Charleston, West Virginia

From West Virginia (WV) Cyclopedia

Charleston, WV is the county seat of Kanawha County and the capital of West Virginia (1788-1793 and 1885-present.) Located along the Kanawha River, Charleston was originally chartered in 1794 as Charles Town, so named for by town's founder, George Clendenin, for his father, Charles Clendenin. Because there were then two other communities in what is now West Virginia with the same name, by popular usage the town's name was shortened to "Charleston." The name of the town was officially changed to Charleston in 1818. See: The Founding of Charleston


Weather:
Charleston, WV (http://www.wvwebsites.com/cgi-bin/weather2/hw3.cgi?theme=default&user=default&forecast=zandh&state=wv&place=charleston)
Lodging:
Charleston, WV Hotels (http://www.wvexplorer.com/Charleston_WV_Hotels.asp)


Table of contents

Charleston, WV

Charleston, WV is located about: 5 miles east of South Charleston, WV; 13 miles east of Saint Albans, WV; 36 miles south of Ripley, WV; 50 miles east of Huntington, WV; and 55 miles northwest of Beckley, WV.

Charleston, WV was the site of Clendenins Fort, later renamed Fort Lee, an early frontier fort (1788-1796) which stood at the present-day corner of Brooks Street and Kanawha Boulevard . Colonel Andrew Lewis and his company of troops reached the site of present-day Charleston on Sept. 21, 1774, in route to the Battle of Point Pleasant.

The manufacture of salt was first industry to develop in Charleston area during the late-1700's, in area known as the Kanawha Saltines. The drilling of first natural gas well in the US happened in 1815, near the foot of present-day Brooks Street in Charleston, WV.


Airports

Yeager Airport (http://www.yeagerairport.com/) : Map (http://www.wvamaps.com/maps/index.php?place=Yeager%20Airport&state=WV&lon=-81.5933&lat=38.3731&pop=0&elev=982&county=Kanawha) of Yeager Airport
Map (http://www.wvamaps.com/airports/index.php?place=Charleston&state=WV&lon=-81.6328&lat=38.3497&pop=53421&county=Kanawha&elev=606) of public and private heliports and airports in/near Charleston, WV

Media

Radio Stations

WCHS (http://www.58wchs.com/) (AM 580) : WCAW (AM 680) : WVTS (http://www.wvtsam950.com/) (AM 950) : WSWW (http://www.wvradioadvertising.com/corporate/) (AM 1490) : WVPN (FM 88.5) : WXAF (FM 90.9) : WKWS (FM 96.1) : WQBE (http://www.wqbe.com/) (FM 97.5) : WVAF (http://www.v100.fm/) (FM 99.9) : WVSR (http://www.electric102.com/) (FM 102.7)

Television (TV) Stations

WLPX (DT 39, Pax TV) : WCHS (DT 41, ABC) : WCHS (http://www.wchstv.com/) (TV 8, ABC) : WVAH (http://www.wvah.com/) (TV 11, Fox) : WLPX (TV 29, Pax TV)

Schools

Kanawha County Schools (http://kcs.kana.k12.wv.us/) : Map (http://www.wvamaps.com/schools/index.php?place=Charleston&state=WV&lon=-81.6328&lat=38.3497&pop=53421&county=Kanawha&elev=606) of area schools


Libraries

Kanawha County Public Library (http://kanawha.lib.wv.us/) : Map (http://www.wvamaps.com/maps/index.php?place=Kanawha%20County%20Public%20Library&state=WV&lon=-81.6361&lat=38.35&pop=0&county=Kanawha&elev=0&scale=3)


Photos


Charleston, WV Photos (http://www.wvepostcards.com/charleston/) - State Capitol Building, Governor's Mansion, Sunrise, Craik-Patton House, and Ruffner Cabin.

   

Maps

180px-Charleston_West_Virginia.gif (http://www.wvamaps.com/maps/index.php?place=Charleston&state=WV&pop=53421&county=Kanawha&lat=38.3497&lon=-81.6328&elev=606)
Map of Charleston, WV (http://www.wvamaps.com/maps/index.php?place=Charleston&state=WV&pop=53421&county=Kanawha&lat=38.3497&lon=-81.6328&elev=606) showing streets and highways, and nearby airports, parks, hospitals, and other points of interest, with link to driving directions.


Topo map (http://www.wvexp.com/Topo_Maps_WV/index.php?title=Charleston&lat=38.349&lon=-81.6328) of Charleston, WV and vicinity

Census Data

Population: 53,421
(2000 Census (http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=ChangeGeoContext&geo_id=16000US5414600&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US54%7C05000US54039&_street=&_county=&_cityTown=charleston&_state=04000US54&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on))

Geodata

Elevation: 606 feet
Longitude: -81.6328
Latitude: 38.349

Photos

180px-WV-Capitol-Building.jpg (http://www.wvexp.com/index.php/Image:WV-Capitol-Building.jpg) State Capitol (http://www.wvexp.com/index.php/Image:WV-Capitol-Building.jpg)

180px-Kanawha-manufacturing-charleston.jpg (http://www.wvexp.com/index.php/Image:Kanawha-manufacturing-charleston.jpg) Kanawha Manufacturing Co. (http://www.wvexp.com/index.php/Image:Kanawha-manufacturing-charleston.jpg) circa 1929

icon7031.jpg (http://www.wvepostcards.com/charleston/)
State Capitol Building (http://www.wvepostcards.com/charleston/)


icon_capitol-complex.jpg (http://www.wvepostcards.com/charleston/)
State Capitol Complex (http://www.wvepostcards.com/charleston/)


Capitals of West Virginia

Charleston is the capital city of West Virginia, but this was not always the case. Wheeling was the capital of West Virginia from 1863 to 1870, when it was moved to Charleston. In 1875 the seat of government was again moved to Wheeling, remaining there until 1885, when it was again changed to Charleston.


Variant Name(s) for Charleston, WV

Charles Town, Charleston-on-the-Kanawha, Charlestown, Clendenin's Settlement, Clendenins Fort, Clendenins Settlement, Fort Clendennin, Fort Lee, Kanawha, Kanawha Court House, Mouth of Elk, The Town at the Mouth of Elk

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