Buckhannon, West Virginia
Buckhannon, West Virginia | ||
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![]() East Main Street (2006) | ||
FIPS code 54-11188[3] | | |
GNIS feature ID | 1536594[4] | |
Website | www |
Buckhannon is the only incorporated city in, and the
History
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/Baltimore_and_Ohio_employees_magazine_%281912%29_%2814738560576%29.jpg/220px-Baltimore_and_Ohio_employees_magazine_%281912%29_%2814738560576%29.jpg)
According to tradition, the first settlers in the Buckhannon River Valley were brothers John and Samuel Pringle. John and Samuel were soldiers serving in the British army during the
The City of Buckhannon was established on January 15, 1816, officially named for Buckongahelas[8] (1720-1805), the legendary Lenape Chief. A statue of Buckongahelas and his fallen son, crafted by Buckhannon sculptor Ross Straight, was erected in Buckhannon West Virginia’s Jawbone Park in 2000.[9] The city was chartered by the Virginia General Assembly in 1852, and remained part of the Commonwealth of Virginia until the secession of West Virginia on June 20, 1863, during the American Civil War. Because of its near-central geographic location, Buckhannon was long considered a prospective site for the state capital. In 1866, the legislature approved a bill including Buckhannon among the choices for capital, but officials decided the river was not wide enough to accommodate desired commerce and ultimately settled with Charleston as the state capitol.
The first courthouse was built in 1854. It served multiple functions, including as an opera house and town hall. Electricity was installed in 1891 to replace oil lamps, but the building suffered fire damage in the first six months of electrical service, eventually being razed in 1898. In its place, a
The
In 2023, Buckhannon hosted the World Association of Marching Show Bands world championship.[10]
Geography
The city lies in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains. It is in the Mountain Lakes tourism region.[11]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.83 square miles (7.33 km2), all land.[12]
Climate
The climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. According to the
Climate data for Buckhannon, West Virginia (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1891–present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 79 (26) |
80 (27) |
86 (30) |
93 (34) |
95 (35) |
96 (36) |
99 (37) |
99 (37) |
100 (38) |
92 (33) |
82 (28) |
79 (26) |
100 (38) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 65.3 (18.5) |
67.4 (19.7) |
75.2 (24.0) |
83.9 (28.8) |
86.8 (30.4) |
89.6 (32.0) |
91.4 (33.0) |
91.0 (32.8) |
89.8 (32.1) |
82.3 (27.9) |
75.2 (24.0) |
66.1 (18.9) |
92.9 (33.8) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 40.8 (4.9) |
44.3 (6.8) |
53.2 (11.8) |
65.9 (18.8) |
74.1 (23.4) |
81.0 (27.2) |
84.3 (29.1) |
83.8 (28.8) |
78.6 (25.9) |
66.8 (19.3) |
54.6 (12.6) |
45.0 (7.2) |
64.4 (18.0) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 31.0 (−0.6) |
33.5 (0.8) |
41.2 (5.1) |
51.9 (11.1) |
61.4 (16.3) |
69.2 (20.7) |
73.1 (22.8) |
72.0 (22.2) |
65.8 (18.8) |
53.8 (12.1) |
42.9 (6.1) |
35.4 (1.9) |
52.6 (11.4) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 21.1 (−6.1) |
22.8 (−5.1) |
29.2 (−1.6) |
37.9 (3.3) |
48.6 (9.2) |
57.4 (14.1) |
62.0 (16.7) |
60.2 (15.7) |
53.0 (11.7) |
40.8 (4.9) |
31.2 (−0.4) |
25.9 (−3.4) |
40.8 (4.9) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | −2.3 (−19.1) |
1.3 (−17.1) |
11.7 (−11.3) |
23.6 (−4.7) |
33.2 (0.7) |
43.7 (6.5) |
51.5 (10.8) |
50.0 (10.0) |
39.1 (3.9) |
27.4 (−2.6) |
17.0 (−8.3) |
7.8 (−13.4) |
−5.9 (−21.1) |
Record low °F (°C) | −30 (−34) |
−31 (−35) |
−13 (−25) |
5 (−15) |
19 (−7) |
29 (−2) |
35 (2) |
34 (1) |
26 (−3) |
11 (−12) |
−2 (−19) |
−28 (−33) |
−31 (−35) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.61 (92) |
3.29 (84) |
4.15 (105) |
3.82 (97) |
5.18 (132) |
5.10 (130) |
5.31 (135) |
4.21 (107) |
3.76 (96) |
3.82 (97) |
3.03 (77) |
3.93 (100) |
49.21 (1,250) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 11.9 (30) |
11.3 (29) |
6.7 (17) |
0.7 (1.8) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
1.8 (4.6) |
6.9 (18) |
39.4 (100) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 17.3 | 14.5 | 14.4 | 14.1 | 15.6 | 14.4 | 13.6 | 12.2 | 11.0 | 11.7 | 11.9 | 15.9 | 166.6 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 8.4 | 6.2 | 3.6 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.5 | 4.9 | 25.3 |
Source: NOAA[14][15] |
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1860 | 427 | — | |
1870 | 475 | 11.2% | |
1880 | 761 | 60.2% | |
1890 | 1,403 | 84.4% | |
1900 | 1,589 | 13.3% | |
1910 | 2,225 | 40.0% | |
1920 | 3,785 | 70.1% | |
1930 | 4,374 | 15.6% | |
1940 | 4,450 | 1.7% | |
1950 | 6,016 | 35.2% | |
1960 | 6,386 | 6.2% | |
1970 | 7,261 | 13.7% | |
1980 | 6,820 | −6.1% | |
1990 | 5,909 | −13.4% | |
2000 | 5,725 | −3.1% | |
2010 | 5,639 | −1.5% | |
2020 | 5,299 | −6.0% | |
2021 (est.) | 5,265 | [2] | −0.6% |
U.S. Decennial Census[16] |
2020 census
As of the
There were 2,084 households, of which 37.2% were married couples living together, 37.2% had a female householder with no spouse present, 21.8% had a male householder with no spouse present. The average household and family size was 2.97. The median age in the city was 37.8 years with 14.5% of the city's population under 18. The median income for a household in the city was $46,602 and the poverty rate was 19.5%.[17]
2010 census
As of the
There were 2,148 households, of which 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.5% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 46.5% were non-families. 39.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.84.
The median age in the city was 33.1 years. 16.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 25.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.9% were from 25 to 44; 22.5% were from 45 to 64; and 17.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.5% male and 52.5% female.
2000 census
As of the
There were 2,159 households, out of which 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.1% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.3% were non-families. 40.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.78.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 15.5% under the age of 18, 28.1% from 18 to 24, 19.2% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 81.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $23,421, and the median income for a family was $36,975. Males had a median income of $30,691 versus $18,041 for females. The
Government
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4b/Upshur_County_Courthouse_Buckhannon.jpg/170px-Upshur_County_Courthouse_Buckhannon.jpg)
The City of Buckhannon is under a
The City Council for the City of Buckhannon:
- Robbie Skinner - Mayor (2020–2024)
- Randy Sanders - City Recorder (2019-2022)
- David W. McCauley - Council Member - (2022–2026)
- Pamela M. Cuppari Bucklew - Council Member - (2016–2024)
- Jack Reger - Council Member - (2020–2024)
- CJ Rylands - Council Member - (2020–2024)
- David Thomas - Council Member - (2016–2022)
Education
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/AGNES_HOWARD_HALL%2C_BUCKHANNON%2C_UPSHUR_COUNTY%2C_WV.jpg/220px-AGNES_HOWARD_HALL%2C_BUCKHANNON%2C_UPSHUR_COUNTY%2C_WV.jpg)
The institutions of public primary and secondary learning serving the community of Buckhannon are operated by Upshur County Schools. West Virginia Wesleyan College is a private liberal arts college located in Buckhannon.
High schools
- Buckhannon-Upshur High School
- Fred W. Eberle Technical Center
Middle schools
- Buckhannon-Upshur Middle School
Elementary schools
- Buckhannon Academy Elementary School
- French Creek Elementary School
- Hodgesville Elementary School
- Rock Cave Elementary School
- Tennerton Elementary School
- Union Elementary School
- Washington District Elementary School[21]
Media
There are a few radio stations and television stations located in Buckhannon. Some transmitters reach to
Buckhannon is also home to a local
Buckhannon's main newspaper is the Record Delta.[22]
Notable people
- Kyle Andrews, jazz drummer[citation needed]
- Stephen Coonts, American thriller and suspense novelist
- Scott Munson Cutlip, pioneer in public relationseducation
- Alston G. Dayton, U.S. Representative, West Virginia 2nd District
- Floyd Farnsworth (1869–1946), politician
- Modernistartist
- Olive Ireland Hodges, American missionary teacher in Japan
- Weijia Jiang, White House correspondent and morning anchor for CBS News
- Jean Lee Latham, American writer
- Pare Lorentz, pioneering documentary filmmaker, with film added to the National Film Registry
- Irene McKinney, Poet Laureate of West Virginia, appointed 1994 until her death in February 2012
- Ace Mumford, college football head football coach
- Jayne Anne Phillips, Pulitzer-Prize winning novelist and short story writer
- Kimberly A. Reed, former Chairman and President of the Export–Import Bank of the United States
- United States Representative
- Chris Wallace, general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies
In other media
- "Chicago II; writer James Pankowmisspelled the town name)
- The town was featured in the 2017 German television documentary "Auslandsjournal", as an example of the growing problem of illegal drug use in the US.[23]
See also
- Buckhannon-Upshur High School
- Coal Mining
- WFBY
References
- ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ a b c d "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2021". Census.gov. US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
- ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- West Virginia Strawberry Festival. 2021. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
- ^ "Samuel and John Pringle were the first Englishmen to set foot in present-day Upshur County". www.eg.bucknell.edu. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
- ^ "Buckhannon / Frontier Days Historical Marker".
- ^ "E-WV | Buckongahelas".
- ^ "WAMSB 2023". World Association of Marching Show Bands. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
- ^ "Travel Regions". Almost Heaven - West Virginia. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 2, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
- ^ Climate Summary for Buckhannon, West Virginia
- ^ "NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
- ^ "Summary of Monthly Normals 1991–2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
- ^ Curry, Richard O. "A House Divided", Univ. of Pittsburgh Press, 1964
- ^ Linger, James Carter "Confederate Military Units from West Virginia", pg. 72
- ^ "WV School Directory". wvde.state.wv.us. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- ^ News, W. V. "Record Delta - Buckhannon WV News". WV News. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
{{cite web}}
:|last=
has generic name (help) - ^ "Das auslandsjournal vom 06. September" (in German). Archived from the original on September 8, 2017. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
- https://web.archive.org/web/20070219145012/http://members.citynet.net/warner/upshur.html
- Images of America: Upshur County by The Upshur County Historical Society, pages 07, 09, and 10.
External links
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