Virginia General Assembly Story Archives - Page 2 of 2

October 17, 1785: Virginia General Assembly Establishes Morgan's Town

On October 17, 1785, the Virginia General Assembly established Morgan’s Town. It was named for Zackquill Morgan, the son of pioneer Morgan Morgan. Zackquill had settled in the area in 1771 and laid out the town in 1783.

In the early days, Morgantown, as it became known, consisted primarily of what is now the city’s downtown. It featured a few water-powered businesses and was a jumping-off point for boat builders heading north to Pittsburgh. The town began to take off with the founding of the West Virginia Agricultural College in 1867. Renamed West Virginia University the following year, the school would become the centerpiece of Morgantown.

In 1886, the arrival of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad sparked a regional boom in coal, oil, and gas. It also gave rise to Morgantown’s glass industry and the American Sheet and Tin Plate Company, both of which attracted an influx of immigrants.

Today, thanks in large part to the university, Morgantown is one of the state’s fastest-growing cities. In 2012, it had about 31,000 residents, placing it in a virtual tie with Parkersburg as West Virginia’s third-largest city.

Sept. 8, 1841: Clarksburg Convention Highlights Education Inequalities

On September 8, 1841, one of the most important education conventions ever held in present West Virginia convened in Clarksburg. At the time, a formal education was virtually unheard for families without money.

In 1829, the Virginia General Assembly had authorized counties to establish school systems but provided little funding. Monroe County opened a free school under this plan but soon discontinued it.

Education reformers were spurred to action by the 1840 census, which demonstrated extensive illiteracy in Virginia. The Clarksburg gathering was the first of several conventions held throughout the state.

The Clarksburg convention highlighted serious education inequalities between the eastern and western parts of Virginia. Henry Ruffner called upon the General Assembly to create public schools that were “good enough for the rich . . . [and] fit for the poor.” In 1846, the legislature allowed citizens to petition counties to establish free schools but again failed to appropriate funding. The only counties in present West Virginia to adopt this plan were Kanawha, Jefferson, and Ohio.

In 1863, one of the first acts passed by the new West Virginia legislature established a system of free schools.

December 23, 1762 : Virginia General Assembly Charters Romney and Shepherdstown

On December 23, 1762, the Virginia General Assembly chartered the towns of Romney and Shepherdstown, igniting one of the longest-lasting debates in West Virginia history. The question? Is Romney or Shepherdstown West Virginia’s oldest incorporated town?

Some historians think Shepherdstown might have been settled as early as the 1710s or 1720s. However, its earliest documented settlement didn’t occur until sometime before 1739, when Thomas Shepherd built a grist mill in the town. As for Romney, Job and John Pearsall had settled there prior to 1738. Still, it isn’t certain when either town was first settled.

But, since Shepherdstown and Romney were both chartered on the same day, the big question still comes down to which one came first. At that time, bills passed by the General Assembly had to be read allowed three times. Shepherdstown sometimes argues that it is older because its bill was read for the third time before Romney’s bill was. However, both bills were signed on the same day without any indication of which one came first. So, as for determining the oldest town in West Virginia, let the debate continue.