Welch is a city located in McDowell County, West Virginia, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 2,683. It is the county seat of McDowell County.
Welch is located at 37°26'14" North, 81°34'44" West (37.437323, -81.579002).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.5 km2 (3.3 mi2). 8.5 km2 (3.3 mi2) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.
As of the census of 2000, there are 2,683 people, 1,195 households, and 714 families residing in the city. The population density is 316.8/km2 (821.1/mi2). There are 1,453 housing units at an average density of 171.6/km2 (444.7/mi2). The racial makeup of the city is 79.20% White, 19.27% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.34% from other races, and 0.63% from two or more races. 1.04% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 1,195 households out of which 22.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.2% are married couples living together, 17.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 40.2% are non-families. 37.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 17.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.12 and the average family size is 2.76.
In the city the population is spread out with 19.3% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 22.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 45 years. For every 100 females there are 81.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 80.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $19,795, and the median income for a family is $30,833. Males have a median income of $30,104 versus $23,320 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,308. 28.9% of the population and 23.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 45.9% of those under the age of 18 and 16.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Welch was incorporated in 1894 and named for Isaiah A. Welch, a captain in the Confederate Army. Welch is the location of the first memorial building erected in the United States to the memory of the veterans of World War I. It was dedicated on May 30, 1923. Welch is also the location of the first municipally owned parking building in the United States, which was opened September 1, 1941. It accommodated 232 cars and showed a profit its first year in operation.
In 1928, Welch resident Minnie Buckingham Harper became the first black woman legislator in the United States. Harper was appointed by the Governor to the West Virginia House of Delegates to fill the vacancy caused by the death of her husband.
Welch was once a prosperous city during the coal mine boom of the early 20th century. Once the boom ended, the city fell on hard times. When presidential candidate John F. Kennedy visited Welch by train in 1960, he saw a city that was seriously decaying and had a very high poverty rate caused by the declining coal mining industry. It was his visit here that was believed to be the basis of the aid brought to the Appalachian region by the Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson administrations.
The first recipients of food stamps were the Chloe and Alderson Muncy family of Welch. The family, which included fifteen children, received $95 worth of stamps from Secretary of Agriculture Orville Freeman on May 29, 1961 as a crowd of reporters watched.
Periodical flooding of the Elkhorn and Tug Fork rivers plagued future prosperity of the city. Most notably, the record flooding in 2001 and 2002 nearly destroyed Welch altogether. Flood reduction projects to prevent further destruction in the future are presently in progress.
As of 2005, a rebound for the city's economy is presently in the works, with hopes of two major highways to be constructed nearby as well as a future federal prison and another correctional facility. Recreational facilities devoted to ATV riders, presently successful in adjacent counties, are in the works for the region as well to promote tourism. Lawmakers hope these moves will help stifle the ever growing unemployment rate and population loss in the area.
Source:
WelchWestVirginia.com
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