COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE

FOR

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 14

(By Senators Beach, Kessler, Leonhardt, Prezioso, Unger, Stollings, Miller and Yost)

[Originating in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure]

Requesting the Division of Highways erect signs along Interstate-79 at locations entering Marion County on the borders of Harrison and Monongalia counties and the signs shall respectively exhibit “Home of Francis H. Pierpont – Father of West Virginia and Governor of Restored Virginia”.

            Whereas, Francis H. Pierpont was one of the Delegates to the Great Railroad Convention to develop a strategy to bring the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad into Marion County; and

            Whereas, Francis H. Pierpont, working along with James Otis Watson, opened the first rail-shipping bituminous coal mine west of the Allegheny Mountains; and

            Whereas, May 13, 1861, Francis H. Pierpont became Delegate of the First Wheeling Convention; and

            Whereas, June 20, 1861, Francis H. Pierpont was elected Provisional Governor of Restored Virginia by a unanimous 77 votes; and

            Whereas, May 13, 1862, Francis H. Pierpont called a special session of the Restored Virginia General Assembly which granted counties in Northwestern Virginia permission for their separation from the remainder of Virginia and the formation of a new state into the Union: West Virginia; and

            Whereas, May 22, 1862, Francis H. Pierpont was elected Governor of the Restored Virginia; and

            Whereas, June 1863, Francis H. Pierpont declined to be Governor of West Virginia - remaining Governor of Restored Virginia until April, 4 1868; and

            Whereas, In 1869, Francis H. Pierpont was elected to the West Virginia Legislature; and

            Whereas, Francis H. Pierpont established the first local school for African Americans; and

            Whereas, April 30, 1910, a statue honoring Francis H. Pierpont as the “Father of West Virginia” was accepted by the Capitol Building in Washington, D. C., one of only two statues representing West Virginia in Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol Building; and

            Whereas, Stephen B. Elkins, former Secretary of War, on the day of the statue dedication proclaimed, “He (Francis H. Pierpont) founded a state whose people will love and bless his memory as the sun rolls on.”; therefore, be it

            Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

            That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to erect signs along Interstate-79 at locations entering Marion County on the borders of Harrison and Monongalia counties and the signs shall respectively exhibit “Home of Francis H. Pierpont – Father of West Virginia and Governor of Restored Virginia”; and, be it

            Further Resolved, That the Division of Highways is to have made and be placed brown-colored signs along Interstate 79 at locations entering Marion County on the borders of Harrison and Monongalia counties and said signs shall respectively exhibit “Home of Francis H. Pierpont – Father of West Virginia and Governor of Restored Virginia”; and, be it

            Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the Marion County Commission and the Marion County Historical Society.