Gilmer County, West Virginia

Gilmer County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 8,693.[1] Its county seat is Glenville.[2] The county was formed in 1845 from parts of Lewis and Kanawha Counties, and named for Thomas Walker Gilmer, Governor of Virginia from 1840 to 1841.[3][4] Gilmer was later a representative in the United States Congress and Secretary of the Navy in President John Tyler's cabinet.

Gilmer County
U.S. county
The Gilmer County Courthouse in Glenville
Location within the U.S. state of West Virginia
West Virginia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°55′N 80°51′W
Country United States
State West Virginia
FoundedFebruary 3, 1845
Named forThomas Walker Gilmer
SeatGlenville
Largest townGlenville
Area
 • Total340 sq mi (900 km2)
 • Land339 sq mi (880 km2)
 • Water1.6 sq mi (4 km2)  0.5%%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total8,693
 • Estimate 
(2019)
7,823
 • Density26/sq mi (9.9/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district1st
Websitewww.gilmercounty.wv.gov

Cedar Creek State Park offers camping, hunting, fishing and hiking. The West Virginia State Folk Festival is held each June. Glenville State College has a community activity center, a state-of-the-art library, and a complete collection of hand-carved, West Virginia–native birds on public display. The Gilmer County Recreation Center Complex includes a small golf course, a convention / reunion hall, and bunk houses. Gilmer County is home to ten nationally registered historic landmarks, the Cedar Creek Backway, and the annual West Virginia Folk Festival. Media outlets for the community include The Glenville Democrat and The Glenville Pathfinder, the county's two newspapers.

Gilmer County is also the site of Federal Correctional Institution, Gilmer, a federal medium security prison for men and the county's largest employer.

As of 2020, Gilmer County has one permanent traffic light. It is located in the town of Glenville.[5]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 340 square miles (880 km2), of which 339 square miles (880 km2) is land and 1.6 square miles (4.1 km2) (0.5%) is water.[6]

In 1863, West Virginia's 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.[7] Gilmer County was divided into four districts: Centre,[lower-roman 1] De Kalb, Glenville, and Troy. In the 1980s, De Kalb and Troy Districts were combined to form De Kalb-Troy District, and a new district, City, was established.[8]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18503,475—
18603,7598.2%
18704,33815.4%
18807,10863.9%
18909,74637.1%
190011,76220.7%
191011,379−3.3%
192010,668−6.2%
193010,641−0.3%
194012,04613.2%
19509,746−19.1%
19608,050−17.4%
19707,782−3.3%
19808,3347.1%
19907,669−8.0%
20007,160−6.6%
20108,69321.4%
2019 (est.)7,823[9]−10.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]
1790–1960[11] 1900–1990[12]
1990–2000[13] 2010–2019[1]

2000 census

As of the census[14] of 2000, there were 7,160 people, 2,768 households, and 1,862 families living in the county. The population density was 21 people per square mile (8/km2). There were 3,621 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile (4/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.33% White, 0.91% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.10% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races. 0.70% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,768 households, out of which 28.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.40% were married couples living together, 8.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.70% were non-families. 25.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.30% under the age of 18, 16.40% from 18 to 24, 24.50% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 15.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 101.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $22,857, and the median income for a family was $28,685. Males had a median income of $25,497 versus $15,353 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,498. About 20.20% of families and 25.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.70% of those under age 18 and 8.90% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 8,693 people, 2,753 households, and 1,806 families living in the county.[15] The population density was 25.7 inhabitants per square mile (9.9/km2). There were 3,448 housing units at an average density of 10.2 per square mile (3.9/km2).[16] The racial makeup of the county was 82.5% white, 12.3% black or African American, 0.5% American Indian, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 2.4% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.7% of the population.[15] In terms of ancestry, 23.1% were German, 14.9% were Irish, 9.6% were American, and 6.1% were English.[17]

Of the 2,753 households, 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.4% were non-families, and 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.83. The median age was 38.0 years.[15]

The median income for a household in the county was $29,706 and the median income for a family was $38,044. Males had a median income of $30,654 versus $16,834 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,899. About 25.1% of families and 30.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.4% of those under age 18 and 13.1% of those age 65 or over.[18]

Politics

Historically, Gilmer County was the northwesternmost of the fiercely Democratic, secessionist counties of West Virginia. It voted Democratic in every election from 1872 to 1968 – in 1928 when there was large-scale anti-Catholic voting throughout Appalachian West Virginia it was Al Smith’s strongest county in the state.[19] In 1972, against the strongly left-wing George McGovern, Richard Nixon became the first Republican to carry the county in 104 years, and in a similar landslide Ronald Reagan repeated this in 1984. Like all of West Virginia, since 2000 Gilmer County has seen a powerful swing towards the Republican Party due to declining unionization[20] and differences with the Democratic Party’s liberal views.[21]

Presidential elections results
Presidential elections results[22]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2020 75.6% 2,012 22.5% 599 1.9% 51
2016 73.5% 1,896 21.1% 545 5.4% 138
2012 63.2% 1,595 33.3% 840 3.5% 87
2008 57.3% 1,445 39.8% 1,004 2.9% 72
2004 58.4% 1,665 40.6% 1,159 1.0% 28
2000 56.9% 1,560 39.9% 1,092 3.2% 88
1996 35.2% 933 52.5% 1,390 12.3% 326
1992 34.4% 1,085 50.0% 1,576 15.6% 493
1988 45.3% 1,387 54.2% 1,661 0.5% 16
1984 56.6% 1,953 43.3% 1,494 0.1% 5
1980 41.7% 1,452 53.2% 1,854 5.2% 180
1976 37.9% 1,371 62.1% 2,245
1972 60.2% 2,056 39.8% 1,359
1968 43.8% 1,401 49.5% 1,582 6.7% 214
1964 28.3% 1,116 71.7% 2,832
1960 41.1% 1,446 58.9% 2,075
1956 46.8% 1,774 53.2% 2,016
1952 44.2% 1,813 55.8% 2,291
1948 37.6% 1,421 62.4% 2,355
1944 39.7% 1,651 60.3% 2,509
1940 38.7% 2,067 61.3% 3,276
1936 35.1% 1,858 64.9% 3,433
1932 30.1% 1,530 69.1% 3,511 0.7% 37
1928 42.2% 1,705 57.2% 2,313 0.6% 26
1924 36.1% 1,570 63.2% 2,750 0.7% 30
1920 46.6% 1,635 52.8% 1,854 0.6% 21
1916 35.6% 943 64.0% 1,695 0.3% 9
1912 18.8% 469 59.7% 1,493 21.5% 538

Communities

Towns

Magisterial districts
  • Center
  • City
  • De Kalb-Troy
  • Glenville

Unincorporated communities

See also

Footnotes
  1. Spelled "Center" by 1890.

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on May 7, 2013. Retrieved January 29, 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 137.
  5. "The Glenville Democrat (July 5, 2012) Page 1". Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  6. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  7. Otis K. Rice & Stephen W. Brown, West Virginia: A History, 2nd ed., University Press of Kentucky, Lexington (1993), p. 240.
  8. United States Census Bureau, U.S. Decennial Census, Tables of Minor Civil Divisions in West Virginia, 1870–2010.
  9. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  10. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  11. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  12. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  13. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  14. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  15. "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  16. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  17. "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  18. "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  19. Scammon, Richard M. (compiler); America at the Polls: A Handbook of Presidential Election Statistics 1920-1964; pp. 494-498 ISBN 0405077114
  20. Schwartzman, Gabe; ‘How Central Appalachia Went Right’; Daily Yonder, January 13, 2015
  21. Cohn, Nate; ‘Demographic Shift: Southern Whites’ Loyalty to G.O.P. Nearing That of Blacks to Democrats’, New York Times, April 24, 2014
  22. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 27, 2018.

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