Saltville is a town in Smyth and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 1,824 at the 2020 census. Indigenous peoples of varying cultures hunted at the marshes. The historic Native American people in the area were the Chisca.

Archaeologists in 1992 proposed the existence of a prehistoric "Saltville Complex Petty Chiefdom", with a paramount village located at the Northwood High School site, 44SM8. They reported "Saltville style gorgets" as well as iron and copper materials, scattered across the region.

During the spring of 1567, Spanish conquistador Hernando Moyano de Morales led a force of 15-20 soldiers northward from Fort San Juan in Joara, a city in what is now western North Carolina. The force attacked and burned the Chisca village of Maniatique, which may have been located at or near the site of Saltville.

Civil War

During the American Civil War, Saltville was one of the Confederacy's main saltworks. The saltworks were considered vital to the Confederate war effort because the salt was used in preserving meat for Confederate soldiers and civilians. Because of its importance, the town was attacked by Northern forces intent on destroying the saltworks. On October 2, 1864, the First Battle of Saltville was fought there. In the battle Union forces attacked Saltville but were defeated by Confederate troops. Following the battle a number of wounded black troops were murdered in what was dubbed the "Saltville Massacre." (Shortly after the war Champ Ferguson was tried, convicted, and executed for war crimes for this and other killings.)

Two months later General George Stoneman, a Union cavalry commander, led a second attack on the saltworks; the Second Battle of Saltville. This time the Confederates were defeated and the saltworks were destroyed by Union troops. The loss of the Saltville works was considered a major blow to the Confederacy's dwindling resources.

Additional history

Preston House, Saltville Battlefields Historic District, Saltville Historic District, and the Scott-Walker House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Hydrazine rocket fuel made by Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation's plant in Saltville was used to power the rocket that took the first humans to the moon in the Apollo 11 mission.

thumb|The View from Battle at Cedar Branch marker above Saltville.

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Muck Dam collapse

Saltville was the location of the infamous "Muck Dam" break on December 24, 1924, which allowed the release of a huge volume of liquid chemical waste stored there by the Mathieson Alkali Company into the north fork of the Holston River, taking the lives of nineteen people who lived along the river. The river remained polluted and virtually dead for several decades afterward.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 8.1&nbsp;square miles (21.0&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), of which 8.1&nbsp;square miles (20.8&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) is land and 0.04&nbsp;square mile (0.1&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) (0.49%) is water.

The salt caverns in Saltville are used for natural gas storage, the only ones to serve the Mid-Atlantic states. The cavern type in Saltville is considered the best for this purpose because the gas can be injected and removed quickly to meet immediate demand.

Climate

The climate in this area features moderate differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfb". (Marine West Coast Climate/Oceanic climate).

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Saltville had a population of 1,824. The median age was 47.0 years. 19.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.9 males age 18 and over.

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 772 households in Saltville, of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.9% were married-couple households, 20.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

Notable people

  • Georgia Blizzard - Ceramics artist whose works are in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and other museums.
  • Clay Davidson - Country musician
  • Texas Gladden- Folk singer, sister of Hobart Smith
  • Robert Porterfield - founder of the Barter Theater
  • Elizabeth Henry Campbell Russell - Sister of Patrick Henry, introduced Methodism to Southwest Virginia. The Madam Russell Memorial United Methodist Church and the Elizabeth Cemetery in Saltville are named for her.
  • Hobart Smith - Old time music legend

References

Further reading

  • Kent, William B. A History of Saltville, Virginia (Radford, VA: Commonwealth Pr., 1955).
  • Sarvis, Will. The Salt Trade of Nineteenth Century Saltville, Virginia
  • Town's official website
  • Saltville During the Civil War in Encyclopedia Virginia

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