HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 16
(By Delegates Manuel, Doyle, Douglas,
Faircloth, Overington and Trump)
[Introduced March 27, 2001; referred to the
Committee on Rules.]
Commemorating the 200th birthday of Jefferson County.
Whereas, Jefferson County's first incorporated town,
Shepherdstown, was given its charter in 1762, making it the oldest
town in West Virginia; and
Whereas, Jefferson County, originally the property of Lord
Fairfax, became a home to a significant portion of the Washington
family, with George Washington owning his first lands here; and
Whereas, Jefferson County's county seat of Charles Town was
developed by George Washington's youngest brother, Charles, whose
house still stands here, and brother Samuel's Jefferson County
house is still owned by the Washington family; and
Whereas, Jefferson County was the site of the first rural free
delivery of mail in the United States, and was also the first
county to employ a female postal worker; and
Whereas, Jefferson County is home to Harpers Ferry where John Brown's famous raid occurred in 1859, followed by his trial for
treason and execution in Charles Town, events widely acknowledged
as precipitating the Civil War; and
Whereas, Jefferson County was the site of Storer College, the
first college for African Americans in West Virginia, and was the
birth place of the Nigra Movement; and
Whereas, Jefferson County was the site of the "Mine Wars"
trials which resolved the famous battle of Blair Mountain in Logan
County; and
Whereas, Jefferson County was home to John W. Davis, the only
West Virginian ever to run for president of the United States as
the standard bearer for one of the established national parties;
and
Whereas, Jefferson County was the site of the first successful
use of steam for the propulsion of a boat in the United States; and
Whereas, Thomas Jefferson said of the view of Harpers Ferry,
that it was "worth the trip across the Atlantic"; and
Whereas, Along all the "Country Roads" within our "Mountain
Mama" State, Jefferson is the only county to have within its
boundaries either the Blue Ridge Mountains or the Shenandoah River;
and
Whereas, Jefferson County has undertaken to celebrate its
illustrious history on this occasion of its 200th birthday through
a number of projects and programs; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Legislature of the State of West Virginia, in
recognition of Jefferson County's unique contribution to our
heritage and identity as a State, extend its appreciation to the
people and that good county; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Legislature offers the full
assistance and participation of its resources and agencies in
promoting proper observance of the auspicious occasion of Jefferson
County's Bicentennial.