Ravenswood District, formerly Ravenswood Magisterial District, is one of five historic magisterial districts in Jackson County, West Virginia, United States. The district was originally known as Gilmore Township, one of five civil townships established in 1863; the name officially became "Ravenswood" in 1871, and Jackson County's townships were converted into magisterial districts in 1872. When Jackson County was redistricted in the 1990s, the area of Ravenswood District was divided between the new Northern and Western Magisterial Districts. However, the county's historic magisterial districts continue to exist in the form of tax districts, serving all of their former administrative functions except for the election of county officials.
Geography
Ravenswood District is one of two historic magisterial districts in the northern part of Jackson County. To the north, it is bounded by Grant District, to the east by Reedy District in Wirt County and Reedy District in Roane County; to the south by Washington, Ripley, and Union Districts, the three southern districts of Jackson County, and to the west by the northern portion of the Great Bend of the Ohio River. Across the river is Lebanon Township, in Meigs County, Ohio.
Most of Ravenswood District is hilly, but there are bottomlands along the Ohio River and Sandy Creek. Hardesty's describes the district as containing "some of the best farming lands in the [s]tate; the soil on the river bottoms is sandy, while that of the hills is for the most part red clay."
Streams
The main stream in Ravenswood District is Sandy Creek, occasionally referred to as "Big" Sandy Creek, to distinguish it from Little Sandy Creek in Grant District. The creek and its tributaries drain nearly the entire district, and empties into the Ohio River at Ravenswood. The main course divides into two forks just below Sandyville, about ten miles southeast of Ravenswood. The upper waters of the Right Fork arise in the Reedy District of Roane County, and this branch traverses the central portion of Ravenswood District from east to west. The Left Fork arises in Tucker District, Wirt County, and adjoining portions of Steele District, in Wood County, and flows through Grant District for much of its length.
In its upper course, the Right Fork of Sandy Creek meets with Patterson Run, Buck Run, and Hartley Run, all of which join Sandy Creek in Roane County, although the latter two flow northeast out of Ravenswood District. At Liverpool, just west of the Roane County line, Sandy meets with the Brushy Fork, flowing westward from Sandy Summit in Roane County. From Liverpool, the Right Fork turns westward, meeting with Cabin Run, Rush Run, Fallentimber Run, and Washburn Run, all coming from the north; Bear Run is a tributary of Fallentimber. The creek then meets with Coon Run, flowing from the south; at Duncan the stream is joined by Warfield Run, coming from the north, and Trap Run, from the south. Boggess Run flows southward into Sandy just below Meadowdale Church; Biglick Run flows northwest into the creek at the village of Meadowdale; then Lynncamp Run, Low Gap Run, Burgess Run, and Island Run, the last of which joins the Right Fork just below the village of Murray; Bens Run is a tributary of Lynncamp, flowing out of a hollow below Tar Hill.
The Left Fork of Sandy Creek meets a number of tributaries in Grant District; just after crossing into Ravenswood District, it meets with Nesselroad Run, the majority of which is also in Grant; just above the juncture, Nesselroad is joined by another Coon Run, which lies entirely within Ravenswood District. The next tributary to join the Left Fork is Drift Run, which flows east and south out of the hills above the village of Drift Run. Just above Odaville, the creek is joined by the Turkey Fork, which flows westward out of the hills below Garfield, on the Wirt County line. Along its course, the Turkey Fork is joined by Lisez Run, Camp Run, Five Mile Run, Horner Run, the Peter Fork, and Barnes Run. Below Odaville, the Left Fork of Sandy meets with the Sarvis Fork, also flowing from the east, and the Copper Fork coming from the north; the latter flows out of the hollows in the central part of the district, where it is joined by the Squirrel Lick, then continues past the village of New Era, joining the Left Fork just above Sandyville.