Editing Clay, West Virginia

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Clay, West Virginia
|settlement_type          = [[Town]]
|nickname                 = Haven In The Hills
|motto                    = 
<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Clay West Virginia.jpg
|imagesize                = 250px
|image_caption            = Main Street ([[WV Route 16]]) in Clay; Photo 2007
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               = 
<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = File:Clay County West Virginia Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Clay Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 260px
|map_caption              = Location of Clay in Clay County, West Virginia.
<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = [[United States]]
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[West Virginia]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in West Virginia|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Clay County, West Virginia|Clay]]
<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = Mayor
|leader_name              = 
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = 
|established_date         = 
<!-- Area -->
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_54.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 7, 2020}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 1.59
|area_land_km2            = 1.44
|area_water_km2           = 0.15
|area_total_sq_mi         = 0.62
|area_land_sq_mi          = 0.56
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.06
<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
|population_est           = 387
|pop_est_as_of            = 2021
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="USCensusEst2020-2021">{{cite web |title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2021 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html |website=Census.gov |publisher=US Census Bureau |access-date=July 3, 2022}}</ref>
|population_total         = 399
|population_density_km2   = 305.26
|population_density_sq_mi = 790.32
<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_m              = 216
|elevation_ft             = 709
|coordinates              = {{coord|38|27|46|N|81|4|48|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 25043
|area_code                = [[Area code 304|304]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 54-15676<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 1537360<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=October 25, 2007}}</ref>
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_footnotes = <ref name="USCensusEst2020-2021"/>
|unit_pref = Imperial
}}

'''Clay''' is a town in and the [[county seat]] of [[Clay County, West Virginia]], United States.<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 }}</ref> The population was 399 at the [[2020 United States Census|2020 census]].<ref name="USCensusEst2020-2021"/> It is the only [[municipal corporation|incorporated]] town in Clay County.

==History==
[[Image:Clay County Courthouse West Virginia.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Old Clay County Courthouse (West Virginia)|Old Clay County Courthouse]] in 2007]]
Clay was established on the site of a farm that was the site of Clay County's first court meeting following the county's establishment in 1858. The community was initially known by the name of "Marshall," then briefly as "Henry," and then as "Clay Courthouse" and finally Clay. The town and county are both named for [[U.S. Senator]] and [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] [[Henry Clay]] (1777–1852).<ref name=WVenc>{{cite book| last= Samples |first= Mack |editor= Ken Sullivan| title= The West Virginia Encyclopedia |year= 2006 |publisher= West Virginia Humanities Council |location=Charleston, W.Va. |isbn= 0-9778498-0-5 |pages= 141 |chapter= Clay}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Kenny|first=Hamill|title=West Virginia Place Names: Their Origin and Meaning, Including the Nomenclature of the Streams and Mountains|url=http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015009099824;view=1up;seq=202|year=1945|publisher=The Place Name Press|location=Piedmont, WV|page=174}}</ref> The town was incorporated in 1895.<ref name=eWV>Mack Samples (January 27, 2012). "[http://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1257 Clay]" e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia. Accessed November 16, 2016.</ref> Before 1880, Clay was inaccessible to traffic from horse-drawn vehicles, and the [[Elk River (West Virginia)|Elk River]] was its primary mode of transport.<ref name=eWV/> Expansion of the [[Coal and Coke Railway]] reached Clay in 1905.<ref name=eWV/>

In June 2016, the town was impacted by [[2016 West Virginia flood|severe flooding]] from the Elk River.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Ortiz|first1=Erik|last2=Federico-O'Murchu|first2=Sean|last3=Verala|first3=Jay|last4=Rappaport|first4=Ben|title=West Virginia Floods: 23 Killed, Including Toddler, as Thousands Left Without Power|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/west-virginia-floods-23-killed-thousands-without-power-n598346|work=NBC News|access-date=November 19, 2016|date=June 25, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=DeLancey|first1=Sean|title=Clay County devastated by flooding, in desperate need of donations|url=http://wchstv.com/news/local/clay-county-devestated-by-flooding-in-desperate-need-of-donations|publisher=WCHS-TV|access-date=November 19, 2016|date=June 26, 2016}}</ref>

In November 2016, Clay mayor Beverly Whaling approvingly responded to a social media post that referred to [[First Lady of the United States|U.S. First Lady]] [[Michelle Obama]] as an "[[List of ethnic slurs by ethnicity#African|ape]] in heels". Following international media coverage of the incident, Whaling resigned.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Browning|first1=Lexi|last2=Bever|first2=Lindsey|title='Ape in heels': W.Va. mayor resigns amid controversy over racist comments about Michelle Obama|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/11/14/ape-in-heels-w-va-officials-under-fire-after-comments-about-michelle-obama/|access-date=November 19, 2016|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=November 16, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Raby|first1=John|title=Mayor in West Virginia resigns after racist Obama post|url=http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/us/article/Official-in-West-Virginia-on-leave-after-racist-10615123.php|access-date=November 19, 2016|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|date=November 15, 2016}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Elk River WV map.png|thumb|[[Elk River (West Virginia)|Elk River]] watershed]]
The city of [[Charleston, West Virginia|Charleston]], the state capitol, is approximately {{Convert|40|mi|km|abbr=}}  from Clay to the southwest.<ref name=eWV/> Clay is centrally located within Clay County at {{coord|38|27|46|N|81|4|48|W|type:city}} (38.462855, -81.080024),<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> along the Elk River<ref>{{cite book| title= West Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer |year=1997 |publisher= [[DeLorme]] |location=Yarmouth, Me. |isbn= 0-89933-246-3 |pages= 44}}</ref> and [[West Virginia Route 16]] at an elevation of 708 feet (216 m).<ref name=WVenc/> [[West Virginia Route 4]] overlaps with Route 16 in the north of Clay. There is not much bottom land in Clay, as the river cuts a deep gorge through the city, limiting growth.<ref name=eWV/>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|0.62|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|0.56|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.06|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web |title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 24, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112090031/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-date=January 12, 2012 }}</ref>

===Climate===
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, Clay has a [[humid subtropical climate]], abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=696164&cityname=Clay,%20West%20Virginia,%20United%20States%20of%20America&units=|title=Clay, West Virginia Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)|work=weatherbase.com|access-date=November 16, 2016}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1900= 339
|1910= 392
|1920= 342
|1930= 444
|1940= 511
|1950= 500
|1960= 486
|1970= 479
|1980= 940
|1990= 592
|2000= 593
|2010= 491
|2020= 399
|estyear=2021
|estimate=387
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2020-2021"/>
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 24, 2013}}</ref> of 2010, there were 491 people, 218 households, and 134 families living in the town. The [[population density]] was {{convert|876.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 275 housing units at an average density of {{convert|491.1|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the town was 97.8% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.2% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.2% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 1.8% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.4% of the population.

There were 218 households, of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.5% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.80.

The median age in the town was 38.8 years. 21.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.8% were from 25 to 44; 25.8% were from 45 to 64; and 16.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 52.7% male and 47.3% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 593 people, 261 households, and 153 families living in the town. The [[population density]] was 1,034.8 inhabitants per square mile (401.7/km<sup>2</sup>). There were 316 housing units at an average density of 551.4 per square mile (214.0/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup of the town was 98.82% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.17% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], and 1.01% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.17% of the population.

There were 261 households, out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.2% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 17.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.0% were non-families. 39.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.8% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.1 males.

The [[median income]] for a household in the town was $14,712, and the median income for a family was $15,000. Males had a median income of $25,893 versus $14,250 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $11,415. About 47.3% of families and 39.1% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 49.4% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.

==Economy==
Some newer businesses in the Clay area are located along what is called "Two Run" by locals.<ref name=eWV/> In May 2015, the [[Piggly Wiggly]] on 2200 Main Street closed; it was the only grocery store at the time in Clay County.<ref name=grocery>Jake Jarvis (May 24, 2015). "[http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20150524/GZ01/150529675 Clay County’s only grocery store closes]" ''Charleston Gazette-Mail''. Accessed November 16, 2015.</ref>

==Notable People==
*[[Oscar Lambert]], American football, basketball, baseball, table tennis, and chess player
*[[Dave Vineyard]], baseball player who pitched in part of the [[1964 Baltimore Orioles season|1964 season]] for the [[Baltimore Orioles]]

==See also==
*[[WYAP-LP]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Clay_(West_Virginia) Travel guide] from Wikivoyage

{{Clay County, West Virginia}}
{{West Virginia municipalities}}
{{West Virginia county seats}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Clay County, West Virginia]]
[[Category:County seats in West Virginia]]
[[Category:Towns in West Virginia]]
[[Category:Charleston, West Virginia metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Populated places on the Elk River (West Virginia)]]