Parkersburg, West Virginia

Parkersburg is the county seat of Wood County{{GR|6}}. It is located at the confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha Rivers. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 33,099.

History

Parkersburg was originally named Newport when it was laid out in the late 1700's. A section of the land in the town was laid out over land granted to Alexander Parker for his Revolutionary War service. The title conflicts between Parker and the city planners of Newport were settled in 1809 in favor of Alexander Parker's heirs. The town was renamed Parkersburg in 1810. It was chartered by the state of Virginia in 1820. It was rechartered as a city in 1860. The town was the terminus of the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike and the Northwestern Turnpike. In 1857 the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad built a branch line to the town. The town was important as a transportation and medical center during the American Civil War. It then became a transportation hub in the gas and oil boom following that war. It is now the home of the Bureau of the Public Debt.

Related Topics:
Virginia - 1820 - 1860 - Northwestern Turnpike - 1857 - Baltimore and Ohio Railroad - American Civil War - Bureau of the Public Debt

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