Berkeley County, West Virginia

Berkeley County is a located in the  of. As of 2006, the population was 97,534. Its is.

History
Berkeley is the second oldest county in West Virginia. The county was created by an act of the in February  from the northern third of. At the time of the county's formation it also consisted of the areas that make up the present-day and  counties. Most historians believe that the county was named for (-), Colonial Governor of Virginia from  to. West Virginia's Blue Book, for example, indicates that Berkeley County was named in his honor. He served as a colonel in England's militia in, and represented that division of the county in parliament until he was made a peer in. He claimed the title of as the lineal descendant of Sir, who died in. Having incurred heavy gambling debts, he solicited a government appointment, and in July, was made. In, he reluctantly dissolved the after it adopted resolutions opposing parliament's replacement of requisitions with parliamentary taxes as a means of generating revenue and a requirement that the colonists send accused criminals to England for trial. Despite his differences with the General Assembly, Norborne Berkeley was well-respected by the colonists, especially after he sent parliament letters encouraging it to repeal the taxes. When parliament refused to rescind the taxes, Governor Berkeley requested to be recalled. In appreciation of his efforts on their behalf, the colonists erected a monument to his memory which currently stands in, and two counties were later named in his honor, Berkeley in present-day West Virginia and in Virginia.

Other historians claim that Berkeley County may have been named in honor of Sir ( to ). He was born near, graduated from in , and was appointed Governor of Virginia in. He served as Governor until and was later reappointed Governor in. He continued to serve as Virginia's Governor until when he was called back to England. He died later that year, on,.

The first settlers
According to missionary reports, several thousand occupied present-day West Virginia, including the  region, during the late  and early. During the 1600s the (then consisting of the, , , , and  tribes) drove the Hurons from the state. The Iroquois Confederacy was headquartered in and was not interested in occupying present-day West Virginia. Instead, they used it as a hunting ground during the spring and summer months.

During the early, West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle region was inhabited by the. They eventually migrated northward into New York and, in, became the sixth nation to be formally admitted into the Iroquois Confederacy. The Eastern Panhandle region was also used as a hunting ground by several other Indian tribes, including the (then known as the Shawanese) who resided near present-day  and  until 1754 when they migrated into. The, who resided in the and along the  in present-day West Virginia's  region, and the , who lived in present-day eastern ,  and , but had several autonomous settlements as far south as present-day , also used the area as a hunting ground.

Following the, the Mingo retreated to their homes along the banks of the Ohio River and were rarely seen in the Eastern Panhandle region. Although the French and Indian War was officially over, many Indians continued to view the British as a threat to their sovereignty and continued to fight them. In the summer of, , an chief, led raids on key British forts in the Great Lakes region. Shawnee chief Keigh-tugh-qua, also known as, led similar attacks on western Virginia settlements, starting with attacks in present-day and extending northward to , and into the northern. By the end of July, Indians had destroyed or captured all British forts west of the Alleghenies except, , and. The uprisings were ended on August 6, 1763 when British forces, under the command of Colonel, defeated Delaware and Shawnee forces at in western Pennsylvania.

During the (1775-1783), the Mingo and Shawnee, headquartered at, allied themselves with the British. In 1777, a party of 350 Wyandots, Shawnees and Mingos, armed by the British, attacked, near present-day Wheeling. Nearly half of the soldiers manning the fort were killed in the three-day assault. The Indians then left the area celebrating their victory. For the remainder of the war, smaller raiding parties of Mingo, Shawnee, and other Indian tribes terrorized settlers throughout northern and eastern West Virginia. As a result, European settlement throughout present-day West Virginia, including the Eastern Panhandle, came to a virtual standstill until the war's conclusion.

Following the war, the Mingo and Shawnee, once again allied with the losing side, returned to their homes. As the number of settlers in present-day West Virginia began to grow, both the Mingo and Shawnee moved further inland, leaving their traditional hunting ground to the white settlers.

Early European settlers
In, , a physician and explorer employed by Sir , colonial governor of Virginia, became the first European to set foot in present-day Berkeley County; their safety was not guaranteed. and his son also passed through present-day Berkeley County a few years later, and discovered the valley of the at. The next known explorer to traverse the county was in. He came across the, at what is now known as , then he made his way to the South Branch Potomac River. When he returned to his home in New York, Van Meter advised his sons to purchase land in the area.

In, , moved from Delaware and founded the first permanent English settlement of record in West Virginia on Mill Creek near the present-day in Berkeley County. The state of West Virginia erected a monument in Bunker Hill commemorating the event, and placed a marker at Morgan's grave, which is located in a cemetery near the park. Morgan Morgan and his wife,, had eight children. His son,, later founded present-day.

In, John and Isaac Van Meter, two of John Van Meter's sons, secured a patent for 40,000 acres (162 km²) at the South Branch Potomac River, much of it located in present-day Berkeley County, from Virginia's Colonial Lieutenant Governor. The brothers sold the land the following year to, also known as. In, Joist Hite and fifteen families set out from , passed through present-day Berkeley County, and settled near present-day. In, John Van Meter moved to a site near , then part of , but now in present-day. His brother, Isaac Van Meter, settled further to the west.

18th Century Berkeley County
In, , then just sixteen years old, surveyed present-day Berkeley County for. He later returned to Bath (Berkeley Springs) several times over the next several years with his half-brother, Lawrence, who was ill and hoped that the warm springs might improve his health. The springs, and their rumored medicinal benefits, attracted numerous Native Americans as well as Europeans to the area.

19th Century Berkeley County
Berkeley County was reduced in size twice during the. On, , was formed out of the county's eastern section. Then, on, , was formed out of the county's western section and parts of Hampshire County.

Berkeley County was of strategic importance to both the North and the South during the ( to ). The county, and, the county seat, lay at the northern edge of the Shenandoah Valley, and Martinsburg was very important because the main line of the ran through the town. The rail line was of great importance to both armies. Also, Martinsburg was close to the Union arsenal at. Control over Martinsburg changed hands many times during the war, especially prior to the in July 1863. After Gettysburg, the city remained mostly under Union control.

Most of Berkeley County's residents were loyal to the South during the American Civil War. There were seven companies of soldiers recruited from the county: five for the and two for the. At least six hundred men from Berkeley County served in either the Confederate or Union Armies.

Berkeley County was also the home of, a famous spy for the Confederacy. She was born in Martinsburg on, , and lived there until the outbreak of the war. Her espionage career began on, when a band of drunken Union soldiers broke into her Martinsburg home intent on raising the  over the house. As the soldiers forced their way into the house (one account has a soldier pushing Belle's mother), Belle drew a pistol and killed him. A board of inquiry exonerated her actions as justifiable homicide, but sentries were posted around the house and officers kept close track of her activities. She befriended the officers, and at least one of them, Captain, shared with her military secrets. She conveyed those secrets to Confederate officers via her slave,, who carried the messages in a hollowed-out watch case. She later moved to to live with an aunt. One evening in mid-May, 1862 General and his staff conferred in the parlor of the local hotel. Belle hid upstairs and overheard Shields mentioning that he had been ordered east, a move that would reduce the Union Army's strength at Front Royal. Belle reported the news to Colonel, a Confederate scout. He relayed the information to General, commander of the Confederate Army. After Jackson took Front Royal on May 23, he penned a note of gratitude to Belle, and named her an honorary Captain. Belle was later arrested by the Union Army for espionage, spent a month in the in  and was freed in a prisoner exchange. In June 1863, she was arrested again for espionage by the Union Army during a visit to Martinsburg. She remained in custody until, 1863 when, suffering from , she was allowed to travel to to regain her strength. While there, she began a stage career and penned her memoirs. After the war, she returned to the, toured the western states recounting her exploits as a spy during the war, and died in in.

Joining West Virginia
During the American Civil War (1861-1865), Berkeley and Jefferson counties, both lying on the east of the mountains, and with the consent of the, voted in favor of annexation to West Virginia in 1863. Virginia tried to nullify this decision after the, but the counties remained part of West Virginia.

The question of the constitutionality of the formation of the new state was brought before the in the following manner: Berkeley County and Jefferson County, counties lying on the  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 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, passed a joint resolution recognizing the transfer. The Supreme Court, in 1871, decided in favor of West Virginia.

Geography
According to the, the county has a total area of 833 (322 ). 832 km² (321 sq mi) of it is land and 1 km² (0 sq mi) of it (0.14%) is water.

Major Highways

 * [[Image:I-81.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:US 11.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:WV-9.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:WV-45.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:WV-51.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:WV-901.svg|20px]]

Adjacent Counties

 * (north)
 * (east)
 * (south)
 * (west)

Rivers and streams

 * (tributary of in Morgan County)
 * (tributary of in Morgan County)
 * (tributary of in Morgan County)
 * (tributary of in Morgan County)
 * (tributary of in Morgan County)

Magisterial districts

 * Arden
 * Falling Waters
 * Gerrardstown
 * Hedgesville
 * Mill Creek
 * Opequon
 * Opequon

Demographics
Due to its proximity to, Berkeley County is the fastest growing county in the State of West Virginia and among the fastest growing in the entire country. In 2005, Berkeley County surpassed becoming the second-most populous county in West Virginia.

This county is a part of the and one of three counties in.

As of the of 2000, there were 75,905 people, 29,569 households, and 20,698 families residing in the county. The was 91/km² (236/sq mi). There were 32,913 housing units at an average density of 40/km² (102/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 92.74%, 4.69% or , 0.25% , 0.46% , 0.02% , 0.56% from , and 1.28% from two or more races. 1.52% of the population were or  of any race.

There were 29,569 households out of which 33.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.60% were living together, 10.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.00% were non-families. 24.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the county, the population was spread out with 25.70% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 31.30% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 11.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 99.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,763, and the median income for a family was $44,302. Males had a median income of $32,010 versus $23,351 for females. The for the county was $17,982. About 8.70% of families and 11.50% of the population were below the, including 14.60% of those under age 18 and 10.10% of those age 65 or over.

Notable residents

 * Dr. Joseph De Soto M.D.,Ph.D.,F.A.I.C., Cancer researcher, noted physician-scientist at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences

Berkeley County links

 * Chamber of Commerce of Martinsburg and Berkeley County
 * Berkeley County Commission
 * Martinsburg-Berkeley County Convention & Visitors Bureau
 * Berkeley County Development Authority
 * Berkeley County Farmland Protection Board
 * Berkeley County Health Department
 * Berkeley County Historical Society
 * Berkeley County Schools
 * Martinsburg-Berkeley County Public Library
 * WVU Extension Service - Berkeley County
 * Mountain State Apple Harvest Festival