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Jefferson County, West Virginia History Formation Jefferson County was established on October 26, 1801, from a portion of Berkeley County by an act of the Virginia General Assembly. It was named after Thomas Jefferson, vice-president of the United States and president elect. Years earlier, Jefferson had stood on a rock high above the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers at Harpers Ferry. In his Notes on the State of Virginia, he remarked that this view was "worth a trip across the Atlantic." The view is still breathtaking, and Jefferson County is still worth the trip.
The county's courthouse was the site of the trial for the abolitionist John Brown after his 1859 raid on the federal armory in Harpers Ferry. U.S. Army troops serving under General Robert E. Lee put down the rebellion. He was sentenced to death and was hanged there. Among those in attendance at the execution was a contingent of cadets from Virginia Military Institute sent by the Governor of Virginia Henry Wise under the supervsion of Major William Gilham and Major Thomas J. Jackson. Joining West Virginia Berkeley and Jefferson counties, both lying on the Potomac River east of the mountains, and with the consent of the Reorganized Government of Virginia, voted in favor of annexation to West Virginia in 1863. Virginia tried to nullify this decision after the American Civil War, but the counties remained part of West Virginia. The question of the constitutionality of the formation of the new state was brought before the Supreme Court of the United States in the following manner: Berkeley and Jefferson County, West Virginia, counties lying on the Potomac east of the mountains, in 1863, with the consent of the Reorganized Government of Virginia, voted in favor of annexation to West Virginia. Many voters absent in the Confederate Army when the vote was taken refused to acknowledge the transfer upon their return. The Virginia General Assembly repealed the Act of Secession and in 1866 brought suit against West Virginia asking the court to declare the counties a part of Virginia. Meanwhile, Congress, on March 10, 1866, passed a joint resolution recognizing the transfer. The Supreme Court, in 1871, decided in favor of West Virginia. Geography Located in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, Jefferson is the easternmost county in the state, being bounded by the Potomac River and Maryland on the north, the Blue Ridge Mountains and Loudoun County, Virginia, on the east, Clarke County, Virginia, on the south, and Opecquon Creek and Berkeley County, West Virginia, on the West. The county occupies 212.41 square miles, being 24 miles from north to south and 12 miles from east to west. West Virginia is a southern state. Rich in natural resources, physical beauty, and traditional culture, West Virginia's charm is that of being "off the beaten path." West  Virginia is a destination for white water rafting, kayaking, skiing, climbing, golf, mountain biking, hiking, and off-roading. It is the only state that is entirely contained in Appalachia. Its location between the midwest and eastern seaboard of the United States means that over 60% of the United States population lives less than 500 miles from West Virginia.
West Virginia is abundant in natural resources, being primarily known as a major producer of coal since the 1800s—in fact, it's the number two coal-producing state in the U.S. Adjacent counties |
