Doddridge County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

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 so ...

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,808. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is West Union. Doddridge County is part of the Clarksburg, West Virginia, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

First settlers

The area that became Doddridge County, Virginia – now West Virginia – was first settled in the late 1780s by James Caldwell, who owned of land that included present West Union. Caldwell sold this land to Nathan Davis, Jr (1772-1866) and his brothers Joseph and William around 1807. They in turn sold to

Lewis Maxwell Lewis Maxwell (April 17, 1790 – February 13, 1862) was a U.S. Representative from Virginia. Biography Born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, Maxwell moved with his mother to Virginia about 1800. He completed a preparatory course. He studied law ...

(1790-1862), a

Virginia Assembly The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, and the first elected legislative assembly in the New World. It was established on July 30, ...

delegate in the 1820s who later became a

U.S. Congressman The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

. In 1828 Ephraim Bee, Sr (1802–1888) and his wife Catherine established a log home on Meathouse Fork of

Middle Island Creek Middle Island Creek is a river, 77 miles (124 km) long, in northwestern West Virginia in the United States. It is a tributary of the Ohio River, draining an area of 565 square miles (1,463 km2) on the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau. It ...

, now part of West Union. They built an Inn across the "Creek" (really a river) at what was then called Lewisport (Congressman Maxwell's namesake), below a blockhouse on the

Northwestern Turnpike The Northwestern Turnpike is a historic road in West Virginia (Virginia at the time the road was created), important for being historically one of the major roads crossing the Appalachians, financed by the Virginia Board of Public Works in the ...

. The "Beehive Inn" became a popular place for travelers and locals to meet, refresh themselves and re-provision. Bee operated the first local blacksmith shop; a farm, stables, tannery and horse-racing track soon followed. According to Ephraim's father, A.A. Bee: "The first bridge across Middle Island Creek t West Unionwas of hewed logs with a center abutment of stones. In the great flood of 1835 it was washed away". In 1842, a contract was awarded to the well-known

civil engineer A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing i ...

Claudius Crozet Claude "Claudius" Crozet (December 31, 1789 – January 29, 1864) was a soldier, educator, and civil engineer. Crozet was born in France and trained as an artillery officer and civil engineer. After the defeat of Napoleon's army, he emigrated t ...

to build a covered bridge at West Union, as part of a series of public works along the Turnpike. Ephraim Bee was later to become a district officer, magistrate, state legislator, hotelier, and postmaster. As blacksmith, he made all the bolts and bands for the

West Union Covered Bridge The West Union Covered Bridge formerly carried Tow Path Road over Sugar Creek north-northeast of Montezuma, Indiana. The two-span Burr Arch Truss covered bridge structure was built by Joseph J. Daniels in 1876. It is notable for being the l ...

, completed in 1843.

New county

Doddridge County was officially created in 1845 from parts of

Harrison Harrison may refer to: People * Harrison (name) * Harrison family of Virginia, United States Places Australia * Harrison, Australian Capital Territory, suburb in the Canberra district of Gungahlin Canada * Inukjuak, Quebec, or "Port H ...

, Tyler,

Ritchie Ritchie may refer to: People Surname Given name Fictional characters *Ritchie, a character in the 1986 American science fiction movie ''Howard the Duck'' *Ritchie Tozer, on the TV series ''It's a Sin'' (TV series) * Robert Ritchie (''The Wes ...

, and

Lewis Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * " Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohe ...

Counties of what was then still Virginia. It was named for

Philip Doddridge Philip Doddridge D.D. (26 June 1702 – 26 October 1751) was an English Nonconformist (specifically, Congregationalist) minister, educator, and hymnwriter. Early life Philip Doddridge was born in London, the last of the twenty children ...

(1773–1832), the late statesman of western Virginia who was the leading voice for westerners during the

Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1829–1830 The Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1829–1830 was a constitutional convention for the U.S. state, state of Virginia, held in Richmond, Virginia, Richmond from October 5, 1829, to January 15, 1830. Background and composition Almost imme ...

. When it was announced the new county would be formed, Ephraim Bee rallied to locate the

at Lewisport. But Nathan Davis, Jr (who was Ephraim's wife's uncle), William Fitz Randolph, and others, won out in favor of West Union, across the river on the south side. There Ethelbert Bond (Nathan's son-in-law and William's wife's cousin) laid out the town lots in regular fashion on land formerly owned by Davis. Progress of the

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the oldest railroads in North America, oldest railroad in the United States and the first steam engine, steam-operated common carrier. Construction of the line began in 1828, and it operated as B&O from 1830 ...

, on its way from Clarksburg to Parkersburg, reached and bisected the county in 1856. On the night of March 27, 1858, a fire devastated the town of West Union. West Virginia became a state following the Wheeling Conventions of 1861, after the American Civil War had begun. 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 (United States), county, most often in the northern and midwestern parts of the country. The term town is used in New England town, Ne ...

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. Doddridge County was divided into six districts: Central, Grant, McClellan, New Milton, Southwest, and West Union. A seventh district, Greenbrier, was created from part of New Milton in 1885; and an eighth, Cove, was formed from part of Southwest District between 1890 and 1900. The historic magisterial districts were consolidated into four new districts between 1980 and 1990: Beech, Maple, Oak, and Pine. Maxwell Ridge – named for the Congressman's family – is said to have a cave (Gatrell Cave) that was used by the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was an organized network of secret routes and safe houses used by freedom seekers to escape to the abolitionist Northern United States and Eastern Canada. Enslaved Africans and African Americans escaped from slavery ...

in the years leading up to the Civil War. Another nearby grotto, Jaco Cave, is said to have been used for the same purpose and is also featured in a movie from the 1970s called “No Drums, No Bugles” which features some locals as well as Martin Sheen, father of Charlie Sheen. The county seat of West Union was incorporated on July 20, 1881.

Oil and gas boom

Doddridge County's oil and gas industry was an enormous boon to residents. The county's first oil pool, at Center Point, was discovered ("brought in" as it was then termed) and drilled in 1892. This was an extension of the technology and boom of the western Pennsylvania oil and gas fields into Tyler and Doddridge Counties. Many farm owners, and sons of farm owners, split their time between their farmwork and the petroleum operations. Almost every local farm benefited from this as free gas was piped to the farmhouses of many landowners. Gas was soon used for heating, lighting, and cooking, which replaced the wood stoves, kerosene and candles of previous generations. By 1906, the Ideal Glass Factory opened to take advantage of the abundant natural gas. It was followed by the Doddridge County Window Glass Company. The two plants employed about 300 people. In later years a garment factory opened, but closed in the mid-1990s. A long-remembered flood devastated West Union in June 1950, destroying homes and businesses and killing more than 20 people throughout the county. (One casualty was the 107-year-old covered bridge.) Today farming, timbering, oil and gas, and the business of county government and public education support the area, and many people commute to jobs in Salem, Clarksburg, and Parkersburg, or to the North Central Regional Jail in Greenwood. The

Lathrop Russell Charter House The Lathrop Russell Charter House is a historic home located at West Union, Doddridge County, West Virginia, U.S.A. It was built in 1877, and is a two-story, T-shaped frame dwelling, with a low-pitched hipped roof with bracketed eaves. It fea ...

Doddridge County Courthouse The Doddridge County Courthouse in West Union, West Virginia, West Union, Doddridge County, West Virginia, USA, was designed in the Romanesque Revival, Victorian Romanesque style by J. Charles Fulton, who also designed courthouses in Barbour Coun ...

, Silas P. Smith Opera House, and W. Scott Stuart House are individually listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. West Union is also home to two nationally recognized

historic districts A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from ce ...

West Union Downtown Historic District West Union Downtown Historic District is a national historic district located at West Union, Doddridge County, West Virginia. It encompasses 27 contributing buildings that include the commercial and civic core of the town, and surrounding resi ...

and West Union Residential Historic District.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.2%) is water.

Major highways

U.S. Route 50 U.S. Route 50 or U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching from Interstate 80 (I-80) in West Sacramento, California, to Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) in Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlantic ...

West Virginia Route 18 West Virginia Route 18 is a north–south state highway in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of West Virginia. The southern terminus of the route is at West Virginia Route 47 in Troy, West Virginia, Troy, Gilmer County, West Virgi ...

West Virginia Route 23 West Virginia Route 23 is a north–south state highway in the northern portion of the U.S. state of West Virginia. The northern terminus of the route is at West Virginia Route 18 in Tyler, Tyler County. The southern terminus is at old U. ...

Adjacent counties

* Wetzel County (north) * Harrison County (east) * Lewis County (southeast) * Gilmer County (south) * Ritchie County (west) * Tyler County (northwest)

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 7,808 people and 2,309 households residing in the county. There were 3,241 housing units in Doddridge. The racial makeup of the county was 93.5% White, 2.2% African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% Native American, 0.4% from other races, and 3.4% from two or more races. Of the 2,309 households, 66.9% were married couples living together, 16.9% had a female householder with no spouse present, 13.6% had a male householder with no spouse present. The average household and family size was 3.65. The median age in the county was 46.2 years with 15.2% of the population under 18. The median income for a household was $58,750 and the poverty rate was 15.2%.

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 7,403 people, 2,845 households, and 2,102 families living in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was . There were 3,661 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 98.31%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.27%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.31%

Native American Native Americans or Native American usually refers to Native Americans in the United States. Related terms and peoples include: Ethnic groups * Indigenous peoples of the Americas, the pre-Columbian peoples of North, South, and Central America ...

, 0.15% Asian, 0.14% from other races, and 0.82% from two or more races. 0.57% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. There were 2,845 households, out of which 32.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.30% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 10.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.10% were non-families. 22.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.98. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.00% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 26.60% from 25 to 44, 25.10% from 45 to 64, and 14.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.10 males. The median income for a household in the county was $26,744, and the median income for a family was $30,502. Males had a median income of $26,902 versus $20,250 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the county was $13,507. About 15.30% of families and 19.80% 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 ...

, including 23.00% of those under age 18 and 13.60% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 8,202 people, 3,099 households, and 2,169 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 3,946 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.0% white, 1.4% black or African American, 0.3% American Indian, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 24.3% were

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, 16.8% were Irish, 11.7% were

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

, 10.3% were

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

, and 6.1% were

French Canadian French Canadians, referred to as Canadiens mainly before the nineteenth century, are an ethnic group descended from French people, French colonists first arriving in Canada (New France), France's colony of Canada in 1608. The vast majority of ...

. Of the 3,099 households, 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.0% were non-families, and 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age was 42.4 years. The median income for a household in the county was $30,019 and the median income for a family was $34,016. Males had a median income of $30,219 versus $21,121 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,658. About 15.4% of families and 25.1% of the population were below the

, including 36.7% of those under age 18 and 20.2% 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 an extremely rapid swing towards the Republican Party due to declining unionization and differences with the Democratic Party's liberal views on social issues. In contrast, Doddridge County along with neighbouring Ritchie County and Tyler County were historically powerfully Unionist and have always been rock-ribbed Republican since the Civil War. Only two Democratic presidential candidates have won Doddridge County since West Virginia's statehood: Samuel J. Tilden in 1876,Menendez, Albert J.; ''The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States'', 1868-2004, pp. 334-337 and

Lyndon Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after assassination of John F. Kennedy, the assassination of John F. Ken ...

– who won by just six votes – in 1964.

Communities

Town

* West Union (county seat)

Magisterial districts

* Beech * Maple * Oak * Pine

Unincorporated communities

Ashley Ashley is a place name derived from the Old English words '' æsċ'' (“ash”) and '' lēah'' (“meadow”). It may refer to: People and fictional characters * Ashley (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name ...

* Avon * Avondale * Big Battle * Big Flint * Big Isaac * Blandville * Center Point *

Central Station Central stations or central railway stations emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century as railway stations that had initially been built on the edge of city centres were enveloped by urban expansion and became an integral part of the ...

* Doak * Duckworth * Greenwood * Industrial * Joy *

Miletus Miletus (Ancient Greek: Μίλητος, Mílētos) was an influential ancient Greek city on the western coast of Anatolia, near the mouth of the Maeander River in present day Turkey. Renowned in antiquity for its wealth, maritime power, and ex ...

New Milton New Milton is a market town and civil parish in the New Forest District, New Forest district, in southwest Hampshire, England. To the north is in the New Forest and to the south the coast at Barton-on-Sea. The town is equidistant between Lymi ...

* Nina *

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

* Sedalia * Smithburg *

Zinnia ''Zinnia'' is a genus of plants of the tribe Heliantheae within the family Asteraceae. They are native to scrub and dry grassland in an area stretching from the Southwestern United States to South America, with a centre of diversity in Mexic ...

Notable people

Matthew M. Neely Matthew Mansfield Neely (November 9, 1874January 18, 1958) was an American Democratic politician from West Virginia. He is the only West Virginian to serve in both houses of the United States Congress and as the 21st governor of West Virginia. H ...

, only West Virginian to serve in both houses of the US Congress and as governor. * J. H. Diss DeBar, designed the

Great Seal A great seal is a seal used by a head of state, or someone authorised to do so on their behalf, to confirm formal documents, such as laws, treaties, appointments and letters of dispatch. It was and is used as a guarantee of the authenticity of ...

and Coat of Arms of West Virginia. * Bantz J. Craddock, four-star U.S. Army general. * Ephraim Bee, founder of the Ancient and Honorable Order of

E Clampus Vitus The Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus (ECV) is a fraternal organization dedicated to the preservation of the heritage of the Western United States, especially the history of the Mother Lode#California Mother Lode, Mother Lode and gold ...

. *

(1790 - 1862), U.S. Representative from Virginia *

Clyde Ware Clyde Coster Ware, Jr (December 22, 1930 – August 30, 2010) was an American television and film screenwriter, director, and producer, best known for his teleplays for ''The Spy with My Face'' (1965), ''Gunsmoke'' (1965–67) and ''Coward of the Co ...

, novelist (''The Eden Tree'') and television and motion picture director and screenwriter ('' No Drums, No Bugles'').

References

Citations

Other sources

* Corathers, Lily Smith (1927),
History of Nutter's Fork Community
'; Doddridge County Agricultural Extension Division.

External links

Doddridge County Public Library

Doddridge County Fair Commission, Inc.

{{authority control 1845 establishments in Virginia Populated places established in 1845 Northwestern Turnpike Clarksburg micropolitan area