Mingo County, West Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mingo County
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The Coal House museum in Williamson
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Location within the U.S. state of West Virginia
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 West Virginia's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  West Virginia |
| Founded | January 30, 1895 |
| Named for | Mingo people |
| Seat | Williamson |
| Largest city | Williamson |
| Area | |
| • Total | 424 sq mi (1,100 km2) |
| • Land | 423 sq mi (1,100 km2) |
| • Water | 0.9 sq mi (2 km2) 0.2%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 23,568 |
| • Estimate
(2021)
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23,005  |
| • Density | 55.58/sq mi (21.461/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
Mingo County is a county in the state of West Virginia, USA. In 2020, about 23,568 people lived there. Its main town and largest city is Williamson. Mingo County was created in 1895, making it West Virginia's newest county. It was named after the historic Iroquoian Mingo people.
Contents
History of Mingo County
Mingo County was formed in 1895. It was created from parts of Logan County. The idea for a new county came from a court case. A person claimed that the court in Logan County did not have power over his case. This was because his property was actually in Lincoln County.
A land survey showed he was right. The state legislature learned about this. They decided Logan County was too big. It was hard to manage justice quickly. So, they created a new county called Mingo. The county was named to honor the Mingo Native American people.
In the 1920s, coal miners in the county tried to form unions. This led to a big event called the Battle of Blair Mountain. This battle happened in nearby Logan County.
Mingo County is also known for its voting patterns. In 2008, former President Barack Obama received very few votes in the Democratic primary election. In 2012, many Democrats in Mingo County voted for another candidate. This was even though Obama was expected to win.
In 2014, a book called "The Ghosts of Mingo County" was published. It was written by Jeremy T.K. Farley, who grew up in Mingo County. The book shared the county's history. Some people felt it made the county seem too wild. Others thought it told the true story.
Geography of Mingo County
Mingo County covers about 424 square miles. Most of this area, 423 square miles, is land. Only a small part, about 0.9 square miles, is water.
Main Roads
I‑73 (future road)
I‑74 (future road)
U.S. Highway 52
U.S. Highway 119
West Virginia Route 49
West Virginia Route 65
West Virginia Route 80
Neighboring Counties
Mingo County shares borders with several other counties:
- Lincoln County (to the north)
- Logan County (to the northeast)
- Wyoming County (to the east)
- McDowell County (to the southeast)
- Pike County, Kentucky (to the west)
- Martin County, Kentucky (to the west)
- Wayne County (to the northwest)
- Buchanan County, Virginia (to the southeast)
People of Mingo County
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 11,359 | — | |
| 1910 | 19,431 | 71.1% | |
| 1920 | 26,384 | 35.8% | |
| 1930 | 38,319 | 45.2% | |
| 1940 | 40,802 | 6.5% | |
| 1950 | 47,409 | 16.2% | |
| 1960 | 39,742 | −16.2% | |
| 1970 | 32,780 | −17.5% | |
| 1980 | 37,336 | 13.9% | |
| 1990 | 33,739 | −9.6% | |
| 2000 | 28,253 | −16.3% | |
| 2010 | 26,839 | −5.0% | |
| 2020 | 23,568 | −12.2% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 23,005 | −14.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020 |
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2010 Census Information
In 2010, there were 26,839 people living in Mingo County. There were 11,125 households and 7,707 families. The population density was about 63 people per square mile.
Most people in the county were white (97.1%). About 1.8% were black or African American. A small number were Asian (0.2%) or American Indian (0.1%). About 0.9% were from two or more races. People of Hispanic or Latino background made up 0.4% of the population.
Many people had Irish (12.6%), American (11.9%), German (7.0%), or English (6.9%) family backgrounds.
About 30.8% of households had children under 18 living with them. More than half (52.6%) were married couples. The average household had 2.40 people. The average family had 2.91 people. The average age of people in the county was 40.9 years old.
The median income for a household was $32,902. For a family, it was $40,199.
Communities in Mingo County
City
- Williamson (This is the county seat, where the main government offices are.)
Towns
Census-designated places
These are areas that are like towns but are not officially incorporated.
Unincorporated communities
These are smaller communities that are not officially part of a city or town.
Magisterial Districts
These are areas used for local government.
- Beech Ben Mate District
- Kermit Harvey District
- Lee District
- Magnolia District
- Stafford District
- Tug Hardee District
- Williamson District
Historical Magisterial Districts
These districts were used in the past.
- Hardee Magisterial District
- Harvey Magisterial District
- Kermit Magisterial District
- Tug River Magisterial District
Notable People from Mingo County
- Don Blankenship — a former business leader in the coal industry.
- H. Truman Chafin — a former and long-serving state senator in West Virginia.
- Doc Edwards — a former professional baseball player and manager.
- Robert H. "Doc" Foglesong — a high-ranking general in the United States Air Force. He was also president of Mississippi State University.
- James H. "Buck" Harless — a leader in the timber and coal industries.
- Sid Hatfield — the police chief of Matewan. He was involved in the Battle of Matewan.
- Anse Hatfield — the head of the Hatfield family. They were part of the famous Hatfield–McCoy feud.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Mingo para niños
