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| City of Parkersburg | |||
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| Nickname(s): The Burg, P-Burg, The Savings Bond Capital of America | |||
| Motto: Where West Virginia Began | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country |  United States |
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|---|---|---|---|
| State |  West Virginia |
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| County | Wood | ||
| Incorporated | 1810 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Robert Newell | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 12.2 sq mi (31.6 km²) | ||
| - Land | 11.8 sq mi (30.6 km²) | ||
| - Water | 0.4 sq mi (1.0 km²) 3.19% | ||
| Elevation | 614 ft (187 m) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| - Total | 33,099 | ||
| - Density | 2,800.5/sq mi (1,081.2/km²) | ||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| ZIP codes | 26101, 26102, 26103, 26104, 26105, 26106 | ||
| Area code(s) | 304 | ||
| FIPS code | 54-621401 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 15445872 | ||
| Website: http://www.parkersburg-wv.com/ | |||
Parkersburg, located at the confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha Rivers, is the third largest city in the State of West Virginia. It is the county seat of Wood County3 and the largest city in the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The Bureau of the Public Debt, an agency of the U.S. Treasury Department, is headquartered in Parkersburg.
Contents |
History
Parkersburg was originally named Newport when it was laid out in the late 1700s. A section of the land in the town was laid out over land granted to Alexander Parker for his Revolutionary War service. The title conflicts between Parker and the city planners of Newport were settled in 1809 in favor of Alexander Parker's heirs. The town was renamed Parkersburg in 1810. It was chartered by the Virginia General Assembly in 1820. It was rechartered as a city in 1860.
The town was the terminus of the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike and the Northwestern Turnpike. In 1857 the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad built a branch line to the town. The town was important as a transportation and medical center during the American Civil War. It then became a transportation hub in the gas and oil boom following that war.
Blennerhassett Island is a historical site located in Parkersburg.
Geography
Parkersburg is located at 39°15'58" North, 81°32'32" West (39.266175, -81.542139)4.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.2 square miles (31.6 km²), of which, 11.8 square miles (30.6 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) of it is water. The total area is 3.19% water.
The city is situated at the confluence of the Ohio River and the Little Kanawha River. The Little Kanawha River divides the north and south sides of the city.
Climate
Parkersburg's climate is warm during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 70's and very cold during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 30's.
The warmest month of the year is July with an average maximum temperature of 85.80 degrees Fahrenheit, while the coldest month of the year is January with an average minimum temperature of 22.30 degrees Fahrenheit.
Temperature variations between night and day tend to be moderate during summer with a difference that can reach 21 degrees Fahrenheit, and fairly limited during winter with an average difference of 18 degrees Fahrenheit.
The annual average precipitation at Parkersburg is 40.69 Inches. Rainfall in is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. The wettest month of the year is July with an average rainfall of 4.58 Inches. 5
Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 1,218 |
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| 1860 | 2,493 | 104.7% | |
| 1870 | 5,546 | 122.5% | |
| 1880 | 6,582 | 18.7% | |
| 1890 | 8,408 | 27.7% | |
| 1900 | 11,703 | 39.2% | |
| 1910 | 17,842 | 52.5% | |
| 1920 | 20,050 | 12.4% | |
| 1930 | 29,623 | 47.7% | |
| 1940 | 30,103 | 1.6% | |
| 1950 | 29,684 | −1.4% | |
| 1960 | 44,797 | 50.9% | |
| 1970 | 44,208 | −1.3% | |
| 1980 | 39,967 | −9.6% | |
| 1990 | 33,862 | −15.3% | |
| 2000 | 33,099 | −2.3% | |
As of the census1 of 2000, there were 33,099 people, 14,467 households, and 8,767 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,800.5 people per square mile (1,081.2/km²). There were 16,100 housing units at an average density of 1,362.2/sq mi (525.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.36% White, 1.75% African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.81% of the population.
There were 14,467 households out of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.2% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.4% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.1% have someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.83.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.2% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,990, and the median income for a family was $33,081. Males had a median income of $30,516 versus $20,287 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,106. About 16.1% of families and 19.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.7% of those under the age of 18 and 10.4% of those 65 and older.
Neighborhoods
North Parkersburg
Beechwood, Downtown, Fairview Heights, Granada Hills, Julia-Ann Square, Meadowcrest, Oakwood Estates, Quincy Hill, Riverside, Woodland Park, North End, Worthington, East End
South Parkersburg (Southside)
Larkmead, Marrtown, Pettyville, Tavennerville, Washington
Media
The Parkersburg News and Parkersburg Sentinel are the city's two major daily newspapers. The same company also publishes the Marietta A.M. and Graffiti, West Virginia's alternative news magazine.
There are many radio stations broadcasting from Parkersburg, including 106.1 Z106 (WRZZ),102.1 The River (WRVB), U.S. 107 WNUS, MIX 100 (WDMX), V96.9 (WVVV), WXIL, Froggy 99.1, and 103.1 The Bear.
WTAP, the local NBC affiliate, is the main local television station.6
Education
Higher Education
- Mountain State College, a private, for-profit, two-year college, is located in the city.
- West Virginia University at Parkersburg, a public college, is located on the outskirts of the city.
- Ohio Valley University is located nearby in Vienna.
High Schools
Parkersburg is the home of the Parkersburg High School Big Reds, the Parkersburg South High School Patriots, and the Parkersburg Catholic High School Crusaders.
Middle Schools
Middle Schools include Jackson, Van Devender, Blennerhassett, Edison, and Hamilton.
Culture
Museums
Blennerhassett Museum of Regional History
Henry Cooper Log Cabin Museum
Oil and Gas Museum
Sumnerite African-American History Museum
Veterans Museum of Mid-Ohio Valley
Parks
Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park
Bicentennial Park
Corning Park
Point Park
Southwood Park
Quincy Park
City Park
Johnson T. Janes Park
Friendship Park
Fort Boreman Historical Park
Mountwood Park
Sports
Parkersburg was home to the Ohio Valley Redcoats, a minor league baseball team, until 1998. The city is in negotiations to bring professional baseball back to Parkersburg.7
In 2008, the city and its three high schools placed second in ESPN's TitleTown USA competition.8 In an essay on ESPN.com, it was pointed out that through the 2007-2008 school year, the city has 192 high school state championships between Parkersburg, Parkersburg South and Parkersburg Catholic. 183 of those championships have come after 1950.
Film & Television
- The Steven Soderbergh film Bubble, released in 2006, was filmed in Parkersburg and neighboring Belpre, Ohio, using an all-local cast.
- Parkersburg was the set for the 1962 television series It's a Man's World.10
- The city was featured in a 1989 episode of Rescue 911
Notable Natives and Residents
- Allen Appel
- William M. Batten11
- Harman Blennerhassett
- Arthur I. Boreman
- Edwin Catmull
- Paul Dooley
- Paul Goldsmith
- Linda Goodman
- Tommy Hanlon Jr
- Cyrus Cotton "Cy" Hungerford
- Jacob B. Jackson
- Earle "Greasy" Neale
- Gary Null
- Devon Odessa
- Morgan Spurlock
- John R. Ramsey
- Patsy Ramsey
- William E. Stevenson
- Members of Scenes From A Movie
- Nick Swisher
- Steve Swisher
- Peter G. Van Winkle
- Richard Watts, Jr.
- Harold Webster
- Deron Williams
- Gill Robb Wilson
- Glenn Wilson
- Zao
References in Popular Culture
Parkersburg was mentioned in the 1962 song I've Been Everywhere
Sister Cities
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 19 November 2008, at 15:55.
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