As America celebrates her 250th birthday this year, West Virginia is doing what we have always done best: honoring tradition while looking toward the future.
Across our state, communities are gathering for celebrations worthy of this historic milestone. Families will get to ride the tallest portable Ferris Wheel in the world. The Kanawha River will come to life with the Sternwheel Regatta. The summer night sky will be lit up by 3D projection shows. There will be live music, performances, local food, handcrafted goods, and neighbors gathering to remind us of who we are not just as Americans, but West Virginians.
These celebrations go beyond the boom of fireworks, past the days of festivities.
They serve as a reminder that America’s story is still being written, and West Virginia has always held the pen.
Long before our state entered the Union, these mountains shaped American character. A young George Washington and other early settlers charted Appalachia and saw something enduring here. They saw wilderness that demanded resilience and built holler communities built on faith, family, and the principle of self-government.
Tested by the terrain, West Virginians are now known as some of America’s strongest people.
When our nation industrialized, it was West Virginia coal that powered factories, forged steel, and helped transform America into an economic giant.
When freedom was threatened by both World Wars, West Virginia answered the call. The coal found deep in our hills powered ships, trains, steel mills, and our forces overseas. Our miners, engineers, and factory workers never sought recognition. They simply got the job done.
That hard-working spirit has never left West Virginia.
During this milestone for America, we honor those who carry that legacy forward.
We celebrate moments that unite us, like West Virginia University’s men’s baseball making history by reaching the College World Series for the first time ever. The Mountaineers have proven that by competing at the highest level and refusing to accept limits, anything is possible.
Most importantly, we honor our heroes like National Guardsmen Sarah Beckstrom and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, and all those who have served our nation with a humble dedication.
As we look back at the past 250 years, it’s easy to be distracted by the issues that lie ahead.
West Virginia faces a workforce shortage and population decline. Educational attainment and economic opportunity are on the rise, but we still have work to do. We have risen to the challenge before, and I know we will again today.
That is why we are investing in our schools and our economy, expanding opportunities in all job sectors, and advancing our 50 by 50 energy vision to make West Virginia the battery of the nation for the next 250 years to come.
America needs states willing to build.
America needs states willing to power the future.
America has always needed West Virginia. Now more than ever, her time has come.
Generations have looked to our mountains and seen something insurmountable. For West Virginians, they see opportunity.
While the earth beneath our feet might power the future, our character has always been our greatest resource.
The West Virginia grit that powered America through war, into industry, and above adversity will power the next century of innovation, manufacturing, and growth.
West Virginia welcomes everyone who believes in the strength of America’s past and the promise of her future.
Our country’s story is still being written, and West Virginia refuses to be just a chapter in its legacy.
