EARL’S CAPERS WITH KIDS: Fun at the Fair

Earl’s note: Here is another in a short series about things to do with kids. Today, we go to the Ohio County Country Fair. This year's fair is set for Oct. 4-6. The refreshing autumn breeze carries the aro...

EARL’S CAPERS WITH KIDS: No Worms Needed

Earl’s note: This is the first of a short series about things to do with kids. The activities described in the series are inexpensive and fun outdoor things that anyone can do with children. The next story in t...

How to Keep Your Kids Safe Online

Editor's note: This is the first of a couple of Weelunk stories Earl Nicodemus is planning regarding cyber safety. The next one will be about cyber security for adults. The chances of your child being harmed...

EARL’S GARDEN NOTES: A February Primer

Greetings to those of you who like to play in the dirt! A few years ago, I wrote a year-long series of monthly Weelunk articles about gardening titled “Betty’s Garden Diary.” Since that series ended, folks have...

Ohio County Country Fair in Pictures

Welcome to the Ohio County Country Fair! Held in conjunction with Oglebayfest during the first weekend in October every year, the Ohio County Country Fair has become a cherished tradition here in the upper Ohio...

Geo-History: The Gnadenhutten Massacre

EARL'S NOTE: One of the darkest days in American history was March 8, 1782. On that date, 96 innocent Christian men, women, and children at Gnadenhutten in Ohio were brutally executed by members of the Pennsylv...

Geo-History: The Squaw Campaign

Earl’s Note: This is the first in a planned series of short installments about the events that shaped our history. Events that took place in other locations often involved the men and women from our part of the...

Travels With Betty, Part 2

Editor's Note: This is the second and final installment of the story of Earl and Betty's epic cross-country travels. If you haven't read the first part, you can catch up here. If you are a member of my gener...

Travels With Betty, Part 1

How would you describe America? Have you ever thought about how you were respond if someone asked you to describe America? Would you talk about the people or the cities or the politics or religions? For most of...

Betty’s 2017 Garden

Betty’s Garden Diary Revisited! Preface Greetings fellow Weelunk gardeners! This is a follow-up to the “Betty’s Garden Diary” series that my wife, Betty, and I published on Weelunk last year. Since we stopp...

Catfish Fishing on the Ohio River

A bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work! – Unknown Cover picture - Russ Cook holding a good sized Ohio River Catfish that he caught. The problem with the world today is that not enough peop...

The West Liberty Tanneries

When West Liberty was settled, the region had a lot of oak trees. In addition to supplying lumber for the building needs as the community grew, those oaks also provided a plentiful supply of oak bark to the two...

Betty’s Garden Diary for November 2016

It is hard to believe that we started the Betty’s Garden Diary series almost a year ago and that this is our last edition already. In this installment, we will discuss some of the things that we will be doing t...

Betty’s Garden Diary for October

This month’s cover picture shows Sweet Potato plants in bloom. Sweet potatoes are in the same family as Morning Glories, so the blossoms look very similar. Welcome to the October edition of Betty’s Garden Di...

Do You Live in a Sears House? Are You Sure?

Do you live in a Sears or Montgomery Ward house? Was your house built from a kit that was purchased through a mail-order catalog? Are you sure? From 1909 to 1940, Sears Robuck & Co. Sold over 90,000 houses ...

Betty’s Garden Diary for August 2016

Betty's Garden mid-August. The first two plantings of corn have been harvested Welcome to the August issue of Betty’s Garden Diary. In this issue of Betty’s Garden Diary, we will discuss what is happenin...

Betty’s Garden Diary for July 2016

Welcome to Betty’s Garden Diary for July, 2016! Betty's Garden on July 14, 2016 Things are going well in Betty’s garden. God has blessed us with plenty of timely rain showers, so things are growing li...

Betty’s Garden Diary for June 2016

Betty’s Garden Diary - June, 2016 Since June and July usually bring lots of dry weather, most of this issue of Betty’s Garden Diary will be devoted to water management and most of that discussion will be...

Betty’s Garden Diary for May 2016

Betty's Garden Diary - May, 2016 Several folks have asked why this series is called “Betty’s Garden Diary” if Earl writes it! The reason is that Betty does most of the work in the garden! Our garden is a...

Betty’s Garden Diary For April, 2016

Betty’s Garden Diary for April 2016 Betty's Daffodils Blooming in April Spring has arrived, but it did so with a wintry blast during the end of March and first of April. We got Betty’s garden tilled before ...

Betty’s Garden Diary for March 2016

Betty’s Garden Diary March, 2016 Spring is just around the corner! In this issue of Betty’s Garden Diary, we are going to discuss selecting a location for your garden, composting, starting bedding plants...

Betty’s Garden Diary for February 2016

Betty’s Garden Diary February, 2016 Simple Soil Science for Gardeners Betty’s Garden Diary thanks Dr. Michael Nicodemus for his contributions to this edition. Dr. Nicodemus has a PhD in Forestry from Purd...

The Mostly True Story of “Betsy” Zane

  Just about every school child knows the story of how a 17-year-old girl named Elizabeth Zane saved Fort Henry by running to the cabin of Ebenezer Zane and returning with an apron full of gunpowder...

Betty’s Garden Diary: January 2016

While this is being written, it is three degrees in West Liberty and Betty’s garden is white with snow. However, the seed catalogs that have appeared in our mailbox have brought on our annual spring fever. Even...

Betty’s Garden Diary

Author's Note: This is the first installment in a planned series of informational articles for Ohio Valley gardeners. We will publish one installment this month and one in January. Then the installments will be...

Captain Samuel Brady: Part 3, Conclusion

Brady’s Rangers were very effective in their pursuit of the Indian raiding parties. Numerous times, they rescued women and children who had been taken captive by the Indians. When Brady’s Rangers encountered an...

Captain Samuel Brady: Part 2

After living in a cabin in Wellsburg for a period of time, Sam and Drucilla obtained property in West Liberty, with assistance from Van Swearingon, where they built a large frame house. One of the photos with t...

Captain Samuel Brady: Part 1

Captain Samuel Brady – Hero of the Revolution Part 1    During the Revolutionary War, the most well-known and respected individual in the Upper Ohio Valley was not named McCullough or Zane or Wetz...

The Mostly True Story of Simon Girty

By Earl Nicodemus Weelunk Contributor Even though I am a storyteller rather than a historian, I have attempted to find out the real story of Simon Girty. Other than Benedict Arnold, no other individual as...

Storytelling: Court Day in West Liberty

by Earl Nicodemus To the reader: I must preface this document by informing the reader that I am a storyteller rather than a historian. Until radio took over the storytelling role about 100 years ago, Americans...