Madison, West Virginia
Encyclopedia
Madison is a city in Boone County
, West Virginia
, United States
. The population was 3,076 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat
of Boone County
.
, the fourth president of the United States. Other theories hold that it was named for lawyer James Madison Laidley or for Madison Peyton, a pioneer coal
operator, who was a leader in the movement which resulted in the formation of Boone County and for whom Peytona
on Big Coal River was named. Madison was incorporated in 1906.
The first courthouse at Madison, a log structure, was burned by Union troops early in the American Civil War
. The second courthouse, made of local brick, served until 1913, and a frame building was used by county officials for the next several years. The present Boone County Courthouse
, occupied in 1921, is on the National Register of Historic Places
.
Madison is the "Gateway to the Coalfields," as it is located on a principal route through the southern coalfields. It occupied a strategic place during the Mine Wars
. Miners twice rallied at the town ballpark in August 1921, to consider whether to continue their march to neighboring Logan and Mingo counties. Thousands of armed marchers passed through the town and surrounding region on their way to and from the fighting at Blair Mountain, which is located up Spruce Fork from Madison.
In addition to the Boone County Courthouse, the Madison National Bank
building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
is formed at Madison by the confluence
of its Spruce Fork and its Pond Fork.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 5.6 square miles (14.5 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 2,677 people, 1,191 households, and 783 families residing in the city. The population density
was 479.1 people per square mile (184.9/km²). There were 1,319 housing units at an average density of 236.1 per square mile (91.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.81% White, 4.18% African American, 0.04% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 0.07% from other races
, and 0.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.26% of the population.
There were 1,191 households out of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples
living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.79.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.7% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 30.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 84.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,911, and the median income for a family was $37,232. Males had a median income of $31,389 versus $23,160 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $18,309. About 18.2% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.8% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.
was a well-known entertainer connected to the Madison area, living nearby in Van
. Hasil, known as the one-man band
, was a rockabilly
musician who began recording in Boone County in the late 1950s. Hasil was born in 1939 in Van, West Virginia
, an unincorporated hamlet 10 miles (16.1 km) southeast from Madison on West Virginia Route 85. For over five decades he recorded (in his "tar-paper shack") well over 200 songs, many of which were released as singles. Norton Records
has since re-released many of the songs on four LP records. He died on April 25, 2005 at his home in Boone County.
Boone County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,535 people, 10,291 households, and 7,460 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 people per square mile . There were 11,575 housing units at an average density of 23 per square mile...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 3,076 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Boone County
Boone County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,535 people, 10,291 households, and 7,460 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 people per square mile . There were 11,575 housing units at an average density of 23 per square mile...
.
History
Madison was first established as Boone Court House. The town was renamed about 1865, presumably for James MadisonJames Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
, the fourth president of the United States. Other theories hold that it was named for lawyer James Madison Laidley or for Madison Peyton, a pioneer coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
operator, who was a leader in the movement which resulted in the formation of Boone County and for whom Peytona
Peytona, West Virginia
Peytona is an unincorporated community in Boone County, West Virginia, United States. Peytona is located on the Coal River and West Virginia Route 3 northeast of Madison. Peytona has a post office with ZIP code 25154....
on Big Coal River was named. Madison was incorporated in 1906.
The first courthouse at Madison, a log structure, was burned by Union troops early in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The second courthouse, made of local brick, served until 1913, and a frame building was used by county officials for the next several years. The present Boone County Courthouse
Boone County Courthouse (West Virginia)
The Boone County Courthouse in Madison, West Virginia was completed in 1921 in the Neoclassical Revival style. Designed by architect H. Rus Warne of Charleston, the courthouse stands on a small hill in a square. Construction started in 1917, but disputes and construction delays extended...
, occupied in 1921, is on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Madison is the "Gateway to the Coalfields," as it is located on a principal route through the southern coalfields. It occupied a strategic place during the Mine Wars
Battle of Blair Mountain
The Battle of Blair Mountain was one of the largest civil uprisings in United States history and the largest armed insurrection since the American Civil War...
. Miners twice rallied at the town ballpark in August 1921, to consider whether to continue their march to neighboring Logan and Mingo counties. Thousands of armed marchers passed through the town and surrounding region on their way to and from the fighting at Blair Mountain, which is located up Spruce Fork from Madison.
In addition to the Boone County Courthouse, the Madison National Bank
Madison National Bank
Madison National Bank, now known as Boone-Madison Public Library, is a historic bank building located at Madison, Boone County, West Virginia. It was built in 1918, and is a three-story, rectangular, brick building with a symmetrical limestone façade in the Beaux-Arts style. It has a flat roof and...
building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Geography
Madison is located at 38°3′43"N 81°49′6"W (38.061816, -81.818216). The Little Coal RiverCoal River (West Virginia)
The Coal River is a tributary of the Kanawha River in southern West Virginia. It is formed near the community of Alum Creek by the confluence of the Big and Little Coal Rivers, and flows generally northward through western Kanawha County, past the community of Upper Falls and into the Kanawha...
is formed at Madison by the confluence
Confluence (geography)
In geography, a confluence is the meeting of two or more bodies of water. It usually refers to the point where two streams flow together, merging into a single stream...
of its Spruce Fork and its Pond Fork.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 5.6 square miles (14.5 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,677 people, 1,191 households, and 783 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 479.1 people per square mile (184.9/km²). There were 1,319 housing units at an average density of 236.1 per square mile (91.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.81% White, 4.18% African American, 0.04% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 0.07% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.26% of the population.
There were 1,191 households out of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.79.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.7% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 30.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 84.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,911, and the median income for a family was $37,232. Males had a median income of $31,389 versus $23,160 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $18,309. About 18.2% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.8% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.
Pop references
Hasil AdkinsHasil Adkins
Hasil Adkins was an Appalachian country, rock and roll, and blues musician, though he was frequently considered rockabilly and sometimes primitive jazz...
was a well-known entertainer connected to the Madison area, living nearby in Van
Van, West Virginia
Van is an unincorporated census-designated place in Boone County, West Virginia, United States, along the Pond Fork of the Little Coal River. As of the 2010 census, its population was 211. Its ZIP code is 25206...
. Hasil, known as the one-man band
One-man band
A one-man band is a musician who plays a number of musical instruments simultaneously using their hands, feet, limbs, and various mechanical contraptions. The simplest type of "one-man band" — a singer accompanying themselves on acoustic guitar and harmonica mounted in a metal "harp rack" below the...
, was a rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
musician who began recording in Boone County in the late 1950s. Hasil was born in 1939 in Van, West Virginia
Van, West Virginia
Van is an unincorporated census-designated place in Boone County, West Virginia, United States, along the Pond Fork of the Little Coal River. As of the 2010 census, its population was 211. Its ZIP code is 25206...
, an unincorporated hamlet 10 miles (16.1 km) southeast from Madison on West Virginia Route 85. For over five decades he recorded (in his "tar-paper shack") well over 200 songs, many of which were released as singles. Norton Records
Norton Records
For the Canadian independent record label of the same name, see Matt Minglewood.Norton Records, a New York City based independent record label founded by musicians Miriam Linna and Billy Miller, maintains a focus on primitive, retro rock'n'roll, rockabilly, garage punk, garage rock, lounge music...
has since re-released many of the songs on four LP records. He died on April 25, 2005 at his home in Boone County.