Friendly, West Virginia

Friendly, West Virginia
Town
Location of Friendly in Tyler County, West Virginia.
Coordinates: 39°30′54″N81°3′40″W / 39.51500°N 81.06111°W / 39.51500; -81.06111
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
County	Tyler
Area [1]
• Total	0.10 sq mi (0.26 km2)
• Land	0.10 sq mi (0.26 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	627 ft (191 m)
Population  (2020) [2]
• Total	100
• Estimate  (2021) [2]	98
• Density	1,198.02/sq mi (462.73/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	26146
Area code	304
FIPS code	54-29404 [3]
GNIS feature ID	1554513 [4]

Friendly is a town in Tyler County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 100 at the 2020 census. ^[2]

History

The town was likely named for Friend Cochrane Williamson, an early settler. ^[5] Friendly was incorporated in 1898. ^[6]

It is the setting of the novel Shiloh .

The 1884 Heirloom tomato variety was said to be discovered by James Lyde Williamson growing in a pile of flood debris along the Ohio River near Friendly, after the Great Flood of 1884. ^{[7] [8]}

In 1903 the Parkersburg and Ohio Valley Electric Railway began to build a major electric interurban railway between Wheeling and Parkersburg. It only opened five miles (8 km) between Sistersville and Friendly, and operated until 1918. Friendly was claimed to have been one of the smallest settlements in the US with a dedicated interurban service, since it only had 217 residents at the time. ^[9]

The Friendly City Building and Jail has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

Friendly is located at 39°30′54″N81°3′40″W / 39.51500°N 81.06111°W / 39.51500; -81.06111 (39.514888, -81.061011), ^[10] along the Ohio River; directly across from Matamoras, Ohio. ^[11]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.09 square miles (0.23 km²), all land. ^[12]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1900	253		—
1910	217		−14.2%
1920	173		−20.3%
1930	170		−1.7%
1940	148		−12.9%
1950	216		45.9%
1960	195		−9.7%
1970	190		−2.6%
1980	242		27.4%
1990	146		−39.7%
2000	159		8.9%
2010	132		−17.0%
2020	100		−24.2%
2021 (est.)	98	[2]	−2.0%
U.S. Decennial Census [13]

2010 census

As of the census ^[14] of 2010, there were 132 people, 55 households, and 37 families living in the town. The population density was 1,466.7 inhabitants per square mile (566.3/km²). There were 73 housing units at an average density of 811.1 per square mile (313.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 100.0% White.

There were 55 households, of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 10.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.7% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.68.

The median age in the town was 47 years. 20.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.4% were from 25 to 44; 32.6% were from 45 to 64; and 22% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 51.5% male and 48.5% female.

2000 census

As of the census ^[3] of 2000, there were 159 people, 62 households, and 47 families living in the town. The population density was 1,664.3 inhabitants per square mile (613.9/km²). There were 70 housing units at an average density of 732.7 per square mile (270.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.99% White.

There were 62 households, out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.5% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.6% were non-families. 19.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.0% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 33.3% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $33,571, and the median income for a family was $34,821. Males had a median income of $37,500 versus $15,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,386. About 13.2% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.5% of those under the age of eighteen and 26.7% of those 65 or over.

See also

• List of cities and towns along the Ohio River

References

1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
2. Bureau, US Census. "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2021". Census.gov. US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
5. Kenny, Hamill (1945). West Virginia Place Names: Their Origin and Meaning, Including the Nomenclature of the Streams and Mountains. Piedmont, WV: The Place Name Press. p. 255.
6. West Virginia Blue Book. Published annually by the Clerk's Office of the West Virginia Senate.
7. "1884 og".
8. http://store.tomatofest.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=TF-0002. Archived August 9, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
9. Hilton & Due: The Electric Interurban Railways in America Stamford University Press 1960 p. 305
10. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
11. West Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Me.: DeLorme. 1997. p. 23. ISBN   0-89933-246-3.
12. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 2, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
13. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
14. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 24, 2013.