Matewan, West Virginia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Matewan is a town located in Mingo County, West Virginia, USA at the confluence of the Tug Fork River and Mate Creek. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 498.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 History
4 External links

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Geography

Matewan is located at 37°37'23" North, 82°9'59" West (37.623034, -82.166416)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.3 km² (0.5 mi²). 1.3 km² (0.5 mi²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.

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Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 498 people, 253 households, and 124 families residing in the town. The population density is 384.6/km² (989.2/mi²). There are 277 housing units at an average density of 213.9/km² (550.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 94.78% White, 3.61% African American, 1.00% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.00% from other races, and 0.40% from two or more races. 1.00% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 253 households out of which 18.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.4% are married couples living together, 8.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 50.6% are non-families. 48.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 1.97 and the average family size is 2.87.

In the town the population is spread out with 17.7% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 45 years. For every 100 females there are 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 83.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town is $13,529, and the median income for a family is $27,188. Males have a median income of $25,500 versus $21,875 for females. The per capita income for the town is $12,586. 31.9% of the population and 16.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 35.0% of those under the age of 18 and 20.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

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History

The town was named after Matteawan (now called Beacon), a town in Dutchess County, Upstate New York. Matteawan was the home town of Erskine Hazard, a civil engineer from the Norfolk and Western Railway who laid out the town in 1890 and drew up the first map of the new community. Local residents, however, changed the spelling and pronunciation.[1]

A strike by miners in the 1920s was the inspiration for the 1987 movie Matewan.

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