West Virginia Trivia & Tidbits - Page 16

Looking for West Virginia trivia? Try our list West Virginia little know facts, tidbits and trivia.

Braxton County (pop. 13,100), the state’s geographic center, was created in 1836 and named in honor of Carter Braxton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

first appeared: 5/27/2001

The Blackwater River, the most scenic area of which is found at Blackwater Falls State Park near Davis (pop. 799), is so named because tannic acids from fallen hemlock and red spruce needles cause the water to appear black.

first appeared: 5/20/2001

Dr. Joseph F. Caldwell of Lewisburg (pop. 3,598) established the first newspaper west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Virginia Palladium and Pacific Monitor first was published in 1820.

first appeared: 5/13/2001

Bluefield (pop. 12,100) was named by early residents for its blue landscape created by chicory, a blue daisy-like flower.

first appeared: 5/6/2001

The Fairfax Stone, in Fairfax Stone State Park near Davis (pop. 775), is a cornerstone for the state. It marked the western boundary of its land in the 1700s and determined the boundary separating West Virginia and Maryland.

first appeared: 4/29/2001

Cass was the site of an enormous mill operation from 1908-22. After the mill closed in the 1960s, the state Department of Natural Resources acquired the properties. Cass is now part of the Cass Scenic Railroad State Park.

first appeared: 4/22/2001

The Graham House, a log home built in 1770 when the nation was still under English rule, is the state’s oldest standing home. The historic home, located in Summers County (pop. 13,500), contains many original furnishings.

first appeared: 4/15/2001

All of West Virginia’s terrain belongs to the Appalachian Mountain range. The maximum elevation in West Virginia is 4,861 feet at Spruce Knob.

first appeared: 4/8/2001

The first recorded settlement west of the Alleghenies was made near Marlinton (pop. 1084) in 1749 by settlers Jacob Marlin and Stephen Sewell.

first appeared: 4/1/2001

Danny Heater of Burnsville (pop. 504) scored a national record-setting 135 points in a high school basketball game on Jan. 26, 1960, when Burnsville defeated Wilden 173-43. Heater’s record stands as the most points scored by a high school, college, or professional player.

first appeared: 3/25/2001

With the recommendation of Gov. Albert B. White and a vote by school children, the Legislature adopted a resolution in 1903 naming the rhododendron the official state flower.

first appeared: 3/18/2001

The Samuel Starks House in Charleston, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, once was the home of Samuel Starks, who, in 1901, was appointed the first African-American state librarian in the United States.

first appeared: 3/11/2001

The Old Stone Presbyterian Church in Lewisburg (pop. 3,598), built in 1796, is the oldest church in continuous use west of the Allegheny Mountains.

first appeared: 3/4/2001

Coal and coal products, worth more than $1.5 billion, top the list of commodities transported on the West Virginia waterway system. The state is the nation’s third-largest coal producer.

first appeared: 2/25/2001

The first memorial building honoring World War I veterans was built in Welch (pop. 2,674) and was dedicated May 30, 1923.

first appeared: 2/18/2001

The Union Historic District in Union (pop. 566) features the boyhood home of Matthew W. Clair Sr. (1865-1943), the first African-American bishop of the Methodist Church.

first appeared: 2/11/2001

Fayette County’s (pop. 48,000) Camp Washington-Carver was dedicated in 1942 as a 4-H camp for African American youth. It now serves as the state’s mountain cultural arts center.

first appeared: 2/4/2001

Sistersville (pop. 1,807), established in 1815, is named for the two sisters—Delilah and Sarah Wells—who owned the land where the town is located.

first appeared: 1/28/2001

The first home in Shinnston (pop. 2,543) was a log house built by Levi Shinn in 1778. The house stands along U.S. Route 19, in the town that grew around it.

first appeared: 1/21/2001

Eight rivers find their source in Pocahontas County (pop. 9,008), giving it the nickname, “Birthplace of Rivers.”

first appeared: 1/14/2001

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