Soil Survey of Lincoln County, West Virginia - Soil Data Mart - US ...

Soil Survey of Lincoln County, West Virginia
55 counties comprising West Virginia. The county was named for Abraham Lincoln,
the 16th president of the United States.
The first settlements in Lincoln County were established in about 1800. There
probably were fewer than a dozen families residing within the present boundaries of
Lincoln County in that year (Lambert 1991); however, there was a steady stream of
immigrants arriving in the Ohio River valley at that time. The adjacent states of
Kentucky and Ohio were established in 1791 and 1803, respectively. Many of the
earliest settlers in Lincoln County were from the eastern or central part of Virginia.
The primary settlements in the county at that time were along the Guyandotte and
Mud Rivers, as well as Twelvepole Creek. The first building in the present area of
Hamlin was built in 1802. It was the cabin of David Stephenson.
Farming
In 1997, Lincoln County had 214 farms, or about 20 percent fewer farms than in
1987. The average size of these farms was 128 acres (U.S. Department of Agriculture
1999). A total of 8,501 acres in the county was used as cropland. Of this acreage,
about 2,229 acres, or 26 percent, was used for harvested crops. The main farm
products in these areas were hay, tobacco, or grain crops. Livestock or poultry was
raised on nearly half of the farms. The raising of beef cattle was the leading livestock
enterprise. Sheep were also commonly raised. Most of the farm income in the county
was derived from the sale of beef cattle or tobacco. Most farms were operated on a
part-time basis.
Transportation Facilities
The transportation needs of Lincoln County are served by numerous county and
state roads, including routes 3, 7, 10, 15, and 214, and U.S. Route 119, which is a
four-lane highway. Railroad trackage is maintained in Lincoln County along the
Guyandotte and Little Coal Rivers. The railroad system is used primarily for hauling
coal from the mining region in the southern part of West Virginia. Lincoln County
currently has no commercial airport facilities.
Relief and Drainage
Lincoln County is within two major land resource areas (MLRAs)—the Central
Allegheny Plateau and the Cumberland Plateau and Mountains. The Central
Allegheny Plateau MLRA encompasses roughly the northern half of Lincoln County.
It consists of predominantly sandstone, shale, and siltstone with some layers of
calcareous rocks. The landscape is characterized by nearly level or gently sloping
valleys and sloping to steep ridgetops that are separated by long, steep side
slopes. Local relief in this part of the county generally ranges from about 400 to
500 feet.
The Cumberland Plateau and Mountains MLRA encompasses the southern half
of the county. Geologic strata generally consist of interbedded sandstone, siltstone,
and shale with some coal and limestone strata. Since the southern half of the county
has a higher percentage of more resistant sandstone bedrock, it exhibits more
rugged topography than the northern portion. This area is characterized by some
sloping plateau remnants along the summits of ridges, but most of the area is rugged
with narrow flood plains along streams and narrow, moderately steep to very steep
ridgetops separated by long, very steep side slopes with numerous bedrock
escarpments and rock outcroppings and stony or bouldery surfaces. Local relief in
the southern part of the county generally ranges from about 600 to 800 feet.
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