Ritchie 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 sove ...
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 8,444.
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
Harrisville.
The county was created in 1843 by the
Virginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, the first elected legislative assembly in the New World, and was established on July 30, 161 ...
and named for
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, ...
newspaper publisher
Thomas Ritchie.
History
Ritchie 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 policies ...
. Later that year, the new state'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. Ritchie County was divided into four districts: Clay, Grant, Murphy, and Union.
In 1911, historian
Minnie Kendall Lowther published "The History of Ritchie County." Her book is still regarded as one of the most comprehensive histories of any
county in West Virginia.
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. Route 50
U.S. Route 50 or U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching from Interstate 80 (I-80) in West Sacramento, California, to Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) in Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlanti ...
*
West Virginia Route 16
West Virginia Route 16 (WV 16) is a north–south route located in the U.S. State of West Virginia. The southern terminus of the route is at the Virginia state line in Bishop, McDowell County, where the route continues south as Virginia St ...
*
West Virginia Route 31
*
West Virginia Route 47
West Virginia Route 47 is an east–west state highway in northern West Virginia. The western terminus of the route is at WV 618 (former US 50) in Parkersburg. The eastern terminus is at U.S. Route 33 and U.S. Route 119 in Linn.
__TOC__ ...
*
West Virginia Route 74
West Virginia Route 74 is a north–south state highway in northwest West Virginia, United States. The southern terminus of the route is at West Virginia Route 47 in Coxs Mills. The northern terminus is at West Virginia Route 18
West Virgi ...
Adjacent counties
*
Pleasants County (north)
*
Tyler County (northeast)
*
Doddridge County
Doddridge County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,808. Its county seat is West Union.
Doddridge County is part of the Clarksburg, West Virginia, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area.
...
(east)
*
Gilmer County (southeast)
*
Calhoun County Calhoun County is the name of several counties in the United States of America named after U.S. Vice President John C. Calhoun:
* Calhoun County, Alabama
* Calhoun County, Arkansas
* Calhoun County, Florida
* Calhoun County, Georgia
* Calhoun Cou ...
(south)
*
Wirt County
Wirt County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,194, making it the least populous county in West Virginia. Its county seat is Elizabeth. The county was created in 1848 by the Virginia Gene ...
(west)
*
Wood County (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 10,343 people, 4,184 households, and 2,999 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 23 people per square mile (9/km
2). There were 5,513 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile (5/km
2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.68%
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 ...
, 0.14%
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 ...
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 ...
, 0.27%
Native American, 0.13%
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 ...
, 0.11% 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 0.69% from two or more races. 0.47% 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 4,184 households, out of which 30.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.20% were
married couples living together, 9.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.30% were non-families. 25.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.00% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 26.10% from 45 to 64, and 15.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 96.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $27,332, and the median income for a family was $34,809. Males had a median income of $28,147 versus $18,149 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 $15,175. About 14.30% of families and 19.10% 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 23.60% of those under age 18 and 14.10% 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 10,449 people, 4,367 households, and 2,960 families living in the county.
The population density was . There were 5,843 housing units at an average density of .
The racial makeup of the county was 98.7% white, 0.2% black or African American, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.2% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.5% of the population.
In terms of ancestry, 20.3% 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
**Ge ...
, 14.6% 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 ...
, 13.2% 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 ...
, and 11.3% 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 ...
.
Of the 4,367 households, 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.2% were non-families, and 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.85. The median age was 44.3 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,619 and the median income for a family was $39,919. Males had a median income of $31,807 versus $23,966 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,255. About 13.9% of families and 18.9% 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 21.6% of those under age 18 and 15.2% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
After having leaned strongly towards the Democratic Party between the New Deal and
Bill Clinton's presidency, most of West Virginia has since 2000 seen an extremely rapid swing towards the Republican Party due to declining unionization along with views on environmental, social and cultural issues increasingly at odds with the national Democratic party. In contrast, Ritchie County along with neighbouring
Doddridge County
Doddridge County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,808. Its county seat is West Union.
Doddridge County is part of the Clarksburg, West Virginia, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area.
...
and
Tyler County were historically powerfully Unionist and have always been solidly Republican since the Civil War. Only one Democratic presidential nominee has carried Ritchie County since West Virginia's statehood:
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...
in 1912, and he won by a mere six votes with only 34.22 percent of all votes against a Republican Party mortally divided between conservative incumbent
Taft and progressive
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
.
Notable sights
* Historic
Berdine's Five and Dime
Berdine's Five and Dime is a 115-year-old store located at 106 N. Court Street in Harrisville, West Virginia. The "five and dime" store in Ritchie County sells novelty and historic items, including tin toys, handmade glass Christmas ornaments from ...
*
North Bend State Park
North Bend State Park sits on along the North Fork of the Hughes River in Ritchie County near Harrisville, West Virginia. The park is named after the sharp bend in the river that the formed three sides of the original park boundary. The North ...
*
North Bend Rail Trail
The North Bend Rail Trail is a rail trail in north-central and western West Virginia in the United States. It is operated by West Virginia State Parks and is part of the American Discovery Trail.
Running parallel to U.S. Route 50, the rail ...
* The Double Scoop Ice Cream Parlor Cairo, WV
*Pine Hill Pottery
*Sunny Hollow Farms
*Old Stone House Museum
Communities
City
*
Pennsboro
Towns
*
Auburn
*
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
*
Ellenboro
*
Harrisville (county seat)
*
Pullman
Magisterial districts
*Clay
*Grant
*Murphy
*Union
Unincorporated communities
*
Berea
*
Brohard
*
Burnt House
The Burnt House Museum (aka Katros House) is a museum presenting an excavated house from the Second Temple period situated below current street level in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem.
History
The Burnt House is believed ...
*
Fonzo
*
Macfarlan
*
Petroleum
Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...
*
Smithville
26362 263 country code they live 26362 John Stockton's birthday
Notes
References
{{authority control
1843 establishments in Virginia
Populated places established in 1843
Northwestern Turnpike
Counties of Appalachia