Mannington, West Virginia
Mannington, West Virginia | ||
---|---|---|
FIPS code 54-51100[3] | | |
GNIS feature ID | 1542721[4] | |
Website | www |
Mannington is a city in
History
Early history
At the time of the first settlement, the west fork of Buffalo Creek was known as Warrior's Fork, while the North Fork has historically borne the name of Pyle's Fork. One of the first settlers in the area was John Ice, who was born in the valley of the South Branch of the Potomac River in what was then Virginia. As a child, Ice and his father searched in vain for his mother, two sisters and brother who had been captured by Native Americans. The mother was never found, although the children ultimately were. Only John's brother, known from then on as "Indian Billy" returned to the family. The sisters chose to remain with their one time captors (Prichard 1983).
Native American activity was not uncommon in the area and many settlers and travelers met their fate at the hands of the Native Americans, including John Madison, the cousin of James Madison the future president, who was killed on a surveying trip in the area in 1783. Although not necessarily as a result of this, James Madison did procure, as an investment, some land on Brush Run and Pyles Fork just north of Forks of Buffalo.
The earliest population concentration did not occur in what is now Mannington, but rather approximately two miles west of Dent's Run. Most of the land now falling within the city limits, some 1,360 acres (5.5 km2), was owned by Robert Rutherford, a Revolutionary War financier and an intimate friend of
After the parceling of the land around the Forks of Buffalo, interest in the area increased as did the population. A number of log houses began to be built, with the accompanying entrepreneurial activities that one might expect in an early settlement. By 1850 a tavern owned by George and Samuel Koon appeared in the heart of the burgeoning town. Not long after the tavern was opened, the Forks of Buffalo began to be known as Koon Town. While the local inhabitants may have used the newer name, the United States government failed to do so, in 1850 naming their first postal office in the community the Forks of Buffalo Post Office. It was not until 1856 that the village officially became known as Mannington, named after Charles Manning, a civil engineer with the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Railroad. Manning was well liked by the community and the inhabitants were eager to have a more "dignified" name for a growing town on the new railroad line.
The coming of the railroad heralded the introduction of heavier industry in the Mannington area.
During the American Civil War, the B&O railroad, of vital interest to both of the conflicting sides, sustained more damage than Mannington proper did. While Confederate forces succeeded in burning several of the railroad bridges at the very beginning of the conflict, reinforcements from the Union insured the integrity of the Mannington section of the line for the remainder of the war.
Oil and gas boom
A new chapter in Mannington's history began in 1889 with the first oil drilling, following recommendations made by Dr.
Dr. White also pushed for natural gas exploration. It was this venture, more successful than any before or since, that was most responsible for Mannington's growth. The population increased from approximately 700 people in the late 19th century to over 4,000 by 1917. By 1900, Mannington was a thriving town, complete with its own trolley system, electricity, theaters, schools, fire department, telephones and other amenities. The Mannington School Building, constructed in 1902–1903, was the pride of both the town and the state. In 1923, Albert Heck began the formation of the first community radio cable system from Mannington to its outlying areas.
Boom to bust
The 1929 stock market crash and the Depression severely affected Mannington's economy. The trolley ceased operation in 1933, factory workers left as demand for products decreased, and the town's population began to decline.
Geography
Mannington is located at 39°31′38″N 80°20′23″W / 39.52722°N 80.33972°W (39.527340, -80.339742),
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.15 square miles (2.98 km2), of which 1.10 square miles (2.85 km2) is land and 0.05 square miles (0.13 km2) is water.[7]
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. According to the
Climate data for Mannington, West Virginia (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1980–present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 75 (24) |
80 (27) |
88 (31) |
93 (34) |
94 (34) |
97 (36) |
103 (39) |
100 (38) |
98 (37) |
93 (34) |
82 (28) |
75 (24) |
103 (39) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 38.3 (3.5) |
42.1 (5.6) |
52.4 (11.3) |
65.7 (18.7) |
74.1 (23.4) |
80.9 (27.2) |
84.1 (28.9) |
83.1 (28.4) |
77.1 (25.1) |
65.7 (18.7) |
52.8 (11.6) |
42.5 (5.8) |
63.2 (17.3) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 28.5 (−1.9) |
31.2 (−0.4) |
39.7 (4.3) |
51.0 (10.6) |
60.4 (15.8) |
68.1 (20.1) |
72.1 (22.3) |
70.7 (21.5) |
63.8 (17.7) |
52.2 (11.2) |
41.1 (5.1) |
33.2 (0.7) |
51.0 (10.6) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 18.7 (−7.4) |
20.3 (−6.5) |
27.1 (−2.7) |
36.2 (2.3) |
46.7 (8.2) |
53.3 (11.8) |
60.0 (15.6) |
58.3 (14.6) |
50.5 (10.3) |
38.7 (3.7) |
29.4 (−1.4) |
23.9 (−4.5) |
38.8 (3.8) |
Record low °F (°C) | −34 (−37) |
−21 (−29) |
−13 (−25) |
12 (−11) |
25 (−4) |
25 (−4) |
32 (0) |
34 (1) |
22 (−6) |
14 (−10) |
4 (−16) |
−24 (−31) |
−34 (−37) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.41 (112) |
3.99 (101) |
4.36 (111) |
4.32 (110) |
4.92 (125) |
4.44 (113) |
5.64 (143) |
4.10 (104) |
4.17 (106) |
3.37 (86) |
3.57 (91) |
4.15 (105) |
51.44 (1,307) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 18.2 | 15.9 | 14.1 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 13.1 | 12.6 | 10.9 | 10.5 | 10.7 | 12.7 | 16.7 | 165.9 |
Source: |
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1860 | 241 | — | |
1870 | 411 | 70.5% | |
1890 | 908 | — | |
1900 | 1,681 | 85.1% | |
1910 | 2,672 | 59.0% | |
1920 | 3,673 | 37.5% | |
1930 | 3,261 | −11.2% | |
1940 | 3,145 | −3.6% | |
1950 | 3,241 | 3.1% | |
1960 | 2,996 | −7.6% | |
1970 | 2,747 | −8.3% | |
1980 | 3,036 | 10.5% | |
1990 | 2,184 | −28.1% | |
2000 | 2,124 | −2.7% | |
2010 | 2,063 | −2.9% | |
2020 | 1,961 | −4.9% | |
2021 (est.) | 1,946 | [2] | −0.8% |
U.S. Decennial Census[11] |
2010 census
As of the
There were 842 households, of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.4% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.95.
The median age in the city was 41.8 years. 23.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.6% were from 25 to 44; 27.5% were from 45 to 64; and 17.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.
2000 census
As of the
There were 884 households, out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were non-families. 26.4% 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 2.40 and the average family size was 2.88.
The age distribution was 23.0% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,806, and the median income for a family was $31,852. Males had a median income of $25,078 versus $19,464 for females. The
Infrastructure
Roads
- U.S. Route 250 - main road through town
In popular culture
Mannington is the model for the fictional town of
Mannington continues to be used as a detailed model for the series in order to determine realistically what resources and skill sets the town of Grantville would bring to the past.[17] Flint has stated, "The town of Grantville is very closely modeled on the actual town of Mannington. There are rules that I require everyone to follow when they write in the series. One of them is that it if it wasn’t in the town of Mannington in 2000, you can’t have it in Grantville. The one cheat I had to do was that I needed a power plant. The power plant is about 15 miles away, in a town called Granttown, so I just sorta moved it over. That’s the only real cheat.”[18] The fans and writers of the 1632 series have held at least four conventions in Mannington. The fourth was held on August 4–6, 2006.[19]
See also
- List of cities in West Virginia
- Farmington Mine Disaster(sometimes referred to as the Mannington Mine Disaster), 20 November 1968, 4 men survived, 78 died.
- Fairmont Marion County Transit Authority
References
- ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ a b c "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.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ISBN 0-89933-246-3.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 20, 2011. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
- ^ Climate Summary for Mannington, West Virginia
- ^ "NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
- ^ "Station: Mannington 8 WNW, WV". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
- ^ Eric Flint: Remaking History, Locus Magazine, Issue 671, page 10. December 2016.
- ^ 1632 Author's Manual. Retrieved 2021-10-19.
- ^ Interview with Virginia DeMarce. Baen Books. March 2006. Retrieved 2021-10-19.
- ^ 1632. Eric Flint. Baen Books. February 2000.
- ^ Grantville Gets Transported Back To 1632. Marion County Convention & Visitors Bureau. July 31, 2020. Retrieved 2021-10-19.
- ^ "Eric Flint: Remaking History" December 4, 2016 Locus magazine website
- ^ Mini-Con 2006. Kim Mackey. Retrieved 2021-10-19.