebration of the state's 150th birthday will take place June 20-23, 2013, on the Capitol grounds in Charleston.

These websites provide more information on local and statewide events. Happy birthday, West Virginia!

Official Website: WV 150
Events, announcements, and resources celebrating all things West Virginia!
FestivALL in Charleston
FestivALL mixes fine arts and pop arts in venues and locations around Charleston.
Celebration in Fairmont
Tea with the Governor and First Lady Pierpont, beard & period costume contest, community dinner of corn bread and beans, entertainment, artisan vendors...
WV Day at Pricketts Fort
Celebrate statehood with Stonewall Jackson. Half price admission for fort visits.
WV Reads 150
The Marion County Public Library System participated in a statewide reading challenge in honor of West Virginia's 150th birthday.

Campus Celebration

View photos from our celebration on the Library's Facebook page.

Headlines & Proclamations from 1863

Abraham Lincoln's Proclamation
Proclamation 100 - Admitting West Virginia Into the Union, April 20, 1863. From The American Presidency Project.
New York Times: Presidential Proclamation
Announcement in the New York Times, April 22, 1863. UCA and password required to view.
New York Times: Inauguration of the Governor
Announcement in the New York Times, April 21, 1863. UCA and password required to view.

WV Archives & History Exhibit: A State of Convenience

This exhibit offers historians, students, and others interested in West Virginia's statehood period the opportunity to read the actual words of the participants themselves.

View the Exhibit
Through transcriptions of the proceedings of the First and Second Wheeling conventions, President Lincoln's opinion on the admission of West Virginia, and other primary-source documents, individuals will learn about the process by which West Virginia became the thirty-fifth state in the Union. Illustrations of participants in the process, as well as secondary resource materials, are also available as part of the online exhibit.
West Virginia Sesquicentennial: Civil War Manuscripts, Special Collections, and Archival Holdings
Historian Terry Lowry recently completed a listing of manuscript materials relating to the Civil War that are available in the West Virginia State Archives.