Parkersburg (West Virginia)

Wood County

5462140

Parkersburg is a city and administrative headquarters simultaneously ( County Seat) of Wood County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. In 2010, 31 492 inhabitants lived in Parkersburg.

Geography

Parkersburg is located at 39 ° 15'58 " north latitude and 81 ° 32'32 " west longitude. About 70 kilometers away is Cambridge to the north. Charleston is located 90 km south. The Interstate 77 highway is tangent to the city to the east. In the city of Little Kanawha River flows into the Ohio River.

History

The town was originally called Newport, but was renamed in 1810 in honor of settler Alexander Parker in " Parkersburg ". In 1860 the town was Status City. After the construction of a railway line became Parkersburg increasing importance as a trade hub and medical center during the American Revolutionary War. After the war the city was an influential distribution center for products of the oil and gas industry.

Parkersburg is today a cultural center and home to many museums, including:

  • Blennerhassett Museum of Regional History
  • Henry Cooper Log Cabin Museum
  • Oil and Gas Museum
  • Sumnerite African- American History Museum
  • The Artcraft Studio
  • Veterans Museum of Mid - Ohio Valley

Gallery

Belpre Parkersburg Bridge over the Ohio River in Parkersburg

Flood protection wall on the Ohio River in Parkersburg

Skyline of Parkersburg

Aerial view of the modern Parkersburg 2005

Chancellor House in Parkersburg

Wood County Courthouse in Parkersburg

The Parkersburg Municipal Building

Demographic data

In 2010, a population of 31 492 individuals was determined, which is a decrease compared to 2000 by 4.9 %. The average age of residents in 2010 was 41.2 years and was slightly below the average of the State of West Virginia of 43.4 years. The unemployment rate was 8.9 % in March 2012.

Sons and daughters of the town

County (United States) Wood County (West Virginia) Federal Information Processing Standards City (United States) Cambridge (Ohio) Walt Barnes John D. Hoblitzell, Jr. Hunter Holmes Moss, Jr.
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