Wood County

Wood County is located along the western edge of the state and is bordered by the Ohio River and is bisected by the Little Kanawaha River.

French explorer Celoron de Blainville first claimed the area for France by planting lead plates at the confluences of river along the Ohio River valley. The claim was ignored by the English settlers that moved into the area.

The county was created in 1798 from the western part of Harrison County and was named in honor of James Wood, the governor of Virginia at the time of the creation.

In 1797 Harmar Blennerhassett built a large home on an island a few miles below Parkersburg. Nine years later Blennerhassett was caught up with Aaron Burr in the conspiracy to over throw the the government. His home was destroyed.

Today the home is rebuilt and is an important tourist draw for the area.

A strong base of industry has allowed the county to continue to grow. DuPont and General Electric both have large plants near Parkersburg.

The county seat of Parkersburg is named for Alexander Parker, who once own the land that the town now sits on. The town is the largest in the region.

Source: The 55 West Virginias: A guide to the State's Counties, by E. Lee North, Published by The West Virginia University Press.

Population: 87,986
Land in square miles: 367
Number of people per square mile: 23936
More facts from the 2000 Census

Newspaper:
The Parkersburg News and Sentinel
519 Juliana Street
Parkersburg, WV
26101

1-800-642-1997