VirGinia DiVorce: V i rgi n i a Those decisions made by a small group of northwest Virginians in the 1860s continue to affect those who live in the mountains along the West Virginia border today. The SpliT'S Varied BeginningS The real story of the Old Dominion's division into two states began decades before the war and falls under a number of different categories: * Cultural and ethnic differences. Starting in the late 1700s, a wave group 1: All Approved except buchAnAn And wise counties. group 2: Given vote on whether to Join. locAtion And inFluence oF b&o rAilroAd led All but FredericK to opt in. group 3: All reJected becAuse oF ties to eAstern virGiniA And v&t rAilroAd. group 4: reJected becAuse oF ties to eAstern virGiniA And hiGher rAtes oF slAverY. the AlleGhAnY hiGhlAnds were considered And reJected becAuse oF the c&o rAilroAd And JAMes river/KAnAwhA river cAnAl, which would hAve cost $4 Million in unpAid debt. July/August 2015 31