West Virginia History Trivia Quiz

Answer: Civil War

West Virginia split from Virginia and became a Union State during the Civil War, in a controversial wartime vote.

Answer: Arthur Boreman

Boreman was the first governor of West Virginia, after it split off from Virginia. He became governor after Francis Pierpont agreed to give up the western counties, following a vote. Pierpont was the disputed loyal governor of all of Virginia after it seceded. Letcher was governor of secessionist Virginia. Lincoln was president of the U.S. at the time. Breckinridge was the early-war governor of Kentucky, just to the west.

Answer: Wheeling

Wheeling, in the northern panhandle, is actually north of the Mason Dixon line. It was the safest place for politicians to meet in Virginia to discuss the formation of a union state. Charleston, near the center of the state, has been the capital since 1877. Charles Town, in the eastern panhandle, received some fame as the place John Brown was tried and hanged. Harpers Ferry, near Charles Town, contained a military arsenal which John Brown tried to capture.

Answer: Republican

Arthur Boreman was a Republican, the same as Abraham Lincoln, the current president at that time.

Answer: Coal

The country ran on coal in the late 19th century, just when West Virginia had become a state. Railroads and steamboats switched from wood to coal, and later, electric power plants used coal to generate electricity where other sources like rivers weren't available. Coal polluted and caused health problems for miners, but such issues weren't as great a concern in the 19th and early 20th centuries as they are today.

Answer: Coal miners

Coal miners fought for unions and better working conditions. Members of the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency, hired by the Stone Mountain Coal Corporation, were surrounded and several killed in Matewan, WV, and the success led miners to engage in further conflict as they tried to unionize, including at Blair Mountain the next year. That proved to be a victory for the coal companies, and unionization failed until the government helped during the Great Depression.

Answer: New River Gorge Bridge

The new River Gorge Bridge in Fayette County, WV has been not only practical for travelers in cars, it's a scenic site by itself. Amtrak trains run below it, white water rafters can see it from the New River, and once a year, the bridge is opened for "BASE jumpers" to parachute off the 876-foot high span.

Answer: Take Me Home, Country Roads

West Virginia had three state songs in 1963, "The West Virginia Hills," "This Is My West Virginia," and "West Virginia, My Home Sweet Home," but the well-loved John Denver song that specifically mentioned the state was too good to pass up, and it has since been made official.

Answer: The state coat of arms on a white background

The white background has a narrow blue border and the coat of arms has laurel branches surrounding it, with a red ribbon saying "State of West Virginia," but I hope the brief descriptions were different enough for you to guess. The current flag is surprisingly new, 1962, though the state seal it's based on goes back to the state's founding.

The wrong answers are 'mixed-up' versions based on Ohio, Virginia and South Carolina's flags.

Answer: Mountaineers are Always Free

"Montani Semper Liberi" is the official Latin version. Fittingly, West Virginia is called the Mountain State, and state residents are nicknamed Mountaineers. There's also an official seal of the governor with a motto in Latin: "Libertas E Fidelitate" meaning "Liberty out of Fidelity".