History of Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston is the capital of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the Confluence (geography)|confluence of the Elk River (West Virginia)|Elk and Kanawha River|Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County, West Virginia|Kanawha County. As of the 2000 census, it has a population of 53,421. However, the 2005 Census Estimate has Charleston with a population of 51,176, and a Charleston WV metropolitan area|metro area of 307,763. Currently, Charleston is the largest city in the state. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.
Early industry important to Charleston included salt and the first natural gas well.[http://www.wvexp.com/index.php/First_Natural_Gas_Well] Later, coal became central to economic prosperity in the city and the surrounding area.
The first permanent settlement, Ft. Lee, was built in 1788. In 1791, Daniel Boone was a member of the Kanawha County Assembly.
Charleston is the home of the West Virginia Power (formerly the Charleston Alley Cats) minor league baseball team, the West Virginia Wild minor league basketball team, and the annual 15-mile Charleston Distance Run. Yeager Airport and the University of Charleston are also located in the city.
It is also home to the 130th Airlift Wing of the West Virginia Air National Guard
The city also holds public parks, such as Cato Park and Coonskin Park. It also is home to Kanawha State Forest, a large public state park that sustains a pool, camping sites, several biking/walking trails, picknick areas, as well as several shelters provided for recreational use.
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