| Glade Spring, Virginia | |
|---|---|
| — Town — | |
| Location of Glade Spring, Virginia | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Virginia |
| County | Washington |
| Incorporated | 1875 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Lee Coburn |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.3 sq mi (3.3 km2) |
| • Land | 1.3 sq mi (3.3 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,087 ft (636 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 1,374 |
| • Density | 1,093.4/sq mi (422.2/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 24340 |
| Area code(s) | 276 |
| FIPS code | 51-31056[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1483656[2] |
Glade Spring is a town in Washington County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,456 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Kingsport–Bristol (TN)–Bristol (VA) Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area – commonly known as the "Tri-Cities" region.
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The original name of Glade Spring derives from the Indian word Passawatami which means "this is the place." According to early records, near the town is a field where Native American tribes held a type of Olympics in the fall, with athletic competitions, dancing and socializing. The Porterfield family, who arrived about 1760, were some of the earliest permanent settlers.
During its first years, the town was called Glade Spring Depot to differentiate it from the community centered around Glade Spring Presbyterian Church, two miles to the southwest on the old stage road, now U.S. Route 11. The post office was moved from Old Glade to Glade Spring Depot in 1856 due to the arrival of the railroad.
The Civil War slowed down its growth, and local men made up a military unit called The Glade Spring Rifles. Federal and Confederate troops passed through the town several times, and cannon emplacements can still be seen just outside Glade Spring on the road to Saltville. Although a few new buildings were constructed before the Civil War, most of the town's growth occurred rapidly in the decade after the war. With the railroad access, Glade Spring turned into a prime shipping yard for produce, livestock and other local goods. An Abingdon newspaper first took note of the "stirring, thriving, wide-awake community" in 1870. By the time Glade Spring was incorporated in 1875, there were 31 houses (three were brick), six stores, two hotels, and a Masonic Hall. Virginia Intermont College was located in Glade from 1884 to 1892, before it moved to the present location in Bristol.
After the train service discontinued, the growth in the town slowed down. Today, the train tracks that once connected Glade to Saltville, are being removed and being replaced by an 8.91-mile trail called the Salt Trail.
In the early morning hours of April 28, 2011, an EF-3 tornado hit parts of the Glade Spring area, killing three people and injuring 50 others. Another person died in a traffic accident during the storm.[3][4][5] The system that hit Glade Spring was part of the April 25-28, 2011 tornado outbreak that caused hundreds of deaths and wide-spread damage all across the South.
Glade Spring is located at (36.790338, -81.773220)[6].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.3 km²), all of it land.
The elevation is 2,087 ft above sea level.
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1990 | 1,435 |
|
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| 2000 | 1,374 | −4.3% | |
| 2010 | 1,456 | 6.0% | |
| source:[7] | |||
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 1,374 people, 565 households, and 402 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,093.4 people per square mile (421.0/km²). There were 626 housing units at an average density of 498.2 per square mile (191.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 92.36% White, 7.06% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.22% from other races, and 0.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.07% of the population.
There were 565 households out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.9% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 85.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,552, and the median income for a family was $36,902. Males had a median income of $27,847 versus $20,982 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,842. About 8.1% of families and 9.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.9% of those under age 18 and 13.1% of those age 65 or over.
During the Civil War, a group of Confederate soldiers managed to steal a large amount of money, reportedly over a million dollars, from the Union Army. The Union soldiers then chased the Confederates along the road from Glade Spring to Saltville. The Confederates, sensing imminent capture, decided the best thing to do would be to hide the money.
Legend has it they found a cave, hid the money in it, and later blew up the entrance to the cave to hide it. Unfortunately, the limestone topography in this region produced many caves, and nobody knew the exact location of the hidden money. The stolen Yankee money has never been found and may still be hidden deep within a cave somewhere between Glade Spring and Saltville.
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