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Kanawha County

Kanawha County was established on October 5, 1789, and named for the Kanawha River, itself derived from a Native American term. Located in central West Virginia, it became a major hub of salt production in the early 1800s, especially in the Kanawha Valley near Malden and Cedar Grove. Charleston, founded in 1788 and designated the state capital permanently in 1885, serves as the county seat and the largest city in West Virginia. The county played important roles in the Civil War, the rise of the coal and chemical industries, and the development of transportation networks including the Kanawha River, railroads, and later interstate highways.

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