Wythe County, Virginia

Wythe County is a located in the  &mdash; officially, "" &mdash; of. As of the, the population was 27,599. Its is.

History
Wythe County was formed from in. It was named after, the first Virginian signer of the. During the the  was fought in the county. Wythe County is also home to the Austinville community which was founded by Stephen and his brother, father of the famous. In the 1790's the Austins took over the mines that produced lead and zinc. Lead was mined and shipped throughout the fledgling country. Shot was also produced utilizing the drop process. Located near Fosters Falls, the old still stands as a testament to the citizens of Wythe County. Lead was hoisted to the top of the tower using block and tackle and oxen. The lead was melted in a retort and then poured through a sieve at the top of the tower. The droplets of molten lead would become round during the 150 foot descent. The shot would collect in a kettle of water and workers would enter through a 110 foot access tunnel located near the bank of the to retrieve the shot from the kettle. The lead mines closed in 1982 due to new standards and the lack of market for lead. the mines have since filled with water; the main shaft extended in excess of 1100 feet straight down. Another notable community is Fort Chiswell. A pyramid marker stands along the I-81 and I-77 intersection. The community was named for Colonel Chiswell who helped establish the mines (1757) prior to the Austin's purchase. Wythe County (established in 1790) was once part of Montgomery County, but the courts became so busy that a new county was formed to allow for a smaller jurisdiction. Wythe County's location, at the confluence of Interstate 81 and Interstate 77 which is, incidentally, a, has led to its growth for industry and tourism. Recently and  manufacturing facilities have located here, primarily due to the ease of access and central location along the Eastern seabord. There are a variety of travel-related businesses including several hundred hotel rooms, several, and restaurants located in the county. Tourism takes a variety of different forms in Wythe County. There are numerous opportunities for those that enjoy outdoor activities including a variety of trails, campgrounds, and parks in the area. Its first opened in 2006 and a second is due to open in 2008. A is located in the county seat,.

Geography
According to the, the county has a total area of 1,203 (465 ). 1,200 km² (463 mi²) of it is land and 4 km² (1 mi²) of it (0.29%) is water.

Demographics
As of the of 2000, there were 27,599 people, 11,511 households, and 8,103 families residing in the county. The was 23/km² (60/mi²). There were 12,744 housing units at an average density of 11/km² (28/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.76%, 2.87% or , 0.16% , 0.38% , 0.01% , 0.24% from , and 0.58% from two or more races. 0.57% of the population were or  of any race.

There were 11,511 households out of which 28.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.20% were living together, 10.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.60% were non-families. 26.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the county, the population was spread out with 21.80% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 28.90% from 25 to 44, 25.90% from 45 to 64, and 15.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 91.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,235, and the median income for a family was $40,188. Males had a median income of $29,053 versus $20,550 for females. The for the county was $17,639. About 8.50% of families and 11.00% of the population were below the, including 12.50% of those under age 18 and 13.40% of those age 65 or over.

Colleges

 * Breckbill Bible College, Grahams Forge
 * Wytheville Community College,

Public High Schools

 * Fort Chiswell High School,
 * George Wythe High School,
 * Rural Retreat High School,