Mineral County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...

. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,938. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

is Keyser. The county was founded in 1866.

History

Ancient history

Indigenous peoples Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

lived throughout the highlands along rivers in this area for thousands of years.

Archeologists Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscape ...

have identified artifacts of the

Adena culture The Adena culture was a Pre-Columbian Native American culture that existed from 500 BCE to 100 CE, in a time known as the Early Woodland period. The Adena culture refers to what were probably a number of related Native American societies sharing ...

, dating from 1000 BC to 200 BC. They were among the several early Native American cultures who built major earthwork mounds for ceremonial and burial use. Remnants of their culture have been found throughout West Virginia. They were followed by other indigenous peoples. With the growth of fur trading to the north after European encounter in the coastal areas, the nations of the ''

Haudenosaunee The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian Peoples, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Indigenous confederations in North America, confederacy of First Nations in Canada, First Natio ...

'' (or Iroquois Confederacy), based in present-day New York, moved into the Ohio Valley in search of new hunting grounds. By the 17th century they had conquered other tribes, pushed them out to the west, and preserved the area for hunting.

1863 to present

It was not until after West Virginia became a state in 1863 that present-day Mineral County was organized. It was created in 1866 by an Act of the West Virginia Legislature from the existing Hampshire County. The name was selected due to its reserves of minerals, especially

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when ...

- although coal, a type of sedimentary rock, is not a mineral because it does not have a crystalline structure. The seminal point in the creation of the county was the arrival of the main line of the

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the first common carrier railroad and the oldest railroad in the United States, with its first section opening in 1830. Merchants from Baltimore, which had benefited to some extent from the construction of ...

in 1842. The county seat of Keyser was named for an executive of the railroad. In 1863, West Virginia's counties were divided into

civil township A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States that is subordinate to a county, most often in the northern and midwestern parts of the country. The term town is used in New England, New York, and Wisconsin to ref ...

s, 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. After its formation in 1866, Mineral County was divided into seven townships: Cabin Run, Elk, Frankfort, Mill Creek, New Creek, Piedmont, and Welton. Mill Creek Township was returned to Hampshire County in 1871, and in 1872 the six remaining townships became magisterial districts. Except for minor adjustments, they remained relatively unchanged until the 1980s, when they were consolidated into three new districts: District 1, District 2, and District 3.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.4%) is water.

Mountains

The northern terminus of the

Allegheny Front The Allegheny Front is the major southeast- or east-facing escarpment in the Allegheny Mountains in southern Pennsylvania, western Maryland, eastern West Virginia, and western Virginia, USA. The Allegheny Front forms the boundary between the ...

in West Virginia lies in Mineral County and includes the highest point in the county. Known as "the Pinnacle", it is above sea level. From the abandoned fire tower four states are visible,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. The Allegheny Front is the largest mountain in the county; on the north end it is also known as Green Mountain. On top of the

Allegheny Plateau The Allegheny Plateau , in the United States, is a large dissected plateau area of the Appalachian Mountains in western and central New York (state), New York, northern and western Pennsylvania, northern and western West Virginia, and eastern Oh ...

is located the town of

Elk Garden, West Virginia Elk Garden is a town in Mineral County, West Virginia, United States. It is part of the 'Cumberland, MD- WV Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 211 at the 2020 census. Elk Garden High School was consolidated into Keyser High Schoo ...

in the southwestern portion of the county. The Potomac River Valley lies to west and north of the mountain, and the

New Creek New Creek is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 15, 2011 stream in eastern West Virginia, United States. It is the third major West Virginia tributary to the North ...

Valley lies to the east.

Knobly Mountain Knobly Mountain is a ridge and part of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, located east of New Creek Mountain in Mineral and Grant counties, West Virginia, in the United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known a ...

lies between the New Creek and Patterson Creek valleys. It is the longest mountain in Mineral County stretching from the Grant County line in the south to the Potomac River in the north at

Ridgeley, West Virginia Ridgeley is a town in Mineral County, West Virginia, Mineral County, West Virginia, United States, and part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area, Cumberland Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 590 at the 2020 United ...

. To the east of the Patterson Creek Valley lie a series of low hills which form the eastern border of the county with Hampshire County.

Rivers

North Branch Potomac River The North Branch Potomac River flows from Fairfax Stone in West Virginia to its confluence with the South Branch Potomac River near Green Spring, West Virginia, where it turns into the Potomac River proper. Course From the Fairfax Stone, th ...

is the largest river, though not actually in the county. It forms the northern border of the county and the state border with actual border being the low water mark on the south side.

Jennings Randolph Lake Jennings Randolph Lake is a reservoir of located on the North Branch Potomac River in Garrett County, Maryland and Mineral County, West Virginia. It is approximately eight miles upstream of Bloomington, Maryland, and approximately five miles n ...

is located on this stream. *

enters the North Branch Potomac River at Keyser with the headwaters starting at Dam Site 14 in

Grant County, West Virginia Grant County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,976. Its county seat is Petersburg. The county was created from Hardy County in 1866 and named for Civil War General Ulysses S. Grant. ...

. It is the water supply for the city of Keyser. *

Patterson Creek Patterson Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 15, 2011 tributary of the North Branch Potomac River in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle, in the United States. ...

enters the Potomac River east of

Cumberland, Maryland Cumberland is a U.S. city in and the county seat of Allegany County, Maryland. It is the primary city of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 19,076. Located on the Potomac River, ...

with headwaters being in

. The Patterson Creek watershed contains two-thirds of Mineral County.

Minerals

Natural gas Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbo ...

is found east of the Allegheny Front as well as iron ore deposits. The county no longer produces

iron Iron () is a chemical element with Symbol (chemistry), symbol Fe (from la, Wikt:ferrum, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 element, group 8 of the periodic table. It is, Abundanc ...

, but several abandoned iron furnaces from the 19th century still exist.

Demographics

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, there were 27,078 people, 10,784 households, and 7,710 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 83 people per square mile (32/km²). There were 12,094 housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile (14/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.16%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 2.55%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.11% Native American, 0.20%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.21% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.76% from two or more races. 0.58% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. There were 10,784 households, out of which 30.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.90% were married couples living together, 9.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.50% were non-families. 25.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.93. In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.40% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 27.10% from 25 to 44, 25.90% from 45 to 64, and 15.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.00 males. The median income for a household in the county was $31,149, and the median income for a family was $37,866. Males had a median income of $32,337 versus $20,090 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $15,384. About 11.50% of families and 14.70% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 21.10% of those under age 18 and 11.60% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

2010 United States census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servi ...

, there were 28,212 people, 11,550 households, and 7,879 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 13,039 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 95.3% white, 2.8% black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 32.9% were

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 16.0% were

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

, 11.3% were

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, and 10.0% were American. Of the 11,550 households, 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.5% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.8% were non-families, and 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age was 42.3 years. The median income for a household in the county was $36,571 and the median income for a family was $46,820. Males had a median income of $44,068 versus $25,675 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,805. About 11.7% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the

, including 25.2% of those under age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

After having leaned strongly towards the Democratic Party between the New Deal and Bill Clinton's presidency, most of West Virginia has, since 2000, seen a swing towards the Republican Party due to declining unionization and differences with the Democratic Party's liberal views on social issues. Mineral County, in contrast, was formed from the Unionist portion of Hampshire County following the Civil War and has always leaned Republican, although it has never been nearly so rock-ribbed as analogously-created

Grant County Grant County may refer to: Places ;Australia * County of Grant, Victoria ;United States *Grant County, Arkansas *Grant County, Indiana * Grant County, Kansas *Grant County, Kentucky *Grant County, Minnesota *Grant County, Nebraska *Grant C ...

. Nonetheless, Mineral County would not vote Democratic between 1888 and 1932 inclusive – although voting for

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

in 1912 – and the last Democrat to carry the county was

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1 ...

in 1976.

Government

County Commission

Mineral County is governed by a three-member commission, one member to be elected every two years to a six-year term of office. The County Commission, as the governing body, is responsible for the fiscal affairs and general administration of county government. The County Commission does not possess

home rule Home rule is government of a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens. It is thus the power of a part (administrative division) of a state or an external dependent country to exercise such of the state's powers of governance wit ...

per Article 6, Section 39a of the

Constitution of West Virginia The Constitution of the State of West Virginia West Virginia State Constitution is the supreme law of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It expresses the rights of the state's citizens and provides the framework for the organization of law and gover ...

Commissioners

*Jerry Whisner,

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Commission President: term ending 2016 *Roger Leatherman,

: term ending 2020 *Richard Lechliter,

: term ending 2018

Appointed commissions

*The Mineral County Planning Commission is charged with administering Mineral County's land use ordinances. It operates under section §8A-2-1 of the

state code. Its subdivisions include Industrial Park Construction, Storm Water Management, and Flood Plain Management. Members are appointed to the planning commission, by the county commission, for 3 year terms. *Th
Mineral County Development Authority
administers

industrial park An industrial park (also known as industrial estate, trading estate) is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development. An industrial park can be thought of as a more "heavyweight" version of a business park or office park ...

s and seeks to bring new business to the county. Current Executive Director, Kevin Clark

Office of Assessor

* Assessor: Jill Cosner, Republican.

Circuit Clerk

Krista Dixon

County Clerk

The Clerk is elected to a six-year term with the right to succeed himself/herself. The primary duties and responsibilities of the Clerk of the County Commission may be identified as two basic functions: # to act as clerk (fiscal officer, secretary) of the County Commission, and # to act as the receiver of fees charged for the instruments to be filed and recorded within the county. The official books and papers of the Office of the Clerk of the County Commission are considered permanent public records. The County Commissions through their clerks shall have the custody of all deeds and other papers presented for record in their counties and they shall be preserved therein. They shall have jurisdiction in all matters of probate, the appointment and qualification of personal representatives, guardians, committees, curators and the settlement of their accounts. The Clerk shall have custody of all election records, payroll and budgetary accounting, and accounts payable. County Clerk: Lauren Ellifritz, Republican

State Representatives

House of Delegates

Senate

Economy

Industrial parks

Th
Mineral County Development Authority
operates industrial parks near Keyser, featuring

rail Rail or rails may refer to: Rail transport *Rail transport and related matters *Rail (rail transport) or railway lines, the running surface of a railway Arts and media Film * ''Rails'' (film), a 1929 Italian film by Mario Camerini * ''Rail'' ( ...

access, and near

Fort Ashby Fort Ashby is a historic stockade fort located in Fort Ashby, West Virginia, US. A military installation constructed during the French and Indian War, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Origin On October 26, 1755, Colone ...

, with fiber optics and sitewide wireless Interne
Keyser Industrial ParkFort Ashby Business and Technology Park

Education

The school district for Mineral County is

Mineral County Schools Mineral County Schools is the operating school district within Mineral County, West Virginia. The district is governed by the Mineral County Board of Education. The superintendent for Mineral County Schools is Troy Ravenscroft M.Ed. Ravenscroft b ...

High schools

includes two high schools: Frankfort High School located near Short Gap and

Keyser High School Keyser High School is a comprehensive four-year public high school located in Keyser, West Virginia, in Mineral County that operates as part of the Mineral County Schools District. History Piedmont High School was combined into Keyser High ...

located south of Keyser.

Colleges

Potomac State College, a two-year school, is located in the county seat of

Keyser, West Virginia Keyser () is a city in and the county seat of Mineral County, West Virginia. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,853 at the 2020 census. History Keyser, the county seat of Mineral County, i ...

on the site of

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

Fort Fuller. Eastern West Virginia Community & Technical College holds classes at Mineral County -- Technical -- Technical Center.

Transportation

Airport

The

Greater Cumberland Regional Airport Greater Cumberland Regional Airport is a public airport in the town of Wiley Ford in Mineral County, West Virginia, United States. It is two miles (3 km) south of Cumberland (population 21,518) in Allegany County, Maryland. Although the ...

is located in Wiley Ford.

Public Transportation

The Potomac Valley Transit Authority provides deviated fixed route and demand response public transportation services to residents.

Rail

CSX CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...

lines run along the

Potomac River The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augu ...

on the northern border of the county.

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...

service is available in

, just across from

. Keyser's railroad station closed in the 1980s.

Major highways

U.S. Route 50 * US 220

U.S. Route 220 U.S. Route 220 (US 220) is a spur route of US 20. It runs in a north–south layout in the eastern United States, unlike its parent route as well as conventionally even-numbered highways which run east-west. US 220 extends for f ...

West Virginia Route 28 West Virginia Route 28 is a north–south route through the Potomac Highlands of the U.S. state of West Virginia. The southern terminus of the route is at West Virginia Route 39 in Huntersville. The northern terminus is at the Maryland state l ...

West Virginia Route 42 West Virginia Route 42 is a north–south state highway connecting Grant County to Mineral County in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. The southern terminus of the route is at West Virginia Route 28 and West Virginia Route 55 in Peters ...

West Virginia Route 46 * WV-93

West Virginia Route 93 West Virginia Route 93 is an east–west state highway located in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. WV 93 runs from U.S. Route 48 and West Virginia Route 32 in Davis in Tucker County to U.S. Route 220 near Keyser in Mineral County. ...

West Virginia Route 956

Parks and public recreational attractions

Larenim Park

Owned by Mineral County, the park size is . Includes two pavilions with 10 tables, an amphitheater with

seating capacity Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...

of 600. One Little League field and one softball field. Fishing Areas; two flood control dams stocked by WVDNR, . All are open to public hunting by permit. Approximately 5 miles of trails. An arboretum is under construction at Larenim to include a Shale Barrens Conservancy. Larenim Park is also home to the local theater group, McNeill's Rangers.

Barnum Whitewater Area

Owned by Mineral County with size of approximately . Includes of rail/trail. This area has approximately of river frontage on the North Branch of the

below Jennings Randolph Lake, along the old

Western Maryland Railway The Western Maryland Railway was an American Class I railroad (1852–1983) which operated in Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. It was primarily a coal hauling and freight railroad, with a small passenger train operation. The WM beca ...

right-of-way. It is one of the best trout streams in West Virginia and also provides of whitewater rafting and canoeing for the entire family to enjoy. Public hunting permitted on surrounding state lands.

MINCO Park

Owned by the Mineral County Board of Education, MINCO Park's size is . Its facilities include two pavilions with 50 picnic tables, nine cabins, a dining field, a chapel, meeting room, and bath/shower facilities.

Van Myra Campground

Owned by the State of West Virginia and leased by Mineral County, the campground area is . Three picnic tables, four mini-pavilions, and picnic area only comprise this facility.

Dam Site #21

Owned by Mineral County, , with no facilities. Fishing flood control dam.

Jennings Randolph Lake

, named for Senator

Jennings Randolph Jennings Randolph (March 8, 1902May 8, 1998) was an American politician from West Virginia. A Democrat, he was most notable for his service in the United States House of Representatives from 1933 to 1947 and the United States Senate from 1958 to ...

, near Elk Garden offers extensive recreational opportunity with its and more than of shoreline. Howell Run Picnic Area overlooks the lake and contains 40 picnic sites, two pavilions, a playground and vault toilets. The Howell Run Boat Launch consists of a two lane concrete ramp. the Robert W. Craig Campground is situated on a high ridge overlooking the dam site and features 87 campsites, potable water, hot showers, vault toilets and a playground. A 3/4 mile long interpretive trail has been developed in the area. The West Virginia Overlook area contains a two tier Visitor Center. Waffle Rock, a unique natural rock formation, can also be viewed from the Overlook.

Golf courses

*''Polish Pines'' – Privately owned, nine holes, Club House *''Mill Creek'' – Privately owned, nine holes, Club House

Libraries

Mineral County is home to the Keyser-Mineral County public library. It was a product of the Works Progress Administration and opened in 1937. In 1962 in moved to a larger location, in the building formerly occupied by the Farmers and Merchants bank. The library is funded by the West Virginia Library Commission, Mineral County Court, and Keyser City Council. In addition to the main branch in Keyser, the library also has branches in Burlington and Fort Ashby.

Communities

City

* Keyser (county seat)

Towns

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

* Ridgeley * Carpendale * Elk Garden

Magisterial districts

*District 1 *District 2 *District 3

Census-designated places

Burlington Burlington may refer to: Places Canada Geography * Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador * Burlington, Nova Scotia * Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington" * Burlington, Prince Edward Island * Burlington Bay, no ...

* Wiley Ford

Unincorporated communities

Antioch Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou'', Learned ; also Syrian Antioch) grc-koi, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου; or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπ� ...

* Atlantic Hill *

Barnum Phineas Taylor Barnum (; July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, businessman, and politician, remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and founding the Barnum & Bailey Circus (1871–2017) with James Anthony Bailey. He wa ...

Beryl Beryl ( ) is a mineral composed of beryllium aluminium silicate with the chemical formula Be3Al2Si6O18. Well-known varieties of beryl include emerald and aquamarine. Naturally occurring, hexagonal crystals of beryl can be up to several ...

* Blaine * Champwood *

Claysville Claysville is a borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States and part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area since 1950. The population was 728 at the 2020 census. Claysville Elementary School, part of the McGuffey School District is lo ...

Cross A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a sa ...

* Dans Run * Emoryville * Foote Station * Forge Hill *

Fountain A fountain, from the Latin "fons" (genitive "fontis"), meaning source or spring, is a decorative reservoir used for discharging water. It is also a structure that jets water into the air for a decorative or dramatic effect. Fountains were ori ...

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...

* Hartmansville * Headsville * Keymont * Laurel Dale *

Limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

* Markwood * Nethkin *

* Oakmont *

* Reeses Mill * Ridgeley * Ridgeville * Rocket Center * Russelldale * Short Gap *

Skyline A skyline is the outline or shape viewed near the horizon. It can be created by a city’s overall structure, or by human intervention in a rural setting, or in nature that is formed where the sky meets buildings or the land. City skyline ...

* Sulphur City * Wagoner

Historical sites

Notable people

* Colonel James Allen * John Ashby * Woodrow Wilson Barr * Thomas Carskadon * Henry G. Davis *

Thomas Beall Davis Thomas Beall Davis (April 25, 1828 – November 26, 1911), of Keyser, West Virginia, was an American Democratic politician. Biography Davis was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and was the brother of Henry Gassaway Davis. He relocated to Howard C ...

Lynndie England Lynndie Rana England (born November 8, 1982) is a former United States Army Reserve soldier who was prosecuted for mistreating detainees during the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse that occurred at the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad during the ...

Henry Louis Gates Henry Louis "Skip" Gates Jr. (born September 16, 1950) is an American literary critic, professor, historian, and filmmaker, who serves as the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African and African Amer ...

Nancy Hanks Lincoln Nancy Hanks Lincoln (February 5, 1784 – October 5, 1818) was the mother of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. Her marriage to Thomas Lincoln also produced a daughter, Sarah, and a son, Thomas Jr. When Nancy and Thomas had been married for ...

, mother of

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

Jonah Edward Kelley Jonah Edward "Eddie" Kelley (April 13, 1923 – January 31, 1945) was a United States Army soldier who received the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in World War II. Biography Kelley was born in Rad ...

John Kruk John Martin Kruk (born February 9, 1961) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and outfielder. Kruk played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Philadelphia Phillies, and Chicago White Sox from through . Du ...

Leo Mazzone Leo David Mazzone (born October 16, 1948) is a former pitcher in minor league baseball and pitching coach in Major League Baseball. He worked with the Atlanta Braves' organization from to and was the pitching coach for the Baltimore Orioles fr ...

* Catherine Marshall * Walter E. "Jack" Rollins * Harley Orrin Staggers, Sr. * Harley "Buckey" Staggers, Jr. * Ken Ward Jr. * Steve Whiteman

Footnotes

References

{{authority control 1866 establishments in West Virginia Populated places established in 1866 West Virginia counties on the Potomac River Counties of Appalachia