Moundsville is a city in

Marshall County, West Virginia Marshall County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 30,591. Its county seat is Moundsville. With its southern border at what would be a continuation of the Mason-Dixon line to the Ohio River ...

, United States, along the

Ohio River The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of ...

. It is part of the Wheeling, West Virginia metropolitan area. The population was 8,122 at the 2020 census. It is the

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 ...

of Marshall County. The city was named for the nearby ancient Grave Creek Mound, constructed 250 to 100 BC by indigenous people of the

Adena culture The Adena culture was a Pre-Columbian Native American culture that existed from 500 BCE to 100 CE, in a time known as the Early Woodland period. The Adena culture refers to what were probably a number of related Native American societies sharing ...

History

In 1771, English colonists Samuel and James Tomlinson built a cabin at what later became Moundsville, although they did not overwinter, and in fact left for several years after attacks by Native Americans. Elizabethtown, as Tomlinson's community was called, was incorporated in 1830 and would become the county seat upon the creation of Marshall County in 1835. Nearby, the town of Mound City was incorporated in 1832. The two towns combined in 1865. In 1852 a line of the

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the first common carrier railroad and the oldest railroad in the United States, with its first section opening in 1830. Merchants from Baltimore, which had benefited to some extent from the construction of ...

opened, connecting the eastern rail network with the Ohio and Mississippi riverboat system; Moundsville was an important port until 1861, when 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 polici ...

shut down the river system and caused major damage to the railroad. Fostoria Glass Company (specializing in hand-blown glassworks) was headquartered in Moundsville from 1891 to 1986. The retired West Virginia State Penitentiary operated in Moundsville from 1867 to 1995. On August 4, 1927,

Charles Lindbergh Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, author, inventor, and activist. On May 20–21, 1927, Lindbergh made the first nonstop flight from New York City to Paris, a distance o ...

landed

The Spirit of St. Louis The ''Spirit of St. Louis'' (formally the Ryan NYP, registration: N-X-211) is the custom-built, single-engine, single-seat, high-wing monoplane that was flown by Charles Lindbergh on May 20–21, 1927, on the first solo nonstop transatlanti ...

at Langin Field in Moundsville.

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 th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

system, Moundsville has a

Humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

2010 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 inc ...

of 2010, there were 9,318 people, 4,016 households, and 2,445 families living in the city. 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 RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 4,458 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.5%

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 ...

, 0.8%

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 ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races.

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 were 1.1% of the population. There were 4,016 households, of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.2% 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 ...

living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.1% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.79. The median age in the city was 45.2 years. 19.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.2% were from 25 to 44; 30.1% were from 45 to 64; and 20.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 9,998 people, 4,122 households, and 2,662 families living in the city. The

was 3,399.0 people per square mile (1,313.0/km²). There were 4,461 housing units at an average density of 1,516.6 per square mile (585.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.13%

, 0.73%

, 0.13% Native American, 0.30% 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 O ...

, 0.10% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.16% of the population. There were 4,122 households, out of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.7% were

living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.84. In the city the population was spread out, with 20.4% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $23,107, and the median income for a family was $30,534. Males had a median income of $26,242 versus $19,348 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 city was $13,997. About 18.1% of families and 22.4% 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 33.2% of those under age 18 and 15.5% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

Edward L. Athey Edward L. Athey (October 26, 1921 – February 28, 2010) was a sports coach and athletic director at Washington College. His name was enshrined in the school's Hall of Fame on October 15, 1982. Athey was born in Moundsville, West Virginia but grew ...

, sports coach at

Washington College Washington College is a private liberal arts college in Chestertown, Maryland. Maryland granted Washington College its charter in 1782. George Washington supported the founding of the college by consenting to have the "College at Chester" name ...

. * Steve Crabtree, Republican politician and media personality *

Frank De Vol Frank Denny De Vol (September 20, 1911 – October 27, 1999) was an American actor, and using the name De Vol was an arranger and composer. As a composer he was nominated for four Academy Awards. Early life and career De Vol was born in Mounds ...

, film and television music composer and actor * Virginia B. Evans, painter, glass artist, and teacher * Joseph W. Gallaher, businessman and politician * Davis Grubb, novelist and story writer * Kristin Lewicki, professional ice hockey player * Adrian Melott, astrophysicist and astrobiologist * Arch A. Moore, Jr., former Governor of West Virginia *

Ed Pastilong Edward Pastilong (born 1943) is a former American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the athletic director at West Virginia University from 1989 to 2010. Early life Pastilong was born in Moundsville, West V ...

, football player, coach, and college athletics administrator, WVU's Director of Athletics for 21 years * Ted Valentine, NCAA men's basketball referee and 2005

Naismith College Official of the Year This page includes variants Nasmith, Nasmyth, and Naysmith. General * Naismith's Rule, used in hiking * Nasmyth telescope * Primary enamel cuticle, also known as ''Nasmyth's membrane'' Places * Naismith, Montana * Nasmyth (crater) on the Moon ...

Gallery

File:Grave Creek Mound.jpg, Grave Creek Mound. File:Moundsville Bridge.jpg, Moundsville Bridge. File:West Virginia State Penitentiary.jpg, West Virginia State Penitentiary.

In popular culture

In 2018, documentary filmmakers David Bernabo and John W. Miller released ''Moundsville'', a documentary about the history of Moundsville. ''You Missed My Heart'', a song by

Mark Kozelek Mark Edward Kozelek (born January 24, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and occasional actor. He is known as the vocalist and primary recording artist of the indie folk act Sun Kil Moon and founding member of th ...

Sun Kil Moon Sun Kil Moon is an American folk rock act from San Francisco, California, founded in 2002. Initially a continuation of the defunct indie rock band Red House Painters, Sun Kil Moon is now the primary recording moniker of vocalist and guitarist ...

and Jimmy LaValle, references a prison cemetery in Moundsville. This song has also been covered by

Phoebe Bridgers Phoebe Lucille Bridgers (born August 17, 1994) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She has released two solo albums, ''Stranger in the Alps'' (2017) and '' Punisher'' (2020), both of which received critical acclai ...

References

External links

City's official website
* {{Authority control Cities in West Virginia Cities in Marshall County, West Virginia County seats in West Virginia West Virginia populated places on the Ohio River 1771 establishments in Virginia Populated places established in 1771