Wetzel County, West Virginia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wetzel County
U.S. county
Wetzel County Courthouse
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of West Virginia
West Virginia's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
Founded	January 10, 1846
Named for	Lewis Wetzel
Seat	New Martinsville
Largest city	New Martinsville
Area
• Total	361 sq mi (930 km2)
• Land	358 sq mi (930 km2)
• Water	3.3 sq mi (9 km2)  0.9%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	14,442
• Estimate  (2021)	14,170
• Density	40.01/sq mi (15.446/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	1st

Wetzel County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,442. Its county seat is New Martinsville. The county, founded in 1846, is named for Lewis Wetzel, a famous frontiersman and Indian fighter. Its northern border aligns with the Mason-Dixon line, but is to the west of the line's western terminus.

History

Wetzel County was formed in 1846 from part of Tyler County, Virginia. On June 20, 1863, at the height of the Civil War, Wetzel was one of fifty Virginia counties admitted to the Union as the state of West Virginia.

Later that year, 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. Wetzel County was divided into six districts: Center, Church, Grant, Green, Magnolia, and Proctor. A seventh district, Clay, was formed in the 1880s. New Martinsville, the county seat, was in Magnolia District. Except for minor adjustments, the seven historic magisterial districts remained largely unchanged for a century, until the 1980s, when they were consolidated into three new districts: District 1, District 2, and District 3.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 361 square miles (930 km²), of which 358 square miles (930 km²) is land and 3.3 square miles (8.5 km²) (0.9%) is water.

Major highways

• US 250
• WV 2
• WV 7
• WV 20
• WV 69
• WV 180

Adjacent counties

• Marshall County (north)
• Greene County, Pennsylvania (northeast)
• Monongalia County (east)
• Marion County (east)
• Harrison County (southeast)
• Doddridge County (south)
• Tyler County (southwest)
• Monroe County, Ohio (west)

National protected area

• Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 14,442 people and 5,603 households residing in the county. There were 7,254 housing units in Wetzel. The racial makeup of the county was 95.2% White, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.3% from other races, and 3.7% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1% of the population.

Of the 9,912 households, 47.2% were married couples living together, 27.2% had a female householder with no spouse present, 19.4% had a male householder with no spouse present. The average household and family size was 3.25. The median age in the county was 46.4 years with 20.4% of the population under 18. The median income for a household was $47,611 and the poverty rate was 18.8%.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 16,583 people, 6,968 households, and 4,768 families living in the county. The population density was 46.3 inhabitants per square mile (17.9/km²). There were 8,173 housing units at an average density of 22.8 units per square mile (8.8 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.7% white, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.1% black or African American, 0.2% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 27.5% were German, 16.0% were Irish, 12.8% were American, and 12.4% were English.

Of the 6,968 households, 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.4% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.6% were non-families, and 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.83. The median age was 44.8 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,636 and the median income for a family was $48,523. Males had a median income of $45,833 versus $25,033 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,899. About 13.1% of families and 17.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.5% of those under age 18 and 13.7% of those age 65 or over.

Local lore

In the mid-to-late 19th century a band similar to the James Gang of legend existed that was known as the Jennings Gang. A number of robberies and murders were accounted to this gang. They were known to be located near the head of Doolin Run near Tarpan Ridge. The home they occupied was found to have an escape tunnel that had been used to escape capture on several occasions. A local group of citizens known as the "Redmen" ultimately cornered the gang at this home and a number of the members were killed. A detailed description exists in the Wetzel County History written approximately in 1900.

The oldest oil well location known is of one drilled on Long Run near Doolin Run which reached oil at a depth about 360 ft.

Wetzel County has a long history in the Oil and Gas producing industry. During the Oil boom of the 19th century it is reported that the Proctor Creek watershed had 12 saloons and numerous livery/hotels to accommodate the hundreds of logging and oil field workers.

Communities

Cities

• New Martinsville (county seat)
• Paden City (part)

Towns

• Hundred
• Pine Grove
• Smithfield

Magisterial districts

Current

• District 1
• District 2
• District 3

Historic

• Center
• Church
• Clay
• Grant
• Green
• Magnolia
• Proctor

Census-designated places

• Jacksonburg
• Littleton
• Reader

Unincorporated communities

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Wetzel para niños