West Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, Virginia. After Virginia seceded from the Union in 1861, the northwestern counties of Virginia loyal to the United States started the process which would ultimately create the State of West Virginia on June 20, 1863. Settling on a state capital location proved to be difficult. For several years, the capital of West Virginia shifted back and forth between Wheeling and Charleston. Other locations, including Martinsburg and Clarksburg were offered as alternatives. The state's citizens voted on the final location of their capital, Charleston, on August 7, 1877. From the state's inception in 1863, the legislature met in the
Virginia State Route 598 598 (Bland Road) and descends the north side of the mountain into the city of Bluefield. Virginia State Route 598 State Route 598 (SR 598) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as East River Mountain Road, the state highway runs from Interstate 77 (I-77) and U.S. Route 52 (US 52) near Rocky Gap north to the West Virginia state line near Bluefield, West Virginia, where the highway continues as West Virginia Route 598 (WV 598). SR 598 is the old alignment of US 52 on East River Mountain in far northern Bland County. SR