Smithers is a city in Fayette and Kanawha counties 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 so ...

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

. Located along the

Kanawha River The Kanawha River ( ) is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 97 mi (156 km) long, in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The largest inland waterway in West Virginia, its watershed has been a significant industrial region of th ...

, it lies almost entirely in Fayette County. The population was 751 at the 2020 census. The city most likely takes its name from Smithers Creek. The small river city is noted for having a rich cultural history related to both its coal mining and Italian-American heritages.

History

Smithers was incorporated in 1938. The city was named for James Smithers, an early settler who resided at the mouth of Smithers Creek.

Geography

Smithers is located at (38.177389, -81.306269), along the

at the mouth of Smithers Creek. 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 , all land.

Demographics

2010 census

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 2010, there were 813 people, 405 households, and 216 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 473 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 89.8%

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 ...

, 8.0%

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 ...

, 0.6% Native American, and 1.6% from two or more races.

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 were 0.7% of the population. There were 405 households, of which 20.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.1% 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, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 46.7% were non-families. 41.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.01 and the average family size was 2.67. The median age in the city was 49.8 years. 17.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19% were from 25 to 44; 29.1% were from 45 to 64; and 25.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.0% male and 54.0% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 904 people, 450 households, and 259 families living in the city. The

was . There were 553 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 90.15%

, 8.41%

, 0.55% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.11% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.22% of the population. There were 450 households, out of which 21.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.7% were

living together, 17.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.4% were non-families. 38.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.01 and the average family size was 2.63. The age distribution is 19.8% under the age of 18, 12.6% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $20,417, and the median income for a family was $27,734. Males had a median income of $22,353 versus $18,846 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 $12,807. About 20.0% of families and 22.8% 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 33.7% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Smithers had a combined middle school and high school, Valley High School, serving grades 6–12. The school closed at the end of the 2018–19 school year. The campus is now used as Valley PK-8.

Notable people

* Bertis Downs IV – legal and managerial representative of the musical group

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American alternative rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the fir ...

* Gino Marchetti – former NFL defensive end, member of the

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 ...

References

{{authority control Cities in Fayette County, West Virginia Cities in Kanawha County, West Virginia Populated places on the Kanawha River Coal towns in West Virginia Cities in West Virginia Italian-American culture in West Virginia 1938 establishments in West Virginia Populated places established in 1938