Monongah, West Virginia
Encyclopedia
Monongah is a town in Marion County
, West Virginia
along the West Fork River
. The population was 939 at the 2000 census. Monongah was incorporated in 1891 by Circuit Court
. Its name is abbreviated from Monongahela
, the river formed by the confluence
of the West Fork and Tygart Valley
Rivers a few miles north of the town.
The town suffered the Monongah Mining Disaster
on December 6, 1907, described as "the worst mining disaster in American History" in which 362 miners died. Several publications document the disaster, including the Italian book, "MONONGAH, la Marcinelle americana." Davitt McAteer, Clinton Administration mine safety administrator, authored the book, “Monongah: The Tragic Story of the 1907 Monongah Mine Disaster.”
Recently, a memorial for the miners was built in the center of the town. The memorial consists of a statue of a mother holding a baby and a small courtyard with dedications. Its opening was accompanied by visits from Gov. Joe Manchin III and a group from Italy, the homeland of many of the miners killed in the disaster.
Father Everett Francis Briggs
oversaw the memorial project and died just a few days after its completion. On February 21, 2002, the West Virginia Legislature (House Concurrent Resolution no. 40) resolved "to name the bridge which traverses the West Fork River in Marion County, located .12 miles west of county route 27/2, the Father Everett Francis Briggs
Bridge", in honor of Briggs' dedication to the forgotten victims of the 1907 tragedy and the mine widows.
The Motherhouse of an order of Religious women, Sisters, Auxiliaries of the Apostolate, was, until recently, located in Monongah, under the direction of Mother Mary Ursula. The school, St. Peter and Paul, housing grades kindergarten through eighth grade, provided an excellent education for many of the young men and women from Monongah and from as far away as Worthington, Shinnston, Farmington and Fairmont. The Sisters not only taught in the school, but also worked tirelessly in St. Barbara's Nursing Home, which was built as a memorial to the victims of the Monongah Mine Disaster. Father Everett Briggs was also instrumental in starting this facility.
For such a small community, Monongah consists of many villages or named neighborhoods. These include East Monongah, Brookdale, Traction Park, Thoburn, Tower Hill and West Monongah. Prior to being incorporated and named "Monongah," the town was called "Briartown."
The broadcast tower for the Fairmont AM radio station, WMMN, was constructed in the middle 1930s atop Tower Hill in Monongah. In 2004, Jack Meredith (1925-2007) recorded his recollections of growing up on Tower Hill, including the story of how he helped dig the ditches that electrically connected the three WMMN broadcast towers. http://don.homelinux.net/~don1/TowerHill/jack_text.html
The town's local cement block factory went out of business in 2002 and was torn down in 2003.
Not only does the West Fork (of the Monongahela River) run through the middle of Monongah but Booths Creek (named for a Civil War Captain) joins the West Fork in Monongah. Once a polluted waterway due to raw sewage and industrial runoff, it has become cleaner in recent years.
The average house size is approximately 1,200 to 1400 square feet (130.1 m²) and sit on less than one quarter of an acre. A search of Realtor.Com will reveal that of all the communities in the greater Fairmont (WV) area, Monongah is among the least expensive to live in.
Municipal service are limited and a great deal of government operations, social service support, and infrastructure maintenance is performed by county (Marion) and state (WV) agencies.
The downtown area (the heart of the coal mining camp itself) has largely been abandoned. Several small businesses have been started in this blighted area, with limited success. At one time, the downtown area housed restaurants, saloons, small grocery outlets, a "company store" (where the miners' pay - in company "scrip" - was received in exchange for outrageously priced commodities; thus decreasing the miners' overall buying power).
Monongah High School (the building which is now Monongah Middle School) was consolidated with Mannington, Barrackville, and Fairview high schools to form North Marion High School in 1980. Both Monongah High School and North Marion High School
have a rich history of championship football teams. University of Alabama
football head coach Nick Saban
is a graduate of Monongah High School.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2). 0.5 square miles (1.2 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2) of it (7.84%) is water.
of 2000, there were 939 people, 406 households, and 263 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,977.0 inhabitants per square mile (771.4/km2). There were 443 housing units at an average density of 932.7 per square mile (363.9/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 91.91% White, 5.64% African American, 0.11% Asian, and 2.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.32% of the population.
There were 406 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples
living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the town the population was spread out with 21.0% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $25,750, and the median income for a family was $33,000. Males had a median income of $25,417 versus $19,722 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $14,079. About 12.2% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.9% of those under age 18 and 17.0% of those age 65 or over.
Marion County, West Virginia
| style="float:right;"|As of the census of 2000, there were 56,598 people, 23,652 households, and 15,515 families residing in the county. The population density was 183 people per square mile . There were 26,660 housing units at an average density of 86 per square mile...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
along the West Fork River
West Fork River
The West Fork River is a principal tributary of the Monongahela River, 103 miles long, in north-central West Virginia in the United States...
. The population was 939 at the 2000 census. Monongah was incorporated in 1891 by Circuit Court
Circuit court
Circuit court is the name of court systems in several common law jurisdictions.-History:King Henry II instituted the custom of having judges ride around the countryside each year to hear appeals, rather than forcing everyone to bring their appeals to London...
. Its name is abbreviated from Monongahela
Monongahela River
The Monongahela River is a river on the Allegheny Plateau in north-central West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States...
, the river formed by the confluence
Confluence (geography)
In geography, a confluence is the meeting of two or more bodies of water. It usually refers to the point where two streams flow together, merging into a single stream...
of the West Fork and Tygart Valley
Tygart Valley River
The Tygart Valley River — also known as the Tygart River — is a principal tributary of the Monongahela River, approximately long, in east-central West Virginia, USA...
Rivers a few miles north of the town.
History
During the operation of the original Consolidated Coal Company mine, some of the town's amenities consisted of a hotel and a station for a cable car line that linked several nearby towns.The town suffered the Monongah Mining Disaster
Monongah Mining disaster
The Monongah Mine disaster of Monongah, West Virginia occurred on December 6, 1907 and has been described as "the worst mining disaster in American History"...
on December 6, 1907, described as "the worst mining disaster in American History" in which 362 miners died. Several publications document the disaster, including the Italian book, "MONONGAH, la Marcinelle americana." Davitt McAteer, Clinton Administration mine safety administrator, authored the book, “Monongah: The Tragic Story of the 1907 Monongah Mine Disaster.”
Recently, a memorial for the miners was built in the center of the town. The memorial consists of a statue of a mother holding a baby and a small courtyard with dedications. Its opening was accompanied by visits from Gov. Joe Manchin III and a group from Italy, the homeland of many of the miners killed in the disaster.
Father Everett Francis Briggs
Everett Francis Briggs
Father Everett Francis Briggs was a Catholic priest and miners' activist.-Early life:Born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, Briggs attended St. Patrick's School in Fitchburg and the Maryknoll Seminary. He graduated from Holy Cross College in Worcester, Massachusetts, and the Maryknoll Major Seminary in...
oversaw the memorial project and died just a few days after its completion. On February 21, 2002, the West Virginia Legislature (House Concurrent Resolution no. 40) resolved "to name the bridge which traverses the West Fork River in Marion County, located .12 miles west of county route 27/2, the Father Everett Francis Briggs
Everett Francis Briggs
Father Everett Francis Briggs was a Catholic priest and miners' activist.-Early life:Born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, Briggs attended St. Patrick's School in Fitchburg and the Maryknoll Seminary. He graduated from Holy Cross College in Worcester, Massachusetts, and the Maryknoll Major Seminary in...
Bridge", in honor of Briggs' dedication to the forgotten victims of the 1907 tragedy and the mine widows.
The Motherhouse of an order of Religious women, Sisters, Auxiliaries of the Apostolate, was, until recently, located in Monongah, under the direction of Mother Mary Ursula. The school, St. Peter and Paul, housing grades kindergarten through eighth grade, provided an excellent education for many of the young men and women from Monongah and from as far away as Worthington, Shinnston, Farmington and Fairmont. The Sisters not only taught in the school, but also worked tirelessly in St. Barbara's Nursing Home, which was built as a memorial to the victims of the Monongah Mine Disaster. Father Everett Briggs was also instrumental in starting this facility.
For such a small community, Monongah consists of many villages or named neighborhoods. These include East Monongah, Brookdale, Traction Park, Thoburn, Tower Hill and West Monongah. Prior to being incorporated and named "Monongah," the town was called "Briartown."
The broadcast tower for the Fairmont AM radio station, WMMN, was constructed in the middle 1930s atop Tower Hill in Monongah. In 2004, Jack Meredith (1925-2007) recorded his recollections of growing up on Tower Hill, including the story of how he helped dig the ditches that electrically connected the three WMMN broadcast towers. http://don.homelinux.net/~don1/TowerHill/jack_text.html
The town's local cement block factory went out of business in 2002 and was torn down in 2003.
Not only does the West Fork (of the Monongahela River) run through the middle of Monongah but Booths Creek (named for a Civil War Captain) joins the West Fork in Monongah. Once a polluted waterway due to raw sewage and industrial runoff, it has become cleaner in recent years.
The average house size is approximately 1,200 to 1400 square feet (130.1 m²) and sit on less than one quarter of an acre. A search of Realtor.Com will reveal that of all the communities in the greater Fairmont (WV) area, Monongah is among the least expensive to live in.
Municipal service are limited and a great deal of government operations, social service support, and infrastructure maintenance is performed by county (Marion) and state (WV) agencies.
The downtown area (the heart of the coal mining camp itself) has largely been abandoned. Several small businesses have been started in this blighted area, with limited success. At one time, the downtown area housed restaurants, saloons, small grocery outlets, a "company store" (where the miners' pay - in company "scrip" - was received in exchange for outrageously priced commodities; thus decreasing the miners' overall buying power).
Monongah High School (the building which is now Monongah Middle School) was consolidated with Mannington, Barrackville, and Fairview high schools to form North Marion High School in 1980. Both Monongah High School and North Marion High School
North Marion High School (West Virginia)
North Marion High School is a public Triple A high school in West Virginia, with a current enrollment of 905 students.North Marion High School is located approximately 4 miles from Farmington, West Virginia on US Route 250 north...
have a rich history of championship football teams. University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
football head coach Nick Saban
Nick Saban
Nicholas Lou "Nick" Saban is the head coach of the University of Alabama's Crimson Tide football team. Saban has previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins and three other NCAA universities: LSU, Michigan State and Toledo...
is a graduate of Monongah High School.
Geography
Monongah is located at 39.459531°N 80.215787°W (39.459531, -80.215787).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2). 0.5 square miles (1.2 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2) of it (7.84%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 939 people, 406 households, and 263 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,977.0 inhabitants per square mile (771.4/km2). There were 443 housing units at an average density of 932.7 per square mile (363.9/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 91.91% White, 5.64% African American, 0.11% Asian, and 2.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.32% of the population.
There were 406 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the town the population was spread out with 21.0% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $25,750, and the median income for a family was $33,000. Males had a median income of $25,417 versus $19,722 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $14,079. About 12.2% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.9% of those under age 18 and 17.0% of those age 65 or over.