Saltville, Virginia#History

Saltville was named for the salt marshes in the area. Prior to European settlement, these marshes attracted local wildlife. Excavations at the SV-2 archaeological site in the area have recovered several well preserved skeletons of now extinct species dating back to the last ice age.{{cite web|url=http://www.vmnh.net/index.cfm/topic/uncovering-virginia |title=Virginia Museum Natural History |publisher=Vmnh.net |access-date=December 7, 2011}} Indigenous peoples of varying cultures hunted at the marshes. The historic Native American people in the area were the Chisca.

Archaeologists in 1992 proposed the existence of a prehistoric "Saltville Complex Petty Chiefdom", with a paramount village located at the Northwood High School site, 44SM8. They reported "Saltville style gorgets" as well as iron and copper materials, scattered across the region.Barber and Barfield, "The Late Woodland in the Environs of Saltville, Virginia: A Case for Petty Chiefdom Development," 5th Upland Archaeology in the East Symposium, Boone, N.C., cited in [https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/40713105 Beck 1997 "From Joara to Chiaha"]

During the spring of 1567, Spanish conquistador Hernando Moyano de Morales led a force of 15-20 soldiers northward from Fort San Juan in Joara, a city in what is now western North Carolina.{{cite book|author=James O. Glanville|title=Conquistadors at Saltville in 1567?: A Review of the Archeological and Documentary Evidence|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n21gHAAACAAJ|year=2004|publisher=Smithfield Review}} The force attacked and burned the Chisca village of Maniatique, which may have been located at or near the site of Saltville.[https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/40713105 JSTOR: Southeastern Archaeology, Vol. 16, No. 2 (Winter 1997), pp. 162-169]{{cite news| last = Berrier Jr.| first = Ralph| title = The slaughter at Saltville| newspaper = The Roanoke Times | date = September 20, 2009| url = http://www.roanoke.com/219462 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20120911211004/http://www.roanoke.com/219462 | url-status = dead | archive-date = September 11, 2012 | access-date = October 9, 2011 }}

During the American Civil War, Saltville was one of the Confederacy's main saltworks.{{Cite web| last = Mays | first = Thomas| url=https://www.amazon.com/Saltville-Massacre-Civil-Campaigns-Commanders/dp/1886661057/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1548339277&sr=8-1&keywords=saltville+massacre |title=Saltville Massacre}}; {{Cite web| last = Sarvis | first = Will| title = The Salt Trade of Nineteenth Century Saltville| url=https://www.amazon.com/Trade-Nineteenth-Century-Saltville-Virginia/dp/1792751907/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1548340631&sr=8-1&keywords=saltville+salt+trade}}, chapter six. The saltworks were considered vital to the Confederate war effort because the salt was used in preserving meat for Confederate soldiers and civilians. Because of its importance, the town was attacked by Northern forces intent on destroying the saltworks. On October 2, 1864, the First Battle of Saltville was fought there. In the battle Union forces attacked Saltville but were defeated by Confederate troops. Following the battle a number of wounded black troops were murdered in what was dubbed the "Saltville Massacre." (Shortly after the war Champ Ferguson was tried, convicted, and executed for war crimes for this and other killings.)

Two months later General George Stoneman, a Union cavalry commander, led a second attack on the saltworksm; the Second Battle of Saltville. This time the Confederates were defeated and the saltworks were destroyed by Union troops. The loss of the Saltville works was considered a major blow to the Confederacy's dwindling resources.

Preston House, Saltville Battlefields Historic District, Saltville Historic District, and the Scott-Walker House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.{{NRISref|version=2010a}}

Hydrazine rocket fuel made by Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation's plant in Saltville was used to power the rocket that took the first humans to the moon in the Apollo 11 mission.{{cite book |last=Allison |first=Roger A. |date=1996|title=A Brief History of Saltville|publisher=Saltville Centennial Committee |page=16}}

Image:View from Battle at Cedar Branch marker above Saltville.jpg

Saltville was the location of the infamous "Muck Dam" break on December 24, 1924, which allowed the release of a huge volume of liquid chemical waste stored there by the Mathieson Alkali Company into the north fork of the Holston River, taking the lives of nineteen people who lived along the river.{{Cite news|title=The town that would not die|first=Ina Lee|last=Selden|work=The Christian Science Monitor|location=Boston, Mass|date=March 13, 1980}} The river remained polluted and virtually dead for several decades afterward.{{cite web|url=http://mywebpages.comcast.net/5thuscc/AJC11011999.htm |title=The Atlanta Journal - Constitution Article on Dam |publisher=Mywebpages.comcast.net |access-date=December 7, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060527013313/http://mywebpages.comcast.net/5thuscc/AJC11011999.htm |archive-date=May 27, 2006 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/xp-15892 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120918070014/http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/xp-15892 |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 18, 2012 |title=Roanoke Times Article on Dam |publisher=Roanoke.com |access-date=December 7, 2011 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/super/sites/VAD003127578/index.htm |title=US EPA Superfund Site |publisher=Epa.gov |date=June 28, 2006 |access-date=December 7, 2011}}{{cite web|url=http://www.deq.state.va.us/waste/pdf/superfund/sal.pdf |title=VA Department Environmental Quality |format=PDF |access-date=December 7, 2011}}

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 8.1 square miles (21.0 km²), of which 8.1 square miles (20.8 km²) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1 km²) (0.49%) is water.

The salt caverns in Saltville are used for natural gas storage, the only ones to serve the Mid-Atlantic states. The cavern type in Saltville is considered the best for this purpose because the gas can be injected and removed quickly to meet immediate demand.

The climate in this area features moderate differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfb". (Marine West Coast Climate/Oceanic climate).[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=105744&cityname=Saltville%2C+Virginia%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Saltville, Virginia]

{{Weather box

|location = Saltville, Virginia (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1894–present)

|single line = Y

|width = auto

|Jan record high F = 79

|Feb record high F = 84

|Mar record high F = 86

|Apr record high F = 90

|May record high F = 95

|Jun record high F = 99

|Jul record high F = 102

|Aug record high F = 100

|Sep record high F = 100

|Oct record high F = 94

|Nov record high F = 84

|Dec record high F = 79

|year record high F = 102

|Jan high F = 44.2

|Feb high F = 48.0

|Mar high F = 56.9

|Apr high F = 67.5

|May high F = 75.0

|Jun high F = 81.5

|Jul high F = 84.4

|Aug high F = 83.7

|Sep high F = 79.0

|Oct high F = 68.8

|Nov high F = 57.5

|Dec high F = 47.6

|year high F = 66.2

|Jan mean F = 33.7

|Feb mean F = 36.6

|Mar mean F = 44.0

|Apr mean F = 53.2

|May mean F = 62.0

|Jun mean F = 69.5

|Jul mean F = 73.1

|Aug mean F = 72.2

|Sep mean F = 66.5

|Oct mean F = 55.0

|Nov mean F = 44.0

|Dec mean F = 36.8

|year mean F = 53.9

|Jan low F = 23.2

|Feb low F = 25.3

|Mar low F = 31.0

|Apr low F = 39.0

|May low F = 48.9

|Jun low F = 57.5

|Jul low F = 61.8

|Aug low F = 60.6

|Sep low F = 54.0

|Oct low F = 41.2

|Nov low F = 30.6

|Dec low F = 26.1

|year low F = 41.6

|Jan record low F = −12

|Feb record low F = −19

|Mar record low F = -4

|Apr record low F = 20

|May record low F = 29

|Jun record low F = 37

|Jul record low F = 42

|Aug record low F = 45

|Sep record low F = 31

|Oct record low F = 17

|Nov record low F = 2

|Dec record low F = −6

|year record low F = -19

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 3.80

|Feb precipitation inch = 3.77

|Mar precipitation inch = 4.35

|Apr precipitation inch = 4.28

|May precipitation inch = 4.30

|Jun precipitation inch = 4.39

|Jul precipitation inch = 5.14

|Aug precipitation inch = 4.53

|Sep precipitation inch = 3.46

|Oct precipitation inch = 2.97

|Nov precipitation inch = 3.04

|Dec precipitation inch = 4.12

|year precipitation inch = 48.15

|Jan snow inch = 1.9

|Feb snow inch = 4.2

|Mar snow inch = 1.6

|Apr snow inch = 0.1

|May snow inch = 0.0

|Jun snow inch = 0.0

|Jul snow inch = 0.0

|Aug snow inch = 0.0

|Sep snow inch = 0.0

|Oct snow inch = 0.0

|Nov snow inch = 0.1

|Dec snow inch = 2.4

|year snow inch = 10.3

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 12.6

|Feb precipitation days = 12.0

|Mar precipitation days = 12.6

|Apr precipitation days = 12.2

|May precipitation days = 14.3

|Jun precipitation days = 13.6

|Jul precipitation days = 13.6

|Aug precipitation days = 11.9

|Sep precipitation days = 9.2

|Oct precipitation days = 9.4

|Nov precipitation days = 9.7

|Dec precipitation days = 12.5

|year precipitation days = 143.6

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days = 1.7

|Feb snow days = 1.8

|Mar snow days = 0.8

|Apr snow days = 0.0

|May snow days = 0.0

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 0.0

|Oct snow days = 0.0

|Nov snow days = 0.2

|Dec snow days = 1.2

|year snow days = 5.7

| source 1 = NOAA

{{cite web

| url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=rnk

| title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = July 1, 2021}}

{{cite web

| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00447506&format=pdf

| title = Station: Saltville, VA

| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020)

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = July 1, 2021}}

}}

{{US Census population

|1880= 185

|1900= 1051

|1910= 1628

|1920= 2248

|1930= 2964

|1940= 2650

|1950= 2678

|1960= 2844

|1970= 2527

|1980= 2376

|1990= 2300

|2000= 2204

|2010= 2077

|2020= 1824

|estyear=

|estimate=

|estref=

|footnote=source:{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFPopulation?_event=Search&geo_id=16000US3439990&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US34%7C16000US3439990&_street=&_county=Saltville&_cityTown=Saltville&_state=04000US51&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=160&_submenuId=population_0&ds_name=null&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null®=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200216051726/http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFPopulation?_event=Search&geo_id=16000US3439990&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US34%7C16000US3439990&_street=&_county=Saltville&_cityTown=Saltville&_state=04000US51&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=160&_submenuId=population_0&ds_name=null&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null®=null:null&_keyword=&_industry=|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 16, 2020|title=Population Finder: Saltville CDP, Virginia|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=January 4, 2010}}

}}

As of the census of 2010, there were 2,077 people, 879 households, and 593 families residing in the town. The population density (in 2000) was 273.7 people per square mile (105.7/km²). There were 967 housing units. The racial makeup of the town was 98.5% White, 0.4% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.05% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.5% of the population.

There were 879 households, out of which 24% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.5% under the age of 19, 6.5% from 20 to 24, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 30.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $24,375, and the median income for a family was $42,639. Males had a median income of $36,071 versus $30,063 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,595. About 18.1% of families and 20.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.4% of those under age 18 and 15.9% of those age 65 or over.

The Museum of the Middle Appalachians is located in downtown Saltville. The museum displays exhibits on topics including the geological history of the region, the American Civil War, the company town era of Saltville's history, and the Woodland Indians.{{cite web|url=http://www.museum-mid-app.org |title=Museum of the Middle Appalachians |publisher=Museum-mid-app.org |access-date=December 7, 2011}}

• Georgia Blizzard - Ceramics artist whose works are in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum{{Cite journal|last=Williams|first=Jonathan|year=1993|title=Seven Outsiders|jstor=24515462|journal=Conjunctions|issue=21|pages=213–248}} and other museums.
• Clay Davidson - Country musician
• Texas Gladden- Folk singer, sister of Hobart Smith
• Robert Porterfield - founder of the Barter Theater
• Elizabeth Henry Campbell Russell - Sister of Patrick Henry, introduced Methodism to Southwest Virginia. The Madam Russell Memorial United Methodist Church and the Elizabeth Cemetery in Saltville are named for her.
• Hobart Smith - Old time music legend

{{Reflist}}

• Kent, William B. A History of Saltville, Virginia (Radford, VA: Commonwealth Pr., 1955).
• Sarvis, Will. The Salt Trade of Nineteenth Century Saltville, Virginia

• [https://saltville.org/ Town's official website]
• [http://encyclopediavirginia.org/Saltville_During_the_Civil_War Saltville During the Civil War in Encyclopedia Virginia]

{{Smyth County, Virginia}}

{{Washington County, Virginia}}

{{Virginia towns}}

{{Virginia}}

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Category:Towns in Smyth County, Virginia

Category:Towns in Washington County, Virginia

Category:Towns in Virginia

Category:Kingsport–Bristol metropolitan area

Category:Company towns in the United States