West Virginia is the only U.S. state entirely within the Appalachian Mountain range and famously holds the distinction of being the only state created by a presidential proclamation. Secret Cold War Bunker: The historic The Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs secretly housed a massive underground bunker designed to shelter the entire U.S. Congress in the event of a nuclear attackSole Presidential State: President Abraham Lincoln signed the proclamation admitting West Virginia into the Union on June 20, 1863, after it broke away from Virginia during the Civil War.The “Old” New River: Despite its name, the New River in southern West Virginia is one of the oldest rivers on Earth, predating the Appalachian Mountains themselves.