Logan 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 ...

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 32,567. 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 Logan. Logan County comprises the Logan, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Charleston– Huntington– Ashland, WV– OH– KY

Combined Statistical Area Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...

History

Logan County was formed in 1824 from parts of Giles, Tazewell,

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 ...

, and Kanawha counties, then part of the state of

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 ...

. It is named for

Chief Logan Logan the Orator (c. 1723–1780) was a Cayuga orator and war leader born of one of the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy. After his 1760s move to the Ohio Country, he became affiliated with the Mingo, a tribe formed from Seneca, Cayuga, ...

, famous Native American chief of the

Mingo The Mingo people are an Iroquoian group of Native Americans, primarily Seneca and Cayuga, who migrated west from New York to the Ohio Country in the mid-18th century, and their descendants. Some Susquehannock survivors also joined them, and ...

tribe. Logan was one of fifty Virginia counties that became part of the new state of West Virginia in 1863, by an

executive order In the United States, an executive order is a directive by the president of the United States that manages operations of the federal government. The legal or constitutional basis for executive orders has multiple sources. Article Two of t ...

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 ...

during 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 ...

, even though Logan Country had voted for secession in the April 4, 1861 convention. Within months of its admission to the Union, 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. Logan County was divided into five districts: Chapmanville, Hardee, Logan, Magnolia, and Triadelphia. A sixth district, Lee, was formed in 1878 from portions of Hardy and Magnolia Districts. In 1895,

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 ...

was formed from Hardee, Lee, and Magnolia Districts, along with portions of Chapmanville and Triadelphia Districts.

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. In the 1960s, Chapmanville District was discontinued, and two new districts, Guyan and Island Creek, formed from its territory, along with portions of Logan and Triadelphia Districts. The county was redistricted again in the 1980s, resulting in nine magisterial districts: Buffalo, Chapmanville, East, Guyan, Island Creek, Logan, Northwest, Triadelphia, and West. However, in the following decade these were consolidated into three districts: Central, Eastern, and Western. In 1921 it was the location of the

Battle of Blair Mountain The Battle of Blair Mountain was the largest labor uprising in United States history and the largest armed uprising since the American Civil War. The conflict occurred in Logan County, West Virginia, Logan County, West Virginia, as part of the Co ...

, one of the largest armed uprisings in U.S. history. More recently, the Buffalo Creek Flood of February 26, 1972, killed 125 people when a coal slurry dam burst under the pressure of heavy rains, releasing over of waste and water in a wave onto the valley below. The communities of Lorado and Lundale were destroyed and 14 other communities heavily damaged, including Saunders, Amherstdale, Crites, and Latrobe.

Geography

According to the

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.4%) is water.

Major highways

* (future) * (future) * U.S. Highway 52 *

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 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 17 West Virginia Route 17 is a north-south state highway located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of West Virginia. The southern terminus of the route is at West Virginia Route 10 in Stollings a short distance east of Logan. The northern t ...

West Virginia Route 44 West Virginia Route 44 is a north–south state highway located within Logan County, West Virginia. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 52 one mile south of Mountain View. The northern terminus is at West Virginia Route 73 i ...

West Virginia Route 73 West Virginia Route 73 is an east–west state highway located in the Logan, West Virginia area. The western terminus of the route is at an interchange with U.S. Route 119 a half-mile north of Verdunville and three miles (5 km) west of Loga ...

* West Virginia Route 80

Adjacent counties

* Lincoln County (north) * Boone County (northeast) * Wyoming County (southeast) *

(southwest)

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 37,710 people, 14,880 households, and 10,936 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 83 people per square mile (32/km²). There were 16,807 housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile (14/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.33%

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 ...

, 2.59%

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 ...

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 ...

, 0.12% Native American, 0.30%

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 ...

, 0.02%

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 0.59% from two or more races. 0.54% 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 ...

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 14,880 households, out of which 30.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.00% were married couples living together, 12.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.50% were non-families. 24.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.95. In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.10% under the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 26.10% from 45 to 64, and 14.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 94.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.00 males. The median income for a household in the county was $24,603, and the median income for a family was $29,072. Males had a median income of $31,515 versus $20,212 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 $14,102. About 20.80% of families and 24.10% 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 34.60% of those under age 18 and 14.40% 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 36,743 people, 14,907 households, and 10,512 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 16,743 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 96.5% white, 2.1% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.1% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 16.6% 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 ...

, 13.3% 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 ...

, 7.8% 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 6.9% 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 ...

. Of the 14,907 households, 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.5% were non-families, and 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age was 42.4 years. The median income for a household in the county was $35,465 and the median income for a family was $43,475. Males had a median income of $39,462 versus $26,571 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,614. About 17.6% of families and 21.8% of the population were below the

, including 32.8% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Logan County, being historically secessionistHinkle, Harlan H.; ''Grayback Mountaineers: The Confederate Face of Western Virginia'', pp. 189–190 and between the New Deal and the 1990s heavily unionized, was once powerfully Democratic. Before the 2008 election, the only Republican to carry the county had been

Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...

in 1928, due to strong anti-Catholicism against

Al Smith Alfred Emanuel Smith (December 30, 1873 – October 4, 1944) was an American politician who served four terms as Governor of New York and was the Democratic Party's candidate for president in 1928. The son of an Irish-American mother and a C ...

in this "Bible Belt" region. Logan was the only county in West Virginia to be carried by George McGovern in his lackluster 1972 campaign, and between 1976 and 2000 no Republican reached 40 percent of the county's vote. Over the past three presidential elections swings to the Republican Party have averaged thirty percentage points and Democratic vote percentages have plummeted to levels historically more typical of unionist, traditionally Republican counties like

Grant Grant or Grants may refer to: Places *Grant County (disambiguation) Australia * Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia United Kingdom * Castle Grant United States * Grant, Alabama * Grant, Inyo County, ...

Communities

Incorporated communities

* Logan (county seat) * Chapmanville *

Man A man is an adult male human. Prior to adulthood, a male human is referred to as a boy (a male child or adolescent). Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromo ...

* Mitchell Heights * West Logan

Magisterial districts

* Central * Eastern * Western

Census-designated places

* Accoville * Amherstdale * Big Creek *

Bruno Bruno may refer to: People and fictional characters *Bruno (name), including lists of people and fictional characters with either the given name or surname * Bruno, Duke of Saxony (died 880) * Bruno the Great (925–965), Archbishop of Cologne, ...

Chauncey Chauncey may refer to: *Chauncey (name), both a given name and a surname. Places in the United States * Chauncey, Georgia * Chauncey, Illinois * Chauncey, Michigan * Chauncey, Ohio * Chauncey, West Virginia * Chauncey Peak, a mountain near Meride ...

Crooked Creek Crooked Creek may refer to: Streams In Australia * Crooked Creek (Clyde River), a tributary of the Clyde River in New South Wales * Crooked Creek (Walsh River), a tributary of the Walsh River in Queensland In the United States * Crooked Cree ...

* Earling * Greenville * Henlawson *

Holden Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian subsidiary company of General Motors. It was an Australian automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter which sold cars under its own marque in Australia. In its last thre ...

* Justice Addition * Kistler *

Mallory Mallory is an Irish surname derived from the Gaelic ''Ó Mallairígh''. Spelling variants include Mallary, Mallery, Malorie, Mallorie, Mallerie and Mallorey. Mallory and Mallerie are also given names derived from the surname. Surname * Arenia ...

* McConnell * Monaville * Mount Gay-Shamrock * Neibert *

Omar ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb ( ar, عمر بن الخطاب, also spelled Omar, ) was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () as the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate o ...

* Peach Creek * Robinette *

Rossmore Rossmore may refer to: * Rossmore, Johannesburg, South Africa * Rossmore, West Virginia, United States Australia *Rossmore, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney * Rossmore, Queensland, a neighbourhood in the Gympie Region United Kingdom *Rossm ...

* Sarah Ann * Stollings * Switzer * Verdunville

Unincorporated communities

* Argyle * Baber * Baisden * Banco * Barnabus * Becco * Beebe * Black Bottom * Blair * Bradshaw, Logan County, West Virginia, Bradshaw * Braeholm, West Virginia, Braeholm * Chambers, West Virginia, Chambers * Christian, West Virginia, Christian * Claypool, Logan County, West Virginia, Claypool * Coal Valley, West Virginia, Coal Valley * Cora, West Virginia, Cora * Craneco, West Virginia, Craneco * Crites, West Virginia, Crites * Crown, Logan County, West Virginia, Crown * Crystal Block, West Virginia, Crystal Block * Dabney, West Virginia, Dabney * Daisy, West Virginia, Daisy * Davin, West Virginia, Davin * Davis, Logan County, West Virginia, Davis * Dehue, West Virginia, Dehue * Diamond, Logan County, West Virginia, Diamond * Dobra, West Virginia, Dobra * Dog Patch, West Virginia, Dog Patch * Don, West Virginia, Don * Emmett, West Virginia, Emmett * Ethel, West Virginia, Ethel * Fanco, West Virginia, Fanco * Five Block, West Virginia, Five Block * Fort Branch, West Virginia, Fort Branch * Freeze Fork, West Virginia, Freeze Fork * Frogtown, West Virginia, Frogtown * Gillman Bottom, West Virginia, Gillman Bottom * Godby Heights, West Virginia, Godby Heights * Guyan Terrace, West Virginia, Guyan Terrace * Halcyon, West Virginia, Halcyon * Hedgeview, West Virginia, Hedgeview * Hensley Heights * Hetzel, West Virginia, Hetzel * Huff Junction, West Virginia, Huff Junction * Hutchinson, West Virginia, Hutchinson * Isom, West Virginia, Isom * Kelly, West Virginia, Kelly * Kitchen, West Virginia, Kitchen * Lake, West Virginia, Lake * Landville, West Virginia, Landville * Latrobe, West Virginia, Latrobe * Lintz Addition, West Virginia, Lintz Addition * Logan Heights, West Virginia, Logan Heights * Lorado, West Virginia, Lorado * Lundale, West Virginia, Lundale * Lyburn, West Virginia, Lyburn * Melville, West Virginia, Melville * Micco, West Virginia, Micco * Mifflin, West Virginia, Mifflin * Mineral City, West Virginia, Mineral City * Monclo, West Virginia, Monclo * Monitor, Logan County, West Virginia, Monitor * Mountain View, Logan County, West Virginia, Mountain View * Oilville, West Virginia, Oilville * Orville, West Virginia, Orville * Pardee, West Virginia, Pardee * Pecks Mill, West Virginia, Pecks Mill * Phico, West Virginia, Phico * Pine Creek, West Virginia, Pine Creek * Ralumco, West Virginia, Ralumco * Red Campbell, West Virginia, Red Campbell * Ridgeview, Logan County, West Virginia, Ridgeview * Rita, West Virginia, Rita * Rum Junction, West Virginia, Rum Junction * Saunders, West Virginia, Saunders * Sharples, West Virginia, Sharples * Shegon, West Virginia, Shegon * Shively, West Virginia, Shively * Slagle, West Virginia, Slagle * Sodom, West Virginia, Sodom * Sovereign, West Virginia, Sovereign * Spruce Valley, West Virginia, Spruce Valley * Stirrat, West Virginia, Stirrat * Stone Branch, West Virginia, Stone Branch * Stowe, West Virginia, Stowe * Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, Sulphur Springs * Sunbeam, West Virginia, Sunbeam * Sunset Court, West Virginia, Sunset Court * Superior Bottom, West Virginia, Superior Bottom * Sycamore, Logan County, West Virginia, Sycamore * Taplin, West Virginia, Taplin * Thompson Town, West Virginia, Thompson Town * Trace Junction, West Virginia, Trace Junction * Troy Town, West Virginia, Troy Town * Upper Whitman, West Virginia, Upper Whitman * Verner, West Virginia, Verner * Walnut Hill, West Virginia, Walnut Hill * Wanda, West Virginia, Wanda * Whirlwind, West Virginia, Whirlwind * Whites Addition, West Virginia, Whites Addition * Whitman, West Virginia, Whitman * Whitman Junction, West Virginia, Whitman Junction * Wilkinson, West Virginia, Wilkinson * Wylo, West Virginia, Wylo * Yolyn, West Virginia, Yolyn

School districts

* Logan County Schools (consolidated, county-wide)

Footnotes

References

External links

* Earl Dotter,
Coalfield Generations: Health, Mining, and the Environment
" ''Southern Spaces'' 16 July 2008. http://southernspaces.org/2008/coalfield-generations-health-mining-and-environment
Logan County Chamber of Commerce

Logan County Schools

The Logan Banner
- daily newspaper.
Blair Community Center and Museum
to visit a museum focused on the largest labor battle in the United States as well as the heritage of local coal-mining communities. {{authority control Logan County, West Virginia, 1824 establishments in Virginia Populated places established in 1824 Counties of Appalachia