Kanawha County is home to Charleston, the state capital of West Virginia.  Founded in 1789, the county was named after the Kanawha River, which runs through the middle of the county and many cities in the county sit along its banks, including Charleston, South Charleston, Dunbar, Nitro and St. Albans, comprising the greater Kanawha Valley. The Kanawha River derived its name from Indian tribes who settled in the area. When first founded, Kanawha County was actually a part of Virginia, and became part of West Virginia on June 20, 1863. There is strong history of history of salt development, which stimulated early economic development. Once the state capital was established in Charleston, this led to further economic development in the government and banking industries.

There are several noteworthy features to the Kanawha Valley and the greater Charleston area. It is home to the 293 foot state Capitol dome that actually stands 5 feet higher than the U.S. Capitol in Washington DC., the 1500 block of Virginia Street in Kanawha County is considered to be the longest city block in the world and approximately 66 percent of the U.S. populations is within 500 miles of Kanawha County.

Kanawha County is also home to many famous individuals. Among these are football player Randy Moss, who played for Dupont High School, Marshall University, the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Raiders. Kathy Mattea, a country singer/songwriter is from the Cross Lanes area and has experienced several years of success as a music artist. Also from Kanawha County is composer George Crumb, who has received both Grammy and Pulitzer prizes for his music. Kanawha County is also home to many in Hollywood, including actress Conchata Ferrell who has appeared in several films and television series but is best known for her role as Berta on "Two and a Half Men." Lou Myers also hails from Kanawha County and is known for his role as Mr. Gaines on "A Different World." Finally, actress Jennifer Garner who has starred in many television shows and film, hails from Charleston and has become a world-wide recognized actress for her many roles.  In addition, Kanawha County has produced 13 members of the U.S. Congress, four members of the U.S. Senate, and six governors of West Virginia.

Another famous individual is Phil Pfister, otherwise known as the World's Strongest Man from his success with feats of strength at the World's Strongest Man contest televised on ESPN.

Want to know more about the history of the Kanawha Valley? Visit online http://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1103.