Raleigh County, West Virginia

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Raleigh County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 74,591.[1] Its county seat is Beckley.[2] The county was founded in 1850 and is named for Sir Walter Raleigh.[3] Raleigh County is included in the Beckley, West Virginia, Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Raleigh County and the surrounding area have long been home to many indigenous peoples. Early encounters describe the land as being the ancestral home of the Catawba-speaking Moneton people, who referred to the surrounding area as "okahok amai", and were allies of the Monacan people.[4] The Moneton's Catawba speaking neighbors to the south, the Tutelo, (a tribe since absorbed into the Cayuga Nation[5]) may have absorbed surviving Moneton communities, and claim the area as ancestral lands. Conflicts with European settlers resulted in various displaced Indian tribes settling in West Virginia, where they were known at Mingo, meaning "remote affiliates of the Iroquois Confederacy".[6]

Raleigh County was formed on January 23, 1850, from portions of Fayette County, then a part of Virginia. Alfred Beckley (1802–88) said that he named the county for Sir Walter Raleigh (1552–1618), the "enterprising and far-seeing patron of the earliest attempts to colonize our old Mother State of Virginia".[7]

Raleigh was one of fifty Virginia Counties that were admitted to the Union as the state of West Virginia on June 20, 1863. Later that year, the counties were divided into civil townships, with the intention of encouraging local government. This proved impractical in the heavily rural state, and in 1872 the townships were converted into magisterial districts.[8] Raleigh County was initially divided into six townships: Clear Fork, Marsh Fork, Richman, Shady Spring, Town, and Trap Hill. These became magisterial districts in 1872, and the same year a seventh district, Slab Fork, was created from land that had previously belonged to Wyoming County. These remained largely unchanged over the next century, but in the 1970s the seven historic magisterial districts were consolidated into three new districts: District 1, District 2, and District 3.[9]

File:P042510PS-0483 (4609216378).jpg
President Barack Obama stands for prayer on April 25, 2010, at the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center while attending a memorial service for the 29 miners who were killed in the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster

Heavily involved in the coal mining industry, Raleigh County has been the scene of numerous deadly incidents, of which the most severe was the Eccles Mine Disaster in 1914. At least one hundred and eighty miners died in what was the second-worst coal mining disaster in state history. More recently, the 2010 Upper Big Branch Mine disaster, which killed twenty-nine miners, occurred in Raleigh County. Raleigh County miners were also killed by violent suppression of labor organizing, such as in the so-called Battle of Stanaford during the 1902-1903 New River coal strike in which an armed posse led by a US Marshall who shot up miners' houses while they and their families slept, killing at least six. The perpetrators were later acquitted.[10] The lead-up and aftermath were witnessed and widely recounted by Mother Jones,[11] and the massacre is considered a prelude to the West Virginia coal wars.[12]

The town of Sophia in Raleigh County was the home of Senator Robert C. Byrd.

Geography

The New River flows northwestward along the county's east border. The county terrain consists of wooded hills, carved with drainages.[13] The terrain slopes to the north and west; its highest point is near its southmost corner, at Script error: No such module "convert". ASL.[14] The county has a total area of Script error: No such module "convert"., of which Script error: No such module "convert". is land and Script error: No such module "convert". (0.7%) is water.[15]

Major highways

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Adjacent counties

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Protected areas

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Lakes

[13]

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  • Flat Top Lake
  • Glade Creek Reservoir
  • Little Beaver Lake
  • Stephens Lake

Demographics

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Historical population
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195096,273Script error: No such module "String".%
196077,826Script error: No such module "String".%
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199076,819Script error: No such module "String".%
200079,220Script error: No such module "String".%
201078,859Script error: No such module "String".%
202074,591Script error: No such module "String".%
US Decennial Census[16]
1790–1960[17] 1900–1990[18]
1990–2000[19] 2010–2020[1]

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File:Raleigh County, West Virginia Flag.jpg
The Flag Of Raleigh County in Beckley

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 74,591. Of the residents, 20.8% were under the age of 18 and 21.2% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 42.9 years. For every 100 females there were 100.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.5 males.[20][21]

The racial makeup of the county was 85.8% White, 7.8% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% Asian, 0.5% from some other race, and 4.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.6% of the population.[21]

There were 30,326 households in the county, of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 29.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[20]

There were 34,581 housing units, of which 12.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.0% were owner-occupied and 27.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.2%.[20]

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 78,859 people, 31,831 households, and 21,322 families in the county.[22] The population density was Script error: No such module "convert".. There were 35,931 housing units at an average density of Script error: No such module "convert"..[23] The racial makeup of the county was 88.5% white, 8.2% black or African American, 0.9% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.3% of the population.[22] In terms of ancestry, 41.8% were American, 9.1% were English, 8.6% were German, and 8.5% were Irish.[24]

Of the 31,831 households, 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.0% were non-families, and 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age was 41.1 years.[22]

The median income for a household in the county was $38,036 and the median income for a family was $49,837. Males had a median income of $42,405 versus $27,347 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,457. About 14.5% of families and 17.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.1% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.[25]

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 79,220 people, 31,793 households, and 22,096 families in the county. The population density was Script error: No such module "convert".. There were 35,678 housing units at an average density of Script error: No such module "convert".. The racial makeup of the county was 89.63% White, 8.52% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.12% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. 0.92% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 31,793 households, out of which 28.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.30% were married couples living together, 11.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.50% were non-families. 27.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.88.

The county population contained 21.50% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 28.60% from 25 to 44, 25.70% from 45 to 64, and 15.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 96.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,181, and the median income for a family was $35,315. Males had a median income of $33,000 versus $20,672 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,233. About 14.60% of families and 18.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.70% of those under age 18 and 10.50% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Raleigh County voters have tended to vote Republican in recent decades. In 67% of national elections since 1980, the county selected the Republican Party candidate (as of 2024). Template:PresHead Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresFoot

Communities

City

Towns

Magisterial districts

Current

  • District 1
  • District 2
  • District 3

Historic

  • Clear Fork
  • Marsh Fork
  • Richmond
  • Shady Spring
  • Slab Fork
  • Town
  • Trap Hill

Census-designated places

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Unincorporated communities

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See also

References

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  7. ↑ Wood, Jim. Raleigh County: West Virginia, p. 91 (1994). BJW Printing & Office Supplies, Beckley WV
  8. ↑ Otis K. Rice & Stephen W. Brown, West Virginia: A History, 2nd ed., University Press of Kentucky, Lexington (1993), p. 240.
  9. ↑ United States Census Bureau, U.S. Decennial Census, Tables of Minor Civil Divisions in West Virginia, 1870–2010.
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  13. ↑ a b c Raleigh County WV Google Maps (accessed 20 March 2019)
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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External links

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