This is our Missouri trivia quiz, with answers in bold. To attempt the quiz without answers, click here.
In March of 1871, this man was arrested for pocketing the tax money he collected to support the county schools. Two weeks later, he was charged with horse-theft. Nine days after that, he was charged with fraud. In June of 1871, this man dug his way out of Barton County jail and skipped the state. Who was this man
- Billy the Kid
- Wyatt Earp
- Alfie Bolin
- The Missouri Tramp
A Missouri riverboat exploded in 1869, leaving what floating in the water?
- A thousand dollars
- Prized wood carvings by a much-loved Missouri artist
- 16 bales of Missouri hemp
- A suitcase full of Civil War uniforms worn by Confederate soldiers
With a statewide referendum on November 3, 1998 State Statute 578.176 was passed by Missouri’s voters making it illegal to do what?
- Grow tobacco for personal use
- Leave up Christmas decorations beyond January 31
- Throw objects from a moving vehicle
- Wrestle a bear
We've all heard the phrase "It's the best invention since sliced bread." Missouri has a claim to fame in this regard. The Chilicothe Baking Company was the first bakery to sell sliced bread
- In the Midwest
- In the United States
- In the World
- In plastic bags
In 19th-century Missouri, politicians, lawyers, newspaper editors and other prominent men of the day used to go to an island on the Mississippi River to do what?
- Plan political campaigns
- Drink alcoholic beverages
- Fight each other in duels, sometimes to the death
- Play a game widely recognized as a precursor to golf
The first written ballots in the state were required for city elections in 1822, in St. Louis. Before that, how did a voter make his wishes known?
- By carving a mark onto a tree trunk; monitors from neighboring towns served as witnesses.
- By stepping before poll watchers to loudly announce his vote.
- By raising his hand in favor of one candidate or another during a town hall meeting.
- By depositing a wooden token in a box corresponding to the desired candidate
Big beards may be a current trend, but today's lumbersexuals have got nothing on Valentine Taplry. The owner of Missouri's biggest beard grew his facial hair longer than 12 ½ feet. Why did he do it?
- A citywide contest hosted by a saloon.
- To make good on an election bet; he was that sure Abraham Lincoln would never be elected president.
- To stay warm during the brutal winter of 1884, when temperatures across the eastern part of the state dropped to 25 degrees below zero and stayed there.
- To impress the ladies; prolific beards were considered a sign of virility.
Elm Farm Ollie was the first ________ to do what?
- The first cow to fly in an airplane.
- The first Missouri journalist to be embedded with the army; Ollie grew up on an Elm farm.
- The first musician to perform on a Missouri riverboat.
- The first lumberjack to go door-to-door selling firewood.
Timothy “Ted” Sullivan was born in Ireland. He attended St. Louis University and then managed the professional baseball team known as the St. Louis Maroons in 1884. The team finished the 1884 season with a 94-19 record. He went on to manage the Kansas City Cowboys, where he started the nation’s first “farm system” for developing players. Which of the following baseball terms did he invent based on his experience in Missouri?
- Dugout
- Stealing home
- Concession stand
- Fans
Mizzou played its first basketball game against the Kansas team on March 11 of what year? (Mizzou won 34-32.)
- 1887
- 1907
- 1917
- 1927
On January 26, 1924 the National Football League franchised the first professional football team in Kansas City. What was unusual about the Kansas City Blues’ schedule in 1924?
- The games were all played at night.
- The whole season took place in October.
- The Blues had no home games.
- The only "printed" schedules were embroidered onto handkerchiefs due to a paper shortage.
On August 3, 1854 Congress created a Pony Express to carry the mail westward from what Missouri City?
- St. Joseph
- Independence
- Springfield
- Neosho
