Haysi, Virginia

Haysi, once known as "Turkey Foot" or "The Mouth of McClure", is at the confluence of Russell Prater Creek, the McClure River, and the Russell Fork river. The hilly terrain is subject to severe floods, but was occupied at least seasonally for centuries. As English settlers moved into the Appalachians, David Musick and his family settled near New Garden Fort on the Clinch River, but Shawnee raiders burned the house, killed him and abducted his wife and five children on August 12, 1792. The following day, fellow settlers encountered the raiders near here, freed the rest of the family and killed an Indian in the skirmish. About two miles away, in the hamlet known as Birchleaf a historical marker remembers John Colley, who settled nearby and supervised lands claimed by a wealthy landowner before further settlement began in the Sandy Basin area in the 1830s (and which became Dickenson County in 1880). In addition, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers designed and supervised construction of the John W. Flannagan Dam beginning in 1960, which controls area flooding as part of the Big Sandy flood protection system. It remains open to public day use, including fishing and boating. ==Geography==

Haysi is located in northeastern Dickenson County. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 3.10%, is water. The town's area was in 2000. Climate The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. The Köppen Climate System describes the weather as humid subtropical, and uses the abbreviation Cfa. ==Demographics==

As of the census of 2000, there were 186 people, 80 households, and 56 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 99 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.85% White, and 2.15% African American. There were 80 households, out of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.0% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.84. In the town, the population was spread out, with 18.8% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 19.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.6 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 77.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $25,781, and the median income for a family was $31,750. Males had a median income of $25,000 versus $15,625 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,155. About 3.6% of families and 10.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.3% of those under the age of eighteen and 10.8% of those 65 or over. ==Tourist attractions==

• Birch Knob • Breaks Interstate Park • John W. Flannagan Dam • Russell Fork River • The Ralph Stanley Museum • Veterans Memorial Walk of Honor • Haysi Kiwanis Park ==Education==

The Haysi area is served by Ridgeview High School and Sandlick Elementary School in the nearby community of Birchleaf, Virginia. ==Infrastructure==

Public transportation Bus service is provided to various locations in Buchanan, Dickenson, Russell, and Tazewell counties by Four County Transit. ==Notable person==

• William Henry McFarland (born 1890), member of the Virginia House of Delegates ==References==