The 55 West Virginias: A Guide to the State's Counties [Paperback]

E. LEE NORTH (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1998

West Virginia's 55 counties serve and contribute to the state's history and culture in different ways, and now the stories of each county can finally be told. The 55 West Virginias combines the best parts of a history book, photo collection and travel guide all in one volume. With the latest census figures and economic profiles, comprehensive information on every county, travel attractions, maps, histories and recognition of notable personalities this book is a must for any West Virginian's library.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

F. Lee North is the author of Redcoats, Redskins, and Red-Eyed Monsters, a human interest history of West Virginia published by A.S. Barnes, Inc.; She Produces All-Americans, a history of football at his alma mater, Washington & Jefferson College; and a novel, For This One Hour, set in Poland and Russia during World War II.

Product Details

• Paperback: 129 pages
• Publisher: West Virginia University Press; 2nd edition (January 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0937058386
• ISBN-13: 978-0937058381
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,817,676 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 55 West Virginias, November 18, 2002

By 

Rachel Boardman (Morgantown, WV USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The 55 West Virginias: A Guide to the State's Counties (Paperback)

"There's a land of rolling mountains, where the sky is blue above." After coming to West Virginia four years ago for college, I not only became attached to "Country Roads" and being a Mountaineer, but I truly fell in love with the state and everything wholesome its heritage represents. Just as I enjoy waking up every morning to turn a new page in my Bed and Breakfast daily calendar, or curling up on a snowy evening with a cup of hot cocoa and a book on family owned gourmet restaurants, I've enjoyed leafing through the pages of "55 West Virginias", full of state history and statistics. A perfect book for those as in love with the state as I, the weekend traveler, or the world traveler, I think you, too, will find E. Lee North's Guide to West Virginia's State Counties as charming as you will the state itself.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hail The Mountaineers!, December 5, 2000

By 

wolfeye (LI, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The 55 West Virginias: A Guide to the State's Counties (Paperback)

By the author, E. Lee North ([e-mail]).... West Virginians are the friendliest people in the country, and it was a pleasure interviewing and dealing with Mountaineers. This is my third book on West Virginia and it really is an incredible state. Just think --Wheeling is the only city to have been the capital of two different states and not now a capital of any; it was also the site of the last battle of the Amer. Revolution (Ft. Henry). These facts are well covered in "The 55."

Part of WV is N of part of NY state, part is W of Pt. Huron, Michigan, part S of Richmond, and it extends E to within 39 mi of Wash., DC. So it might be called a northern, midwestern, southern, or eastern state! (And has been.)We present just about everything you'd want to know about the Mountain State, including tables showing each county's percentage of women, minorities, income, home values, etc., and "Notables" for each county. There's a map of the whole state, and maps of every county.Actually, this book is probably the first popular history of all the counties of a state.

The Notables are quite interesting -- from Governor Cecil Underwood (imagine, elected WV's youngest governor in 1956, and her oldest in 1996) and Senators like Robert Byrd, Jay Rockefeller, and Jennings Randolph to sports stars like Jerry West and Sam Snead, writers Pearl Buck, Alberta Hannum, and Mary Lee Settle; military leaders Stonewall Jackson, Jesse Reno (Nevada's city of Reno is named for him)... well I'm just scratching the surface here. We do have a comprehensive index...

I owe a lot to our wonderful relatives down in Wheeling, and to Ye Olde Alpha tavern, our perennial gathering trough. And to the good folks at West Virginia University Press and Library.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just to correct some misguided facts, March 7, 2005

By 

Kara N. Miltsch (WV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The 55 West Virginias: A Guide to the State's Counties (Paperback)

I just bought this book based upon the previous reviews and would like to set some of the facts straight. A reviewer stated that in this book, especially on the section about Putnam County, there is a large section about Jack Whitaker and even a map to his house in Hurricane. There is NO SUCH THING! First, Mr. Whitaker won the lottery in 2002...this book was published in 1998!!! To clarify this inept review, there is NO MENTION of Mr. Whitaker winning the lottery in any part of this book. Otherwise, this is a great factual representation of West Virginia.