Just a bunch of trivia about West Virginia

West Virginia is the most northwestern of the Southern states.

It has possibly the most irregular boundary line of the 50 states.

It took its place as the 35th State on June 20, 1863.

Wheeling was the capitol until 1869 when it was moved to Charleston, which remained capitol until 1875, and then it moved back to Wheeling where it stayed until 1885. It was then moved back to Charleston where it has remained.

It is 24,282.45 square miles, land and water.

It has 55 counties.

Highest point is Spruce Knob, Pendleton County.

State Animal - Black Bear

State Fish - Brook Trout

State Bird - Cardinal

State Tree - Sugar Maple

State Colors - old Gold and Blue

State Flower - Rhododendron

State Fruit - Apple

There are 3 Official State songs - "West Virginia, My Home Sweet Home", "The West Virginia Hills", "This Is My West Virginia" (personally I think it should be "Almost Heaven West Virginia" but they didn't ask my opinion)

Our current Governor Cecil H. Underwood is the oldest to hold office in WV; he also was the youngest Governor when he was Governor during his 1st term (1957 - 1961).

One day of the year there are people who actually parachute and bungie from the New River Bridge pictured above.

(crazy huh?)

Charles (Chuck) Yeager , the first person to break the sound barrier, is from Hamlin.

Kathy Mattea (country singer) is from Cross Lanes.

Don Knotts was born in Morgantown.

Peter Marshall was born in Huntington.

Chris Sarandon was born in Beckley.

Conchata Ferrell was born in Charleston.

Joyce Dewitt was born in Wheeling.

George Brett was born in Glen Dale.

Mary Lou Retton was born in Fairmont.

Somewhat unusual Community names (I promise I didn't make these up they are actual names of town's or city's etc...)

Bim.....Dan.....Don.....Duo.....Eby.....Far.....Cry.....Hix.....Hur.....Man.....Mud.....Odd.....Orr.....Van.....War

Crum.....Cucumber.....Droop.....Left Hand.....Looneyville.....Pickle Street.....Twilight.....Scary Creek

Cyclone.....Hurricane.....Mount Storm.....Skygusty.....Tornado.....Windy

There once was a community called "Mole Hill" which later changed its name to "Mountain"

Milton is the home of the Blenko Glass Factory

Ceredo is home to Pilgrim Glass Corporation

A FEW NOT SO HAPPY EVENT'S THAT TOOK PLACE IN WEST VIRGINIA

The death of the Legendary Country Singer Hank Williams took place in Oak Hill on New Year's Day 1953 as he was being driven to a concert.

The crash of Southern Airways on Nov. 14, 1970 in Kenova, all 75 passengers lost their lives, of these, 37 were Marshall University football players. The head coach and his staff also perished.

Marshall's Old Main Building

The Silver Bridge collapse, December 15, 1967 In Point Pleasant. Dozen's of cars were on the bridge at 5:00 p.m. when it gave way killing 44 people.

The famous Hatfield- McCoy feud In Williamson, West Virginia

There are many versions to this tale, a lot of people think it all started with an argument over a hog. The trouble actually started much earlier with the shooting in 1865 of Harmon McCoy (the McCoy's were pro-union) by a Confederate gang supposedly led by Jim Vance, the uncle of "Devil Anse Hatfield.

The trouble was temporarily quieted by the border warfare of the Civil War. Both clans built families, took care of their farms, and made their Moonshine. Then in 1873 the trouble started again when Floyd Hatfield and Randolph McCoy got into an argument over the ownership of a hog. They held a Country trial with another Hatfield as the judge, and surprise surprise it was ruled that the hog belonged to the Hatfield's. The McCoys vowed "REVENGE" . Over the next 7 of 8 years there were a few shootings. Mostly it was just a powder keg waiting to ignite. Around 1880 Devil Anse's oldest son Johnse met Roseanna, they fell in love and she became pregnant but Devil would not allow his son to marry her. Which only made the bitterness and hostility grow.

Finally in 1882 WAR broke out between the 2 clans. It was on Election Day. Ellison Hatfield was murdered by 3 of the McCoy's, but before they could be brought to justice they were in turn captured by the Hatfield's and murdered. The Hatfield's were not arrested which only made things even worse. Around 1888 the Hatfield's had a plan to get rid of the Head of the McCoy clan, they raided the McCoy farm and not finding the Patriarch they killed 2 more of his children, beat his wife unconscious and burnt his house down. Four of the Hatfield's were given life sentences and one was publicly hanged.

Around the beginning of the century Randolph McCoy and Devil Anse Hatfield, both older and grieved over their losses grew tired of it all and the feud fizzled out. Approximately 65 to 70 lost their lives, and neither side actually won.

I am not stating that the above is EXACTALLY how it all happened, it would take a book to get each little fact in, this is just my condensed version of how I understand it took place.