| Lee County, Virginia | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Virginia |
|
 Virginia's location in the U.S. |
|
| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1793 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Jonesville |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
437 sq mi (1,132 km²) 0 sq mi (0 km²), 0.04% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
23,589 54/sq mi (21/km²) |
Lee County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 23,589. Its county seat is Jonesville[1]. Lee County is the westernmost county in Virginia.
Contents |
History
The county was formed in 1793 from Russell County. It was named for Light Horse Harry Lee, the Governor of Virginia from 1791 to 1794, who was known as "Light Horse Harry" for his exploits as a leader of light troops in the American Revolutionary War. He was the father of the Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
In 1814, parts of Lee County, Russell County, and Washington County were combined to form Scott County. In 1856, parts of Lee County, Russell County, and Scott County were combined to form Wise County, Virginia.
Notable residents
Andrew Taylor Still, the founder of osteopathic medicine, was born near Jonesville.
Economy
Lee County is one of the poorest counties in Virginia. Its economy is dependent largely on growing tobacco and mining coal.
Using the slogan Where Virginia Begins, it has attempted to increase its tourism industry by emphasizing its role in the route used by settlers going west through the Cumberland Gap, at Lee County's western tip.
Lee County shares Cumberland Gap National Historical Park with Kentucky and Tennessee. Attractions listed in the park include Hensley's Settlement, the Pinnacle Overlook, the Sand Cave, and the White Rocks overlooking the towns of Ewing and Rose Hill.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 437 square miles (1,133 km²), of which, 437 square miles (1,132 km²) of it is land and 0 square miles (0 km²) of it (0.04%) is water.
Districts
The county is divided into seven districts: Jonesville, Rocky Station, Rocky Station Mineral, Rose Hill, White Shoals, Yokum, and Yokum Mineral.
Adjacent counties
- Harlan County, Kentucky - north
- Wise County, Virginia - northeast
- Scott County, Virginia - east
- Hancock County, Tennessee - south
- Claiborne County, Tennessee - south-southwest
- Bell County, Kentucky - west
National protected areas
Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 23,589 people, 9,706 households, and 6,852 families residing in the county. The population density was 54 people per square mile (21/km²). There were 11,086 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.44% White, 0.44% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.08% from other races, and 0.64% from two or more races. 0.51% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 9,706 households out of which 29.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.00% were married couples living together, 11.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.40% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the county, the population was spread out with 22.80% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 26.30% from 45 to 64, and 15.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $22,972, and the median income for a family was $28,525. Males had a median income of $27,579 versus $19,370 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,625. About 20.20% of families and 23.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.10% of those under age 18 and 23.30% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
| Year | DEM | GOP | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 46.8% 19,028 | 51.7% 21,031 | 1.5% 594 |
| 2004 | 54.2% 17,070 | 44.8% 14,128 | 1.0% 317 |
| 2000 | 51.5% 13,991 | 43.2% 11,720 | 5.3% 1,449 |
| 1996 | 43.3% 10,517 | 44.7% 10,867 | 12.0% 2,914 |
| 1992 | 42.5% 10,606 | 42.7% 10,658 | 14.7% 3,671 |
| 1988 | 57.5% 12,326 | 41.5% 8,909 | 1.0% 209 |
| 1984 | 62.9% 12,428 | 36.4% 7,202 | 1.1% 135 |
| 1980 | 47.4% 8,222 | 43.0% 7,455 | 9.6% 1,667 |
| 1976 | 50.6% 7,971 | 47.9% 7,539 | 1.5% 232 |
| 1972 | 70.6% 9,348 | 27.9% 3,692 | 1.6% 208 |
| 1968 | 61.5% 7,098 | 23.4% 2,700 | 15.1% 1,749 |
| 1964 | 54.2% 4,604 | 45.6% 3,872 | 0.2% 13 |
| 1960 | 66.3% 4,270 | 33,5% 2,157 | 0.3% 18 |
Towns
- Ben Hur
- Dryden
- Ewing
- Jonesville
- Keokee
- Pennington Gap
- Rose Hill
- St. Charles
- Blackwater
Schools in Lee County Virginia
Public High Schools
- Lee High School, Jonesville
- Thomas Walker High School, Ewing
Public Middle Schools
- Pennington Middle School, Pennington Gap
- Jonesville Middle School, Jonesville
Public Elementary Schools
- Dryden Elementary School, Dryden
- Keokee Elementary School, Keokee
- Elk Knob Elementary School, Woodway
- Elydale Elementary School, Ewing
- Ewing Elementary School, Ewing
- Flatwoods Elementary School, Jonesville
- St. Charles Elementary School, St. Charles
- Stickleyville Elementary School, Stickleyville
- Rose Hill Elementary School, Rose Hill
- Pennington Elementary School, Pennington Gap (closed)
- Consisting of three buildings built at various times (1912, 1917 and 1937), the school was demolished in late 1989 and a bank was constructed on its Morgan Avenue site.
Technical Schools
- Lee County Vo/Career Tech, Ben Hur
References
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/usamap.cfm. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
External links
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Harlan County, Kentucky | Wise County | |
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| Bell County, Kentucky |  |
Scott County | ||
 Lee County, Virginia  |
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| Claiborne County, Tennessee | Hancock County, Tennessee |
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