Richwood, West Virginia
Encyclopedia
Richwood is a city in Nicholas County, West Virginia
, United States
. The population was 2,477 at the 2000 census. A former coal and lumber boom town, the city's population once flirted with 10,000 but the closure of many underground coal mines caused many of Richwood's residents to leave the state in order to find work. The area is currently focusing on niche tourism
as a means to revitalize the local economy. It calls itself the "Ramp
Capital of the World" and hosts a large festival every April in honor of the pungent wild leek.
has been populated since the late 18th century CE. Local legend holds that Shawnee
chief Blue Jacket
was in fact a young white hunter named Marmaduke Van Swearingen who was kidnapped in the area. This theory, however, has generally fallen out of favor with most scholars.
During the 19th century, the area was a sparsely-settled semi-wilderness
of homesteads and subsistence farms. This changed in 1898 when a railroad was extended into the area, then known as Cherry Tree Bottoms. In 1901, the town was incorporated with its present name, a nod to the abundant hardwood forests in the area. Soon the area possessed a large sawmill
and the world's largest clothespin factory. Coal mine closure
s, however, crippled Richwood's economy in the 1970s and 1980s.
The town was once home to several large businesses and industries. In addition to the sawmill and the clothespin factory, there were other factories that produced wood-based products such as axe-handles and paper. Coal
also came into the industry picture during Richwood's boom-era during pre-depression years. During this time the city's population neared 10,000 citizens. Banking was also a white collar industry that succeeded in the city with the large companies investing into the city's financial corporations. Once the large factories closed or relocated, many of the people followed. The final hit was when the coal industry took a downward turn and most of the local coal mines ceased operation. This was combined with a deep mining disaster when one of the local mines collapsed.
The city has also had problems with periodic flooding. Recently, The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has approved impact studies in order to determine the propriety of the construction of dam
on the South Fork of the Cherry River in order to limit future flooding. The proposed name for the possible lake is Eagle Lake. Depending on the exact location of the dam, the reservoir could become the largest lake in the state of West Virginia
, surpassing nearby Summersville Lake
.
Richwood now seeks to be reborn as both an artisan
community and a technology
center. The Downtown Richwood Historic District
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2001.
is formed at Richwood by the confluence
of its north and south forks. Some of the city is relatively flat bottom land located along the river valley while neighborhoods are located on rather steep terrain, some of which approaches the angle of repose.
At an elevation of approximately 2,200 feet above sea level, a unique setting is created by the Cherry River in which class 3 whitewater rapids are usually created during spring run off through a town of about 2,000 residents. In plain view from some of the city's public streets, this may be the only place in eastern North America where three categories of "twos" (population, elevation, and whitewater difficulty) are met or eclipsed. (Western US example-The Sacramento River
at Dunsmuir, CA)
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²), all land.
While Richwood was the economic center for Nicholas County for most of the 20th Century, the county seat of Summersville
has come to be the primary retail and business center during the past 25 years. This is mostly due to the improvement of U.S. Route 19
to a 4-lane highway and the development of business along the corridor. Richwood, however, is still by default the political and economic center of eastern Nicholas County, as it is the only incorporated city in the immediate area.
While Richwood now possesses a small fraction of the retail stores that it once had, the city still has a small shopping plaza which houses a FoodLand
, Rite Aid
and Dollar General
. Many of the downtown businesses have closed due to competition with larger chain retailers located in nearby Summersville
.
Recently, there have been efforts to re-establish the city's industrial sector, such as the establishment of Cherry River Furniture, a manufacturer of home furniture products (the company made the desk used by Governor Bob Wise
during his term in office). The company, however, has since closed.
There are efforts to attract visitors to the area for the natural beauty of the adjacent Monongahela National Forest
. The mayor welcomed attendees of the 2005 Rainbow Gathering
that was held in the forest and took the opportunity to encourage craftspeople to buy property and set up businesses there. Richwood is also home to a small aircraft handling airport known as the Richwood Municipal Airport which is located in the nearby unincorporated community of New Hope
.
to the east. The original construction of the road portion from Marlinton to Richwood over a highly mountainous section of the Monongahela National Forest
was instigated by the so called "Cherry River Navy", thus reducing what was a 3 hour drive on indirect alternate routes to a current 30 minute drive. It is one of the most scenic and relatively remote drives in the eastern US, featuring a number of US National Forest recreation areas with easy access of the main road.
In the early years of the town, the railroad was a popular form of transporting wood, coal, and passengers in and out of Richwood on a daily basis. As time wore on, however, rail traffic gradually, but steadily, decreased. By the early 1980s, trains had been completely replaced by road transportation in the area. The tracks were removed by the end of the decade and the old railroad grade was transformed into a gravel trail for hiking and bicycling.
of 2000, there were 2,477 people, 1,030 households, and 674 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,464.1 persons per square mile (565.9/km²). There were 1,233 housing units at an average density of 728.8 houses per square mile (281.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.83% White, 0.16% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.36% Asian, and 0.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.40% of the population.
There were 1,030 households out of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples
living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.0% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 22.4% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 23.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 83.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $21,620, and the median income for a family was $28,287. Males had a median income of $25,948 versus $18,533 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $12,213. About 23.3% of families and 29.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 43.4% of those under age 18 and 14.1% of those age 65 or over.
(Williams River
, Cranberry River
, and Cherry River) all flow wild within this portion of the forest. A scenic highway and visitors center also lie at the intersection of WV 39 and WV 150, which is close to the Cranberry Glades Botanical Area
and the Cranberry Wilderness
. The Cranberry Glades Botanical Area is the southernmost Canadian bog in the world. Summit Lake
offers the only flat water recreation in the immediate area. Richwood is also home to Cherry Hill Country Club, a beautiful nine hole golf course located on top of Hinkle Mountain.
. In 2005 the girls high school softball
squad won the school its first team state championship in any sport.
Prior to June 17, 2008, Richwod Area Community Hospital was the health care provider until failing financial conditions forced it to close. RACH was previously known as Sacred Heart Hospital and was run by the local Catholic Church community. A second hospital known as McClung Hospital also served the area during Richwood's population boom in the early 1900s, that hospital has long since closed.
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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 2,477 at the 2000 census. A former coal and lumber boom town, the city's population once flirted with 10,000 but the closure of many underground coal mines caused many of Richwood's residents to leave the state in order to find work. The area is currently focusing on niche tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
as a means to revitalize the local economy. It calls itself the "Ramp
Wild leek
Allium tricoccum — known as the ramp, spring onion, ramson, wild leek, wild garlic, and, in French, ail sauvage and ail des bois — is an early spring vegetable, a perennial wild onion. It has a strong garlic-like odor and a pronounced onion flavor. Ramps are found across North America, from the...
Capital of the World" and hosts a large festival every April in honor of the pungent wild leek.
History
The area surrounding the forks of the Cherry RiverCherry River (West Virginia)
The Cherry River is a tributary of the Gauley River in southeastern West Virginia, USA. Via the Gauley, Kanawha and Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River. The Cherry River drains mostly rural and forested areas and flows for much of its length through the Monongahela...
has been populated since the late 18th century CE. Local legend holds that Shawnee
Shawnee
The Shawnee, Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are an Algonquian-speaking people native to North America. Historically they inhabited the areas of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Western Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania...
chief Blue Jacket
Blue Jacket
Blue Jacket or Weyapiersenwah was a war chief of the Shawnee people, known for his militant defense of Shawnee lands in the Ohio Country...
was in fact a young white hunter named Marmaduke Van Swearingen who was kidnapped in the area. This theory, however, has generally fallen out of favor with most scholars.
During the 19th century, the area was a sparsely-settled semi-wilderness
Wilderness
Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
of homesteads and subsistence farms. This changed in 1898 when a railroad was extended into the area, then known as Cherry Tree Bottoms. In 1901, the town was incorporated with its present name, a nod to the abundant hardwood forests in the area. Soon the area possessed a large sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
and the world's largest clothespin factory. Coal mine closure
Mine closure
Mine closure is the period of time when the ore-extracting activities of a mine have ceased, and final decommissioning and mine reclamation are being completed. It is generally associated with reduced employment levels, which can have a significant negative impact on local economies...
s, however, crippled Richwood's economy in the 1970s and 1980s.
The town was once home to several large businesses and industries. In addition to the sawmill and the clothespin factory, there were other factories that produced wood-based products such as axe-handles and paper. Coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
also came into the industry picture during Richwood's boom-era during pre-depression years. During this time the city's population neared 10,000 citizens. Banking was also a white collar industry that succeeded in the city with the large companies investing into the city's financial corporations. Once the large factories closed or relocated, many of the people followed. The final hit was when the coal industry took a downward turn and most of the local coal mines ceased operation. This was combined with a deep mining disaster when one of the local mines collapsed.
The city has also had problems with periodic flooding. Recently, The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has approved impact studies in order to determine the propriety of the construction of dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
on the South Fork of the Cherry River in order to limit future flooding. The proposed name for the possible lake is Eagle Lake. Depending on the exact location of the dam, the reservoir could become the largest lake in the state of 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...
, surpassing nearby Summersville Lake
Summersville Lake
Summersville Lake is a reservoir located in the US state of West Virginia. The lake is formed by a rock-fill dam on the Gauley River, south of Summersville in Nicholas County...
.
Richwood now seeks to be reborn as both an artisan
Artisan
An artisan is a skilled manual worker who makes items that may be functional or strictly decorative, including furniture, clothing, jewellery, household items, and tools...
community and a technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
center. The Downtown Richwood Historic District
Downtown Richwood Historic District
Downtown Richwood Historic District is a national historic district located at Richwood, Nicholas County, West Virginia. The district includes 51 contributing buildings in the central business district of Richwood. They consist of mostly two and three-story masonry commercial buildings from the...
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2001.
Geography
Richwood is located at 38°13′25"N 80°32′12"W (38.223637, -80.536676). The Cherry RiverCherry River (West Virginia)
The Cherry River is a tributary of the Gauley River in southeastern West Virginia, USA. Via the Gauley, Kanawha and Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River. The Cherry River drains mostly rural and forested areas and flows for much of its length through the Monongahela...
is formed at Richwood 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 its north and south forks. Some of the city is relatively flat bottom land located along the river valley while neighborhoods are located on rather steep terrain, some of which approaches the angle of repose.
At an elevation of approximately 2,200 feet above sea level, a unique setting is created by the Cherry River in which class 3 whitewater rapids are usually created during spring run off through a town of about 2,000 residents. In plain view from some of the city's public streets, this may be the only place in eastern North America where three categories of "twos" (population, elevation, and whitewater difficulty) are met or eclipsed. (Western US example-The Sacramento River
Sacramento River
The Sacramento River is an important watercourse of Northern and Central California in the United States. The largest river in California, it rises on the eastern slopes of the Klamath Mountains, and after a journey south of over , empties into Suisun Bay, an arm of the San Francisco Bay, and...
at Dunsmuir, CA)
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 city has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²), all land.
Economy
Summersville, West Virginia
Summersville is a town in Nicholas County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 3,194 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Nicholas County.-Geography:...
has come to be the primary retail and business center during the past 25 years. This is mostly due to the improvement of U.S. Route 19
U.S. Route 19
U.S. Route 19 is a north–south U.S. Highway. Despite encroaching Interstate Highways, the route has remained a long-haul route, connecting the Gulf of Mexico with Lake Erie....
to a 4-lane highway and the development of business along the corridor. Richwood, however, is still by default the political and economic center of eastern Nicholas County, as it is the only incorporated city in the immediate area.
While Richwood now possesses a small fraction of the retail stores that it once had, the city still has a small shopping plaza which houses a FoodLand
FoodLand
"FoodLand" is the name of a regional American supermarket chain based in New Stanton, Pennsylvania. The stores' "F" logo are a registered trademark of Minnesota-based SuperValu stores, which serves as the chain's main wholesale distributor....
, Rite Aid
Rite Aid
Rite Aid is a drugstore chain in the United States and a Fortune 500 company headquartered in East Pennsboro Township, Pennsylvania, near Camp Hill. Rite Aid is the largest drugstore chain on the East Coast and the third largest drugstore chain in the U.S....
and Dollar General
Dollar General
Dollar General Corp. is a U.S. chain of variety stores headquartered in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. As of January 2011, Dollar General operated over 9,300 stores in 35 U.S. states....
. Many of the downtown businesses have closed due to competition with larger chain retailers located in nearby Summersville
Summersville, West Virginia
Summersville is a town in Nicholas County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 3,194 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Nicholas County.-Geography:...
.
Recently, there have been efforts to re-establish the city's industrial sector, such as the establishment of Cherry River Furniture, a manufacturer of home furniture products (the company made the desk used by Governor Bob Wise
Bob Wise
Robert Ellsworth "Bob" Wise, Jr. is an American politician. A Democrat, Wise served as the 33rd Governor of West Virginia from January 2001 to January 2005.-Early life:...
during his term in office). The company, however, has since closed.
There are efforts to attract visitors to the area for the natural beauty of the adjacent Monongahela National Forest
Monongahela National Forest
The Monongahela National Forest is a national forest located in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, USA. It protects over of federally-owned land within a proclamation boundary that includes much of the Potomac Highlands Region and portions of 10 counties.The MNF includes some...
. The mayor welcomed attendees of the 2005 Rainbow Gathering
Rainbow Gathering
Rainbow Gatherings are temporary intentional communities, typically held in outdoor settings, and espousing and practicing ideals of peace, love, harmony, freedom and community, as a consciously expressed alternative to mainstream popular culture, consumerism, capitalism and mass media.Rainbow...
that was held in the forest and took the opportunity to encourage craftspeople to buy property and set up businesses there. Richwood is also home to a small aircraft handling airport known as the Richwood Municipal Airport which is located in the nearby unincorporated community of New Hope
New Hope, Nicholas County, West Virginia
New Hope is an unincorporated community in Nicholas County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. New Hope lies between the communities of Fenwick and Nettie along West Virginia Routes 20 and 39. New Hope is also the location of nearby Richwood's municipal airport....
.
Transportation
Richwood's primary road is a two lane route that is the commingling West Virginia Route 39 and West Virginia Route 55. These highways provide access to U.S. Route 19 to the west and U.S. Route 219U.S. Route 219
U.S. Route 219 is a spur of U.S. Route 19. It runs for from West Seneca, New York at an interchange with Interstate 90, to Rich Creek, Virginia, intersecting at U.S. Route 460. U.S. 219 is found in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia...
to the east. The original construction of the road portion from Marlinton to Richwood over a highly mountainous section of the Monongahela National Forest
Monongahela National Forest
The Monongahela National Forest is a national forest located in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, USA. It protects over of federally-owned land within a proclamation boundary that includes much of the Potomac Highlands Region and portions of 10 counties.The MNF includes some...
was instigated by the so called "Cherry River Navy", thus reducing what was a 3 hour drive on indirect alternate routes to a current 30 minute drive. It is one of the most scenic and relatively remote drives in the eastern US, featuring a number of US National Forest recreation areas with easy access of the main road.
In the early years of the town, the railroad was a popular form of transporting wood, coal, and passengers in and out of Richwood on a daily basis. As time wore on, however, rail traffic gradually, but steadily, decreased. By the early 1980s, trains had been completely replaced by road transportation in the area. The tracks were removed by the end of the decade and the old railroad grade was transformed into a gravel trail for hiking and bicycling.
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 2,477 people, 1,030 households, and 674 families residing in the city. 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 1,464.1 persons per square mile (565.9/km²). There were 1,233 housing units at an average density of 728.8 houses per square mile (281.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.83% White, 0.16% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.36% Asian, and 0.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.40% of the population.
There were 1,030 households out of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% 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, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.0% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 22.4% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 23.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 83.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $21,620, and the median income for a family was $28,287. Males had a median income of $25,948 versus $18,533 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 city was $12,213. About 23.3% of families and 29.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 43.4% of those under age 18 and 14.1% of those age 65 or over.
Local places of interest
Richwood has a mountain setting with close proximity to the Gauley Ranger District the Monongehela National Forest and access to a great number of recreational areas. Three tributaries of the Gauley RiverGauley River
The Gauley River is a river in West Virginia. It merges with the New River to form the Kanawha River, a tributary of the Ohio River. It is one of the most popular advanced whitewater runs in the Eastern United States and is the chief feature of the Gauley River National Recreation Area.-Headwaters...
(Williams River
Williams River (West Virginia)
The Williams River is a tributary of the Gauley River, 33 miles long, in east-central West Virginia, USA. Via the Gauley, Kanawha and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 132 square miles in a sparsely populated region of the southern Allegheny...
, Cranberry River
Cranberry River (West Virginia)
The Cranberry River is a tributary of the Gauley River located in southeastern West Virginia, USA. It is a part of the Mississippi River watershed, by way of the Gauley, Kanawha, and Ohio Rivers, draining an area of ....
, and Cherry River) all flow wild within this portion of the forest. A scenic highway and visitors center also lie at the intersection of WV 39 and WV 150, which is close to the Cranberry Glades Botanical Area
Cranberry Glades Botanical Area
Cranberry Glades — also known simply as The Glades — are a cluster of five small, boreal-type bogs in southwestern Pocahontas County, West Virginia, USA. This area, high in the Allegheny Mountains at about , is protected as the Cranberry Glades Botanical Area, part of the Monongahela National Forest...
and the Cranberry Wilderness
Cranberry Wilderness
The Cranberry Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness area in the Monongahela National Forest of southeast West Virginia, USA. Its name derives from the nearby Cranberry Glades as well as from the Cranberry River and Cranberry Mountain...
. The Cranberry Glades Botanical Area is the southernmost Canadian bog in the world. Summit Lake
Summit Lake (West Virginia)
Summit Lake is a cold water reservoir located in Greenbrier County, West Virginia in the Gauley Ranger District of the Monongahela National Forest. The reservoir is formed by the impoundment of the waters of two forks of Coats Run, a small tributary of the North Fork of the Cherry River. There...
offers the only flat water recreation in the immediate area. Richwood is also home to Cherry Hill Country Club, a beautiful nine hole golf course located on top of Hinkle Mountain.
Education
Three schools still exist inside the city of Richwood, they include: Cherry River Elementary, Richwood Middle School, and Richwood High SchoolRichwood High School (West Virginia)
Richwood High School is a public high school located in Richwood, West Virginia, United States. The school has seen dwindling enrollment over the past several decades and currently has a student population of about 415 students. Twelfth grade has approximately 115, Eleventh grade approximately 100,...
. In 2005 the girls high school softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
squad won the school its first team state championship in any sport.
Healthcare
Summersville Regional Medical Center is the area's health care provider along with the health clicnic Richwood Family Practice ran by S.R.M.C.Prior to June 17, 2008, Richwod Area Community Hospital was the health care provider until failing financial conditions forced it to close. RACH was previously known as Sacred Heart Hospital and was run by the local Catholic Church community. A second hospital known as McClung Hospital also served the area during Richwood's population boom in the early 1900s, that hospital has long since closed.
Emergency services
The Richwood Volunteer Fire Department serves as Richwood's primary fire & rescue service and the Richwood Police Department is the city's primary police force. The Nicholas County Sheriff Department and West Virginia State Police, which has a post located in the city, also provide police service as needed.Notable residents
- Basketball player Michael BarrettMike Barrett (basketball player)Michael Thomas "Bird Man" Barrett was an American basketball player.He was reared in Richwood, West Virginia and attended Richwood High School....
who played for the Gold Medal winning U.S. Basketball team in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics and with a few teams in the American Basketball AssociationAmerican Basketball AssociationThe American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
attended Richwood High School. - Peter BrunettePeter BrunettePeter Brunette was a film critic and film historian. He was the author of several books, including biographies of Italian directors Roberto Rossellini and Michelangelo Antonioni...
, film critic and historian, was born in Richwood. - Marian McQuadeMarian McQuadeMarian McQuade was the founder of National Grandparents Day. She served on the West Virginia Commission on Aging and the Nursing Home Licensing Board. For many years, she helped with the Past 80 Party, which was held annually in Richwood, WV...
, the founder of National Grandparents Day, lived in Richwood before moving to Oak Hill, West VirginiaOak Hill, West VirginiaOak Hill is a city in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States and is the primary city within the Oak Hill, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area. The micropolitan area is also included in the Beckley-Oak Hill, WV Combined Statistical Area. The population was 7,589 at the 2000 census...
. - Confederate Spy who moved to Richwood following the war, Nancy Hart DouglasNancy Hart DouglasNancy Hart Douglas was a scout, guide, and spy for the Confederacy during the American Civil War. Serving first with the Moccasin Rangers, a prosouthern guerilla group in present-day West Virginia, she later joined the Confederate Army and continued to serve as a guide and spy under General...
.