Eleanor, West Virginia

Eleanor, West Virginia
Town
Location of Eleanor, West Virginia
Coordinates: 38°32′21″N 81°55′52″W / 38.53917°N 81.93111°WCoordinates: 38°32′21″N 81°55′52″W / 38.53917°N 81.93111°W
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
County	Putnam
Area[1]
• Total	2.13 sq mi (5.52 km^2)
• Land	2.12 sq mi (5.49 km^2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.03 km^2)
Elevation	604 ft (184 m)
Population (2010)[2]
• Total	1,518
• Estimate (2012[3])	1,550
• Density	716.0/sq mi (276.4/km^2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	25070
Area code(s)	304
FIPS code	54-24292[4]
GNIS feature ID	1538590[5]

Eleanor is a town in Putnam County, West Virginia, United States, along the Kanawha River.^[6] Its population was 1,518 at the 2010 census.^[7] The town was established as a New Deal project in the 1930s and named for Eleanor Roosevelt.^[8] Like other Franklin D. Roosevelt towns around the nation (such as Greenbelt, Greenhills, Greendale, Hanford, or Norris), it was a "sundown town", for whites only.^[9]

Eleanor is a part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). As of the 2010 census, the MSA had a population of 287,702. New definitions from February 28, 2013 placed the population at 363,000.^[10]

History

Eleanor was established in 1934, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt and first lady Eleanor Roosevelt visited the county and developed it as a test site for families. It was one of three resettlement communities in West Virginia, the others being Arthurdale and Tygart fu. When the town was developed, the houses were built to look very similar to one another and are now referred to as old Eleanor houses. There are two schools in Eleanor, George Washington Elementary School and George Washington Middle School. G.W. Middle was burned down in 2000 by three students who attended the school at the time.

Eleanor has a well-established reputation as a sundown town,^[11][12] having effectively kept out African Americans by maintaining its "White's only" policy. Eleanor is still currently overwhelmingly White.

Geography

Eleanor is located at 38°32′21″N 81°55′52″W / 38.53917°N 81.93111°W (38.539037, -81.931046).^[13]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.13 square miles (5.52 km²), of which, 2.12 square miles (5.49 km²) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km²) is water.^[1]

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Eleanor has a Humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.^[14]

Climate data for Eleanor, West Virginia
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	6 (42)	7 (45)	13 (55)	19 (67)	24 (76)	28 (83)	30 (86)	30 (86)	27 (80)	21 (69)	14 (57)	8 (46)	18.9 (66)
Average low °C (°F)	−5 (23)	−4 (25)	0 (32)	5 (41)	10 (50)	16 (60)	18 (64)	17 (63)	13 (56)	7 (45)	2 (35)	−3 (27)	6.3 (43.4)
Average precipitation cm (inches)	8 (3)	7.1 (2.8)	9.7 (3.8)	8.6 (3.4)	9.9 (3.9)	8.6 (3.4)	11.2 (4.4)	9.7 (3.8)	8.1 (3.2)	6.4 (2.5)	7.9 (3.1)	7.4 (2.9)	102.6 (40.2)
Source: Weatherbase [15]

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1970	1,035		—
1980	1,282		23.9%
1990	1,256		−2.0%
2000	1,345		7.1%
2010	1,518		12.9%
Est. 2014	1,575	[16]	3.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[17]

2010 census

As of the census^[2] of 2010, there were 1,518 people, 624 households, and 445 families residing in the town. The population density was 716.0 inhabitants per square mile (276.4/km²). There were 659 housing units at an average density of 310.8 per square mile (120.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.0% White, 0.1% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.9% of the population.

There were 624 households of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.7% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.7% were non-families. 24.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.90.

The median age in the town was 41.9 years. 21.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.2% were from 25 to 44; 26.5% were from 45 to 64; and 19.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.9% male and 51.1% female.

2000 census

As of the census^[4] of 2000, there were 1,345 people, 574 households, and 416 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,597.1 inhabitants per square mile (618.2/km²). There were 608 housing units at an average density of 722.0 per square mile (279.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.55% White, 0.07% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.15% Asian, and 0.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.52% of the population.

There were 574 households out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.2% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.4% were non-families. 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.79.

In the town the population was spread out with 21.3% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $35,284, and the median income for a family was $43,274. Males had a median income of $35,000 versus $21,198 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,104. About 5.6% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.

References

1. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-01-24.
2. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-01-24.
3. "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-06-26.
4. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
5. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
6. West Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Me.: DeLorme. 1997. p. 42. ISBN 0-89933-246-3.
7. "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Eleanor town, West Virginia". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
8. Kenny, Hamill (1945). West Virginia Place Names: Their Origin and Meaning, Including the Nomenclature of the Streams and Mountains. Piedmont, WV: The Place Name Press. p. 224.
9. Barry, Dan (December 24, 2009). "From New Deal to New Hard Times, Eleanor Endures". The New York Times. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
10. "Population statistics" (PDF).
11. Loewen, James W. Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005. Print.
12. http://sundown.afro.illinois.edu/sundowntowns.php
13. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
14. Climate Summary for Eleanor, West Virginia
15. "Weatherbase.com". Weatherbase. 2013. Retrieved on September 5, 2013.
16. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
17. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.

External links

• Community website