Wayne County, West Virginia
| Wayne County, West Virginia | |
|---|---|
 Location in the U.S. state of West Virginia |
|
 West Virginia's location in the U.S. |
|
| Founded | January 18, 1842 |
| Named for | Anthony Wayne |
| Seat | Wayne |
| Largest town | Kenova |
| Area | |
| • Total | 512 sq mi (1,326 km2) |
| • Land | 506 sq mi (1,311 km2) |
| • Water | 6.1 sq mi (16 km2), 1.2% |
| Population (est.) | |
| • (2015) | 40,971 |
| • Density | 81/sq mi (31/km²) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| Website | www |
Wayne County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 42,481. Its county seat is Wayne. The county was founded in 1842 and named for General "Mad" Anthony Wayne.
Wayne County is part of the Huntington–Ashland, WV–KY–OH Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Charleston–Huntington–Ashland, WV–OH–KY Combined Statistical Area.
Wayne County, West Virginia was originally Wayne County, Virginia, which was created from part of Cabell County in 1842. The county was named for General "Mad" Anthony Wayne.
There was no white settlement in the area that became Wayne County until after 1794, due to the constant threat of Indian attack. The area was made safe for white settlement in 1794 through the defeat of the Shawnee at the Battle of Fallen Timbers by General "Mad" Anthony Wayne.
When the first permanent European settlers came to Wayne County around the year 1800, the area was part of Kanawha County. Most of the original pioneer settlers were self-sufficient farmers. They raised their own food, sheep for wool clothing, and made their buildings, furnishings and tools out of the surrounding forest. A few trading posts provided the manufactured goods the pioneers could not make for themselves. Later, grist mills at Wayne, Dickson, south of East Lynn and at Lavalette ground their corn into meal and their wheat into flour.
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