This is a very publicly criticized West Virginia state slogan from 2006 which was the state's welcome sign slogan. Whereas the West Virginia state motto intends to describe the free national 'soul' of West Virginia, West Virginia state slogans focus especially on attracting tourists, and as you will see, some are more serious and conventional than others: The slender territory between Maryland and Virginia is called the Eastern Panhandle and the land strip between Ohio and Pennsylvania is designated the Northern Panhandle.
This West Virginia nickname is a reference to Virginia's physical shape as it appears on a map. Like Colorado, Maine, New Jersey, and New Hampshire, the mountainous terrain has been compared to the Alps of Switzerland. The beautiful Allegheny Mountains that go through the state are the inspiration for this West Virginia state nickname. 'The Mountain State' and 'Switzerland of America' Whereas there is only one West Virginia state motto, there exist a number of state nicknames for West Virginia: In this way the West Virginia motto represents patriotic values of freedom and independency.
1863 was also the year when West Virginia became a state independent of Virginia.
The West Virginia motto was adopted in 1863 along with the Great Seal of the State of West Virginia. DisDebar who was also the creative spirit behind the state seal. The West Virginia motto was suggested by the artist Joseph H.