Editing Charleston, West Virginia (section)

===Establishment===
[[File:Charlestonwvzero.jpg|thumb|left|Zero Milestone]]
After the [[American Revolutionary War]], pioneers began making their way out from the early settlements. Many slowly migrated into western [[Virginia]]. Capitalizing on its many resources made Charleston an important part of Virginia and West Virginia history. It is the state's capital and most populous city.

Charleston's history goes back to the 18th century. [[Thomas Bullitt]] was deeded {{convert|1250|acre|km2|0}} of land near the mouth of the [[Elk River (West Virginia)|Elk River]] in 1773. It was inherited by his brother, [[Cuthbert Bullitt]], upon his death in 1778, and sold to Colonel George Clendenin in 1786. Clendenin and his company of Virginia Rangers built the first permanent settlement, Fort Lee, in 1787. This structure occupied the area that is now the intersection of Brooks Street and Kanawha Boulevard. Historical conjecture indicates that Charleston is named after Clendenin's father, Charles. In 1794, the [[Virginia General Assembly]] officially established Charlestown.<ref name=Andre>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1089 |title=Charleston |author=Richard A. Andre |encyclopedia=West Virginia Encyclopedia |location=Charleston, WV |publisher=West Virginia Humanities Council |access-date=March 7, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305062613/http://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1089 |archive-date=March 5, 2017}} (Includes timeline)</ref> On the {{convert|40|acre|m2}} that made up the town in 1794, 35 people inhabited seven houses.

Charleston is part of [[Kanawha County]]. The origin of the word Kanawha (pronounced "Ka-NAH-wah"), ''Ka(h)nawha'', derives from the region's [[Iroquoian languages|Iroquoian]] dialects meaning "water way" or "Canoe Way", implying the metaphor "transport way". It was and is the name of the river that flows through Charleston. The "hard H" sound soon dropped out as various European arrivals developed West Virginia.<ref>Kanawha County was named in honor of the Great Kanawha River that runs through the county. The river was named for the Indian tribe that once lived in the area. The spelling of the Indian tribe varied at the time from Conoys to Conois to Kanawha. The latter spelling was used and has gained acceptance over time. {{cite web|url=http://www.polsci.wvu.edu/wv/Kanawha/kanhistory.html |title=Kanawha County History |access-date=October 31, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100616153312/http://www.polsci.wvu.edu/wv/Kanawha/kanhistory.html |archive-date=June 16, 2010}} (December 29, 2008)</ref> The phrase has been a matter of [[Register (sociolinguistics)|register]]. A two-story jail was the first county structure to be built, with the first floor dug into the bank of the [[Kanawha River]].

In 1791, [[Daniel Boone]], who was commissioned a lieutenant colonel of the Kanawha County militia, was elected to serve in the [[Virginia House of Delegates]]. Boone supposedly walked all the way to [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]], the state capital. He served alongside Major [[William Morris (Virginia politician)|William Morris Jr]], representing Kanawha.