31-406: Bluefield may refer to: Bluefield, Virginia , US Bluefield, West Virginia , US Nvidia BlueField , a line of computer hardware See also [ edit ] Bluefields , Nicaragua Bluefields, Jamaica [REDACTED] Topics referred to by the same term This disambiguation page lists articles about distinct geographical locations with
62-538: A Philadelphia capitalist. The town was first chartered by the Commonwealth of Virginia as the town of Graham in 1884. The Norfolk and Western railroad chose Bluefield, West Virginia over Graham as the place to build its regional headquarters and main docking yards for the Pocahontas region. As a result, Bluefield, West Virginia grew at a much faster rate than did Graham. Graham, Virginia operated under that name until
93-620: A hunting ground for various historic Native American tribes and their ancestral indigenous cultures. Although rare in the eastern United States , there are petroglyphs near the summit of Paintlick Mountain. Among the tribes that occupied this area in historic times were the Lenape (Delaware), and the Iroquoian-speaking Cherokee and members of the Iroquois Confederacy . In the spring of 1771, Thomas and John Witten established
124-672: A mansion atop a hill overlooking the Sanders house . This is considered one of the most significant historic homes in the city. The Walter McDonald Sanders House and Alexander St. Clair House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places . According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 9.32 square miles (14.9991 km2), all land. As of the census of 2000, there were 5,078 people, 2,134 households, and 1,423 families residing in
155-486: A new franchise in the revamped league designed for rising college freshman and sophomores. Bluefield University hosts many sports programs, including basketball, soccer, baseball, and now football. Graham High School's football team won the Virginia High School League's Class 2 State Football Championship in 2022. The G-Men defeated Central Woodstock High School 34–7 on December 10 at Salem City Stadium for
186-451: A portion is protected as a Wild and Scenic River . Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race. As of the census of 2000, there were 44,598 people, 18,277 households and 13,232 families residing in the county. The population density
217-487: A referendum on June 10, 1924. By a margin of 287 to 223, voters in Graham approved changing the name of the 5,000 member town to Bluefield, Virginia to match the larger (22,000) West Virginia city. The name change was celebrated in a mock marriage ceremony held in the city park between officials of Bluefield, Virginia, and Bluefield, West Virginia, to celebrate the renaming of Graham. Its community had borders then that are roughly
248-691: A stadium in the city park that serves both Bluefield and its neighbor of the same name in West Virginia . Although the park is operated by the West Virginia city, the stadium lies entirely within Virginia. In conjunction with a contraction of Minor League Baseball beginning with the 2021 season, the Appalachian League was reorganized as a collegiate summer baseball league , and the Blue Jays were replaced by
279-513: Is a county located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Virginia . As of the 2020 census , the population was 40,429. Its county seat is Tazewell . Tazewell County is part of the Bluefield , WV -VA Micropolitan Statistical Area . Its economy was dependent on coal and iron of the Pocahontas Fields from the late 19th into the 20th century. Tazewell County was long
310-629: Is a town in Tazewell County , Virginia , United States, located along the Bluestone River . The population was 5,096 at the 2020 census . It is part of the Bluefield WV -VA micropolitan area which has a population of 106,363 in 2020. Bluefield has not always borne the name Bluefield. The town developed around a small post office named "Pin Hook" in the 1860s, named for a small creek that ran through
341-523: Is headed by Sheriff Brian Hieatt. Since the establishment of the Tazewell County Sheriff's Office, two prohibition officers, one justice of the peace , and one sheriff's deputy have died in the line of duty. In 2016, the department was criticized by the Freedom from Religion Foundation for having stickers saying " In God We Trust " on its cars. In 2022, the department again received a letter from
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#1732852687146372-567: The Cumberland Plateau , Tazewell County has very distinct geologic areas within the county. One of the most unusual areas is Burke's Garden , a bowl-shaped valley formed by the erosion of a doubly plunging anticline. Tazewell County includes the headwaters of four watersheds , which are the Upper Clinch , Middle New , North Fork Holston , and Tug . It also has the headwaters of the Bluestone River , which flows into West Virginia, where
403-455: The flood -prone historic downtown area to the southernmost point in the city at the foot of East River Mountain. The area has been developed with a Wal-Mart , the headquarters of First Community Bank , strip malls , and a medical center operating along U.S. Route 460 . Bluefield's most prominent residents are Bill Dudley , an NFL Hall of Famer; New York Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw ; and the widow of actor Lorne Greene , who previously lived in
434-429: The age of 18 living with them, 58.20% were married couples living together, 10.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.60% were non-families. 25.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.90% 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 2.85. In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.40% under
465-468: The age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 27.50% from 45 to 64, and 15.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.70 males. The median income for a household in the county was $ 27,304, and the median income for a family was $ 33,732. Males had a median income of $ 28,780 versus $ 19,648 for females. The per capita income for
496-405: The average family size was 2.77. In the town, the population was spread out, with 18.0% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 22.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.5 males. The median income for a household in the town
527-486: The coal boom resulted in the development of mansions and the elaborate Richlands Hotel, said to rival the best hotels of New York City. But it was forced to close after the boom cycle ended. It was used for other purposes. Tazewell County was the focus of a 2005 article in Time Magazine about the opioid epidemic : however, the sheriff H. S. Caudill claimed the article misrepresented Tazewell County and his statements to
558-566: The community. For a brief time it was known as the community of Harman, named after a Civil War hero from the area who had been shot during the Battle of Cloyd's Mountain in Pulaski County, Virginia . Later, after coal was discovered and a company was formed to build a railroad to the Pocahontas Coalfields , the community's name was changed again to "Graham" to honor Col. Thomas Graham,
589-465: The county was $ 15,282. About 11.70% of families and 15.30% of the population were below the poverty line , including 20.30% of those under age 18 and 13.90% of those age 65 or over. All public schools in Tazewell County are operated by Tazewell County Public Schools system. The Tazewell County Sheriff's Office (TCSO) is the primary law enforcement agency in Tazewell County. As of 2022 the agency
620-571: The early settlement period, many Scots-Irish settled through the Appalachian backcountry, including Tazewell. After the Civil War , construction of railroads in southwestern Virginia enabled the development of coal and iron resources in the Clinch Valley. Richlands had a boom economy in the early 1890s, and became a rougher place with young industrial workers and more saloons. The profits generated by
651-401: The first permanent settlement in Tazewell County at Crab Orchard. As population increased in the area, Tazewell County was created on December 20, 1799. The land for the county was taken from portions of Wythe and Russell counties. It was named after Henry Tazewell , a United States senator from Virginia, state legislator and judge. Delegate Littleton Waller Tazewell originally opposed
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#1732852687146682-401: The formation of the new county but when Simon Cotterel, who drew up the bill to form the county, changed the originally proposed name of the county to Tazewell's namesake, in honor of his father Henry who had died earlier that year, the bill passed. Jeffersonville was established the following year (1800) as the county seat. On February 29, 1892, Jeffersonville was renamed as Tazewell. During
713-409: The population. There were 2,134 households, out of which 21.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and
744-475: The reporter. Paramount 's 1994 film Lassie was filmed here. It was based on stories of Albert Payson Terhune . According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 520 square miles (1,300 km ), of which 519 square miles (1,340 km ) is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km ) (0.2%) is water. Since it contains portions of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians and
775-423: The same as the downtown area alongside the railroad of today's Bluefield, Virginia. Graham continued to hope for development as a major city in the region; it tried to attract a steel refining industry alongside the railyards. The Great Depression of the 1930s caused development in the region to come to a halt. The current Bluefield did not start to expand beyond the downtown area until the 1950s, when it annexed
806-470: The same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bluefield&oldid=1115862268 " Category : Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Bluefield, Virginia Bluefield
837-420: The small town of West Graham, Virginia to the west. It also began to develop land in the more open rural foothills to the south of the city. As the largest town in Tazewell County, Virginia , Bluefield has expanded since the 1990s and the first decade of the new millennium. After a series of devastating floods in the early 21st century, the town has relocated its town council chambers and police department from
868-444: The state crown. Previous state football titles were won in 1962, 1989, 1995, and 2018. Mayor: Donnie Linkous Vice Mayor: Rick Holman Council Members: Billie Roberts, Cathy Payne, Anglis Trigg, Chad Lambert, Rick Holman, Lee Riffe Educational institutions include Graham High School , Bluefield University and Southwest Virginia Community College . Tazewell County, Virginia Tazewell County ( / t æ z . w ɛ l / )
899-399: The town. The population density was 669.9 people per square mile (258.7/km ). There were 2,349 housing units at an average density of 309.9 per square mile (119.7/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 92.30% White , 4.86% African American , 0.32% Native American , 1.42% Asian , 0.12% from other races , and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.41% of
930-430: Was $ 32,157, and the median income for a family was $ 44,000. Males had a median income of $ 34,167 versus $ 18,875 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 21,755. About 3.9% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line , including 9.6% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over. The Bluefield Blue Jays , a Minor League Baseball team, played their home games at Bowen Field ,
961-474: Was 86 people per square mile (33 people/km ). There were 20,390 housing units at an average density of 39 units per square mile (15 units/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 96.16% White , 2.29% Black or African American , 0.17% Native American , 0.61% Asian , 0.16% from other races , and 0.62% from two or more races. 0.51% of the population Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 18,277 households, out of which 28.70% had children under