Lincoln County is a
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
. As of the
2020 census, the population was 20,463.
Its
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
is
Hamlin Hamlin may refer to:
Places
* Hamlin, Iowa, a city
* Hamlin, Kansas, a city
* Hamlin, Kentucky, a town
* Hamlin, Maine, a town
* Hamlin, Michigan, a former community
* Hamlin, New York, a town
** Hamlin (CDP), New York, a census-designated pl ...
.
The county was created in 1867 and named for
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
.
Lincoln County is part of the
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Lincoln County was created by an act of the
West Virginia Legislature
The West Virginia Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of West Virginia. A bicameral legislative body, the legislature is split between the upper Senate and the lower House of Delegates. It was established under Article VI o ...
on February 23, 1867, from parts of
Boone,
Cabell Cabell is both a surname and a given name. The Cabell family has "been prominent in Virginia since the American Revolution." Notable people with the name include:
Surname:
* Charles P. Cabell (1903–1971), United States Air Force, CIA
* Earle Cab ...
,
Kanawha and
Putnam counties. By 1869, the county had returned much of its Putnam County territory and absorbed the northern portion of
Logan County Logan County is the name of ten current counties and one former county in the United States:
* Logan County, Arkansas
* Logan County, Colorado
* Logan County, Idaho (1889–1895)
* Logan County, Illinois
* Logan County, Kansas
* Logan County, K ...
and a portion of
Wayne County. In 1869, Harts Creek Township (later district) was created from this latter region. Lincoln County is one of five counties created by West Virginia since the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
.
Hamlin Hamlin may refer to:
Places
* Hamlin, Iowa, a city
* Hamlin, Kansas, a city
* Hamlin, Kentucky, a town
* Hamlin, Maine, a town
* Hamlin, Michigan, a former community
* Hamlin, New York, a town
** Hamlin (CDP), New York, a census-designated pl ...
, seat of government for the county, was established in 1853.
Jesse, John, David, William, and Moses McComas were the first Anglo settlers in what is now Lincoln County. They cultivated of
corn
Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...
, the first ever grown in the area near present-day
West Hamlin, in 1799. Later that year, they returned to eastern
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
to get their families. Their families were initially left behind because it was not known if there were any hostile
Native Americans in the area, or if the soil would be suitable for cultivation. John Lucas, William Hinch, and John Johnson soon joined the McComases in the county. They built cabins in the county around 1800. About 1804, William Wirt Brumfield settled at the mouth of
Big Ugly Creek
Big Ugly Creek is a major tributary of the Guyandotte River in the Harts Creek District of Lincoln County, West Virginia, United States. The naming of this creek was due to 1) an early settler at the mouth of the creek who was unpleasing to the ...
.
Based on military enlistments, Lincoln County appears to have been evenly divided in its sympathies during the Civil War. The county hosted a handful of small skirmishes, mostly centered on
Mud River.
After the war,
timbering constituted the county's primary industry. The county also became nationally known for its
tobacco
Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
cultivation. In the early twentieth century, the county experienced a
gas
Gas is one of the four fundamental states of matter (the others being solid, liquid, and plasma).
A pure gas may be made up of individual atoms (e.g. a noble gas like neon), elemental molecules made from one type of atom (e.g. oxygen), or ...
boom.
In 1863, West Virginia's counties were divided into
civil township
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States that is subordinate to a county, most often in the northern and midwestern parts of the country. The term town is used in New England, New York, and Wisconsin to ref ...
s, 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. Between its formation in 1867 and 1870, Lincoln County was divided into seven townships: Carroll, Duval, Harts Creek, Jefferson, Sheridan, Union, and Washington. In 1871, Laurel Hill Township was formed from portions of Harts Creek and Sheridan Townships. The following year, the eight townships became magisterial districts. Except for minor adjustments, the eight historic magisterial districts remained largely unchanged until the twenty-first century, when they were consolidated into three new districts: District 1, District 2, and District 3.
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, U.S. Decennial Census, Tables of Minor Civil Divisions in West Virginia, 1870–2010.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.4%) is water.
Major highways
*
U.S. Highway 119
U.S. Route 119 (US 119) is a spur of US 19. It is a north–south route (on a northeast-southwest alignment) that was an original United States highway of 1926. It is Corridor G of the Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS) east of U ...
*
West Virginia Route 3
West Virginia Route 3 is a state highway in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It runs from West Virginia Route 10 in West Hamlin in a general easterly direction via Beckley to West Virginia Route 311 at Sweet Springs, most of the way across t ...
*
West Virginia Route 10
West Virginia Route 10 is a north–south route from Cabell County to Mercer County in the western and southern regions of West Virginia. Mostly a two-lane, winding highway with no shoulders, Route 10 is considered to be one of substandard desi ...
*
West Virginia Route 34
West Virginia Route 34 is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The southern terminus of the route is at West Virginia Route 3 three miles (5 km) east of Hamlin. The northern terminus is at Interstate 77 ...
*
West Virginia Route 37
West Virginia Route 37 is an east–west state highway in western West Virginia. The western terminus of the route is at the Kentucky state line in Fort Gay, where WV 37 becomes Kentucky Route 3 Spur upon crossing the Tug Fork. The eastern te ...
*
West Virginia Route 214
West Virginia Route 214 is a north–south state highway located in the western portion of the U.S. state of West Virginia. Although the route maintains an east–west routing for most of its length, the route is signed as north–sout ...
Adjacent counties
*
Putnam County (north)
*
Kanawha County
Kanawha County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 180,745, making it West Virginia's most populous county. The county seat is Charlest ...
(northeast)
*
Boone County (southeast)
*
Logan County Logan County is the name of ten current counties and one former county in the United States:
* Logan County, Arkansas
* Logan County, Colorado
* Logan County, Idaho (1889–1895)
* Logan County, Illinois
* Logan County, Kansas
* Logan County, K ...
(south)
*
Mingo County
Mingo County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,568. Its county seat and largest city is Williamson. Created in 1895, Mingo is West Virginia's newest county, named for the historic Iroq ...
(southwest)
*
Wayne County (west)
*
Cabell County
Cabell County is located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 94,350, making it West Virginia's fourth most-populous county. Its county seat is Huntington. The county was organized in 1809 and named for ...
(northwest)
Demographics
2000 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 22,108 people, 8,664 households, and 6,532 families living in the county. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 50 people per square mile (20/km
2). There were 9,846 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile (9/km
2). The racial makeup of the county was 99.04%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.06%
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
or
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.17%
Native American, 0.06%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.01%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 0.06% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.61% from two or more races. 0.55% of the population were
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race.
There were 8,664 households, out of which 33.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.40% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 10.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.60% were non-families. 22.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.60% under the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 29.10% from 25 to 44, 24.90% from 45 to 64, and 13.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $22,662, and the median income for a family was $28,297. Males had a median income of $30,810 versus $18,270 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the county was $13,073. About 22.80% of families and 27.90% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 37.60% of those under age 18 and 20.80% of those age 65 or over.
2010 census
As of the
2010 United States census
The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...
, there were 21,720 people, 8,783 households, and 6,268 families living in the county.
The population density was . There were 9,887 housing units at an average density of .
The racial makeup of the county was 99.0% white, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.1% black or African American, 0.1% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.4% of the population.
In terms of ancestry, 27.0% were
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
, 12.8% were
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
, 12.4% were
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
, and 12.4% were
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
.
Of the 8,783 households, 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.6% were non-families, and 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.92. The median age was 41.2 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,868 and the median income for a family was $37,667. Males had a median income of $43,662 versus $23,166 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,439. About 22.8% of families and 26.6% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 37.7% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
As like the rest of West Virginia, Lincoln county was solidly Democratic up until the 2000s. After they took a massive shift towards the GOP, the last Democratic candidate to carry Lincoln County was
Al Gore
Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Gore was the Democratic Part ...
in 2000.
Communities
Towns
*
Hamlin Hamlin may refer to:
Places
* Hamlin, Iowa, a city
* Hamlin, Kansas, a city
* Hamlin, Kentucky, a town
* Hamlin, Maine, a town
* Hamlin, Michigan, a former community
* Hamlin, New York, a town
** Hamlin (CDP), New York, a census-designated pl ...
(county seat)
*
West Hamlin
Magisterial districts
Current
*District 1
*District 2
*District 3
Historic
*Carroll
*Duval
*Harts Creek
*Jefferson
*Laurel Hill
*Sheridan
*Union
*Washington
Census-designated places
*
Alum Creek (part)
*
Harts
Harts may refer to:
* Harts (surname)
* Harts (musician), Melbourne indie musician
* Harts, West Virginia, United States
* Harts Stores, a regional general merchandise chain in the midwestern United States
* Hong Kong Amateur Radio Transmitting S ...
Unincorporated communities
*
Atenville
*
Branchland
*
Eden Park
Eden Park is New Zealand's largest sports stadium, with a capacity of 50,000. Located in central Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, it is three kilometres southwest of the CBD, on the boundary between the suburbs of Mount Eden and King ...
*
Ferrellsburg
*
Fourteen
*
Gill
A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are ...
*Green Shoal
*
Griffithsville
*
Leet
Leet (or "1337"), also known as eleet or leetspeak, is a system of modified spellings used primarily on the Internet. It often uses character replacements in ways that play on the similarity of their glyphs via reflection or other resemblance. ...
*
Midkiff Midkiff may refer to:
Locations
*Midkiff, Texas
*Midkiff, West Virginia
*Midkiff Rock, rock outcrop in Antarctica
Legal case
*''Hawaii Housing Authority v. Midkiff''
People with the surname
*Dale Midkiff (born 1959), American actor
*Dick Midkiff ...
*
Myra
Myra ( grc, Μύρα, ''Mýra'') was a Lycian, then ancient Greek, then Greco-Roman, then Byzantine Greek, then Ottoman town in Lycia, which became the small Turkish town of Kale, renamed Demre in 2005, in the present-day Antalya Province of ...
*
Pleasant View
*
Ranger
A Ranger is typically someone in a military/paramilitary or law enforcement role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called “ranging”. The term most often refers to:
* Park ranger or forest ranger, a person charged with protecting and ...
*Rector
*
Sod
Sod, also known as turf, is the upper layer of soil with the grass growing on it that is often harvested into rolls.
In Australian and British English, sod is more commonly known as ''turf'', and the word "sod" is limited mainly to agricult ...
*
Sweetland
*
Toney
*Warren
*
Wewanta
*
Yawkey
Notable people
*
Dagmar, actress
*
Lloyd G. Jackson, politician
*
Clark Kessinger
Clark Kessinger (July 27, 1896 – June 4, 1975) was an American old-time fiddler. Many of his fiddle tunes made their way to other fiddlers or into the bluegrass music genre.
Biography
Kessinger was born in South Hills, Kanawha County, West Vi ...
, fiddler
*
Clark W. May, politician
*
J. S. Pridemore, oil industrialist
*
Johnny Sias
Johnny Sias (born 1952) is a professional disc golfer from Lavalette, West Virginia. He joined the Professional Disc Golf Association in 1986 and became a professional in 1983.
Professional career
Sias won the 1986 PDGA Professional World Cha ...
, professional disc golfer and
PDGA
The Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to the promotion and sustainable growth of
disc golf. The PDGA is the global governing body of disc golf. The organization promotes the ...
World Champion
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
*
Russ Thomas
John Russell Thomas (July 24, 1924 – March 19, 1991) was an American football tackle who played four seasons with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Lions in the third round of the 1946 NFL Draft. He ...
, professional football player
*
John S. Witcher
John Seashoal Witcher (July 15, 1839 – July 8, 1906) was an American farmer, politician and soldier from Cabell County, West Virginia, Cabell County, West Virginia (then in Virginia), who helped found the new Union state during the America ...
,
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
senior officer
*
Chuck Yeager
Brigadier General Charles Elwood Yeager ( , February 13, 1923December 7, 2020) was a United States Air Force officer, flying ace, and record-setting test pilot who in October 1947 became the first pilot in history confirmed to have exceeded the ...
, aviator
See also
*
Big Ugly Wildlife Management Area
Big Ugly Wildlife Management Area is located on near Logan in Lincoln County, West Virginia. The Big Ugly's steep terrain is covered with mixed hardwoods second growth woodlands. Camping is not allowed at Big Ugly WMA, but is available at nea ...
*
Footnotes
References
External links
Lincoln County Portal
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