West Virginia's industries and resources, then and now
Grade 8 Social Studies Worksheet - Building Confidence
Circle the best answer.
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Industries then, 1808 to 1950
Map 1, "Early industries" (1808 to 1900): Salt: in 1808 the Ruffner brothers built the first salt furnaces at Kanawha Salines, which became the largest salt-making area in the United States until the 1830s. Glass: Wellsburg had the first glass plant in present West Virginia, in 1813. Lumber: the first band sawmill opened in 1875, and more followed the railroads. Coal: 490,000 tons were mined in 1867 and 4.9 million tons in 1887. Map 2, "Boom years" (1900 to 1950): Lumber: 1909 was the peak year, with 83 band mills and 1,441 other lumber mills. Coal: 89.4 million tons and nearly 90,000 mine workers in 1917, and 127,000 coal miners in 1950. Chemicals: the modern chemical industry began in the Kanawha Valley in the 1920s and peaked shortly after World War II. Key: a kettle is salt; a bottle is glass; a saw is lumber; a coal car is coal; a flask is chemicals. Below the maps: The state's modern economy grew from railroads, mining and industry after the Civil War.
Where was the first glass plant, by map 1, Esme asks?
- Kanawha Salines, in 1808
- Wellsburg, in 1875
- Charleston, in 1909
- Wellsburg, in 1813
When was the peak year of lumber production, Jun asks?
- 1909
- 1917
- 1875
- 1950
How many times as much coal was mined in 1887 as in 1867, Kira asks?
- 2 times as much
- 4.4 times as much
- 100 times as much
- 10 times as much
How many years passed from the first salt furnaces to the first glass plant, Luz asks?
- 3,621 years
- 5 years
- 15 years
- 67 years
How many coal miners were there in 1950, by map 2, Milo asks?
- 89,400
- 90,000
- 127,000
- 12,700
Why did band sawmills spread, by map 1, Noah asks?
- Railroads reached more of the state
- Salt furnaces needed more wooden boards
- Coal mining had ended
- Glass plants closed down
On the key, what does a flask stand for, Pia asks?
- Chemicals
- Coal
- Salt from the furnaces
- Glass
When did the modern chemical industry begin, by map 2, Ren asks?
- In 1875
- In the 1920s
- In 1808
- After the year 1950
Which claim fits both maps, Tala asks?
- Several industries grew from the state's resources
- Coal mining shrank between the years 1867 and 1917
- Industry began after 1950
- Salt was the state's one industry
What does 'peak year' mean on map 2, Zee asks?
- The year a mill closed
- The year with the most production
- The first year of production
- The year with the least production
