Governor Arthur Boreman Statue

Governor Arthur I. Boreman’s Inauguration

Arthur Boreman and the whole ticket of the Constitutional Union Party won the election on May 28, 1863 with almost no opposition. Inaugural ceremonies of the first government of the Union’s thirty-fifth state would take place in Wheeling on June 20th, the day President Lincoln had declared West Virginia would become a separate state in the Federal Union. According to Wheeling’s Daily Intelligence, the city was all decked out with bunting and “flags of all sizes, (which) were as thick in the city as the locusts in the suburbs”. The sun was shining most of the day, but there was occasional rain, yet not enough to for people to return home. At 9:00am the 4th and 5th Regiments of the Militia assembled at the Court House (Independence Hall) and the Brigade band played music. The Militia than marched from the Court House to the McClure hotel to receive the members of West Virginia’s General Assembly and the top officials of the new government. The March then continued down Market to fourth street and then up Chapline to the Linsly Institute building, which would serve as West Virginia’s capitol. A platform had been constructed in front of the building. Thirty-five young girls were escorted to the platform and they sang the Star Spangled Banner to welcome Governor Boreman to the stage.
C. D. Hubbard called the people to order and then invited the Reverend J. T. McClure to give the invocation. Reverend McClure said God raises and casts down nations and he acknowledged God’s power and right to reign over humankind. He said God had sent suffering over our land to help us learn righteousness. He asked God to bless President Lincoln, military and civilian authorities, and the state of West Virginia, born among tears, blood, and fire. He asked God to bring victory to patriots and the crushing of the rebellion.
Francis Pierpont, Governor of the Restored Government of Virginia, was invited to the stage. He stated that his official relations with West Virginians ended at midnight the previous evening. For two years, minus two days, he had led the people and depended on God. He urged the people to look to the future and not to dwell on the past. The struggle to protect the Union and the institutions bequeathed to us by Washington, Jefferson, Adams, and Madison continues on. Pierpont said he was going to Virginia to help suppress the rebellion. He ended by saying, “One consolation I have in leaving you….is that you have chosen a man (Boreman) earnest, capable, and faithful who by your support will guide you better than I have guided you.” As Pierpont left the podium the audience yelled out three cheers for Pierpont.
Arthur Boreman then moved to the podium. Boreman claimed it was an honor to be chosen Governor of the new state but warned that they faced difficult tasks in creating and governing the new state. He claimed that old Virginia had always been made up of two distinct peoples and that the eastern half of the state had long discriminated against those living west of the Appalachian mountains. Northwestern Virginia’s people had always looked north and west for their markets, travels, habits, associations rather than to fellow Virginians east of the mountains. He argued that as the North grew stronger, the South became paranoid and panicked and then turned to rebellion to try to maintain their power. He then laid out his agenda. He promised to support the federal government, suppress the rebellion and to provide military security for West Virginians. He said he would support the agricultural, mining, manufacturing and commercial interests of the state. Finally, he said he would set up an educational system in the state for every child. He praised Pierpont and said he hoped to do as well as Pierpont.
Waitman Willey was then asked to take the podium. Willey said he had longed to see West Virginia as an independent state, and we are finally successful. Our lands look desolate now, but God will bring rain and abundance. Our cause is just and we need not be despondent. Let’s support both Pierpont and Boreman and not quarrel with one another. Pierpont called for three cheers for West Virginia and the audience responded. He then called for three cheers for the United States Government and people again replied favorably.
The thirty-five girls sang two songs: E Pluribus Unum and The Star- Spangled Banner to end the festivities. The Militia then marched back to the Court House.
Following the ceremony, the Senate and House of Delegates met briefly in their separate chambers to choose their leaders and members of their committees. The following day Boreman met both Senators and Delegates about his agenda and then took the Oath of Office as Governor. Both the Senate and House approved the publication of Boreman’s address and its distribution to the people of West Virginia.
In the evening of June 20th, a fireworks display was given at the wharf. The day was marred only by an accident. During the thirty-five gun salute to honor Governor Boreman, Morris Browning, who was supervising the firing, was badly injured when the cannon discharged prematurely. During the loading of the cannon, the ramrod slipped through his hands and he injured his right arm.

Arthur I. Boreman
Nominated for Governor of West Virginia
While statehood for West Virginia was being secured, Francis Pierpont remained Governor of the pro-Union “Restored Government of Virginia.” He and the pro-Union legislature had to approve of the separation of Virginia to make the creation of West Virginia possible. Lincoln’s government had already given recognition to the Restored Government of Virginia that it was the true state of Virginia. As a consequence when both houses of the United States Congress voted, (the Senate voted 23 to 17 in favor on July 14, 1862; the House voted 96 to 55 in favor on December 9th; Lincoln approved on December 31st), Pierpont decided to remain the head of the pro-Union parts of Virginia controlled by federal troops that would not become part of West Virginia. Lincoln and Congress stipulated that the West Virginia Constitution would need to be amended to eliminate slavery in the state for West Virginia to enter the Union. This was done by the Constitutional Convention held at the Custom House, West Virginia Independence Hall, and the changes were approved by the people in a special election held on March 26, 1863 by a vote of 18,321 to 572.
The security situation in the “Restored Government of Virginia” was precarious in April and May of 1863. On April 24th two separate Confederate armies invaded the Restored Government. General William Jones, with 3,365 men, left from Staunton while John Imboden, with 2,100 men, left Lacy Springs to attack the Restored Government. The aims of the invasion were to disrupt the Baltimore & Ohio railroad by destroying bridges, track, telegraph lines and tunnels wherever possible. They also hoped to weaken Union control of the Restored Government. The invasions covered 700 miles and lasted until May 22nd. The two armies fought several battles and engaged in numerous skirmishes with Union troops. The took 700 prisoners, 1,000 cattle, 1,200 horses, destroyed 16 bridges, one railroad tunnel, several trains of cars, and most devastatingly, 150,000 barrels of oil and the oil wells at Burning Springs. Finally, during an attack on Fairmont, they seized and then burnt the personal library of Francis Pierpont.
During this stressful time the politicians in favor of creating the new state of West Virginia were holding a convention in Parkersburg to nominate candidates to head the new government. The convention of the Union State Party, which combined both Republicans and Democrats who favored the creation of the new state, met from May 6 through May 8. The slate of candidates for the top eight posts were Arthur Boreman of Wood county for Governor, J. E. Boyers of Tyler for Secretary of State, Campbell Tarr of Brooke for Treasurer, Samuel Crane of Randolph for Auditor, A. B. Caldwell from Ohio and for the Judicial Court of Appeals: R. L. Berkshire of Monongalia, William Harrison of Harrison, and James Brown of Kanawha. Four of the nominees were Whig/Republicans: Boreman, Caldwell, Berkshire, and Harrison while the other four were Democrats: Boyer, Crane, Tara, and Brown. They came from eight different counties scattered throughout the Restored Government. Since the Union State ticket was victorious in the elections held on May 28, Boreman had his top government officials in place at the time of his taking over as Governor.
At the convention there were two ballots cast for the position of Governor. Peter Van Winkle of Wood county came in first and Boreman placed second, but neither gained a majority on the first ballot. However, Boreman did get a majority on the second casting of votes.
Because of the tense atmosphere created by the Jones and Imboden raids, the politicians were eager to leave town. A letter from a correspondent “H” to the Wheeling Daily Intelligencer catches the situation well. He wrote, “I would add that if ever a Convention dissolved…it was this one. It melted away like snow before an April sun”. The reason of it was that almost at the time the nominations were completed, the distressing news of Ho**er’s repulses (Lee defeated Ho**er at Chancellorsville) was received. It seemed to strike everyone with a cold chill. Members left the hall hardly waiting to hear the result of the ballot for judges.
By the time we were ready to adjourn, there was hardly a third of the body left. The movement on the part of the up the river delegations was accelerated by the fact that the good and swift steamer Eagle was to leave for Wheeling at five o’clock and that the hour was not far away. The fact that the rebels were getting nearer to Parkersburg, having cut the road this side of Cornwallis (Jones’ army), many have had the effect of hastening the forward movements of the Eagle.

- Joe Laker

The statue of Arthur I. Boreman to be placed and unveiled at West Virginia Independence Hall June 20, 2024.

ArThur's Day with Boreman
West Virginia’s First Governor Arthur I. Boreman

Brothers and Sisters of Governor Arthur Ingraham Boreman

Did you know that Governor Boreman was not the only Boreman family member involved in West Virginia politics?
Governor Arthur I. Boreman’s parents, Kenner and Sarah Ingraham Boreman, produced nine children together. They were William, Agnes, Sarah, Kenner, James, John, Arthur, Thomas, and Jacob, two girls and seven boys, of which one daughter was stillborn and John died young.
The eldest son, William, was born in Waynesburg in 1816. He studied law with his brother-in-law, James Stephenson, and was licensed to practice law in 1839 at age 23. William enjoyed an esteemed legal career in Middleborne. In the spring of 1861, from the counties of Tyler and Doddridge, he was elected to the General Assembly at Richmond, but his decided Union sentiments prevented his acting in that body. By virtue of that election, however, he appeared and served in the Wheeling convention to restore the State to connection with the United States. He was a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1867, and of the State Senate from 1868 to 1871. It was said of William… “No man of his section has been more influential or a safer
counsellor than he.” He married Martha Stealey and they had seven children. William Boreman died in Tyler County, WV on January 15, 1892. Interment is at Middleborne Cemetery, Middleborne WV. (See William’s headstone below.)
Arthur’s eldest sister, Agnes, helped Arthur Boreman study law and mentored him until he earned his law license. Agnes married James Stephenson, the law partner of her brother, future governor Arthur I. Boreman. Stephenson was an American lawyer, businessman and politician who served several terms in the Virginia House of Delegates representing western Virginia counties which in his lifetime, became part of the state of West Virginia. (See Agnes’ headstone pictured below)
Not much is known about Sarah Ingraham Boreman, Arthur’s mother. She died in November of 1870 at the age of 80. His father, Kenner Seaton Boreman, served as a member of Parkersburg City Council and died in November of 1850 at the age of 60. His brother James served as postmaster of Parkersburg. (See Sarah’s and
Kenner’s headstones pictured below.)