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Wytheville is a town in, and the county seat of, Wythe County, in southwestern Virginia, United States. It is named after George Wythe, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, and mentor to Thomas Jefferson. Wytheville's population was 8,211 at the 2010 census. Interstate Highways 77 and 81 were constructed to intersect at the town, long a crossroads for travelers. During the American Civil War, Wytheville had a strategic importance. It was attacked in 1863 (
Toland's Raid The Wytheville Raid or Toland's Raid (July 18, 1863) was an attack by an undersized Union (American Civil War), Union brigade on a Confederacy (American Civil War), Confederate town during the American Civil War. Union Colonel John Toland led a ...
) and 1865 (
Stoneman's 1865 Raid Stoneman's raid in 1865, also called Stoneman's last raid, was a military campaign in the Upper South during the American Civil War, by Union cavalry troops led by General George Stoneman, in the region of eastern Tennessee, western North Carolin ...
). The town is the birthplace of Edith Bolling Wilson, second wife of President Woodrow Wilson.


History

Wythe County was created in 1789 and named for George Wythe, the "father of American Jurisprudence" and signer of the Declaration of Independence. In May 1790, Chris Simmerman donated 90 acres, along with John Davis's 10 acres, to establish a town and county seat. Robert Adams completed a town survey in November of that year, dividing the area into half-acre lots. The town did not have an official name yet, but was generally known as Wythe Court House. Two years later, in October 1792, the town was officially named Evansham, for prominent local citizen Jesse Evans. After a disastrous fire in March 1839, the town was renamed Wytheville. At that time, it was home to about 500 residents.


Lynching of Raymond Bird

In 1926 the last documented
lynching Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, punish a convicted transgressor, or intimidate people. It can also be an ex ...
in Virginia took place here, when Raymond Bird, an African-American man, was murdered by a large group of masked and costumed men while under arrest in the local jail. Bird was accused of raping or assaulting the three white daughters of Grover Grubb, his employer. The two older sisters, both of which bore Bird's children, were of age and revealed that the relationship was consensual and thus did not constitute a crime. However, he was eventually arrested on the accusation that he assaulted the minor daughter. Bird was shot and killed by the mob in his jail cell, dragged a few miles behind a truck, then put his body in the boot of a car, and then his dead body hanged from a tree on Charley Brown's land hear St. Paul Lutheran Church.J. Douglas Smith, ''Managing White Supremacy: Race, Politics, and Citizenship in Jim Crow Virginia''
University of North Carolina Press, 2002
The event provoked outrage and national coverage by newspapers. Bird's death was a catalyst for Virginia's passing an anti-lynching law in 1928, largely because of a campaign led by
Louis I. Jaffé Louis Isaac Jaffe (February 22, 1888 – March 12, 1950) was an Lithuanian-American Pulitzer prize-winning journalist and former director of the American Red Cross News Service, in Paris, for the European bureau. He served for over three decade ...
, editor of the '' Norfolk Virginian-Pilot''. It was supported by Governor Harry Flood Byrd Sr., who linked the bill to his efforts to attract new businesses to the state.Sterling Giles, "Shameful chapter in Virginia history: Lynchings"
''News-Leader'', May 16, 2016; Accessed March 15, 2018


Polio epidemic

A few cases of polio during the summer of 1950 swelled into an epidemic of hundreds. It was known to cause infantile and even adult paralysis. Of the 5,513 inhabitants of the town, 184 people contracted the disease, resulting in 17 fatalities. From the beginning of June until the end of August, parents kept children inside, and large gatherings were cancelled to diminish the chance of infection. As the epidemic progressed, ambulances drove victims approximately to Memorial Crippled Children's Hospital in Roanoke, Virginia. Hearses from local funeral homes were used when ambulances were unavailable. African-American patients with polio were repeatedly denied admission to Roanoke's hospital and were forced to drive approximately to St. Philip's Hospital in
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, ...
, the closest hospital to serve blacks. The Town Council erected billboards at all five entrances to the county, warning potential visitors of the epidemic and urging tourists to return the following year. By the end of the summer, all five billboards were stolen or demolished. Though the Town Council offered a reward for information, no one came forward.


Historic sites

The Crockett's Cove Presbyterian Church, Haller-Gibboney Rock House, Loretto, St. John's Episcopal Church,
St. John's Lutheran Church and Cemetery St. John's Lutheran Church and Cemetery is a historic Evangelical Lutheran church and cemetery and national historic district near Wytheville Wytheville is a town in, and the county seat of, Wythe County, in southwestern Virginia, United Sta ...
,
Wythe County Poorhouse Farm Wythe County Poorhouse Farm is a historic poor farm complex located at Wytheville, Wythe County, Virginia. The poor farm was established in 1858, and remained in operation until 1957. It was the second poor farm in Wythe County; the first was in ...
, and
Wytheville Historic District Wytheville Historic District is a national historic district located at Wytheville, Wythe County, Virginia. The district encompasses 245 contributing buildings in the historic core of the town of Wytheville. They are primarily residential and co ...
are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.


Geography

Wytheville is located at (36.947679, −81.086955). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which (0.14%) is water. Wytheville is an important point on both
I-77 Interstate 77 (I-77) is a north–south Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. It traverses diverse terrain, from the mountainous state of West Virginia to the rolling farmlands of North Carolina and Ohio. It largely supplants the ...
and I-81 and lies amidst a wrong-way concurrency of I-77 and I-81. It is located about halfway between Bristol, Tennessee/ Virginia and Roanoke. On the I-77 corridor, it is located about halfway between
Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...
, West Virginia and Charlotte, North Carolina. The nearby community of
Fort Chiswell Chiswell , sometimes , is a small village at the southern end of Chesil Beach, in Underhill, on the Isle of Portland in Dorset. It is the oldest settlement on the island, having formerly been known as Chesilton. The small bay at Chiswell is ca ...
is the control city for the northbound traffic on I-77 coming from Charlotte, Statesville, Elkin, and
Mount Airy, North Carolina Mount Airy is a city in Surry County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 10,611. History Mount Airy was settled in the 1750s as a stagecoach stop on the road between Winston-Salem, North Carolina an ...
. In the near future, Interstate 74 will go through Wytheville in addition to the two other interstates. Due to the confluence of I-77, I-81 and several U.S. Highways, and its location in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Wytheville is known as "The Hub of Southwest Virginia" and "The Crossroads of the Blue Ridge".


Climate

Due to its elevation, the climate of Wytheville is either classified as mountain temperate or humid subtropical ( Köppen ''Cfb'' or ''Cfa'', respectively), and the town straddles the border between
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most wide ...
s 6B and 7A. Summers are warm and humid, although significantly cooler than low-elevation places within the state, with only 4.6 days of + highs annually, and winters are generally cool to cold with occasional intervening warm periods and 11 nights of sub- lows. Monthly mean temperatures range from in January to in July. Snowfall averages per season and generally occurs from December to March.


Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 7,804 people, 3,504 households, and 2,112 families residing in the town. The population density was 546.8 people per square mile (211.2/km2). There were 3,776 housing units at an average density of 264.6 per square mile (102.2/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 90.76% White, 7.19% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.82% of the population. There were 3,504 households, out of which 22.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% 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, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 36.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.72. In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.3% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 22.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 78.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $28,043, and the median income for a family was $41,513. Males had a median income of $28,160 versus $21,282 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,223. About 10.0% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.5% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.


Media

WYVE 1280 on the AM dial signed-on in 1949. In August 2018, WYVE acquired FM Translator dial position 99.9FM. Three Rivers Media Corp. owns WYVE and its sister stations, WXBX and WLOY with towers in Wythe County and studio space adjacent to Downtown Wytheville.


Places of interest

* The Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace * Big Walker Lookout Tower, a 100-foot observation tower located 12 miles to the north of Wytheville *The town is home to a Chautauqua Festival, held the third weekend in June every year since 1985. The Festival features live concerts, stage magic, arts and crafts,
hot air ballooning Hot air ballooning is the activity of flying hot air balloons. Attractive aspects of ballooning include the exceptional quiet (except when the propane burners are firing), the lack of a feeling of movement, and the bird's-eye view. Since the b ...
, dance, children's activities and diverse carnival-style food. The presence of the hot air balloons for the yearly festival inspired the balloon-themed painting of the town's water tower, visible to I-81 travellers near the I-77 interchange. The Festival is held at Elizabeth Brown Memorial Park and is cosponsored by the county, town and the Wythe Arts Council.


Notable people

*
David French Boyd David French Boyd (October 5, 1834 – May 27, 1899) was an American teacher and educational administrator. He served as the first head of Louisiana State University (LSU), where he was a professor of mathematics and moral philosophy. He wa ...
, president of Louisiana State University, 1877–1880; 1884–1886, born in Wytheville in 1834 * Thomas Duckett Boyd, president of LSU from 1886 (interim) and 1896 to 1926, born in Wytheville in 1854, brother of David French Boyd * William Gibson, writer, spent much of his childhood there *
William Nauns Ricks William Nauns Ricks (September 6, 1876September 14, 1948) was an American poet who lived and worked primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area. He published hundreds of poems, mainly in the popular press, and one collection. Born in Virginia, Ric ...
, poet *
E. Lee Trinkle Elbert Lee Trinkle (March 12, 1876 – November 25, 1939) was an American politician who served as the 49th Governor of Virginia from 1922 to 1926. Biography On March 12, 1876, Trinkle was born in Wytheville, Wythe County, Virginia, as the youn ...
, Governor of Virginia * James Walker, Lt. Governor of Virginia; Confederate General * Edith Bolling Wilson, second wife of President Woodrow Wilson *
Robert E. Withers Robert Enoch Withers (September 18, 1821September 21, 1907) was an American physician, officer (armed forces), military officer, newspaperman, politician diplomat, and Freemason. He served as Lieutenant Governor of Virginia and represented Virgin ...
, former U.S. Senator, Lt. Governor of Virginia, first American Ambassador to China


References


Further reading

*


External links


Visit Wytheville
(Visitor's guide, history, and other resources) {{Authority control 21st-century Chautauquas Towns in Wythe County, Virginia Towns in Virginia County seats in Virginia U.S. Route 11 Southwest Virginia