Andrew's world West Virginia history

    A modern view of the industrial park. Photo sourced from clio.com Everybody in the Charleston area knows about the South charleston ordnance center AKA Industrial Park. How much do you really know, though? Did you know the buildings were originally built for WWI by the Navy? I can't say for certain exactly what year because I've heard and read different things, some say it was built before the war but others say during the war. My personal opinion is that it was started during the war, I say that because I know that it wasn't completed in time to produce a lot for WWI.       In 1922 the plant was closed because of the naval treaty of 1922. It was reopened in 1939 and contributed a lot to WWII. They produced tiny tim rockets (air to ground rockets), torpedo flasks and more than 130,000 of the huge gun barrels for navy ships. .     Photo of the Naval Ordnance plant. Sourced from clio.com inside of the Naval Ordnance plant. Photo sourced

             The Battle of Charleston sign Picture sourced from wikipedia.com            The year was 1862, which was one year prior to the birth of West Virginia. As you should all know, West Virgina seceded from the Confederacy in 1863. This is why I don't understand why so many people here in WV choose to fly the rebel flag.🤦      Anyway, the confederates under General William W. Loring decided to move into the Kanawha Valley of what was then Virginia and take the city of Charleston. This decision was made after general Cox's Kanawha Division left to go help the Union army in Maryland. Colonel Joseph Andrew Jackson Lightburn was left in charge of the Union forces that remained in Charleston.      On September 6th, General Loring and his men headed out from Narrows, Virginia.      On their way north to Charleston, they ran into union forces around Fayetteville on September 10th and fought several skirmishes over those next few days which drove the Federals north.