Montgomery, West Virginia

Montgomery is a city in West Virginia, along the Kanawha River. Most of the city is in Fayette County, with the remainder in Kanawha County. The population was 1,280 at the 2020 census.

From 1876 to 1890, the town was called Coal Valley Post Office. The name then changed to Montgomery's Landing, then to Coal Valley. In 1890 it was again renamed, as Cannelton. It was incorporated on April 1, 1891, and the name Montgomery was settled upon; it was named for James C. Montgomery, one of the city's first settlers. The land was given to James Montgomery as a wedding present from his father-in-law, Levi Morris, who owned all the land.

The town's late-19th century growth was due to the construction of the Kanawha & Michigan Railroad across the river and the connection of the Virginian Railway at nearby Deepwater. In the early 1910s, Montgomery was the shipping center for 26 different coal operations and was the largest town in Fayette County at the time.

From 1895 until its 2017 move to Beckley, Montgomery was the home of West Virginia University Institute of Technology, popularly called ''WVU Tech''. The city is currently home to BridgeValley Community and Technical College – Montgomery Campus.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,638 people, 645 households, and 302 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 838 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 78.3% White, 17.4% African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.9% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population.

There were 645 households, of which 20.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.0% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 53.2% were non-families. 43.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.97 and the average family size was 2.71.

The median age in the city was 30.1 years. 12.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 31.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.2% were from 25 to 44; 22.5% were from 45 to 64; and 16.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 53.3% male and 46.7% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,942 people, 725 households, and 326 families living in the city. The population density was 1,237.5 people per square mile (477.6/km²). There were 869 housing units at an average density of 553.7 per square mile (213.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.47% White, 17.40% African American, 0.31% Native American, 3.76% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races, and 1.49% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 0.62% of the population.

There were 725 households, out of which 17.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.6% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 54.9% were non-families. 42.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.03 and the average family size was 2.80.

The age distribution, which is strongly influenced by the presence of WVU Tech, is: 13.2% under the age of 18, 33.0% from 18 to 24, 17.9% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $20,606, and the median income for a family was $32,000. Males had a median income of $27,794 versus $25,139 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,663. About 25.7% of families and 37.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 50.4% of those under age 18 and 13.7% of those age 65 or over.

Rail transportation

The Chesapeake & Ohio Railway stopped in Montgomery until 1971. Amtrak, the national passenger rail service, provides service to Montgomery on the ''Cardinal'' route. CSX transportation's Kanawha Subdivision also services Montgomery.

In popular culture

The novel ''Goodbye Miss 4th of July'' by Christopher Janus is a biographical story of the author's Greek family's struggles while growing up in Montgomery. In 1988, a film version of ''Goodbye Miss 4th of July'' was produced by the Disney Channel.

References

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Cities in Fayette County, West Virginia
Cities in Kanawha County, West Virginia
Cities in West Virginia
Populated places on the Kanawha River
Charleston, West Virginia metropolitan area