Paw Paw, West Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paw Paw, West Virginia
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_at_Depot_Street_in_Paw_Paw,_Morgan_County,_West_Virginia.jpg)
WV 9 in Paw Paw
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Location of Paw Paw in Morgan County, West Virginia.
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| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Morgan |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.53 sq mi (1.37 km2) |
| • Land | 0.53 sq mi (1.37 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 571 ft (174 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 508 |
| • Estimate
(2019)
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492 |
| • Density | 928.30/sq mi (358.32/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
25434
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| Area code(s) | 304 |
| FIPS code | 54-62332 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1544641 |
Paw Paw is a town in Morgan County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 508 in the 2010 census. The town is known for the nearby Paw Paw Tunnel. Paw Paw was incorporated by the Circuit Court of Morgan County on April 8, 1891 and named for the pawpaw, a wild fruit which grows in abundance throughout this region. Paw Paw is the westernmost incorporated community in Morgan County and the Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Paw Paw is located along the section of the Potomac River known as the Paw Paw Bends. The Paw Paw Valley is surrounded by the ridges of Sideling Hill, Green Ridge, Purslane Mountain and Town Hill.
The town is the namesake of the Paw Paw Tunnel which was part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. Construction of the tunnel began in 1836 and was completed in 1850, 12 years behind schedule. Today, the tunnel and nearby canal are part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park.
Geography
Paw Paw is located at 39°31′52″N 78°27′25″W / 39.53111°N 78.45694°W (39.531140, -78.456920).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.53 square miles (1.37 km2), all of it land.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 772 | — | |
| 1900 | 693 | −10.2% | |
| 1910 | 725 | 4.6% | |
| 1920 | 698 | −3.7% | |
| 1930 | 781 | 11.9% | |
| 1940 | 990 | 26.8% | |
| 1950 | 820 | −17.2% | |
| 1960 | 789 | −3.8% | |
| 1970 | 706 | −10.5% | |
| 1980 | 644 | −8.8% | |
| 1990 | 538 | −16.5% | |
| 2000 | 524 | −2.6% | |
| 2010 | 508 | −3.1% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 492 | −3.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 508 people, 223 households, and 131 families living in the town. The population density was 958.5 inhabitants per square mile (370.1/km2). There were 262 housing units at an average density of 494.3 per square mile (190.9/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 92.9% White, 2.4% African American, 2.0% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.6% of the population.
There were 223 households, of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.3% were non-families. 37.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.96.
The median age in the town was 38.6 years. 23.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.6% were from 25 to 44; 25% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.0% male and 51.0% female.
History
On George Washington's many trips west, he usually took the Winchester-Cumberland Road which closely parallels today's CR 29/51 through Paw Paw. The Potomac River, which embraces the old town in one of its bends, was navigated as early as 1750. Travelers heading west often crossed the gap in the mountains here, some settling to farm land along the river.
The town is the namesake of the Paw Paw Tunnel, an important part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. The tunnel and the nearby canal is now part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park.
Paul "Oz" Bach, founder and bass player for the popular musical group Spanky and Our Gang, was born in Paw Paw on June 24, 1939.
On February 9, 2000, West Virginia’s Interscholastic High School Boys Basketball career scoring record was broken by Paw Paw’s Josh Delawder who scored 32 points in a 69-55 win against Mount Savage, Md. Former major league baseball player Paul Popovich, who scored 2,660 points at Flemington High from 1955–58, held the mark for 52 years. Delawder finished with 2,965 points at the end of his career.
Events
Paw Paw is home to the West Virginia Open Disc Golf Championship which takes place on two private 18-hole courses called The Woodshed and The Whipping Post.
Transportation
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The C&O Canal and the B&O Railroad both played important roles in the town's growth and prosperity. The Potomac River was dangerous and difficult to navigate, and the charter to build a canal to create a trade route with western settlements in Ohio and beyond was granted on May 17, 1785 to the Potowmack Company whose investors included George Washington. Three decades later, more than $729,000 had been spent on the project, but navigation on the river was still limited to only 45 days a year. The charter was taken over by the newly formed C&O Canal Company in 1828.
Construction on the Paw Paw Tunnel began in 1836 with a workforce composed largely of English, Welsh, German and Irish laborers. Plagued by accidents, disease, worker riots, and financial woes, the tunnel finally opened in 1850. Six million bricks were used in its construction which required cutting through 3,118 feet through stratified shale with hand tools and black powder charges. A strike in 1922, a flood in 1924, and the decline in demand for coal, which was a major source of freight revenue for the canal, after World War I led to its closure in 1925.
The B&O Railroad began construction after the C&O Canal but reached Cumberland, Maryland in 1842, eight years ahead of the canal. Railroad construction started in Paw Paw in 1838, and over the next half century, the town became an important focal point for trade, bringing jobs and prosperity to the region. In 1905, the Western Maryland Railroad was constructed north of Paw, and in 1914, the B&O built a shortline through Paw Paw, with six local stops each day. The B&O removed the main line track from Paw Paw in 1961, bringing regular passenger service in Paw Paw to an end. The Paw Paw railroad depot, which had opened in 1845 was permanently closed in 1961.
In 1928, the first bridge was built over the Potomac River from Paw Paw into Maryland, enabling the completion of a road directly into Cumberland. Previously, a ferry was used to cross the river.
Today, the primary highway into Paw Paw is West Virginia Route 9. WV 9 heads eastward to Berkeley Springs, the county seat, where it connects with U.S. Route 522. WV 9 also continues eastward from Berkeley Springs to Martinsburg. To the west, WV 9 crosses the Potomac River into Allegany County, Maryland, where it becomes Maryland Route 51. MD 51 continues westward to Cumberland, ending at a junction with Interstate 68, U.S. Route 40 and U.S. Route 220.
Notable people
Paul "Oz" Bach, founder and bass player for the popular musical group Spanky and Our Gang, was born in Paw Paw on June 24, 1939.
The Texas swing band Asleep at the Wheel got its start in Paw Paw, according to founder Ray Benson.
See also
In Spanish: Paw Paw (Virginia Occidental) para niños
