Point Pleasant, West Virginia

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Point Pleasant, West Virginia
settlement_type = City
nickname =
motto =

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image_

mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location of Point Pleasant, West Virginia


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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = West Virginia
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Mason

government_footnotes =
government_type =
leader_title =
leader_name =
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
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established_date =

unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 8.0
area_land_km2 = 6.2
area_water_km2 = 1.8
area_total_sq_mi = 3.1
area_land_sq_mi = 2.4
area_water_sq_mi = 0.7

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 4637
population_density_km2 = 751.2
population_density_sq_mi = 1945.6

timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 173
elevation_ft = 568
latd = 38 |latm = 51 |lats = 27 |latNS = N
longd = 82 |longm = 7 |longs = 43 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 25550
area_code = 304
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 54-64708GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1555381GR|3
website =
footnotes =

Point Pleasant is a city in Mason County, West Virginia, United States, at the confluence of the Ohio and Kanawha Rivers. The population was 4,637 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Mason CountyGR|6 and the principal city of the Point Pleasant, WV-OH Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Point Pleasant is most famous for a series of local legends centered on the 1967 collapse of the Silver Bridge, which killed 46 people. According to these legends, a moth-like humanoid was seen by several Point Pleasant residents in the weeks leading up to the disaster. The creature is said to have predicted the collapse. This is the source of the book and movie, "The Mothman Prophecies".

The town is also noted for the October 10, 1774, Battle of Point Pleasant, in which Virginia militiamen led by Colonel Andrew Lewis defeated Shawnee Chief Cornstalk and his coalition of Shawnee and Mingo warriors. The event is celebrated in Point Pleasant as the first battle of the American Revolutionary War, a distinction made official by an act of Congress in 1910, though the battle is actually the largest and only confrontation of Lord Dunmore's War.

It was the final home of Confederate Brigadier-General John McCausland, the next-to-last Confederate General to die. He died at his farm at Grimm's Landing on January 23, 1927, and is buried in nearby Henderson, West Virginia.

Point Pleasant is located at coor dms|38|51|27|N|82|7|43|W|city (38.857527, -82.128571)GR|1.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.1 square miles (8.0 km²), of which, 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²) of it (22.73%) is water.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 4,637 people, 2,107 households, and 1,310 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,945.6 people per square mile (752.3/km²). There were 2,313 housing units at an average density of 970.5/sq mi (375.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.57% White, 1.90% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.09% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.54% of the population.

There were 2,107 households out of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.80.

In the city the population was spread out with 21.3% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 83.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,022, and the median income for a family was $33,527. Males had a median income of $31,657 versus $16,607 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,692. About 22.2% of families and 24.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.9% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.

ee also

*List of cities and towns along the Ohio River

References

External links

* [http://www.ptpleasantwv.org City of Point Pleasant]
* [http://www.oddthingsiveseen.com/2007/05/mothman-statue.html O.T.I.S.: Odd Things I've Seen]
* [http://www.masoncountytourism.org Mason County Convention and Visitors Bureau]
* [http://www.masoncountychamber.org Mason County Area Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.pointpleasantwv.org/ Point Pleasant Internet Directory]
* [http://www.mydailyregister.com The Point Pleasant Register]
* [http://www.mothmantruth.com/ "MothmanTruth.com": Research and discussion of the Mothman phenomena"]