Salem, West Virginia
Salem, West Virginia | ||
---|---|---|
FIPS code 54-71380[3] | | |
GNIS feature ID | 1546280[4] | |
Website | cityofsalem |
Salem is a city in
Geography
Salem is located at 39°17′0″N 80°33′46″W / 39.28333°N 80.56278°W (39.283411, -80.562731),
History
Salem was settled in the summer of 1790 — as "New Salem" — by forty
By the 1870s, the town was more frequently being called "Salem" than "New Salem", as the separation of West Virginia from Virginia in 1863 had diminished the need to distinguish it from the town named Salem near Roanoke. The United States Postal Service made the change official in March 1884. Salem was incorporated by the state of West Virginia on 25 February 1905.
As late as 1870, Charles A. Burdick came to town as a Seventh Day Baptist missionary, feeling the need for an educational institution in the area, opened a school, though it operated for only two semesters. In 1888, the Eastern Seventh Day Baptist Association provided for the construction of the Salem Academy, which later became a college in 1890, existing to this day.[8]
Salem has a history of large fires. The same full city block has burned down twice in the city's history. The north side of Main Street downtown burned once in 1901 and again on March 2, 2006. The more recent fire burned the old city bank building, several store fronts, and several residences; five structures in all were damaged. The fire was determined to have been started by a hot water tank in an apartment. The fire departments' ability to put out the blaze was hampered by a limited city water supply; they were forced to draw water from the nearby creek.[9]
The Salem College Administration Building and Salem Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[10]
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1880 | 248 | — | |
1890 | 310 | 25.0% | |
1900 | 746 | 140.6% | |
1910 | 2,169 | 190.8% | |
1920 | 2,920 | 34.6% | |
1930 | 2,943 | 0.8% | |
1940 | 2,571 | −12.6% | |
1950 | 2,578 | 0.3% | |
1960 | 2,366 | −8.2% | |
1970 | 2,597 | 9.8% | |
1980 | 2,706 | 4.2% | |
1990 | 2,063 | −23.8% | |
2000 | 2,006 | −2.8% | |
2010 | 1,586 | −20.9% | |
2020 | 1,490 | −6.1% | |
2021 (est.) | 1,470 | [2] | −1.3% |
U.S. Decennial Census[11] |
2010 census
As of the
There were 662 households, of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.4% were married couples living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.0% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.88.
The median age in the city was 36.1 years. 20.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 15.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.1% were from 25 to 44; 26.3% were from 45 to 64; and 14.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.1% male and 50.9% female.
Education
Salem University is a private university in the city, founded in 1888 by Seventh Day Baptists.[8] The Salem College Administration Building was completed in 1910 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.[10]
Notable people
- US Senatorfor West Virginia (1958–1985)
- Melvin Mayfield: US Army soldier and a recipient of the US military's highest decoration — the Medal of Honor — for his actions in World War II
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 2, 2022.
- ^ "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.
- ^ ISBN 0-89933-246-3.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 25, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
- ^ ISBN 0-8054-6055-1.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on June 3, 2011. Retrieved December 1, 2008.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) WOWK-TV - ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 24, 2013.