Monroe County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers 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 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 ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,376. 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 ...

is Union. Monroe County was the home of Andrew Summers Rowan of

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (cl ...

fame, who is immortalized in Elbert Hubbard's classic ''A Message to Garcia''. The county was also the site of the 1928 discovery of the 34.48 carat (6.896 g) Jones Diamond by Grover C. Jones and William "Punch" Jones. Monroe County celebrates its own holiday, Farmers' Day.

History

Monroe County was created from Greenbrier County on January 14, 1799, and was named for

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...

civic figure

James Monroe James Monroe ( ; April 28, 1758July 4, 1831) was an American statesman, lawyer, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, Monroe wa ...

, who would be elected fifth

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...

in November 1816. It was one of fifty Virginia counties that were admitted to the Union as the state of West Virginia on June 20, 1863, at the height of 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 polic ...

. Monroe County did not participate in the creation of the new state, but was included by Congressional decree. Almost all the men from Monroe who served in the Civil War enlisted in the Confederate army. 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 ...

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. Monroe County was initially divided into seven townships: Forest Hill, Red Sulphur, Second Creek, Springfield, Sweet Springs, Union, and Wolf Creek. In 1871, part of Forest Hill Township was added to the new county of

Summers Summer is the hottest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, the earliest sunrise and latest sunset occurs, daylight hours are longest and dark hours are shortest, wi ...

, and the remaining territory distributed between Red Sulphur and Springfield Townships. The following year, the six remaining townships became magisterial districts. Except for minor adjustments, the six historic magisterial districts were unchanged until the 1990s, when they were consolidated into three new districts: Central, Eastern, and Western.

Geography

Monroe County lies on the southeast side of West Virginia. Its southeast border abuts the northwest border of the state of

. The New River flows northward for a short distance along the county's southwest border. The county's terrain is mountainous and tree-covered, with all sufficiently level surfaces devoted to agriculture.''Monroe County WV'' Google Maps (accessed April 12, 2019)
/ref> The terrain slopes to the north and west, with its highest part the middle part of its border with Virginia, at 3,862' (1177m) ASL. The county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.2%) is water.

Major highways

U.S. Highway 219 U.S. Route 219 (US 219) is a spur of US 19. It runs for from West Seneca, New York, at an interchange with Interstate 90 (I-90) to Rich Creek, Virginia, intersecting at US 460. US 219 is found (from north to south) in New York, Pennsylvania, Ma ...

* West Virginia Route 3 * West Virginia Route 12 *

West Virginia Route 122 West Virginia Route 122 is an east–west state highway located in southern West Virginia. The western terminus of the route is at West Virginia Route 12 West Virginia Route 12 (WV 12) is a north–south route located in the southern po ...

* West Virginia Route 311

Adjacent counties

* Greenbrier County (north) *

Alleghany County, Virginia Alleghany County is an American county located on the far western edge of Commonwealth of Virginia. It is bordered by the Allegheny Mountains, from which the county derives its name, and it is the northernmost part of the Roanoke Region. The c ...

(northeast) * Craig County, Virginia (east) * Giles County, Virginia (south) * Summers County (west)

Watersheds

Tributaries of the James River, part of the

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the ...

Potts Creek Potts Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 24, 2011 tributary of the Jackson River in western Virginia. Via the Jackson River, it is part of the James River ...

Tributaries of the New River * Greenbrier River *

Indian Creek Indian Creek may refer to the following: Communities * Indian Creek, Orange Walk District, Belize, a village in Belize * Indian Creek, Toledo, a village in Belize * Indian Creek, Florida, U.S. * Indian Creek, Illinois, U.S. * Indian Creek No. 7 Pr ...

Tributaries of the Greenbrier River * Second Creek * Sinks Grove

National Natural Landmark

* Greenville Saltpeter Cave

National protected areas

* George Washington National Forest * Jefferson National Forest In 2018 a natural gas pipeline project entered the Jefferson National Forest.

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 in ...

of 2000, there were 14,583 people, 5,447 households, and 3,883 families in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was 30.8/sqmi (11.9/km²). There were 7,267 housing units at an average density of 15.4/sqmi (5.93/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.67%

White White is the lightness, 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 diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 5.98%

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 ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.23% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Ocea ...

, 0.03% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races. 0.49% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. There were 5,447 households, out of which 29.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.80% 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, 7.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.70% were non-families. 25.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.88. The county population contained 20.10% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 30.30% from 25 to 44, 26.10% from 45 to 64, and 15.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 79.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.80 males. The median income for a household in the county was $27,575, and the median income for a family was $35,299. Males had a median income of $25,643 versus $22,104 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 $17,435. About 12.60% of families and 16.20% 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 ...

, including 21.30% of those under age 18 and 12.30% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

of 2010, there were 13,502 people, 5,655 households, and 3,915 families in the county. The population density was 28.5/sqmi (11.0/km²). There were 7,601 housing units at an average density of 16.1/sqmi (6.20/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.5% white, 0.7% black or African American, 0.2% American Indian, 0.1% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.6% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 19.5% were Irish, 16.7% were English, 16.3% were German, 10.4% were American, and 5.7% were Scotch-Irish. Of the 5,655 households, 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.8% were non-families, and 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.85. The median age was 45.0 years. The median income for a household in the county was $39,574 and the median income for a family was $45,106. Males had a median income of $35,709 versus $23,782 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,927. About 10.3% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the

, including 18.1% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Monroe County was strongly pro-Confederate during the Virginia Secession Convention. It voted Democratic consistently up until voting for

William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in t ...

in 1900, but since then has leaned Republican except during Democratic landslides, and like all of West Virginia has become overwhelmingly Republican in the twenty-first century due to declining unionization and differences with the Democratic Party's liberal views on social issues.

Government and infrastructure

FPC Alderson

The

Federal Bureau of Prisons The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Justice that is responsible for the care, custody, and control of incarcerated individuals who have committed federal crimes; that i ...

' Federal Prison Camp, Alderson was the nation's first women's federal prison. It is located in Monroe and

counties, west of Alderson.

Natural Landmarks

One of Monroe County's geological features is Haynes Cave, a former saltpeter mine. Workers in the mine found strange bones in the cave at the end of the 18th Century, and mailed them to

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was previously the nati ...

. Jefferson's study of the animal, the Megalonyx jeffersonii was arguably the birth of American

paleontology Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of fos ...

. It is now the official

state

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

. However, other saltpeter caves are in private ownership, and allow only limited public access due to ecological risks. One such is the Greenville Saltpeter Cave, designated a national natural landmark in 1973, and very important during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It ...

Historic Landmarks

Indian Creek Covered Bridge The Indian Creek Covered Bridge is a historic covered bridge near US 219, about 4 miles away from Salt Sulphur Springs, in Monroe County, West Virginia, United States. It is owned by the Monroe County Historical Society, and was originally built ...

* Rehoboth Church * Laurel Creek Covered Bridge

Education

Monroe County Schools operates public schools: * James Monroe High School * Mountain View Elementary/Middle School * Peterstown Middle School * Peterstown Elementary School

Farmers' Day

Farmers' Day is an annual event, held on the first Saturday in June in Union, to recognize the farming families in the surrounding area. The event, founded by Louie H. Peters, fills the weekend, with a Friday dance, a 3k run, a Saturday pancake breakfast, Sunday activities, and a parade held in the town of Union.

Communities

Towns

* Alderson (part) *

Peterstown Peterstown is a town in Monroe County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 456 at the 2020 census. The town was named after Christian Peters, a pioneer settler. The town is the site of the 1928 discovery of the 34.48 carat (6.896 ...

* Union (county seat)

Magisterial districts

* Central * Eastern * Western

Unincorporated communities

* Ballard * Ballengee * Bozoo * Cashmere *

Cloverdale Cloverdale may refer to: Place names ;Australia *Cloverdale, Western Australia ;Canada *Cloverdale, Edmonton, Alberta, a neighborhood *Cloverdale, Surrey, British Columbia * Cloverdale, New Brunswick * Cloverdale, Nova Scotia *Cloverdale Mall in T ...

* Crimson Springs * Elmhurst * Gap Mills * Gates * Glace * Greenville * Hillsdale * Hollywood * Keenan * Knobs *

Laurel Branch A laurel wreath is a round wreath made of connected branches and leaves of the bay laurel (), an aromatic broadleaf evergreen, or later from spineless butcher's broom (''Ruscus hypoglossum'') or cherry laurel (''Prunus laurocerasus''). It is a s ...

* Lillydale * Lindside * Monitor * Pickaway * Raines Corner * Red Sulphur Springs * Rock Camp * Salt Sulphur Springs * Sarton * Secondcreek *

Sinks Grove Sinks Grove is an unincorporated community in Monroe County, West Virginia, United States. Sinks Grove is located on West Virginia Route 3, north of Union. Sinks Grove has a post office with ZIP code 24976. The "sinks" in Sinks Grove refers ...

* Sweet Springs * Waiteville * Wayside * Wikel * Wolfcreek *

Zenith The zenith (, ) is an imaginary point directly "above" a particular location, on the celestial sphere. "Above" means in the vertical direction ( plumb line) opposite to the gravity direction at that location ( nadir). The zenith is the "high ...

References

External links

* http://www.monroewvhistory.org/ {{Coord, 37.56, -80.54, display=title, format=dms, type:adm2nd_region:US-WV_source:UScensus1990 1799 establishments in Virginia Populated places established in 1799 Counties of Appalachia Former counties of Virginia