Morgan County, West Virginia | |
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 Morgan County Courthouse Complex, July 2011 | |
 Flag | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofWest Virginia | |
 West Virginia's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:39°34′N78°16′W / 39.56°N 78.26°W /39.56; -78.26 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  West Virginia |
| Founded | February 9, 1820 |
| Named after | Daniel Morgan |
| Seat | Berkeley Springs |
| Largest town | Berkeley Springs |
| Area | |
• Total | 230 sq mi (600 km2) |
| • Land | 229 sq mi (590 km2) |
| • Water | 0.5 sq mi (1.3 km2) 0.2% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 17,063 |
• Estimate (2021) | 17,221 |
| • Density | 74.5/sq mi (28.8/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | www |
Morgan County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofWest Virginia. As of the2020 census, the population was 17,063.[1] Itscounty seat isBerkeley Springs.[2] The county was formed in 1820 from parts ofHampshire andBerkeley Counties and named in honor ofGeneralDaniel Morgan, prominent soldier of theAmerican Revolutionary War.[3] The county and Town ofBath are considered excellent jumping-off points for exploring the Potomac and Cacapon Rivers just to the north and west, respectively. Also, the county is a tourist destination hosting numerous local artists, mineral water spas, and a large amount of outdoor recreation that includes fishing, boating, wildlife, hunting, and mountain scenery. The region is known for the famed Apple Butter Festival, which is annually held in October. Morgan County is also the home of an importantsilica mine, part of U.S. Silica.[4]
Morgan County was created by an act of theVirginia General Assembly in February 1820 from parts ofBerkeley andHampshire counties. It was named in honor of GeneralDaniel Morgan (1736–1802). He was born inHunterdon County,New Jersey, and moved toWinchester,Virginia as a youth. He served as a wagoner inBraddock's Army during the campaign against theNative Americans in 1755. During the campaign, a British Lieutenant became angry with him and hit him with the flat of his sword. Morgan punched the Lieutenant, knocking him unconscious. Morgan was court-martialed for striking a British officer and was sentenced to 500 lashes. Morgan later joked that the drummer who counted out the lashes miscounted and he received only 499 lashes. For the rest of his life, he claimed the British still owed him one.
The first English settlers in present-day Morgan County arrived during the 1730s. Because most of these early pioneers were squatters, there is no record of their names. Historians claim that the first cabin in the county was built around 1745. As word of the county's warmsprings spread eastward,Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron decided that the county needed to be surveyed. In 1748,George Washington, then just 16 years old, was part of the survey party that surveyed the Eastern Panhandle region for Lord Fairfax. He later returned toBath (Berkeley Springs) several times over the next several years with his half-brother,Lawrence, who was ill and hoped that the warm springs might improve his health. The springs, and their rumored medicinal benefits, attracted numerous Native Americans as well as Europeans to the area.
As mentioned previously, George Washington visited present-day Berkeley Springs several times with his half-brother, Lawrence. When he vacationed in the area in 1767, he noted how busy the town had become. Lord Fairfax had built a summer home there and a "private bath" making the area a popular destination for Virginia's social elite. As the town continued to grow, the Virginia General Assembly decided to formally recognize it. In October 1776, the town was officially named Bath, in honor of England's spa city calledBath. The town's main north–south street was named Washington and the main east–west street was named Fairfax. Also, seven acres (28,000 m2) were set aside for "suffering humanity." WhenWest Virginia gained statehood, that area became West Virginia's first state park.
Bath's population increased during and immediately after theAmerican Revolutionary War as wounded soldiers and others came to the area believing that the warm springs had medicinal qualities. Bath gained a reputation as a somewhat wild town where eating, drinking, dancing, and gambling on the daily horse races were the order of the day.
Bath later became known as Berkeley Springs, primarily because the town's post office took that name (combining GovernorNorborne Berkeley's last name with the warm springs found there) to avoid confusion with another post office, located in southeastern Virginia, which was already called Bath. Because the mail was sent to and from Berkeley Springs, that name slowly took precedence.
Morgan County was one of fifty Virginia counties that were admitted to the Union as the state of West Virginia on June 20, 1863. Later that year, the counties were divided intocivil townships, with the intention of encouraging local government. This proved impractical in the heavily rural state, and in 1872 the townships were converted intomagisterial districts.[5] Morgan County was divided into six districts: Allen, Bath, Cacapon,[i] Rock Gap, Sleepy Creek, and Timber Ridge. Except for minor adjustments, the historic magisterial districts remained unchanged until the 1980s, when they were consolidated into three new districts: District 1, District 2, and District 3. A District 4 was created in the 1990s, but subsequently discontinued.[6]
On April 10, 1919, racial violence broke out when theMorgan County race riot was sparked by local business using African-American strikebreakers against local striking white workers.[7] On the same day of the riots one Hugh Ferguson, a Martinsburg African-American, was accused of criminally assaulting Mrs. Ernest Zimmerman at her home near Brosius, Morgan County (now known asHancock, West Virginia). An angry mob of several hundred men formed around the jail hoping tolynch Ferguson. Sheriff C. R. Hovermale was forced to flee town with Ferguson.[8]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 230 square miles (600 km2), of which 229 square miles (590 km2) is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2) (0.2%) is water.[9]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 2,500 | — | |
| 1830 | 2,694 | 7.8% | |
| 1840 | 4,253 | 57.9% | |
| 1850 | 3,557 | −16.4% | |
| 1860 | 3,732 | 4.9% | |
| 1870 | 4,315 | 15.6% | |
| 1880 | 5,777 | 33.9% | |
| 1890 | 6,744 | 16.7% | |
| 1900 | 7,294 | 8.2% | |
| 1910 | 7,848 | 7.6% | |
| 1920 | 8,357 | 6.5% | |
| 1930 | 8,406 | 0.6% | |
| 1940 | 8,743 | 4.0% | |
| 1950 | 8,276 | −5.3% | |
| 1960 | 8,376 | 1.2% | |
| 1970 | 8,547 | 2.0% | |
| 1980 | 10,711 | 25.3% | |
| 1990 | 12,128 | 13.2% | |
| 2000 | 14,943 | 23.2% | |
| 2010 | 17,541 | 17.4% | |
| 2020 | 17,063 | −2.7% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 17,221 | [10] | 0.9% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[11] 1790–1960[12] 1900–1990[13] 1990–2000[14] 2010–2020[1] | |||
As of the2020 census, there were 17,063 people and 6,957 households residing in the county. There were 9,071 housing units in Morgan. The racial makeup of the county was 93.7%White, 0.7%African American, 0.5%Asian, 0.2%Native American, 0.5% fromother races, and 4.5% fromtwo or more races.Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.4% of the population.
Of the 6,957 households, 56.4% were married couples living together, 19.9% had a female householder with no spouse present, 16.1% had a male householder with no spouse present. The average household and family size was 2.93. The median age in the county was 48.5 years with 17.7% of the population under 18. The median income for a household was $56,616 and the poverty rate was 8%.[15]
As of the2010 United States census, there were 17,541 people, 7,303 households, and 5,015 families living in the county.[16] The population density was 76.6 inhabitants per square mile (29.6/km2). There were 9,753 housing units at an average density of 42.6 per square mile (16.4/km2).[17] The racial makeup of the county was 97.3% white, 0.6% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% Native American, 0.2% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.0% of the population.[16] In terms of ancestry, 27.0% wereGerman, 13.2% wereIrish, 11.5% wereAmerican, and 10.6% wereEnglish.[18]
Of the 7,303 households, 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.3% were non-families, and 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age was 45.0 years.[16]
The median income for a household in the county was $37,281 and the median income for a family was $49,974. Males had a median income of $39,372 versus $27,949 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,732. About 11.9% of families and 15.8% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 22.0% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.[19]
As of thecensus of 2000, there were 14,943 people, 6,145 households, and 4,344 families living in the county. The population density was 65 inhabitants per square mile (25/km2). There were 8,076 housing units at an average density of 35 per square mile (14/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.30%White, 0.60%Black orAfrican American, 0.17%Native American, 0.12%Asian, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 0.23% fromother races, and 0.57% from two or more races. 0.83% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 6,145 households, out of which 28.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.90% weremarried couples living together, 8.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.30% were non-families. Of all households, 24.50% were made up of individuals, and 10.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.84.
The age distribution is 22.40% under the age of 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 27.30% from 25 to 44, 26.90% from 45 to 64, and 16.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 96.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,016, and the median income for a family was $40,690. Males had a median income of $29,816 versus $22,307 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $18,109. About 8.00% of families and 10.40% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 11.60% of those under age 18 and 8.80% of those age 65 or over.
Morgan County Commission is a three-member elective body. The term of office for each Commission member is six years, with one term expiring every two years. The current commissioners are Sean Forney, Joel Tuttle, and Bill Clark, with Forney serving as the President.
The Morgan County Sheriff's Office operates the county jail, provides court protection, provides county building and facility security, and provides patrol and detective services for the county. Johnnie C. Walter Jr. is the current Sheriff.
The current county clerk is Kimberly Nickles.
The current assessor is Debbie Weaver.
Morgan County has two Magistrates: Kermit Ambrose and Greg Miller
Morgan County has historically been a stronghold for theRepublican Party. Every Republican presidential nominee has won Morgan County since1864, the first presidential election following West Virginia's statehood. The last Democratic presidential nominee to win Morgan County wasLewis Cass in1848; the county was won by theWhig Party, theKnow-Nothing Party andJohn Bell'sConstitutional Union Party in its last three elections as part of Virginia.
The county is a massive outlier in West Virginia, a state that tilted Democratic for much of the 20th century before swinging hard to the GOP.Franklin Roosevelt did no better than 39 percent of the county's vote, and only two Democrats—Lyndon Johnson andJimmy Carter—have managed even 40 percent of the vote. The1964 United States presidential election was by far the closest election here, withBarry Goldwater taking the county by a margin of just 46 votes.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 612 | 34.89% | 549 | 31.30% | 593 | 33.81% |
| 1916 | 1,208 | 63.45% | 666 | 34.98% | 30 | 1.58% |
| 1920 | 1,817 | 71.48% | 712 | 28.01% | 13 | 0.51% |
| 1924 | 1,883 | 63.10% | 919 | 30.80% | 182 | 6.10% |
| 1928 | 2,539 | 76.75% | 758 | 22.91% | 11 | 0.33% |
| 1932 | 2,082 | 59.78% | 1,358 | 38.99% | 43 | 1.23% |
| 1936 | 2,555 | 61.07% | 1,620 | 38.72% | 9 | 0.22% |
| 1940 | 2,563 | 66.59% | 1,286 | 33.41% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 2,303 | 72.01% | 895 | 27.99% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 2,159 | 66.09% | 1,104 | 33.79% | 4 | 0.12% |
| 1952 | 2,699 | 70.78% | 1,114 | 29.22% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 2,946 | 72.74% | 1,104 | 27.26% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 2,752 | 66.78% | 1,369 | 33.22% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 1,866 | 50.62% | 1,820 | 49.38% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 2,244 | 60.32% | 1,015 | 27.28% | 461 | 12.39% |
| 1972 | 3,014 | 72.94% | 1,118 | 27.06% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 2,369 | 55.12% | 1,929 | 44.88% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1980 | 2,833 | 61.23% | 1,594 | 34.45% | 200 | 4.32% |
| 1984 | 3,469 | 70.34% | 1,457 | 29.54% | 6 | 0.12% |
| 1988 | 3,002 | 65.78% | 1,545 | 33.85% | 17 | 0.37% |
| 1992 | 2,585 | 48.37% | 1,854 | 34.69% | 905 | 16.93% |
| 1996 | 2,599 | 51.16% | 1,929 | 37.97% | 552 | 10.87% |
| 2000 | 3,639 | 63.05% | 1,939 | 33.59% | 194 | 3.36% |
| 2004 | 4,511 | 65.88% | 2,272 | 33.18% | 64 | 0.93% |
| 2008 | 4,428 | 60.86% | 2,721 | 37.40% | 127 | 1.75% |
| 2012 | 4,513 | 63.82% | 2,363 | 33.42% | 195 | 2.76% |
| 2016 | 5,732 | 74.09% | 1,573 | 20.33% | 432 | 5.58% |
| 2020 | 6,537 | 75.17% | 1,998 | 22.98% | 161 | 1.85% |
| 2024 | 7,009 | 76.74% | 1,947 | 21.32% | 178 | 1.95% |
The following are listed on theNational Register of Historic Places:
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