thumb|290px|right|First courthouse in Wood County (ca. 1802), sketch by [[Joseph H. Diss Debar]]
Wood County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 84,296, making it West Virginia's fifth-most populous county. Its county seat is Parkersburg. The county was formed in 1798 from the western part of Harrison County and named for James Wood, governor of Virginia from 1796 to 1799.
Wood County is part of the Parkersburg-Vienna, WV Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
1700s
Early European settlement
Settlement in the Ohio Valley was restricted in the years following the French and Indian War. However, the signing of the Treaty of Fort Stanwix and the Treaty of Hard Labor in 1768 cleared the way for the settlement of areas east of the Ohio River, including modern-day Wood County. In the years following the treaties, dozens of settlements were established along the Ohio, Little Kanawha, and Hughes Rivers. By 1775, many immigrants had made settlement and preemption claims in the area that would later constitute Wood County. Most of the earliest settlers were Scotch-Irish who came from southwestern Pennsylvania. One of the earlier settlements in Wood County was established in 1785, when Joseph Wood of New Jersey and four Scottish families settled the area around Belleville.
After surviving a conflict with the local Native American tribes from 1791 to 1795, the area that would become Wood County entered an era of steady but slow expansion and development. Many early settlers had come from the Tidewater Region of Virginia, bringing with them Southern culture and the practice of slavery, using enslaved people to establish plantations. Barbecues and horse racing were common activities among the early inhabitants. Welsh immigrants also came to the area.
Wood County was formed on December 21, 1798, from portions of Harrison County. It was named for the then Governor of Virginia (1796–99), James Wood, formerly a brigadier general in the American Revolutionary War.
Blennerhassett Island and the Burr Conspiracy
Harman Blennerhassett, an Anglo-Irish aristocrat, purchased Blennerhassett Island in 1798, where he built Blennerhassett Mansion. Harman Blennerhassett was known for hosting lavish parties that attracted many high-profile guests. One of the most famous visitors was Aaron Burr. Aaron Burr's relationship with Harman Blennerhassett eventually led to the island being the headquarters for the Burr Conspiracy, with Harman providing financial support and men to Burr.
When word of the Burr Conspiracy leaked out, both Harman Blennerhassett and Aaron Burr fled the island before the Ohio Militia raided it in 1806. Both were later arrested, however the Supreme Court ruled that Burr's plot did not fit the definition of treason. Harman Blennerhassett never regained his wealth after the incident. A fire then burned Blennerhassett Mansion to the ground in 1811, even further complicating the financial issues of the Blennerhassetts.
Harman Blennerhassett tried to regain his fortunes by establishing a cotton plantation in Mississippi, but crop failures doomed the venture. Harman eventually returned to Ireland where he lived off the charity of his relatives. He died in poverty in 1831.
1800s
Creation of a aristocratic society
After Wood County was formed, many of its most prominent families and individuals organized and created an aristocratic class that came to dominate nearly every economic, political, and social aspect of life in Wood County. People in this group were mostly slaveholding eastern Virginia Tuckahoes who were led by families like the Hendersons. Some were New Englanders who had connections to military officers in Marietta, Ohio. The Cohees of western Pennsylvania and western Virginia were heavily excluded from this group.
Harman Blennerhassett's manuscript that he wrote while awaiting trial in Richmond in 1807 showcases the tensions in Wood County spawning from the two groups- <blockquote>"Col. Phelps complained much of the ill-treatment he had received from the said Hendersons, who, he said, had risen in the county on his shoulders, without specifying particulars: observing, however, that the Tuckahoes would soon over-run the county."</blockquote>
Economic growth
The economy of Wood County was boosted by the completion of two turnpikes by 1847 and the arrival of the Northwestern Virginia Railroad in Parkersburg a decade later. The discovery of oil in the area led to additional economic growth. As a result, Wood County attracted a diverse population, including the largest Irish Catholic, German, and Jewish settlements between Wheeling and Huntington.
Civil War
In 1861, Virginia seceded from the Union. After Wood County received news of the secession via telegraph, a riot ensued at Courthouse Square. Fighting between Unionists and secessionists occurred, and the county militia attempted to seize the two cannons provided to them by the State of Virginia in 1860. The county militia then split into two factions, divided by their sympathies. During the Civil War, Wood County was deeply divided, with large numbers of men serving on both sides. In May 1861, upon being informed that Confederates were threatening the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, General George B. McClellan sent troops into the Parkersburg area to protect the terminus.
In July 1862, after sixteen Moccasin Rangers were spotted resting at Tygart Creek, a rumor spread that there was a Confederate invasion force preparing to march onto Parkersburg. Three Parkersburg residents then reported a supposed army of 500 men marching towards Parkersburg. While the town panicked, an extraordinary court was formed to deal with the imaginary army marching onto the town. The Wood County Court appointed a committee of three, consisting of two Confederates and one Unionist, to head south and negotiate with the army. The three then encountered a Union picket line and were fired upon before being arrested and taken back to Parkersburg.
The delegates of the 40 western counties who opposed secession formed their own government and seceded from the Confederate state of Virginia. West Virginia was granted statehood in 1863. Later that year, West Virginia's counties were divided into civil townships, with the intention of encouraging local government. This proved impractical in the heavily rural state, and in 1872 the townships were converted into magisterial districts. Wood County was divided into ten districts: Clay, Harris, Lubeck, Parkersburg, Slate, Steele, Tygart, Union, Walker, and Williams.
Sumner School
In 1862, Sumner School was established as the first free African American school south of the Mason-Dixon Line. The cause for the school's creation supposedly came from Robert F. Simmons, a barber, traveling to Washington D.C. and petitioning Abraham Lincoln for his support to create the school. in 1866, under the control of the West Virginia state government, Sumner School officially entered the segregated school system. Sumner School also became the first African American high school in West Virginia. The school later closed in 1955, after Brown vs. Board of Education outlawed segregation in schools in 1954.
Reconstruction
Following the end of the Civil War, The West Virginia state government forced voters to swear oaths attesting to past Union loyalty. The oath was required to be taken by any citizen whose loyalty had been questioned. Failing to take the oath could lead to fines or imprisonment. In October 1865, A riot occurred in Parkersburg over this issue, as reported by the Parkersburg Daily Times-<blockquote>"There was a good deal of excitement yesterday about the rolls at the Court House; but we saw no pistols in use. The complaint among the sympathizers was that they were required to take the test oath."</blockquote>Federal soldiers would remain in Parkersburg until at least the end of 1865, though most would have been discharged by then.
1900s
Flooding
Flooding in Wood County was a major issue for its inhabitants. Major floods occurred annually, with the most devastating flood for Wood County being the Flood of 1913. On March 29, 1913, the Ohio River crested at 58.9 feet, causing millions of dollars in damage and catching many by surprise. In addition to the flood, Parkersburg officials were fighting a fire that destroyed an entire city block. Four banks were forced to relocate from Parkersburg, and the city was left isolated for four days without telegraph, telephone, or rail service. Parkersburg received no federal aid. However, the National Guard was summoned.
2010s
Klan rally held at Mountwood Park
Mountwood Park was the site of a Ku Klux Klan rally in 2014. Armed guards were present, local Grand Dragon John Himmler said it was to keep the "unwanted" out. Wood County Sherriff Ken Merritt said that there was no law prohibiting open carrying firearms at the park. Wood County Parks Director Jeremy Cross said he did know about the nature of the event until after it had happened. The gathering was announced through flyers months prior to the rally. Himmler said about 40 Klan members attended the rally, along with around 15 prospecting members. Himmler later said he would like to see the Ku Klux Klan be more active in the area, including community service, to show people “another side of the coin.”
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (2.8%) is water.
Wood County's northern and western boundary is the Ohio River. The Little Kanawha River flows northwestward through the county to its mouth at the Ohio River in Parkersburg. Tributaries of the Little Kanawha River in Wood County include Worthington Creek, Tygart Creek, Beeson Run and Walker Creek.
Major highways
{|
|
- 20px Interstate 77
- 20px U.S. Route 50
- 20px West Virginia Route 2
- 20px West Virginia Route 14
|
- 20px West Virginia Route 31
- 20px West Virginia Route 47
- 20px West Virginia Route 68
- 20px West Virginia Route 95
|}
Adjacent counties
- Washington County, Ohio (north)
- Pleasants County (northeast)
- Ritchie County (east)
- Wirt County (southeast)
- Jackson County (south)
- Meigs County, Ohio (southwest)
- Athens County, Ohio (west)
National protected area
- Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge (part)