1st West Virginia legislature explained
The first state legislature of West Virginia convened in Wheeling from June 20, 1863, to December 11, 1863, after the adoption of the West Virginia Constitution which was drafted during the first two years of the Civil War.[1]
Apportionment
- District 1
- District 2
- District 3
- District 4
- District 5
- District 6
- District 7
- District 8
- District 9
- District 10
- District 11
- 1 delegate
- 2 delegates
- 3 delegates
- Thick black lines: State and district boundaries
- Thin gray lines: County boundaries
- Dashed black lines: Planned district and state boundaries
- Dashed red lines: Counties with rotating member apportionment
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The 1863 West Virginia Constitution established the creation of nine senatorial districts, each sending two senators to the state legislature. Additionally, the constitution called for the creation of two other senatorial districts containing counties in northern Virginia assuming they joined the state. For the House of Delegates, the constitution outlined six delegate districts each sending one or two delegates to the House, with another planned for counties in northern Virginia. Every other county was apportioned one to three delegates. The Senate member count was set to be between eighteen and twenty-two, and between forty-seven and fifty-two for the House of Delegates, depending on how many Virginian counties were absorbed into the state.[2]
Members of the Senate
President of the West Virginia Senate
John M. Phelps from Mason County
- District 1 (Hancock, Brooke, and Ohio)
- John H. Atkinson
- Chester D. Hubbard
- District 2 (Marshall, Wetzel, and Marion)
- James Burley
- Aaron Hawkins
- District 3 (Monongalia, Preston, and Taylor)
- John J. Brown
- Edward C. Bunker
- District 4 (Pleasants, Tyler, Ritchie, Doddridge, and Harrison)
- Daniel Haymond
- Edwin Maxwell
- District 5 (Wood, Jackson, Wirt, Roane, Calhoun, and Gilmer)
- Edward S. Mahon
- William E. Stevenson
- District 6 (Barbour, Tucker, Lewis, Braxton, Upshur, and Randolph)
- D. D. T. Farnsworth
- William D. Rollyson
- District 7 (Mason, Putnam, Kanawha, Clay, and Nicholas)
- District 8 (Cabell, Wayne, Boone, Logan, Wyoming, Mercer, and McDowell)
- John B. Brown
- William H. Copley
- District 9 (Webster, Pocahontas, Fayette, Raleigh, Greenbrier, and Monroe)
- Thomas K. McCann
- Samuel Young
- John M. Phelps
- District 10 (Planned: Pendleton, Hardy, Hampshire, and Morgan)
- Aaron Bechtol
- James Carskadon
- District 11 (Planned: Frederick, Berkeley, and Jefferson)
Members of the House of Delegates
Speaker of the West Virginia House of Delegates
Spicer Patrick
Members by delegate districts
- District 1 (Pleasants and Wood, 2 members)
- Horatio N. Crooks (Wood)
- Peter G. Van Winkle (Wood)
- District 2 (Calhoun and Gilmer)
- William T. Wiant (Gilmer)
- District 3 (Clay and Nicholas)
- District 4 (Webster and Pocahontas)
- Benton Griffin (Pocahontas)
- District 5 (Tucker and Randolph)
- District 6 (McDowell, Wyoming, and Raleigh)
- District 7 (Planned: Morgan and Berkeley, 2 members)
- Greenbrier and Monroe: (3 members, county delegate count in rotation)
- John C. Gillilan (Greenbrier)
- Andrew W. Mann (Greenbrier)
- Lewis Ballard (Monroe)
Members by county
- Barbour: Joseph Teter Jr.
- Boone: Robert Hagar
- Braxton: Felix Sutton
- Brooke: H. W. Crothers
- Cabell: Edward D. Wright
- Doddridge: Ephraim Bee
- Frederick (Planned, 2 members)
- Hampshire:
- James I. Barrick
- George W. Sheetz
- Hancock: William L. Crawford
- Hardy: John Michael
- Harrison:
- Nathan Goff Sr.
- Soloman S. Fleming
- Jackson: David J. Keeney
- Jefferson (Planned, 2 members)
- Kanawha:
- Spicer Patrick
- Lewis Ruffner
- Lewis: Perry M. Hale
- Logan: James H. Hinchman
- Marion:
- Isaac Holman
- John S. Barnes
- Marshall:
- Michael Dunn
- Joseph Turner
- Mason: Lewis Bumgardner
- Mercer: Thomas Little
- Monongalia:
- Leroy Kramer
- John B. Lough
- Ohio:
- Daniel Lamb
- Andrew F. Ross
- W. W. Shriver
- Pendleton: John Boggs
- Preston:
- James C. McGrew
- William B. Zinn
- Putnam: George C. Bowyer
- Ritchie: S. R. Dawson
- Roane: J. M. McWhorter
- Taylor: L. E. Davidson
- Tyler: Daniel Sweeny
- Upshur: Jacob Teter
- Wayne: Thomas Couley
- Wetzel: S. I. Robinson
- Wirt: Alfred Foster
Accomplishments
204 bills were passed by the legislature in its first term, including bills to admit Berkeley and Jefferson counties into the state.[3]
See also
Notes and References
- Book: Harris . John T. . West Virginia LEGISLATIVE HAND BOOK and MANUAL AND Official Register 1916 . 20 April 1916 . West Virginia Legislature . Charleston, WV . 381 . 1st . 29 August 2024.
- Web site: Constitution of West Virginia 1863 . Ohio County Public Library . 29 August 2024.
- Web site: Jett . Jaelyn . The First West Virginia Legislature: The Foundation of Today . Wrap Up . 29 August 2024.
