Bridgeport is a city located in Harrison County, West Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 7,306.
The town of Bridgeport had its beginning in pre-Revolutionary War times. In 1764, John Simpson entered the area and gave his name to Simpson Creek. Bridgeport was chartered in 1816. When the town was incorporated in 1887, it established the office of mayor and town council. The city currently employs a City Manager.
Bridgeport is located at 39°17'48" North, 80°15'5" West (39.296544, -80.251305).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 21.6 km2 (8.3 mi2). 21.5 km2 (8.3 mi2) of it is land and 0.1 km2 (0.1 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 0.60% water.
As of the census of 2000, there are 7,306 people, 2,988 households, and 2,103 families residing in the city. The population density is 339.9/km2 (880.4/mi2). There are 3,190 housing units at an average density of 148.4/km2 (384.4/mi2). The racial makeup of the city is 96.93% White, 1.25% African American, 0.05% Native American, 1.05% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races. 1.29% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 2,988 households out of which 30.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.8% are married couples living together, 7.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% are non-families. 26.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.41 and the average family size is 2.94.
In the city the population is spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 43 years. For every 100 females there are 87.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 83.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $49,310, and the median income for a family is $58,825. Males have a median income of $46,590 versus $29,861 for females. The per capita income for the city is $25,132. 5.0% of the population and 3.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 6.6% of those under the age of 18 and 3.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
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When John Simpson entered the Bridgeport area in 1764, he was attracted by the plentiful supply of fur-bearing animals. The men to follow him were also trappers and the fur trade was the first business in what is now Bridgeport. As the settlers came and cleared land, timber was sold, and the lumber trade became another area business.
The first mill of which there is official record is the Bridgeport or Johnson Mill, which Harvey W. Harmer describes as the first mill in Bridgeport in his Old Grist Mills of Harrison County. This gristmill was constructed by James Anderson sometime between 1771 and 1787 on Simpson Creek.
In the 19th century, farming was the main livelihood, and the stores in town were mostly general stores designed to serve the area farmers. The town also had a blacksmith and a barber (a man born in slavery), several mills, and two hotels. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad ran through Bridgeport beginning in 1856, eliminating the need for area cattleman to drive their livestock all the way to Baltimore. They instead drove their herds into Bridgeport to the stock pens at the railroad depot. The stockyards remained until the mid 1970s. Cattle, sheep, hogs, and even turkeys were driven into Bridgeport from area farms to be sold here or driven on to market.
The Bridgeport Lamp Chimney Company was succeeded by the Master Glass Company. The Master Glass Company, a marble factory, moved to Bridgeport in 1941 and in 1950 took over the assets of the Akro-Agate Marble Company of Clarksburg. The company manufactured "glass balls for industrial use, colored signal lenses, toy marbles, glass ball reflectors used in highway signs and guard rail posts, and other products for various industrial uses." The company ceased operations in 1973, and the City of Bridgeport bought the property. The building has been torn down, and the former site of the tannery, lamp chimney factory, and marble factory is now a parking lot for the Benedum Civic Center.
Source:
BridgeportWestVirginia.com
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