Richlands, Virginia
| Town of Richlands, Virginia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Town | ||
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| Motto: The Center of a Friendly Circle | ||
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| Coordinates: 37°5′40″N 81°48′22″W / 37.09444°N 81.80611°WCoordinates: 37°5′40″N 81°48′22″W / 37.09444°N 81.80611°W | ||
| Country | United States | |
| State | Virginia | |
| County | Tazewell | |
| Incorporated | 1892 | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Jan White | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 2.7 sq mi (6.9 km2) | |
| • Land | 2.7 sq mi (6.9 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) | |
| Elevation | 1,932 ft (589 m) | |
| Population (2000) | ||
| • Total | 4,144 | |
| • Density | 1,566/sq mi (604.5/km2) | |
| U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Population Estimates | ||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | |
| ZIP code | 24641 | |
| Area code(s) | 276 | |
| FIPS code | 51-66928[1] | |
| GNIS feature ID | 1473194[2] | |
| Website | http://town.richlands.va.us/ | |
Richlands is a town in Tazewell County, Virginia, United States. The population was 5,823 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,578.
History
Located along the banks of the Clinch River, Richlands began as a farming community and was named for its fertile "rich lands".
The Clinch Valley Coal & Iron Company began to develop Richlands in 1890, and company officials hoped Richlands' readily available coal, iron and timber might make it the "Pittsburgh of the South"; the company abandoned its plans following a stock market crash in 1893.[3]:53
Richlands was incorporated in 1892.
In February 1893, Richlands was the site of a mass lynching of five black railroad workers after it was alleged some of the men had robbed and beat a white man. Four of the railroad workers were arrested and held in the Richlands jail, but the jailor was overpowered by a mob of white townspeople, including James Hurt, a magistrate and member of Richlands' town council, and James Crabtree, a prominent businessman, who removed the four men and hanged them from the same tree. A fifth black railroad worker was later found and lynched.[4]
The Richlands Historic District encompasses much of downtown Richlands, and the Tazewell Avenue Historic District, and Williams House, are both listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[5]
Geography
Richlands is located at 37°5′40″N 81°48′22″W / 37.09444°N 81.80611°W (37.094444, -81.806060)[6].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.7 square miles (6.9 km²), all land.
Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2010, there were 5,823 people, 2,552 households, and 1,632 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,565.7 people per square mile (603.8/km²). There were 2,137 housing units at an average density of 807.4 per square mile (311.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.75% White, 0.05% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.19% from other races, and 0.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.34% of the population.
There were 1,882 households out of which 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.76.
In the town the population was spread out with 20.1% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 81.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $23,712, and the median income for a family was $30,257. Males had a median income of $30,682 versus $18,670 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,548. About 13.6% of families and 17.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.1% of those under age 18 and 16.9% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Richlands is served by the Tazewell County Public School System. Schools in Richland include:
- Richlands Elementary School
- Richlands Middle School
- Richlands High School
The Southwest Virginia Community College is located near the Steelburg Highway .
It is located near Wardell,Virginia and is not in either Cedar Bluff, Virginia or Richlands,Virginia.
King College, based in Bristol, Tennessee, has a satellite campus in Richlands.
In popular culture
Blues musician Mississippi John Hurt performed Richlands Women Blues. The lyrics were risqué for the early 1930s, filled with sexual double entendres.[7][8]
Notable people
- Mike Compton, former guard for the Detroit Lions, New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars.[9]
- Cathryn Hankla, poet and artist.
- Heath Miller, former Pittsburgh Steeler and Super Bowl champ.
- Jim Moody, member of U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ Tennis, Joe (2004). Southwest Virginia Crossroads: An Almanac of Place Names And Places to See. Joe Tennis.
- ↑ Brundage, William Fitzhugh (1993). Lynching in the New South: Georgia and Virginia, 1880 - 1930. University of Illinois.
- ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2010-07-09.
- ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ↑ Ratcliffe, Philip R. (2011). Mississippi John Hurt: His Life, His Times, His Blues. University Press of Mississippi.
- ↑ "Richland Women Blues". Mississippi John Hurt Museum.
- ↑ "Michael Eugene Compton". databaseBasketball.com. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Richlands, Virginia. |
- Town of Richlands Official Site
- Richlands Area Chamber of Commerce
- Tazewell County Public School System
- Southwest Virginia Community College
- King University
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