Mercer County

History

Mercer County was named for the American Revolutionary General Hugh Mercer.

Battle of Clark's House (1862)

The County, which was founded in 1837 and is named for Revolutionary War General Hugh Mercer, is 420.8 square miles in size and includes everything from the rocky peaks of Pinnacle Rock State Park and the coalfields beyond to the undulating farmland of the New River Valley. East River Mountain and the Bluestone Gorge are notable features of Mercer County, which is drained by the New, Bluestone, and East Rivers and has the greatest mean elevation of any county in West Virginia.

Mercer County was strongly Confederate in political sentiment when the Civil War began. In 1860 it had roughly 6,000 residents, including several hundred enslaved people. Several Confederate companies were raised in the county, particularly from communities along the New River. The West Virginia State Archives' Civil War bibliography identifies Mercer County companies in the 24th Virginia Infantry, 23rd Battalion Virginia Infantry, 17th Virginia Cavalry, 30th Battalion Virginia Sharpshooters, and the Mercer Artillery, among other formations.

Mercer County's biggest encounter with the war came because of something that wasn't even in Mercer County: the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. The railroad was strategically important to the Confederacy. In spring 1862, Union Gen. Jacob D. Cox launched a campaign through what is now southern West Virginia with the ultimate goal of reaching and disrupting the railroad in southwestern Virginia. Union troops left Fayetteville in mid-April, passed through Beckley, crossed Flat Top Mountain and entered Mercer County. On April 30/May 1, Union and Confederate troops fought around Camp Creek. The National Park Service specifically records the 23rd Ohio Infantry fighting there, suffering one killed and 20 wounded.

As the Confederates retreated, Col. Walter Jenifer ordered Princeton burned on May 1, 1862, apparently to deny shelter and supplies to the advancing Union army. Only a few structures survived. Fortunately, Mercer's county records had previously been removed to Concord Church in present-day Athens, preventing their destruction.

After West Virginia Statehood

When West Virginia entered the Union in 1863, Mercer County became part of the new state despite its strongly Confederate sympathies. After the war, the political conflict didn't disappear. Instead, it became a fight over who controlled local government and even where Mercer County's government should be located.

In 1871, West Virginia's Republican-controlled government created Summers County from portions of Mercer, Monroe, Greenbrier and Fayette counties. Mercer County lost approximately 128 square miles of territory. After the war, state authorities attempted to move the county seat from strongly secessionist Princeton to Athens. West Virginia politics changed dramatically in 1872, when Democrats regained control of the state government following the Reconstruction period where Princeton becomes the permanent county seat.

Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency HQ in Bluefield

During the early 20th century, Bluefield became a headquarters of the Baldwin–Felts Detective Agency, a private detective and security organization closely associated with the region's coal industry. Originally established to provide private police services to railroads, Baldwin–Felts expanded into the coalfields, where coal operators employed its agents to prevent unionization, monitor miners, exclude union organizers from company towns, and confront striking workers. The agency's activities contributed to the labor violence of the West Virginia Mine Wars of the 1910s and early 1920s.

The Great Depression in Mercer County

By the end of the 1920s, Mercer County's economy was heavily tied to the Pocahontas coalfield and the railroads that carried its coal. That made the county particularly vulnerable when industrial demand collapsed during the Great Depression.

There's also evidence that the problem wasn't simply the 1929 stock-market crash. The Pocahontas field was already dealing with coal overproduction and weakening markets before the Depression, and the national economic collapse made those problems considerably worse. Records of the Pocahontas Operators Association preserved at WVU include production, sales, hours worked, and tonnage lost because of a lack of market during the 1930s.

Bramwell had been one of the most extraordinary products of the Pocahontas coal boom. Wealthy coal operators lived there, and its bank handled fortunes generated by the surrounding mines. The economic downturn ended the period of extraordinary prosperity experienced by some of the county's coal communities. The Bank of Bramwell, which had accumulated substantial wealth through its connections to the coal industry, failed in 1933 during the Great Depression.

New Deal relief programs also affected the county's social welfare system. The Works Progress Administration assisted Mercer County in developing an experimental county poor farm at Sharp's Camp, where families were housed in individual cabins rather than the communal facilities traditionally used by county poor farms. The project came during a broader transformation of public assistance during the Depression, as federal welfare programs gradually replaced institutional poor relief.

There's evidence of additional WPA activity in Bluefield as well. One particularly interesting surviving building in what is now the Bluefield Green Book Historic District served as a WPA-sponsored nursery/daycare during the Depression before later becoming the Traveler's Inn Hotel serving Black travelers during segregation.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 421 square miles (1,090 km2), of which 419 square miles (1,090 km2) is land and 1.7 square miles (4.4 km2) (0.4%) is water.

In 1863, West Virginia's counties were divided into civil townships, with the intention of encouraging local government. This proved impractical in the heavily rural state, and in 1872 the townships were converted into magisterial districts. Mercer County was divided into five districts: Beaver Pond, East River, Jumping Branch, Plymouth, and Rock. In the 1970s, Mercer County's five historic districts were consolidated into three new magisterial districts: District 1, District 2, and District 3. The new districts were renamed "District I", "District II" and "District III" during the 1980s.

Major highways

The West Virginia Turnpike, now part of Interstate 77, begins in Princeton.

Adjacent counties

Raleigh County (north)

Summers County (northeast)

Giles County, Virginia (east)

Bland County, Virginia (south)

Tazewell County, Virginia (southwest)

McDowell County (west)

Wyoming County (northwest)

National protected area

Bluestone National Scenic River (part)

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 59,664. Of the residents, 20.2% were under the age of 18 and 22.1% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 44.0 years. For every 100 females there were 93.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.1 males.

The racial makeup of the county was 88.1% White, 6.2% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, 0.4% from some other race, and 4.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.2% of the population.

There were 25,356 households in the county, of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 30.5% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 29,321 housing units, of which 13.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 70.3% were owner-occupied and 29.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.3%.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 62,264 people, 26,603 households, and 17,313 families living in the county. The population density was 148.6 inhabitants per square mile (57.4/km2). There were 30,115 housing units at an average density of 71.9 units per square mile (27.8 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 91.6% white, 6.1% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 16.4% were Irish, 14.2% were German, 12.0% were English, and 11.2% were American.

Of the 26,603 households, 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.6% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.9% were non-families, and 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.83. The median age was 42.5 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,131 and the median income for a family was $42,517. Males had a median income of $37,423 versus $25,778 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,431. About 16.0% of families and 22.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.5% of those under age 18 and 11.4% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 62,980 people, 26,509 households, and 17,946 families living in the county. The population density was 150 people per square mile (58 people/km2). There were 30,143 housing units at an average density of 72 units per square mile (28 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 92.56% White, 5.82% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.10% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. 0.45% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 26,509 households, out of which 26.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.00% were married couples living together, 11.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.30% were non-families. 28.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.85.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.10% under the age of 18, 9.80% from 18 to 24, 26.20% from 25 to 44, 25.50% from 45 to 64, and 17.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $26,628, and the median income for a family was $33,524. Males had a median income of $29,243 versus $19,013 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,564. About 14.70% of families and 19.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.90% of those under age 18 and 12.70% of those age 65 or over.

The county is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area.

Politics

Mercer County's political history is largely typical of West Virginia. It was supportive of remaining with Confederate Virginia when the state was created and voted Democratic in the first few post-Civil War elections. However, the influence of coal industry executives turned the county towards the GOP during the "System of 1896". As with most of West Virginia, extensive unionization caused the county to swing to the Democratic Party during most of the twentieth century, but an extremely rapid swing towards the Republican Party has occurred since 2000, due to declining unionization, along with regional views on environmental, social and cultural issues that are increasingly at odds with the national Democratic Party.

Education

The Mercer County Public School System has nineteen elementary schools, including Athens, Bluefield Intermediate, Bluewell, Brushfork, Ceres, Glenwood Elementary, Lashmeet-Matoaka, Melrose, Memorial, Mercer County Early Learning - Bluefield and Princeton sites, Mercer, Montcalm, Oakvale (funding for constructing a new Oakvale school has been approved), Princeton Primary, Spanishburg, Straley, Sun Valley and Whitethorn. There are six middle school facilities including Princeton Middle, Bluefield Middle, Montcalm Middle, PikeView Middle, and Glenwood Middle. There are also four high school facilities, including Princeton Senior (AAA), Bluefield High (AA), Montcalm High (A) and PikeView High (AA). The Mercer County Technical Education Center, which is being transitioned into a comprehensive technical high school. Mercer County Schools educates approximately 9200 students. The professional and service staff number about 1200.

Higher educational institutions include Bluefield State College, located in Bluefield; Concord University, located in Athens; and New River Community and Technical College, located in Princeton, West Virginia.

Law enforcement

Mercer County is protected by seven agencies. Five agencies protect the incorporated areas of the county, but the non-incorporated area is the primary responsibility of the Mercer County Sheriff's Department. The Mercer County Sheriff's Department consists of 30 sworn law enforcement officers and a number of civilian employees. Within the Mercer County Sheriff's Department are several specialized units to better serve the citizens.

K-9 Unit: Deputy Ballard (Quando), Deputy Parks (Arrow), Deputy Rose (Mitis), & Deputy Ellsion (Max).

Detective Bureau: Cpl. Murphy, Detective Sparks, & Detective Combs.

SWAT: Sgt. G. W. Woods, Cpl. J. J. Ruble, Cpl. S. A. Sommers, & Detective Combs. The rest of the team consists of other agencies within the county, excluding the State Police.

The Sheriff's Department has one dedicated Deputy who serves on the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.

Mercer County is also home to the Princeton Detachment of the West Virginia State Police and a Turnpike Detachment (Highway Patrol).

Communities

Cities

Bluefield (largest city)

Princeton (county seat)

Towns

Athens

Bramwell

Oakvale

Magisterial districts

District I

District II

District III

Census-designated places

Bluewell

Brush Fork

Lashmeet

Montcalm

Matoaka