Fort Gay, West Virginia
Fort Gay, West Virginia | |
|---|---|
 Location of Fort Gay in Wayne County, West Virginia. | |
| Coordinates: 38°7′3″N 82°35′41″W / 38.11750°N 82.59472°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Wayne |
| Chartered | 1875 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Joetta Hatfield [1] |
| • Judge | Larry Britt |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.91 sq mi (2.36 km2) |
| • Land | 0.86 sq mi (2.23 km2) |
| • Water | 0.05 sq mi (0.13 km2) |
| Elevation | 580 ft (177 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 705 |
| • Estimate (2018)[4] | 673 |
| • Density | 780.74/sq mi (301.35/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 25514 |
| Area code | 304 |
| FIPS code | 54-28516[5] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1554491[6] |
Fort Gay is a town in Wayne County, West Virginia, along the Tug Fork and Big Sandy Rivers. The town adjoins Louisa, Kentucky. The population was 705 at the 2010 census. Fort Gay was the first 2nd amendment sanctuary city in WV adopted 1/17/2020.
History
The Fort Gay community traces back to 1789, when 11 people established a settlement at the junction of the Tug and Big Sandy rivers, across from what is now Louisa, Kentucky.[1] In 1875, it was chartered as Cassville; though it was simultaneously known as Fort Gay. In 1932, the town's name was officially changed to Fort Gay. There is no evidence as to why the name was changed, there are several prevalent theories: that either the railroad company or post office did not want two Cassvilles on the same route/state (there is another Cassville, West Virginia), or that a Civil War nurse named Gay became synonymous with the town.[1]
Fort Gay is a part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 288,649.
The Norfolk Southern Railway's Kenova District goes through the western edge of town.
In 2010, Fort Gay hit the news when Microsoft suspended an Xbox Live account that belonged to a Fort Gay resident for writing "fort gay WV" as his location, as Microsoft has language policies that prohibit references to homosexuality. Microsoft customer service representatives refused to acknowledge that Fort Gay existed, and it took an appeal from Mayor David Thompson and media coverage for the issue to be corrected.[1]
Geography
Fort Gay is located at 38°7′3″N 82°35′41″W / 38.11750°N 82.59472°W (38.117528, -82.594620).[7]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.89 square miles (2.31 km2), of which, 0.84 square miles (2.18 km2) is land and 0.05 square miles (0.13 km2) is water.[8]
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 253 | — | |
| 1890 | 266 | 5.1% | |
| 1910 | 457 | — | |
| 1920 | 617 | 35.0% | |
| 1930 | 664 | 7.6% | |
| 1940 | 645 | −2.9% | |
| 1950 | 714 | 10.7% | |
| 1960 | 739 | 3.5% | |
| 1970 | 792 | 7.2% | |
| 1980 | 886 | 11.9% | |
| 1990 | 852 | −3.8% | |
| 2000 | 819 | −3.9% | |
| 2010 | 705 | −13.9% | |
| 2018 (est.) | 673 | [4] | −4.5% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] | |||
2010 census
At the 2010 census there were 705 people, 323 households, and 197 families living in the town. The population density was 839.3 inhabitants per square mile (324.1/km2). There were 380 housing units at an average density of 452.4 per square mile (174.7/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.6% White, 0.6% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.6%.[3]
Of the 323 households 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.0% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.0% were non-families. 35.9% of households were one person and 14.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.79.
The median age in the town was 43.2 years. 19.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25% were from 25 to 44; 29.6% were from 45 to 64; and 17.9% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the town was 46.1% male and 53.9% female.
2000 census
At the 2000 census there were 819 people, 345 households, and 240 families living in the town. The population density was 1,034.5 inhabitants per square mile (400.3/km²). There were 394 housing units at an average density of 497.7 per square mile (192.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.66% White, 0.49% Asian, and 0.85% from two or more races.[5] Of the 345 households 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were married couples living together, 18.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 28.1% of households were one person and 13.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.90.
The age distribution was 24.7% under the age of 18, 12.7% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 82.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.8 males.
The median household income was $14,565 and the median family income was $20,882. Males had a median income of $29,063 versus $16,442 for females. The per capita income for the town was $9,125. About 33.9% of families and 37.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 53.1% of those under age 18 and 19.4% of those age 65 or over.
References
- ^ a b c d Vicky Smith, Xbox Live shuts down 'Fort Gay' gamer - oops, it's real!, Associated Press, September 8, 2010.
- ^ "2018 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved Feb 16, 2020.
- ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-01-24.
- ^ a b "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2012-07-02. Retrieved 2013-01-24.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
Municipalities and communities of Wayne County, West Virginia, United States | ||
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| Unincorporated communities |
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| Principal cities |  | |
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| Municipalities with population over 5,000 | ||
| Municipalities with population 1,000–5,000 | ||
| Municipalities with population under 1,000 | ||
| West Virginia counties | ||
| Kentucky counties | ||
| Ohio counties | ||
