Trips. Loading view. Find what to do today, this weekend, or in January. Urban sprawl and blight were common complaints in the early days, as workers crowded into aging housing. Given the new title, Gaines is no stranger to the Bluefield College campus. Weather near other cities along I-77 West Virginia. Rental Cars. As with the extremely accelerated growth of San Francisco during the gold rush, Bluefield became a city that seemed to spring up "overnight." U.S. Route 19, U.S. Route 460, U.S. Route 21 and U.S. Route 52 run through the city. The Interstate Highway System was constructed through East River Mountain on December 20, 1974; for the first time automobile traffic could reach the city without crossing the top of the mountain. Others joined them and they built a small village with a mill, a church, a one-room schoolhouse, and a fort for defending the settlement against invasions by the Shawnee Indian tribe, which had a village on the banks of the Bluestone River. This holiday drive-thru light display draws over 40,000 people annually to experience our 1.2 million Christmas Lights. When coal tonnage was good and the market for coal was booming, Bluefield was essentially a "Little New York," as it was called in the day. The median age in the city was 43.1 years. Things to Do. “WVDOT is proud of this innovative project, which is … 200 Rogers Street Bluefield, WV 24701 Phone: 304-327-2401. It is the core city of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area, which has a population of 107,342. Its Amtrak station closed in the 1980s. The age distribution was 21.5% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 21.5% who were 65 years of age or older. 1601 Bland Street (2,044.84 mi) Bluefield, WV, WV 24701. In the late 19th century, the Norfolk and Western Company selected Bluefield as the site for its headquarters and repair center, which greatly stimulated the town's growth. The population density was 1,311.3 people per square mile (506.4/km2). Chapel Live Stream. Research has shown that this settlement, also known as Higginbotham's Summit in the 1880s, was probably named for the coal fields that were developed in the area of the Bluestone River. Bluefield Regional Medical Center is the area's major hospital. “So many people have worked tirelessly on this project,” Byrd White, West Virginia Secretary of Transportation, said. Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The growth and decay of the city depended almost entirely upon Norfolk and Western Railroad. [15][16] The Toronto Blue Jays replaced Baltimore for the 2011 season with the Bluefield Blue Jays. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990", "The Whitest Historically Black College In America", https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/jconline/obituary.aspx?pid=191945140, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, "Station Name: WV BLUEFIELD MERCER COUNTY AIRPORT", "MLB, USA Baseball Announce New Format for Appalachian League", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bluefield,_West_Virginia&oldid=998534749, Articles lacking in-text citations from June 2009, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox settlement with possible area code list, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2011, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz area identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Intellectual, professor, and solidarity activist, This page was last edited on 5 January 2021, at 20:43. Location of Bluefield in Mercer County, West Virginia. This page will help you find a list of the nearest surrounding towns, villages, cities nearby or within a 25 mile distance (40.23 km) of Bluefield (West Virginia) to the north, south, east, or west of Bluefield; generally within a 30 minute to one hour commute or drive. shopheartstrings.com. Vacation Packages. See Posts for Service Changes. West Virginian Hotel in downtown Bluefield. Jazz musician Louis Jordan's song "Salt Pork, W.Va." was inspired by his time in a Bluefield jail. Skip to main content. Into the 1960s the Norfolk and Western Railroad operated trains from the Mid-West to the metropolitan Norfolk-Newport News, Virginia area, and Bluefield City was a stop. The Bluefield Preservation Society is a visionary organization passionate about restoring Bluefield, West Virginia to a vibrant and more productive city. There were 5,457 housing units at an average density of 615.9 per square mile (237.8/km2). It has been adapted and in the 21st century is operated as the West Virginia Manor and Retirement Home. All rights reserved. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.87. There were 5,038 households, out of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. Bluefield lost jobs and population as a result. 20.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.2% were from 25 to 44; 28.6% were from 45 to 64; and 19.2% were 65 years of age or older. The population was 10,447 at the 2010 census. Growth far outpaced the existing infrastructure. Celebrate and remember the lives we have lost in Bluefield, West Virginia. The median income for a household in the city was $27,672, and the median income for a family was $36,508. There were 4,643 households, of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.6% were married couples living together, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.3% were non-families. Bluefield is also home to the East River Soccer Complex which has five fields and hosts local high school and college soccer games. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.83. ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties. Hotels. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The Orioles have had a team in Bluefield since 1958, which was the longest relationship between a parent club and a town in affiliated baseball. You may also light a candle in honor of Juanita Grace Gray. Bluefield is a mountain city with a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) bordering on humid continental (Dfa/Dfb) or highland climate, due to its elevation. We hold a meeting once a year. Mercer Mall, the area's major shopping mall, opened in 1980. The population was 10,447 at the 2010 census. Bluefield Tourism: Tripadvisor has 1,307 reviews of Bluefield Hotels, Attractions, and Restaurants making it your best Bluefield resource. More. Nobel Prize-winning economist and mathematician John Forbes Nash was born in Bluefield in 1928. 5,003 people like this. Bluefield Spitznam: Nature's Air Conditioned City: Siegel von Bluefield Siegel: Log in West Virginia In 1882, the descendants of the Davidson and Bailey family sold a portion of their land, when Captain John Fields of the Norfolk and Western Railway pioneered the area and began building a new railroad through the hills of Bluefield. You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. Around that time, coal mines were developed in the area around Harman, Bluefield, War, and Pocahontas, which together were known as the Pocahontas Coal Fields. Bluefield is also the home of the Rough and Rowdy Brawl, an amateur boxing tournament owned by Barstool Sports and broadcast on pay per view via its website. The Bluefield Historical Society includes people interested in preserving the beautiful homes and history of the City of Bluefield, West Virginia. Bluefield; George Richard Scott. Bluefield is largely a football town and carries on a rivalry between the Bluefield Beavers and their sister city Bluefield, Virginia. Bluefield. Things to Do in Bluefield, West Virginia: See Tripadvisor's 1,307 traveler reviews and photos of Bluefield tourist attractions. Air raid practice drills were common in the city during this time. Bluefield; Charles Edgar Kiser. The team played at Bowen Field (former Orioles stadium) through 2020. It is the core city of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area, which has a population of 107,342. In conjunction with a contraction of Minor League Baseball beginning with the 2021 season, the Appalachian League was reorganized as a collegiate summer baseball league, and the Blue Jays were replaced by a new franchise in the revamped league designed for rising college freshman and sophomores.[17]. Visit West Virginia's Christmas City, Bluefield, West Virginia, home of The Holiday of Lights. He was discovered dead in Oak Hill, West Virginia. In 1924, nearby Graham, Virginia decided to rename itself as Bluefield to try to unite the two towns, which had been feuding since the civil war. As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 10,447 people, 4,643 households, and 2,772 families living in the city. Community See All. Post. Bluefield is mentioned in the Stylistics' 1973 song Rockin' Roll Baby as the birthplace of Li'l Joe. With the government nearly bankrupt, after a series of devastating structural fires swept through the downtown area, the city was nearly destroyed. The development of the coal industry in this area created a boom in the local and national economy, and attracted immigrant European workers and enslaved/ migrant African Americans from the Deep South to the mountains in search of industrial work. Males had a median income of $31,396 versus $21,051 for females. Sign in . The dependence on the railroads waned and restructuring changed the industry. A portion of home buyers in Bluefield may be able to purchase groceries on foot in one of approximately 10 stores, while others will have to turn to a vehicle. The city is traditionally thought to be named after the chicory flowers in the area, which give the fields a purplish blue hue during the summer. Initial visibility: currently defaults to autocollapse To set this template's initial visibility, the |state= parameter may be used: |state=collapsed: {{Bluefield TV|state=collapsed}} to show the template collapsed, i.e., hidden apart from its title bar |state=expanded: {{Bluefield TV|state=expanded}} to show the template expanded, i.e., fully visible Proposed and under construction are interstates Interstate 73 and Interstate 74 labeled as King Coal Highway. The strategic importance of the city was so great that Adolf Hitler put Bluefield on his reputed list of German air raid targets in the United States. The normal monthly mean daily temperature ranges from 34.2 °F (1.2 °C) in January to 73.0 °F (22.8 °C) in July;[12] on average, there are only 2.5 days with a maximum of at least 90 °F (32 °C) or greater maxima, 1.3 days of minima at or below 0 °F (−18 °C), and 23 days where the maximum does not rise above freezing. [12], Bluefield prides itself on its hospitable climate. President Frederick Kimball of the Norfolk and Western Railway described this as the "most spectacular find on the continent and indeed perhaps of the entire planet. A bustling metropolis, it had a nightlife and a personality that was "a little bit Chicago, a little bit New York, and a whole lot of Pittsburgh"[citation needed]—rugged and with steel and coal embedded in its soul. Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. Get Directions (304) 800-4064. Contact Heart Strings - Bluefield, WV on Messenger . Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. United States. >> Interstate 77 >> West Virginia >> Bluefield >> Weather Conditions. The per capita income for the city was $17,751. As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 11,451 people, 5,038 households, and 3,078 families living in the city. About 13.0% of families and 19.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.2% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over. See all photos. The racial makeup of the city was 73.7% White, 23.0% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. The median age was 42 years. Travel Forums. Bluefield High School has 522 state championships in all sports, which is more than any other AA school in the state. The first seam was discovered in nearby Pocahontas, Virginia in the backyard of Jordan Nelson. Bluefield ranks second (tied with now-closed Ceredo-Kenova) in total football state championships with 11, behind national powerhouse Parkersburg High School (16). Bluefield is located at 37°15′44″N 81°13′7″W / 37.26222°N 81.21861°W / 37.26222; -81.21861 (37.262219, -81.218674)[5] in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia across the state border from Bluefield, Virginia. We have reviews of the best places to see in Bluefield. Bluefield was the home of the Appalachian League (rookie) Bluefield Orioles baseball team until 2010. Nearby Bramwell, incorporated in 1888, boasted that it was the "Millionaires' Town" because more millionaires per capita lived there than anywhere in the nation. The population density was 1,179.1 inhabitants per square mile (455.3/km2). Explore Bluefield. A controversy exists over whether or not Hank Williams was last seen alive in Bluefield on his way to a show in Ohio. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.52% of the population. George Marshall Palmer, the well-renowned Purdue University Professor of aeronautics and director of the AerospaceSciences Laboratory at Purdue, lead of the invention of the Boeing wind tunnel and a pioneer in the aerodynamic and structural testing of skyscrapers[11] was born in Bluefield in 1921. The song "Sweet Georgia Brown" was co-written by Maceo Pinkard, a native of Bluefield. The city also had more automobiles per capita than any other city in the country. The micropolitan area is the 350th largest statistical population area and the thirty-third largest micropolitan area in the United States.Bluefield is located at 37°15′44″N 81°13′7″W / 37.26222°N 81.21861°W / 37.26222; -81.21861 (37.262219, -81.218674).According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.7 square miles (22.6 km²), all of it land. 684 check-ins. Insurance. There are also a few choices for those who value close by restaurants. It is also the core city of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,578. The European-American history of Bluefield began in the 18th century, when two families settled in a rugged and remote part of what is now southern West Virginia. [9] It developed as today's Bluefield State College. Bluefield High School won the West Virginia AA State Championship in boys basketball in 1995, 1996, 2013 and 2014. Bluefield was the hometown of fictional character Rita Stapleton Bauer on the CBS soap Guiding Light. The Great Depression was particularly damaging to Bluefield. We are sad to announce that on December 4, 2020 we had to say goodbye to Juanita Grace Gray of Bluefield, West Virginia, born in Crockett, Virginia. Sun; Mon; Tue; Wed; Thu; Fri; Sunday 12:07 PM 39° F (Clear Sky) Low : 36 ° F. High : 44 ° F. Pressure : 1023 hPa. Bluefield city administrators released the following statement: “Chief Dennis Dillow, the Bluefield, West Virginia Police Department, and Mayor Ron Martin are deeply saddened to … Media in category "Bluefield, West Virginia" The following 37 files are in this category, out of 37 total. 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. In 1889, the city of Bluefield was officially incorporated. View The Obituary For Charles Edgar Kiser. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.9% of the population. Browse the most recent Bluefield, West Virginia obituaries and condolences. The Treasury Department is available to assist you with information concerning city service fees for street maintenance, fire protection, garbage service and storm water; city taxes to include but not limited to Business and Occupation tax and Utility Excise tax; parking fees; commercial trash service and special or extra trash pick-up service. 5,052 people follow this. For every 100 females, there were 84.4 males. Tornado activity: Bluefield-area historical tornado activity is below West Virginia state average.It is 80% smaller than the overall U.S. average.. On 4/4/1974, a category F3 (max. The population was 10,447 at the 2010 census. Gaines came... Read More. Humidity : 64 %. The coal boom generated a flood of money in the area. During the Great War and World War II, coal from this area supplied the navies of the United States and United Kingdom. Until 1977 Amtrak's Mountaineer operated from Chicago and Cincinnati, through Bluefield, and then through lower Virginia to Norfolk, Virginia. Beneath the land of the Davidsons and Baileys lay the largest and richest deposit of bituminous coal in the world. Current I-77 Bluefield West Virginia Weather Conditions. Now Now - 1/16/2021 January 16 Select date. [14] The city's motto is "nature's air conditioned city, where the summer spends the winter.". Bluefield College is pleased to announce the hiring of Robbie Gaines as the new director of campus ministries. The last passenger train was the Catlettsburg, Kentucky to Washington and Boston Hilltopper train of Amtrak, which was terminated in sweeping cuts in 1979. Alerts. View The Obituary For George Richard Scott. Interstate 77 is a short distance to the east. Visit top-rated & must-see attractions. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.86 square miles (22.95 km2), all land.[6]. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.5 males. Flights. [citation needed]. Since 1938 the Chamber of Commerce has given free lemonade when the temperature has surpassed 90 °F. There were 5,966 housing units at an average density of 683.2 per square mile (263.9/km2). the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1981 to 2010. Bluefield Yarn Company, located at 313 Federal Street in Bluefield, WV, is a locally owned and operated yarn shop specializing in meeting the needs of knitters throughout Southern West Virginia community and beyond. About See All. General Aviation service is provided at Mercer County Airport, located off State Highway 123 between Bluefield and Princeton. During the 1920s, the twelve-story West Virginian Hotel was built. BLUEFIELD — Bluefield, Nature’s Air Conditioned City, now has another moniker to distinguish it: “West Virginia’s Christmas City.” Savannah Carabin, marketing coordinator for the city’s Department of Community and Economic Development, said the designation is an “expansion of marketing efforts for the Bluefield Holiday of Lights.” The gender makeup of the city was 46.8% male and 53.2% female. Bluefield ist eine Stadt im Bundesstaat West Virginia der Vereinigten Staaten. It is characterized by moderately cold, snowy winters and pleasantly warm to hot summers. With a strong ethnic community, Bluefield was the site of the 1895 founding of the Bluefield Colored Institute, an historically black college. Please join us in Loving, Sharing and Memorializing Charles Edgar Kiser on this permanent online memorial presented by... West Virginia Death Notices December 29, 2020 December 29, 2020. Over 1,400 covid cases reported in 24 hours;Delegate Evans announces resignation from House of Delegates;Friends of W.Va. Del. It was not until the outbreak of World War II that coal production revived. It is also the core city of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,578. Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. It is known as "The Whitest Historically Black College in America".[10]. They helped support the Industrial Revolution in the United States. Views Navigation Event Views Navigation List List Month Today. The station was located at 715 Princeton Avenue. Our annual meeting is held on a Monday in August, day to be announced in July 2021. The population was 10,447 at the 2010 census. Add a Place. Weather Report Bluefield. The Southern West Virginia King's Warriors of the USL PDL play their home games at the East River Soccer Complex.[18]. Bluefield is a city of 9,800 people (as of 2018) in Mercer County, West Virginia.Along with Bluefield, Virginia, it forms the micropolitan area of the Bluefields.. Nestled at the foot of the 3,400-foot East River Mountain, Bluefield is the most elevated town in West Virginia, at 2,655 feet above sea level. Is Bluefield, WV pedestrian friendly? The last commercial service by Colgan Air ended in 2007. Bluefield is located just off I-77, between Beckley in the north and Wytheville, Virginia in the south. Restaurants. West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) officials said Federal Transit Administration funding would enable Bluefield Area Transit (BAT) to build a bus transfer station in Bluefield, West Virginia. The tournament features many local and non-local fighters who compete in 3 one minute rounds. [12] The hottest temperature ever recorded in the city was 99 °F (37 °C), set on July 28, 1952 and August 9, 1957, with the coldest temperature at −25 °F (−32 °C), set on December 30, 1917. They won the West Virginia State AA football title in 1997, 2004, 2007, 2009 and 2017. Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The racial makeup of the city was 75.84% White, 22.14% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races. Bluefield won the High School State AAA Football Championship in 1959, 1962, 1965, 1967, 1975 and 1984. In the one-year period from 1887 to 1888, passenger travel along the railroad increased 317%. Photo courtesy of Michael D. Linkous. Upcoming Events. Bluefield. "[citation needed] The coal seam had been mentioned much earlier in Thomas Jefferson's Notes on the State of Virginia, but it was not mined until 1890. 2017-07-21 16 55 47 View east along U.S. Route 460 at Cherry Drive (West Virginia State Route 598) in Bluefield, Mercer County, West Virginia.jpg 3,264 × 2,448; 2.81 MB Wind : 1.61 miles/hour.