Emporia, Virginia
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Emporia is an
independent city An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province). Historical precursors In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...
in the Commonwealth of
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
, surrounded by Greensville County, United States. Emporia and a predecessor town have been the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of Greensville County since 1791. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,766, making it the third-least populous city in Virginia. The
Bureau of Economic Analysis The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) of the United States Department of Commerce is a U.S. government agency that provides official macroeconomic and industry statistics, most notably reports about the gross domestic product (GDP) of the United ...
combines the city of Emporia with surrounding Greensville County for statistical purposes. The town has become notorious for being a major speed trap.


History

Emporia has long been a transportation crossroads. The Meherrin River, like the Nottoway River and the Blackwater River, empties to the southeast into
Albemarle Sound Albemarle Sound () is a large estuary on the coast of North Carolina in the United States located at the confluence of a group of rivers, including the Chowan River, Chowan and Roanoke River, Roanoke. It is separated from the Atlantic Ocean b ...
. The Town of Hicksford (originally Hicks' Ford) was settled by Captain Robert Hicks (1658-1739) in the Virginia Colony, where the east-west Fort Road of eastern Virginia crossed the Meherrin River en route to Fort Christanna. The other crossing road was a major north–south trail used by native peoples and sometimes called the "Tuscarora Path" and later became the "Halifax road". Captain Hicks was an Indian trader who had lived in Prince George County before moving his family to Hicksford, when he became the Commander of Fort Christanna. (His surname is spelled both "Hicks" and "Hix" in colonial records.) In 1709, Hicks purchased a land tract of 1280 acres along the northside of the Meherrin River that was previously surveyed by Arthur Kavanaugh. When Greensville County separated from Brunswick County in 1781, Hicksford became the county seat. (Court convened monthly at a nearby tavern). In May 1781, British Col. Banastre Tarleton's cavalry crossed at Hicksford while raiding Greensville and Southampton counties. After statehood, the Virginia General Assembly recognized the Town of Belfield on the river's northern bank in 1798, and Hicksford on the southern bank the next year. In the following decades, the surrounding area remained rural and its population dispersed. Hicksford's population continued to exceed that of Belfield. An 1847 account documented 12-20 dwellings in Hicksford worth about $10,025 while Belfield's buildings were valued at $3050; in 1865 Hicksford's buildings were valued at $20,700 and Belfield's at $3650. However, by 1885, shortly before the towns merged, because of railroad links discussed below Hicksford had increased in assets only to $22,915 while Belfield had grown to $7300. By 1857, Belfield was a stop on the Petersburg Railroad to Weldon begun in 1830. During the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
, the Petersburg Railroad became a tactical prize as Union troops sought to isolate the confederate capital. Two battles for the control of the Weldon Railroad were fought near Petersburg during the
Siege of Petersburg The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the siege of Petersburg, it was not a c ...
in June 1864 and September 1864. Then on December 7, 1864, 28,000 Union troops led by Major General Gouverneur K. Warren tried to sever that key supply route further south by uprooting tracks, and managed to stop Confederate troops under Major General Wade Hampton from destroying the Meherrin River bridge. However, when the Federals retreated, Confederates rebuilt the railway line. After the war, the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad was leased to the Wilmington, Columbia and Augusta Railroad. It went bankrupt in 1878. Benjamin D. Tillar Jr. (1855-1887), a Greensville County native and state delegate, received a charter for the Atlantic and Danville Railway. He planned for it to go from
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
as had the Weldon railroad, but with a more westward route through the Meherrin River towns. In 1887, Hicksford and Belfield merged, forming the newly
incorporated town An incorporated town is a town that is a municipal corporation. Canada Incorporated towns are a form of local government in Canada, which is a responsibility of provincial rather than federal government. United States An incorporated town o ...
of Emporia. It was named after the town of
Emporia, Kansas Emporia is a city in and the county seat of Lyon County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 24,139. Emporia lies between Topeka, Kansas, Topeka and Wichita, Kansas, Wichita ...
, home town of Tillar's friend U.S. Senator Preston B. Plumb of Kansas. However, the railroad boom proved short-lived, as poor farm conditions and the Panic of 1893 caused the county's population to decrease between 1880 and 1890. The Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad also ran through Emporia. Emporia was re-chartered by the state in 1892. The town issued its first bonds in 1900 (to establish a water plant, and fund lighting and street improvements). It hosted an agricultural fair in 1906, and brick buildings replaced frame structures. Banks were chartered, followed by land improvement companies and insurance companies, then various stores, automobile companies and cola bottlers. 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, and the first elected legislative assembly in the New World. It was established on July 30, ...
re-chartered the Town of Emporia as an independent city in 1967, five years after the Norfolk and Western Railway purchased and reorganized the Atlantic and Danville Railway. Now, a major north–south
CSX CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Railroad classes, Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles () of trac ...
railway line crosses a
Norfolk Southern The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The comp ...
east–west line in Emporia. Also, U.S. Route 58 crosses Emporia east-west and
Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...
and U.S. Route 301 cross north–south. Emporia continues to serve travelers. Historic buildings in Emporia include the Belfield-Emporia Historic District, Hicksford-Emporia Historic District, Greensville County Courthouse Complex, Greensville County Training School, H. T. Klugel Architectural Sheet Metal Work Building, Old Merchants and Farmers Bank Building, and Village View, all of which are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
.


Geography

Emporia is located at (36.693018, -77.53809). According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (1.1%) is water. The city is located about 65 miles south of Richmond, about 80 miles west of
Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...
and about 60 miles north of Rocky Mount,
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
.


Climate


Governance

Emporia was a Republican stronghold for many years after its founding and through the Reagan era. However, in the 1990s it began shifting toward the Democratic Party, with Bill Clinton carrying it by a majority for the first time in 1996. Since then, Emporia has voted consistently Democratic, with this party’s share of the vote increasing significantly under Barack Obama in 2008. In 2020, Joe Biden won over 67% of the vote, the strongest showing for a Democrat since the city was chartered. The City of Emporia is governed by a council/manager system. There are seven members of city council elected from districts and a weak mayor elected at large. City council and the mayor are elected to four year terms, in federal election years. Their terms are staggered so that not all members are elected at once. The City of Emporia is also served by its own Treasurer, Commissioner of the Revenue, Sheriff and General Registrar. The courts system, Greensville County Sheriff, Commonwealth's Attorney and the Public Schools are shared with Greensville County.


Demographics


2020 census


2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 5,927 people living in the city. 62.5% were Black or African American, 32.7%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.7% Asian, 0.3% Native American, 0.1%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...
, 2.1% of some other race and 1.5% of two or more races. 4.4% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 5,665 people, 2,226 households, and 1,406 families living in the city. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...
was . There were 2,412 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 56.15%
Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
or
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 42.45%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.07% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.07%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...
, 0.30% from other races, and 0.42% from two or more races. 1.48% of the population were
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race. There were 2,226 households, out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.5% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 21.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.05. By percentage of counties or independent cities, Emporia has the highest population of Muslims in the United States as of the 2010 census, with 28.99% of the independent city being adhering Muslims. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,333, and the median income for a family was $35,743. Males had a median income of $27,772 versus $21,657 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $15,377. About 11.4% of families and 16.0% 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 21.5% of those under age 18 and 14.5% of those age 65 or over.


Festivals

The Emporia Bicycling Club hosts regular group rides, including the annual Great Peanut ride which attracts hundreds of bicyclists who ride to visit a peanut farm and are treated to hearty meals and live entertainment at camp. The Virginia
Pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig animal husbandry, husbandry dating back to 8000–9000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooke ...
Festival was held each second Wednesday in June. Over 40,000 pounds of pork is served alongside alcoholic beverages, hushpuppies and sweet potato french fries. The festival is currently on hold due to lack of funding.


Education

Greensville County Public Schools serves both Emporia and Greensville County. - page cited: 436 (PDF p. 40/42). Its high school is Greensville County High School. Circa 1972 there was an effort by Emporia residents to create a separate school division. On June 22, 1972, the
United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...
denied the creation of the district on a 5-4 basis, with the four dissenters having been appointed by U.S. president
Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...
.


Infrastructure

*
Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...
* US 58 * US 301 * Emporia-Greensville Regional Airport(EMV) * Greensville Emporia Transit (GET) provides public transportation with 15 fixed stops in Emporia and surrounding Greensville County on weekdays from 07:00 a.m - 07:00 p.m.


Notable people

* John N. Dalton, Governor of Virginia * Willie Gillus, former NFL quarterback * Benjamin S. Griffin, retired U.S. Army
General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
* June Harding, actress, artist * Maurice Hicks, former NFL running back * Henry Jordan, NFL player in
Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
* Wynne LeGrow, Democratic politician * Lawrence Lucie, musician * Sharon Manning, pro basketball player; now coaches the Greensvile County Highschool's basketball team * John Y. Mason (1799-1859), U.S. Secretary of the Navy, Congressman, U.S. Attorney General * Theresa Merritt, actress * Vern Morgan, baseball player and coach * Elliott Sadler,
NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
racecar driver * Hermie Sadler, NASCAR racecar driver *
Raynor Scheine Raynor Scheine (born Raynor Johnston; January 19, 1942) is an American actor who has appeared in films for three decades dating back to 1979, including '' My Cousin Vinny'' and ''Fried Green Tomatoes.'' His name is a play on the phrase "rain or ...
, actor * Bryant Stith, basketball player, University of Virginia and NBA * E. J. Wilson, NFL defensive lineman for
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
* Larry D. Wyche, retired U.S. Army
Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...


See also

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Emporia, Virginia


References


External links


City of Emporia
{{authority control Cities in Virginia County seats in Virginia Populated places established in 1887 1887 establishments in Virginia Black Belt (U.S. region) Majority-minority counties and independent cities in Virginia