The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-02-14
The Gradual Increase Of Population In
West virginia.


West virginia.
Wo arc indebted to Hon. Henry G.
Davis for valuable document OF 81 quarto
pages, Issued by tho census Office, showing
the increase Of population in each State Of
the Union by counties since the date otthe
first census in 1900, or, as in tho case of
many OF the States, since It's admission
into tho Union. The population Of West
Virginia is given from the outset, in 1900.
It; seems that tho territory included in
West Virginia contained only at that time
55,S73 people, Us against 0ls,457 in 1880,
an increase Of over 1905 per cent. or
about II per cent per year from 1900 up
to 1880.
In 1900 we had 1882 people; in 1910 we
had lO5, 400; in 1920, 1S6,7GS; in 1880, 49,
024; in 1910, 294,5S7; III 1850, 3O2, 1913; in
1860, 376,GSsi in 1870, 442,Ol4, and in 1880,
Gls,457.
This county has increased in population
as follows: In,l7OO it had 5,2l2 people; in
1900 it had 4,74O; in 1910, s,l75; in 1920,
0,ls2; in 1880, 1854; in 1910, 1887; in
1850, 1S,OO6; trf1SG0, %, 492 in 1870, 2S,sS1,
and in 1880, 37,457.
So that our increase has been only about
CTS per cent, or about per cent per
annum, or about two-thirds that OF the
State at large. It must DO remembered,
however, that the county has been greatly
cut down in its territorial limits since 1900.
Marshall county was rib taken out Of
our side. 1t became a county in 1910, or
rather we should say that it makes it's first
appearance in tho census in that year,
starting with 6,0S7 population. From this
it increased up to 1880 in 1850, or at the
rate Of At per cent per annum. In 1850 it
had lO,l3s people; in 1860, 1897; in 1870,
l4,9il, and in 1880, 1880.
Brooke is another county that got its ter
ritory from us. 1t appears in tho list for
the first time in 1900, having then 4,7O6
people, rs against G,O13 in 1880. But
Brooke, too, was shorn Of part Of her terri.
tory by the formation OF Hancock county,
which will account in part for her very
slow growth. Her ups and downs have
b zen as follows: In 1910, 5,S4S; in 1890,
6,oSl; in 1880, 7,O4l; in 1910, 7,O4s; in 1850,
Hancock having meanwhile been cut Off
5'O54; in 1860, 5,494; in 1870, 5,464, and in
1880, co.'s. :.
Hancock came in with start Of 1850
people in 1850. This number increased to
4,44S in 1860, and decreased to 1853 in
1870, and rose to 1859 in 1850. In other
words she has added 20 per cent. to her
population in 80 years, or about two.thirds
oil one per cent per annum. This is rather
surprising considering her increase in the
fire brick business.
At the time Of the first census there were
only ninoof the present tifty-four counties
in existence. They were as follows Berks.
ley, Greenbrier, Hampshire, Hardy, Harri.
son, Monongalia, Ohio, Pendleton and Ran
dolph. This number had increased TO
thirteen in 1900; to sixteen in 1910; to
twenty-one in 1920; to twenty.three in
lSSOito twenty.eight in 1910; to iorty.two
in 1850; to fifty iii 1860; to fitty-three in
1870 and to fitty-four in 1SSO-Summ ers
county having been formed in 1871.
We conclude this summary with the re.
mark that il West Virginia should increase
in the same per cent during the next nine
ty years, that she did from 1900 to 1880, she
would contain considerably over COCO, 900
Of people. This OF course will not happen.
1t is matter Of moro Importance to US TO
know that if she should increase in the
current decade as she did in the last one
she will contain about $4,000 people in
1890.