Tazewell County, Virginia
Tazewell County | |
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UTC−4 (EDT) | |
Congressional district | 9th |
Website | tazewellcountyva |
Tazewell County (
Tazewell County is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA Micropolitan Statistical Area. Its economy was dependent on coal and iron of the Pocahontas Fields from the late 19th into the 20th century.
History
Tazewell County was long a hunting ground for various historic Native American tribes and their ancestral indigenous cultures. Although rare in the eastern
In the spring of 1771, Thomas and John Witten established the first permanent settlement in Tazewell County at Crab Orchard.[4]
As population increased in the area, Tazewell County was created on December 20, 1799. The land for the county was taken from portions of
Jeffersonville was established the following year (1800) as the county seat. On February 29, 1892, Jeffersonville was renamed as Tazewell.
During the early settlement period, many Scots-Irish settled through the Appalachian backcountry, including Tazewell.
After the Civil War, construction of railroads in southwestern Virginia enabled the development of coal and iron resources in the Clinch Valley. Richlands had a boom economy in the early 1890s, and became a rougher place with young industrial workers and more saloons.
The profits generated by the coal boom resulted in the development of mansions and the elaborate Richlands Hotel, said to rival the best hotels of New York City. But it was forced to close after the boom cycle ended. It was used for other purposes.[6]
Tazewell County was the focus of a 2005 article in
Representation in other media
Paramount's 1994 film Lassie was filmed here. It was based on stories of Albert Payson Terhune.
Geography
According to the
Since it contains portions of the
Adjacent counties
- McDowell County, West Virginia (North and West)
- Mercer County, West Virginia (Northeast)
- Buchanan County (Northwest)
- Russell County (West)
- Smyth County (South)
- Bland County (East)
National protected area
- Jefferson National Forest(part)
Major highways
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1800 | 2,127 | — | |
1810 | 3,007 | 41.4% | |
1820 | 3,916 | 30.2% | |
1830 | 5,749 | 46.8% | |
1840 | 6,290 | 9.4% | |
1850 | 9,942 | 58.1% | |
1860 | 9,920 | −0.2% | |
1870 | 10,791 | 8.8% | |
1880 | 12,861 | 19.2% | |
1890 | 19,899 | 54.7% | |
1900 | 23,384 | 17.5% | |
1910 | 24,946 | 6.7% | |
1920 | 27,840 | 11.6% | |
1930 | 32,477 | 16.7% | |
1940 | 41,607 | 28.1% | |
1950 | 47,512 | 14.2% | |
1960 | 44,791 | −5.7% | |
1970 | 39,816 | −11.1% | |
1980 | 50,511 | 26.9% | |
1990 | 45,960 | −9.0% | |
2000 | 44,598 | −3.0% | |
2010 | 45,078 | 1.1% | |
2020 | 40,429 | −10.3% | |
2022 (est.) | 39,821 | [11] | −1.5% |
U.S. Decennial Census[12] 1790-1960[13] 1900-1990[14] 1990-2000[15] 2010[16] 2020[17] |
2020 census
Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010[16] | Pop 2020[17] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|
White alone (NH)
|
42,692 | 37,336 | 94.71% | 92.35% |
Black or African American alone (NH)
|
1,330 | 961 | 2.95% | 2.38% |
Alaska Native alone (NH)
|
54 | 56 | 0.12% | 0.14% |
Asian alone (NH) | 286 | 213 | 0.63% | 0.53% |
Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 6 | 15 | 0.01% | 0.04% |
Some Other Race alone (NH) | 23 | 89 | 0.05% | 0.22% |
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 391 | 1,252 | 0.87% | 3.10% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 296 | 507 | 0.66% | 1.25% |
Total | 45,078 | 40,429 | 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
As of the
There were 18,277 households, out of which 28.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.20% were married couples living together, 10.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.60% were non-families. 25.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.90% 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 2.85.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.40% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 27.50% from 45 to 64, and 15.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $27,304, and the median income for a family was $33,732. Males had a median income of $28,780 versus $19,648 for females. The
Education
Colleges
- Bluefield University, Bluefield
- Southwest Virginia Community College, borders Russell County, near Richlands
Public high schools
All public schools in Tazewell County are operated by Tazewell County Public Schools system.
- Graham High School, Bluefield
- Richlands High School, Richlands
- Tazewell High School, Tazewell
Communities
Towns
Census-designated places
- Claypool Hill
- Doran
- Gratton
- Pounding Mill
- Raven (partially in Russell County)
- Springville
Other unincorporated communities
Law enforcement
Tazewell County Sheriff's Office | |
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Abbreviation | TCSO |
Jurisdictional structure | |
Constituting instrument |
|
General nature | |
Operational structure | |
Headquarters | Tazewell, Virginia |
Agency executive |
|
Website | |
Official Website |
The Tazewell County Sheriff's Office (TCSO) is the primary law enforcement agency in Tazewell County. As of 2022[update] the agency is headed by Sheriff Brian Hieatt. Since the establishment of the Tazewell County Sheriff's Office, two prohibition officers, one justice of the peace, and one sheriff's deputy have died in the line of duty.[19]
In 2016, the department was criticized by the
Politics
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 16,731 | 83.10% | 3,205 | 15.92% | 198 | 0.98% |
2016 | 15,168 | 81.70% | 2,895 | 15.59% | 503 | 2.71% |
2012 | 13,843 | 78.07% | 3,661 | 20.65% | 228 | 1.29% |
2008 | 11,201 | 65.65% | 5,596 | 32.80% | 264 | 1.55% |
2004 | 10,039 | 57.43% | 7,184 | 41.10% | 257 | 1.47% |
2000 | 8,655 | 52.96% | 7,227 | 44.22% | 462 | 2.83% |
1996 | 6,131 | 39.71% | 7,500 | 48.58% | 1,809 | 11.72% |
1992 | 6,375 | 37.38% | 8,586 | 50.34% | 2,095 | 12.28% |
1988 | 7,165 | 46.37% | 8,098 | 52.40% | 190 | 1.23% |
1984 | 9,645 | 53.89% | 8,014 | 44.78% | 237 | 1.32% |
1980 | 7,021 | 48.67% | 7,003 | 48.55% | 401 | 2.78% |
1976 | 5,565 | 41.41% | 7,565 | 56.29% | 309 | 2.30% |
1972 | 7,233 | 67.81% | 3,181 | 29.82% | 253 | 2.37% |
1968 | 4,434 | 39.11% | 4,734 | 41.75% | 2,170 | 19.14% |
1964 | 3,231 | 34.31% | 6,081 | 64.57% | 105 | 1.12% |
1960 | 3,139 | 41.44% | 4,416 | 58.30% | 19 | 0.25% |
1956 | 3,960 | 52.55% | 3,495 | 46.38% | 80 | 1.06% |
1952 | 3,232 | 55.83% | 2,527 | 43.65% | 30 | 0.52% |
1948 | 2,278 | 48.41% | 2,258 | 47.98% | 170 | 3.61% |
1944 | 2,271 | 44.29% | 2,832 | 55.23% | 25 | 0.49% |
1940 | 2,356 | 43.06% | 3,108 | 56.80% | 8 | 0.15% |
1936 | 1,981 | 39.66% | 2,992 | 59.90% | 22 | 0.44% |
1932 | 2,005 | 42.10% | 2,713 | 56.97% | 44 | 0.92% |
1928 | 3,072 | 60.82% | 1,979 | 39.18% | 0 | 0.00% |
1924 | 2,631 | 48.04% | 2,568 | 46.89% | 278 | 5.08% |
1920 | 2,408 | 57.51% | 1,770 | 42.27% | 9 | 0.21% |
1916 | 1,591 | 58.49% | 1,108 | 40.74% | 21 | 0.77% |
1912 | 586 | 23.80% | 979 | 39.76% | 897 | 36.43% |
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Tazewell County, Virginia
- Pocahontas coalfield
- Cavitt's Creek at Lake Witten
References
- ^ "Tazewell County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-548-10043-1.
- ^ Pendleton, William (1920). History of Tazewell County and Southwest Virginia. W. C. Hill Printing Company. p. 232.
- ^ Pendleton, William (1920). History of Tazewell County and Southwest Virginia. W. C. Hill Printing Company. p. 396.
- ^ Louise Leslie, Tazewell County, The Overmountain Press, 1995, pp. 149-150
- ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
- ^ "Tazewell County Sheriff Says Time Article Misleading". Bluefield Daily Telegraph. April 25, 2005. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ Virginia.gov Archived 2009-01-15 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
- US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
- ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
- ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Tazewell County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Tazewell County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
- ^ Officer Down Memorial page
- ^ Boothe, Charles. "Tazewell County sheriff stands by religious posts, activities". Bluefield Daily Telegraph. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
- ^ McChesney, Clayton. "Sheriff's office accused of religious bias". WVVA. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
Further reading
- Englund, K.J. and R.E. Thomas. (1991). Coal resources of Tazewell County, Virginia [U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1913]. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Geological Survey.
External links
- Community Foundation of the Virginias, Inc.
- Official Tazewell County website
- Tazewell County Historical Society, Tazewell, VA
- Bluefield College, Bluefield, VA
- Southwest Virginia Community College, Richlands, VA
- Historic Crab Orchard Museum & Pioneer Park, Tazewell, VA