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Wythe County, Virginia

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Wythe County (/wɪθ/) is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,290.[1] Its county seat is Wytheville.[2]

Wythe County
County
Wythe County Courthouse in Wytheville
Wythe County Courthouse in Wytheville
Official seal of Wythe County
Seal
Map of Virginia highlighting Wythe County
Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
Map of the United States highlighting Virginia
Virginia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°55′N 81°05′W / 36.92°N 81.09°W / 36.92; -81.09
Country United States
State Virginia
Founded1790
Named forGeorge Wythe
SeatWytheville
Largest townWytheville
Area
 • Total
465 sq mi (1,200 km2)
 • Land462 sq mi (1,200 km2)
 • Water2.8 sq mi (7 km2)  0.6%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
28,290
 • Density61/sq mi (23/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district9th
Websitewww.wytheco.org

History

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Wythe County was formed from Montgomery County in 1790. It was named after George Wythe, the first Virginian signer of the Declaration of Independence. During the Civil War the Battle of Cove Mountain was fought in the county.

Prior to Wythe County's creation, what is now the Wythe County community of Austinville served as the county seat for Fincastle County, an extinct Virginia county whose borders stretched from Roanoke, Virginia, to the Mississippi River – a county roughly the size of half the State of Texas.[3]

Wythe County's Austinville community was founded by Stephen and his brother Moses Austin, father of the famous Stephen F. Austin. In the 1790s the Austins took over the mines that produced lead and zinc; the town was named for the Austin surname, and not for any one particular Austin of the brothers who bore that surname. Lead was mined and shipped throughout the fledgling country; lead shot was also produced. Located near Fosters Falls, Jackson Ferry Shot Tower still stands as a testament to the citizens of Wythe County. Lead was hoisted to the top of the tower using block and tackle and oxen. The lead was melted in a retort and then poured through a sieve at the top of the tower. The droplets of molten lead would become round during the 150-foot descent. The shot would collect in a kettle of water and slave laborers[4] would enter through a 110-foot access tunnel located near the bank of the New River to retrieve the shot from the kettle. The lead mines closed in 1982 due to new United States Environmental Protection Agency standards and the lack of a market for lead. The mines have since filled with water; the main shaft extended in excess of 1100 feet straight down.

On August 15, 1926, the lynching of Raymond Byrd occurred at the Wythe County jail.[5]

Another notable area within the county is the unincorporated community of Fort Chiswell - named for a French and Indian War era fort. The fort and its surrounding buildings served as the county seat until the incorporated town of Wytheville was established approximately 10 miles to the west. The fort fell into disrepair and its ruins were covered over when the intersection of I-77 and I-81 was constructed in the 1970s. A pyramid marker now stands in the approximate location of the former fort. The community was named for Colonel John Chiswell who helped establish the lead mines (1757) prior to the Austin's purchase.

Wythe County's location, at the confluence of I-81 and I-77 which is, incidentally, a wrong-way concurrency, has led to its growth for industry and tourism. Recently Gatorade and Pepsi manufacturing facilities have located here, primarily due to the ease of access and central location along the Eastern seaboard. There are a variety of travel-related businesses including several hundred hotel rooms, several truck stops, and restaurants located in the county. Tourism takes a variety of different forms in Wythe County. There are numerous opportunities for those that enjoy outdoor activities including a variety of trails, campgrounds, and parks in the area. Its first winery opened in 2006 and a second opened in 2007. A dinner theatre is located in the county seat, Wytheville.

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 465 square miles (1,200 km2), of which, 462 square miles (1,200 km2) of it is land and 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2) (0.6%) is water.[6] The county is intersected by the New River. The land is mostly an elevated plateau, lying between Iron Mountain on the south and Walker's Mountain on the northwest. The soil is generally fertile. Iron ore, lead, bituminous coal, limestone, and gypsum are very abundant, and there are traces of silver found in the lead mines.[7] Wythe County is one of the 423 counties served by the Appalachian Regional Commission,[8] and it is identified as part of "Greater Appalachia" by Colin Woodard in his book American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America.[9]

Adjacent counties

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National protected areas

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Major highways

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18006,380—
18108,35631.0%
18209,69216.0%
183012,16325.5%
18409,375−22.9%
185012,02428.3%
186012,3052.3%
187011,611−5.6%
188014,31823.3%
189018,01925.8%
190020,43713.4%
191020,372−0.3%
192020,217−0.8%
193020,7042.4%
194022,7219.7%
195023,3272.7%
196021,975−5.8%
197022,1390.7%
198025,52215.3%
199025,466−0.2%
200027,5998.4%
201029,2355.9%
202028,290−3.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]
1790-1960[11] 1900-1990[12]
1990-2000[13] 2010[14] 2020[15]

2020 census

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Wythe County, Virginia - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010[14] Pop 2020[15] % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 27,649 28,290 94.57% 92.20%
Black or African American alone (NH) 809 699 2.77% 2.47%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 39 54 0.13% 0.19%
Asian alone (NH) 124 118 0.42% 0.42%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 3 2 0.01% 0.01%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 13 66 0.04% 0.23%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 318 914 1.09% 3.23%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 280 355 0.96% 1.25%
Total 29,235 28,290 100.00% 100.00%

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

2000 Census

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As of the census[16] of 2000, there were 27,599 people, 11,511 households, and 8,103 families residing in the county. The population density was 60 people per square mile (23 people/km2). There were 12,744 housing units at an average density of 28 units per square mile (11 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.76% White, 2.87% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.24% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. 0.57% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 11,511 households, out of which 28.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.20% were married couples living together, 10.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.60% were non-families. 26.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.80% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 28.90% from 25 to 44, 25.90% from 45 to 64, and 15.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 91.40 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 88.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,235, and the median income for a family was $40,188. Males had a median income of $29,053 versus $20,550 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,639. About 8.50% of families and 11.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.50% of those under age 18 and 13.40% of those age 65 or over.

Education

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Colleges

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Public high schools

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Private schools

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Government

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Board of Supervisors

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  • District 1 (Blacklick): Brian W. Vaught, Chairman (R)
  • District 2 (West Wytheville District): Rolland Cook, Vice Chairman(R)
  • District 3 (East Wytheville District): Ryan Yates Lawson (I)
  • District 4 (Fort Chiswell District): James Smith (R)
  • District 5 (Lead Mines District): Jesse Burnett (R)
  • District 6 (Speedwell District): J.W. "Dickie" Morgan(R)[17]
  • District 7 (Supervisor At-Large): Stacy Terry (R)

Constitutional Officers

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  • Clerk of the Circuit Court: Jeremiah Musser (R)
  • Commissioner of the Revenue: Kathy Vaught (R)
  • Commonwealth's Attorney: Mike Jones (R)
  • Sheriff: Charles Foster (R)
  • Treasurer: Lori Guynn (D)

Law enforcement

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Wythe County Sheriff's Office
AbbreviationWCSO
Agency overview
Formed1790
Employees27
Jurisdictional structure
Constituting instrument
  • Yes
General nature
Operational structure
HeadquartersWytheville, Virginia
Deputys27
Website
Official Website

The Wythe County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) is the primary law enforcement agency in Wythe County, Virginia. The sheriff preceding Charles Foster was Keith Dunagan, who had served for nearly 40 years before retiring.[18] Since the establishment of the Wythe County Sheriff's Office, 1 deputy has died in the line of duty, in 1994.[19]

Politics

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United States presidential election results for Wythe County, Virginia[20]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 11,733 77.85% 3,143 20.85% 196 1.30%
2016 10,046 75.38% 2,770 20.78% 512 3.84%
2012 8,324 67.36% 3,783 30.61% 251 2.03%
2008 8,207 65.70% 4,107 32.88% 177 1.42%
2004 7,911 68.47% 3,581 30.99% 62 0.54%
2000 6,539 63.95% 3,462 33.86% 224 2.19%
1996 4,274 49.99% 3,275 38.31% 1,000 11.70%
1992 5,121 48.81% 3,616 34.46% 1,755 16.73%
1988 5,827 63.17% 3,201 34.70% 197 2.14%
1984 6,773 68.65% 2,996 30.37% 97 0.98%
1980 4,758 54.28% 3,677 41.95% 331 3.78%
1976 4,231 51.34% 3,578 43.42% 432 5.24%
1972 4,553 73.96% 1,431 23.25% 172 2.79%
1968 3,638 52.25% 1,765 25.35% 1,560 22.40%
1964 2,958 50.45% 2,879 49.10% 26 0.44%
1960 2,871 57.50% 2,075 41.56% 47 0.94%
1956 3,484 65.65% 1,766 33.28% 57 1.07%
1952 3,580 68.24% 1,654 31.53% 12 0.23%
1948 2,077 62.26% 976 29.26% 283 8.48%
1944 1,822 55.43% 1,465 44.57% 0 0.00%
1940 1,507 46.87% 1,695 52.72% 13 0.40%
1936 2,781 57.01% 2,089 42.82% 8 0.16%
1932 1,589 45.61% 1,866 53.56% 29 0.83%
1928 2,540 62.62% 1,516 37.38% 0 0.00%
1924 1,996 50.58% 1,899 48.12% 51 1.29%
1920 2,104 58.74% 1,465 40.90% 13 0.36%
1916 1,370 50.55% 1,334 49.23% 6 0.22%
1912 633 26.39% 1,110 46.27% 656 27.34%

Communities

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Towns

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Census-designated places

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Other unincorporated communities

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Wythe County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ Appalachian Magazine Wythe County Turns 225 Years Old in 2015.
  4. ^ Slavery in the American Mountain South, Wilma A. Dunaway; Cambridge University Press, 2003, ISBN 978-0-521-01215-7
  5. ^ Smith, J. Douglas (2002). "A melancholy distinction: Virginia's response to lynching". Managing white supremacy: race, politics, and citizenship in Jim Crow Virginia. Chapel Hill. ISBN 0-8078-6226-6. OCLC 53721559.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  6. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  7. ^ Ripley, George; Dana, Charles A., eds. (1879). "Wythe" . The American Cyclopædia.
  8. ^ "About the Appalachian Region". Appalachian Regional Commission. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  9. ^ Woodard, Colin. "The Maps That Show That City vs. Country Is Not Our Political Fault Line". New York Times. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  10. ^ "Census of Population and Housing from 1790-2000". US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  11. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
  12. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
  13. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
  14. ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Wythe County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau.
  15. ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Wythe County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau.
  16. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  17. ^ "Election Results".
  18. ^ "Wythe County sheriff retires after nearly four decades serving the NRV". WFXRtv. August 1, 2021. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  19. ^ Officer Down Memorial page
  20. ^ David Leip. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved December 9, 2020.

36°55′N 81°05′W / 36.92°N 81.09°W / 36.92; -81.09

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