Wise County, Virginia Explained

County:Wise County
State:Virginia
Seal:Wise County Seal.jpg
Founded:1856
Seat Wl:Wise
City Type:town
Area Total Sq Mi:405
Area Land Sq Mi:403
Area Water Sq Mi:2
Area Percentage:0.5
Census Yr:2020
Pop:36130
Population Density Sq Mi:auto
Time Zone:Eastern
Web:www.wisecounty.org
Ex Image:Wise County Courthouse - Front View.JPG
Ex Image Cap:Wise County Courthouse in Wise
Ex Image Size:225px
District:9th

Wise County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. The county was formed in 1856 from Lee, Scott, and Russell Counties and named for Henry A. Wise, who was the Governor of Virginia at the time. The county seat is in Wise.

History

The Cherokee colonized the area including Wise from the Xualae between 1671 and 1685. It was later contested by the Six Nations and the Shawnee. Cherokee and Shawnee hunting parties fought a protracted battle at the headwaters of the Clinch River for two days in the summer of 1786, a victory for the Cherokee although losses were heavy on both sides.

The first white explorers to reach present-day Wise county are said to have been Thomas Walker and Christopher Gist, both in 1750. Several forts were built all along the Clinch from 1774 onward, but only after Chickamauga Cherokee leader Bob Benge was slain in 1794 was present-day Wise considered safe for white settlers even to hunt in. One of the earliest settlers within the county was William Wells around 1792.[1]

In the 1880s, coal deposits became the dominant resource utilized in the area. The Stonega Coke and Coal Company (SC&C) was formed in the town of Appalachia, Virginia.[2] Immigration trends and economic conditions across the country attracted many people to the area for work, including African Americans and Irish, Polish, Italian, and Hungarian immigrants.

Virginia's two highest security state prisons are located in Wise County: Red Onion State Prison, opened in 1998, and Wallens Ridge State Prison, opened in 1999.[3]

In July 2012 Dominion Energy built Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center in Wise County, a hybrid power plant that burns 80% coal and up to 20% biomass. In 2014, the plant was fined $47,651 by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality for emitting carbon monoxide and other gases at levels exceeding state regulations.[4]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (0.5%) is water.[5] The county is part of the Appalachians and has many mountainous features, including the peak of High Knob and Powell Valley.

Adjacent counties and cities

Major highways

National protected area

Demographics

2020 census

Wise County, Virginia - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)!Race / Ethnicity!Pop 2010[6] !Pop 2020[7] !% 2010!% 2020
White alone (NH)38,30132,58692.40%90.19%
Black or African American alone (NH)2,1181,7715.11%4.90%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)51480.12%0.13%
Asian alone (NH)1411500.34%0.42%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)2110.00%0.03%
Some Other Race alone (NH)20860.05%0.24%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)3481,0260.84%2.84%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)4714521.14%1.25%
Total41,45236,130100.00%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 census[8] of 2010, there were 41,452 people, 15,968 households, and 10,892 families residing in the county. The population density was 102.8/mi2. There were 17,940 housing units at an average density of 44/mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 93% White, 5.2% Black or African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, and 0.90% from two or more races. 1.10% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 15,968 households, out of which 31.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50,30% were married couples living together, 12.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.80% were non-families. 27.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.40% 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 2.90.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.80% under the age of 18 and 14.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 107 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.08 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,053. The per capita income for the county was $17,512. About 19.30% of the population were below the poverty line. The homeownership rate for the county is 70.00%

Education

Public schools

Wise County Public Schools operates thirteen school facilities in the county for its students.[9] For several years the Wise County School Board has considered consolidating high schools, and in 2011 it consolidated six high schools into three; Union High which serves the western part of the county, Central High which serves the central and northern parts of the county, and Eastside High which serves the eastern part of the county.

Private schools

Wise County Christian School operates as a private school in the county.

Colleges and universities

Media

Newspapers

Radio stations

Tourist attractions

Natural and outdoor recreation

A large portion of the Jefferson National Forest is contained within Wise County, and the Clinch River winds through the county. These two factors, combined with Wise County's location in the Appalachian Mountains, mean that Wise County offers many opportunities for outdoor recreation.

In addition to many trails connecting to and surrounding the Appalachian Trail system, Wise county is home to many parks, including Miners' Park in Big Stone Gap and the Louis E. Henegar Miners' Memorial Park in Appalachia.

Among the unique features of Wise County are High Knob, a mountain which featured one of the last remaining Appalachian Fire Towers until its destruction by arson on October 31, 2007,[11] and the Wetlands Estonoa Project, an Appalachian Wetland and part of the Clinch River Watershed.[12]

Theater and the arts

Festivals and fairs

Historical

Sports

UVa-Wise hosts NCAA Division II Baseball, Basketball, Football, Lacrosse, Softball, and other inter-collegiate games on the campus of UVa-Wise.

Communities

Towns

Census-designated places

Notable people

External links

Notes and References

  1. Luther Foster Addison, 1988, The Story of Wise County pp. 1–26
  2. Web site: Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park. www.swvamuseum.org. June 22, 2019. June 20, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190620015932/http://www.swvamuseum.org/coalcamps.html. live.
  3. http://realradio804.com/va-continues-program-recognized-for-transforming-highest-security-prisons/ VA Continues Program Recognized for Transforming Highest-Security Prisons
  4. Web site: State Air Pollution Control Board Enforcement Action- Order By Consent Issued To Virginia Electric Power Company, D/B/A Dominion Virginia Power For The Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center. Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. May 14, 2018. January 26, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170126221436/http://www.deq.virginia.gov/Portals/0/DEQ/Enforcement/FinalOrders/Consent%20for%20VA%20City%20Hybrid%20Energy%20Center.pdf. live.
  5. Web site: US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990. United States Census Bureau. April 23, 2011. February 12, 2011. August 24, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190824085937/https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html. live.
  6. Web site: P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Wise County, Virginia. United States Census Bureau.
  7. Web site: P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Wise County, Virginia. United States Census Bureau.
  8. Web site: U.S. Census website. United States Census Bureau. May 14, 2011. December 27, 1996. https://web.archive.org/web/19961227012639/http://www.census.gov/. live.
  9. Web site: Wise County Public Schools > Home. July 26, 2016. May 18, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130518035055/http://www.wise.k12.va.us/schools.htm. dead.
  10. Web site: Coalfield Progress Online. October 5, 2023.
  11. Web site: Spark It Up!!!: High Knob Tower Burns. July 26, 2016. October 13, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161013054432/http://kilosparksitup.blogspot.com/2007/11/high-knob-tower-burns.html. live.
  12. Web site: Wetlands Estonoa Project . Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources . March 11, 2024.
  13. Web site: Appalachian Children's Theatre Introduction . October 5, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20090415203433/http://actshine.org/. April 15, 2009.
  14. Web site: WELCOME TO CLINCH RIVER DAYS!!!. Clinch River Days Festival. March 6, 2018. en. March 7, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180307023808/https://www.clinchriverfest.com/about. live.
  15. Web site: Home Wise County Famous Fall Fling. October 5, 2023.