Kimball, West Virginia Facts for Kids

Kimball is a small town in West Virginia, located in McDowell County. In 2020, about 145 people lived there. The town was officially started in 1911. It was named after Frederick J. Kimball, who worked for the railroad.

Kimball is famous for having the very first war memorial building built to honor African-American soldiers who fought in World War I. Today, Kimball still has its own local government. The mayor also works as the town's only police officer.

History of Kimball
Geography and Location
Population Changes Over Time
- What the 2020 Census Shows
- What the 2010 Census Showed
Economy and Jobs
Education in Kimball
Arts and Culture
Local News
Famous People from Kimball
Images for kids
See also

History of Kimball

On July 18, 1919, a mining accident happened at the Carswell coal mine in Kimball. Six miners sadly lost their lives. At first, people thought 221 men had died. However, most of them were just trapped by the explosion. A brave rescue team dug through the wreckage. This allowed 215 miners to safely return to the surface.

Geography and Location

Kimball covers a total area of about 0.66 square kilometers (0.25 square miles). All of this area is land. The town is also part of the Norfolk Southern Railway network. This railway was once known as the Norfolk and Western railway.

Population Changes Over Time

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1910	1,630	—
1920	1,428	−12.4%
1930	1,467	2.7%
1940	1,580	7.7%
1950	1,359	−14.0%
1960	1,175	−13.5%
1970	962	−18.1%
1980	871	−9.5%
1990	550	−36.9%
2000	411	−25.3%
2010	194	−52.8%
2020	145	−25.3%
U.S. Decennial Census 2010 2020

What the 2020 Census Shows

The 2020 census counted 145 people living in Kimball. Most residents were Black or African American (53.79%). White residents made up 34.48% of the population. A small number of people identified as Native American or from multiple races.

What the 2010 Census Showed

In 2010, there were 194 people living in Kimball. There were 78 households and 52 families. The town had about 776 people per square mile.

About 33.3% of households had children under 18. Around 32.1% were married couples. The average household had 2.49 people. The average family had 3.08 people. The median age in Kimball was 43 years old.

Economy and Jobs

From 2005 to 2016, a Walmart superstore was the biggest employer in Kimball. Before Walmart, a Kmart store was in the same building. Kmart opened on March 9, 1995. At that time, Kimball was the smallest city in the U.S. to have a Kmart. The store closed in 2003.

Kimball is also home to the Five Loaves and Two Fishes foodbank. This food bank has a special system called a hydropanel. It can make 950 gallons of clean drinking water every month.

Education in Kimball

Kimball Negro High School used to serve African American students. After schools became integrated, it was changed into a junior high school.

Arts and Culture

The Houston Coal Company Store is an interesting building in Kimball. It is a one-story building made of dark red brick. It has a green tile roof and a shaded yard. The windows are arched, and parts of the building stick out, giving it a unique look.

Across the road, the former home of the owner is also built with similar materials. It has a Tudor-style design. Both buildings were designed by an architect from Cincinnati.

Local News

The town used to get news from The Welch News. This newspaper was published three times a week. It came from the nearby county seat, Welch. However, this newspaper is no longer in print.

Famous People from Kimball

Tracy Gravely - a former professional football player in the Canadian Football League.
Jean Battlo - a playwright from West Virginia, who was born and grew up in Kimball.