Parkersburg, West Virginia

Parkersburg is a city in and the county seat of Wood County, West Virginia, United States.[5] Located at the confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha rivers, it is the state's fourth-largest city and the center of the Parkersburg–Vienna metropolitan area. The city's population was 29,749 at the 2020 census, and its metro population was 89,490.[3] The city is about 14 miles (23 km) south of Marietta, Ohio.

"Parkersburg" redirects here. For other uses, see Parkersburg (disambiguation).

Parkersburg, West Virginia
City
Downtown Parkersburg as viewed from Fort Boreman Historical Park in 2006
Downtown Parkersburg as viewed from Fort Boreman Historical Park in 2006
Flag of Parkersburg, West Virginia
Flag
Official seal of Parkersburg, West Virginia
Seal
Nickname(s): 
The Burg, P-Burg, PKB, The Savings Bond Capital of America, Marble Capital of the World
Motto: 
Where West Virginia Began
Interactive map of Parkersburg
Parkersburg is located in West Virginia
Parkersburg
Parkersburg
Parkersburg is located in the United States
Parkersburg
Parkersburg
Coordinates: 39°15′58″N 81°32′32″W
CountryUnited States
StateWest Virginia
CountyWood
Incorporated1810
Government
 • MayorTom Joyce (R)[1]
Area
[2]
 • City12.33 sq mi (31.94 km2)
 • Land11.78 sq mi (30.52 km2)
 • Water0.55 sq mi (1.43 km2)  4.29%
Elevation
614 ft (187 m)
Population
 (2020)[3]
 • City29,749
 • Estimate 
(2021)[3]
29,403
 • Density2,487.35/sq mi (960.34/km2)
 • Metro
92,082 (US: 365th)
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
26101, 26102, 26103, 26104, 26105, 26106
Area code(s)304, 681
FIPS code54-62140
GNIS feature ID1544587[4]
Websiteparkersburgcity.com

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad reached Parkersburg in 1857, but lacked a crossing over the Ohio River until after the American Civil War. When the B&O completed the Parkersburg Bridge (CSX) 1868–1870 to Belpre, it was the longest railroad bridge in the world.

The Bureau of the Public Debt, an agency of the U.S. Treasury Department, was relocated from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area in the late 20th century and headquartered in Parkersburg. In October 2012, it was merged with the Financial Management Service to form the Bureau of the Fiscal Service.

History
President Harry S. Truman on the rear platform of the presidential train, speaking to a crowd in Parkersburg

Settlers at first named the city Newport when they settled it in the late 18th century following the American Revolutionary War. This was part of a westward migration of settlers from parts of Virginia to the east, closer to the Atlantic Ocean. A town section was laid out on land granted to Alexander Parker for his Revolutionary War service. Virginia made grants of land to veterans for their war service. The title conflicts between Parker and the city planners of Newport were settled in 1809 in favor of his 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 western terminus of both the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike and the Northwestern Turnpike. In 1857 the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad built a branch line south to the town from Wheeling, West Virginia. Travelers wanting to connect with the Ohio Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad, one of the east–west lines along the Ohio River, had to take a steamboat 14 miles north to Marietta, Ohio. Jacob Linville designed the railroad bridge planned by the B&O. It was constructed in 1868–1870 between Parkersburg and Belpre, Ohio, as part of the B&O's main line from Baltimore to St. Louis, Missouri.[6] This drew traffic and trade from Marietta. Today the structure is known as the Parkersburg Bridge.

Parkersburg served as a transportation and medical center for Union forces during the American Civil War. It developed further as a transportation hub in the gas and oil boom following that war.

Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park is a historical island located just below Parkersburg.

In the late 19th century, Parkersburg emerged as a major oil refining center serving nearby oilfields at Volcano and Burning Springs. The Camden Consolidated Oil Company, founded in 1866 by future U.S. Senator Johnson Newlon Camden, dominated the refining business and was sold to Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company in 1875. Camden became a Standard director and vice president and, along with John W. Davis, dominated West Virginia politics until the early 20th century.

Bureau of the Fiscal Service office

In the post-World War II period, Parkersburg became one of the leading industrial centers of the Ohio Valley, producing chemicals, glass, O. Ames tools, textiles (especially American Viscose Company rayon), plastics and polymers, iron, and steel. The Bureau of the Public Debt, an agency of the U.S. Treasury Department, was moved to Parkersburg in 1954 as a location midway between Chicago and Washington, D.C. that would be safe in the event of a national emergency. In October 2012, the Bureau of the Public Debt consolidated with the Financial Management Service to form the Bureau of the Fiscal Service.[7][8]

Geography

Parkersburg is located at 39°15'58" North, 81°32'32" West (39.266175, −81.542139).[9]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.35 square miles (31.99 km2), of which 11.82 square miles (30.61 km2) is land and 0.53 square miles (1.37 km2) is water.[10]

The city is situated at the confluence of the Little Kanawha and Ohio rivers. The Little Kanawha River divides the north and south sides of the city. Worthington Creek, a tributary of the Little Kanawha River, flows through the eastern part of the city.[11]

Neighborhoods
The Chancellor House in the Julia-Ann Square Historic District

The North End of the city includes the Beechwood, Downtown, Fairview Heights, Granada Hills, Julia-Ann Square, Meadowcrest, Oakwood Estates, Quincy Hill, Riverside, Woodland Park, North End, Worthington, and East End neighborhoods.

The southern part of the City of Parkersburg, South Parkersburg was a separate city until it became part of Parkersburg in 1950. Suburban parts of southern Wood County include Blennerhassett, Lubeck, and Washington to the southwest, with Mineral Wells located to the southeast.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers, cold winters and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Parkersburg has a humid continental climate, abbreviated Dfa on climate maps.[12]

Climate data for Parkersburg Airport, West Virginia (1991–2020 normals,[lower-alpha 1] extremes 1926–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 78
(26)		 79
(26)		 89
(32)		 91
(33)		 95
(35)		 100
(38)		 104
(40)		 102
(39)		 102
(39)		 96
(36)		 86
(30)		 78
(26)		 104
(40)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 65
(18)		 67
(19)		 76
(24)		 84
(29)		 88
(31)		 91
(33)		 93
(34)		 93
(34)		 90
(32)		 83
(28)		 75
(24)		 66
(19)		 94
(34)
Average high °F (°C) 40.2
(4.6)		 44.4
(6.9)		 54.2
(12.3)		 66.9
(19.4)		 74.9
(23.8)		 82.1
(27.8)		 85.3
(29.6)		 84.7
(29.3)		 78.5
(25.8)		 66.8
(19.3)		 54.8
(12.7)		 44.4
(6.9)		 64.8
(18.2)
Daily mean °F (°C) 32.0
(0.0)		 35.0
(1.7)		 43.6
(6.4)		 54.6
(12.6)		 63.3
(17.4)		 71.0
(21.7)		 74.7
(23.7)		 73.5
(23.1)		 66.9
(19.4)		 55.4
(13.0)		 44.7
(7.1)		 36.3
(2.4)		 54.2
(12.3)
Average low °F (°C) 23.7
(−4.6)		 25.7
(−3.5)		 32.9
(0.5)		 42.4
(5.8)		 51.6
(10.9)		 59.9
(15.5)		 64.1
(17.8)		 62.4
(16.9)		 55.2
(12.9)		 43.9
(6.6)		 34.6
(1.4)		 28.3
(−2.1)		 43.7
(6.5)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 2
(−17)		 5
(−15)		 14
(−10)		 26
(−3)		 34
(1)		 47
(8)		 54
(12)		 52
(11)		 41
(5)		 29
(−2)		 19
(−7)		 10
(−12)		 −1
(−18)
Record low °F (°C) −24
(−31)		 −10
(−23)		 −3
(−19)		 18
(−8)		 28
(−2)		 36
(2)		 44
(7)		 40
(4)		 32
(0)		 21
(−6)		 4
(−16)		 — −24
(−31)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.27
(83)		 3.11
(79)		 3.67
(93)		 3.62
(92)		 4.17
(106)		 4.44
(113)		 4.45
(113)		 3.38
(86)		 3.18
(81)		 2.98
(76)		 2.88
(73)		 3.36
(85)		 42.51
(1,080)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 7.9
(20)		 5.5
(14)		 4.2
(11)		 0.9
(2.3)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.8
(2.0)		 2.8
(7.1)		 22.1
(56)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 14.5 12.2 13.4 13.2 13.2 11.4 12.1 9.8 8.8 11.5 10.7 13.2 144.0
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 6.7 4.9 2.8 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 1.1 4.3 20.4
Mean monthly sunshine hours 115.5 131.0 182.3 208.1 248.0 257.3 255.0 245.2 212.5 193.9 117.1 93.4 2,259.3
Percent possible sunshine 38 44 49 52 56 58 56 58 57 56 39 32 51
Source: NOAA (snow 1981–2010, sun 1961–1990)[13][14][15][16]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18501,218—
18602,493104.7%
18705,546122.5%
18806,58218.7%
18908,40827.7%
190011,70339.2%
191017,84252.5%
192020,05012.4%
193029,62347.7%
194030,1031.6%
195029,684−1.4%
196044,79750.9%
197044,208−1.3%
198039,946−9.6%
199033,862−15.2%
200033,099−2.3%
201031,492−4.9%
202029,749−5.5%
2021 (est.)29,403[3]−1.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[17]

2010 census

As of the census[18] of 2010, there were 31,492 people, 13,807 households, and 8,086 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,664.3 inhabitants per square mile (1,028.7/km2). There were 15,562 housing units at an average density of 1,316.6 per square mile (508.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.9% White, 2.0% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.3% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.2% of the population.

There were 13,807 households, of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.1% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.4% were non-families. 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.86.

The median age in the city was 41.2 years. 21.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25% were from 25 to 44; 27.5% were from 45 to 64; and 18% 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 census of 2000, there were 33,099 people, 14,467 households, and 8,767 families residing in the city. In 2012 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that Parkersburg's population had decreased 0.5% to 31,261.[19] The population density was 2,800.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,081.3/km2). There were 16,100 housing units at an average density of 1,362.2 per square mile (525.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.4% White, 1.8% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.8% 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% 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 2.83.

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 $21,120, and the median income for a family was $29,731. Males had a median income of $28,320 versus $18,203 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,820. About 23.3% of families and 21.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.2% of those under the age of 18 and 12.5% of those 65 and older.

Arts and culture

Events
Wood County Courthouse

The Annual Mid-Ohio Valley Multi-Cultural Festival is held in June, and is an international festival featuring traditional dance and music and an international marketplace.[20][21] The Parkersburg Homecoming Festival is held in August and features a parade, fireworks, half-marathon, competitions and entertainment.[22][23]

The Taste of Parkersburg is an event held around Memorial Day each year since 2006 which features food and drinks from local vendors.[24]

The Downtown Throwdown is a BBQ and beer festival held in September. It is co-hosted by Downtown PKB and the Parkersburg Area Jaycees and was started in 2014.[25]

Tourism
The Oil & Gas Museum is located in the W.H. Smith Hardware Company Building, built in 1899

Several museums are located in Parkersburg, including the Blennerhassett Museum of Regional History,[26] the Henry Cooper House, the Oil and Gas Museum,[27] the Sumnerite African-American History Museum, the Artcraft Studio and the Veterans Museum of Mid-Ohio Valley.[28]

Parks and recreation

There are several parks in the area, including Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park,[29] Bicentennial Park, Corning Park, Point Park, Southwood Park, Quincy Park, City Park, Johnson T. Janes Park, Friendship Park, Fort Boreman Historical Park, Mountwood Park and Fries Park.

Sports

The Wood County Ravens, a semi-professional football team, was based in the city. The Ravens were a part of the now defunct Mountain State Football League.[30]

Parkersburg was home to the Ohio Valley Redcoats, a minor league baseball team, until 1998. The city was in negotiations to bring professional baseball back to Parkersburg but those negotiations fell through because of lack of support from the community.[31]

In 2008, the city and its three high schools placed second in ESPN's TitleTown USA competition. By 2008, the city's high school athletic programs had amassed 192 overall state championships.[32]

Pollution
Parkersburg floodwall

High levels of PFOA, also known as C8, originating in landfills used by the DuPont/Chemours Washington Works chemical company have been noted in Parkersburg drinking water. Despite a 2004 class-action legal settlement obligating DuPont to install a drinking water filtration plant if asked, local water district officials have not, as of 2016, asked for one.[33] [34]

Education
Parkersburg Municipal Building

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.
  • Parkersburg Bible College, a private Christian school
  • Centurion Bible College

Primary and secondary

Parkersburg is the home of the Parkersburg High School Big Reds, Parkersburg South High School Patriots, and the Parkersburg Catholic High School Crusaders. The Wood County Technical Center is part of Wood County Public Schools. There were, as of May 2020, five middle schools and 18 elementary schools dispersed throughout the city.

Media

The Parkersburg News and Parkersburg Sentinel were the city's two major daily newspapers until 2009 when they combined to form one daily edition, The Parkersburg News and Sentinel[35]. The same company also publishes The Marietta Times 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, 103.1 The Bear, and WPKM 96.3 FM "the Beat" which is the college radio station of West Virginia University at Parkersburg.

WTAP, the local NBC affiliate, is the main local television station. WIYE-LD (CBS) and WOVA-LD (Fox / CW+) are sister stations.

Transportation
Aerial view of the Ohio River from Parkersburg

Parkersburg is served by two major highways, Interstate 77 and US 50. Other routes through the city include WV routes 2, 14, 47, 68, 95 and 618.

Parkersburg is served by Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport, with three flights a day Monday through Friday from Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

Parkersburg is served by freight rail. Passenger rail is no longer available. Into the 1960s, several major long distance train routes made stops in Parkersburg. These included the Baltimore and Ohio's National Limited to St. Louis to the west and Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Jersey City to the east. From 1976 to 1981 Amtrak operated the Shenandoah (Amtrak train), serving Cincinnati to the west and Washington, D.C., to the east.

Notable people

Sister cities

See also

References
  1. Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
  1. "Tom Joyce wins second term as Parkersburg's mayor". The Parkersburg News and Sentinel. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
  2. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  3. Bureau, US Census. "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2021". Census.gov. US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  4. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  5. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  6. Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, Parkersburg Bridge, Ohio River, Parkersburg, Wood County, WV, Historic American Engineering Record, accessed August 22, 2012
  7. "They May Not Be New, But They Will Have an Impact".
  8. "Bureau of the Fiscal Service - History". Bureau of the Fiscal Service. 2013. Archived from the original on May 2, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
  9. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  10. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 12, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
  11. West Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Me.: DeLorme. 1997. p. 22. ISBN 0-89933-246-3.
  12. "Parkersburg, West Virginia Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)". Weatherbase.
  13. "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  14. "Station: Parkersburg Wood CO AP, WV". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  15. "Station: Parkersburg Airport, WV". U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1981–2010). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  16. "WMO Climate Normals for Parkersburg/WSO WV 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  17. United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing". Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  18. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
  19. 2012 Census Estimate Archived January 5, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  20. "Mid-Ohio Valley Multi-Cultural Festival". Mid-Ohio Valley Multi-Cultural Festivalmerce. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  21. "annual mid-ohio valley multi-cultural festival". West Virginia Department of Commerce. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  22. "parkersburg homecoming festival". West Virginia Department of Commerce. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  23. "Parkersburg Homecoming Festiva". Parkersburg Homecoming Festival. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  24. "Taste of Parkersburg - Downtown PKB". Downtown PKB. Archived from the original on February 9, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  25. "Downtown Throwdown BBQ & Brewfest". Downtown PKB. Archived from the original on February 9, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  26. "The Blennerhassett Museum of Regional History". The Blennerhassett Museum of Regional History. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  27. "Oil and Gas Museum". Oil and Gas Museumy. Archived from the original on October 7, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  28. "The Parkersburg Nostalgic Gazette". Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  29. "Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park". Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  30. "Semi-Pro Football: Ravens vs. Black Bears". www.wtap.com. Archived from the original on April 27, 2019. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  31. "Aaron Timothy Sims". newsandsentinel.com/.
  32. "Parkersburg, W.V., challenges for TitleTown". ESPN.com. June 20, 2008.
  33. Rich, Nathaniel (January 6, 2016). "The Lawyer Who Became DuPont's Worst Nightmare". New York Times.
  34. Storyville, Poisoning America:The Devil We Know storyville poisoning america the devil we know
  35. http://www.newsandsentinel.com
  36. "Walt Barnes". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  37. "Parkersburg, West Virginia". City-Data.com. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  38. Dawson, Jim and Propes, Steve Propes (2003). 45 Rpm: The History, Heroes and Villains of a Pop Music Revolution. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 170. ISBN 978-1617745034. Retrieved June 7, 2014.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  39. Onofrio, Jan (1999). West Virginia Biographical Dictionary. North American Book Dist LLC. p. 72. ISBN 978-0403098446. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
  40. "WV Legislature". www.wvlegislature.gov. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  41. "Jaguars draft Penn State TE Brenton Strange with No. 61 pick". jaguarswire.usatoday.com. April 28, 2023. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  42. "Dark Waters". December 6, 2019 – via www.imdb.com.
  43. https://www.imdb.com/List?endings=on&&locations=Parkersburg,%20West%20Virginia,%20USA
  44. "Revolution TV Show - the Love Boat - Revolution Recaps, Revolution Reviews, Revolution Episodes | TWoP". Archived from the original on May 9, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2013.
  45. "WV town helps sister city in tornado recovery". June 1, 2008.

Further reading
  • Parkersburg, 1907: A Souvenir of the City of Parkersburg, W. M. Barnes Directory Co., 1907, OCLC 2988127, OL 6983396M
  • Philip W. Sturm. A River to Cross: The Bicentennial History of Wood County, West Virginia. Published 1999 by The Bicentennial Commission of Wood County, WV. Josten Publishing Co., State College, PA
  • Philip W. Sturm. Wood County Reflections: A Pictorial History. Published 2005, Donning Company Publishers, Virginia Beach, VA.
  • Bernard L. Allen. Parkersburg: A Bicentennial History. Parkersburg Bicentennial Committee. Printed 1985 by Josten Publishing Co., State College, PA.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Parkersburg, West Virginia.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Parkersburg.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.