Celebrate West Virginia Day With These 10 Fun Facts Emma Wiley June 20, 2022 1. West Virginia is the only state to be created by a Presidential Proclamation. On June 20th, 1863, now celebrated as West Virginia Day, West Virginia became the 35th state, thanks to a proclamation made 60 da...
QUIZ: Which Historic Wheeling Building Are You? Emma Wiley May 9, 2022 Wheeling has a plethora of outstanding historic buildings in various stages of preservation and redevelopment—take this quiz to learn which historic building you are!
Census Curiosity: What the 1950 Census Means for Wheeling Emma Wiley March 30, 2022 On April 1, 2022—after 72 years—the National Archives will release the 1950 census records to the general public! Even though the country already has a lot of general information and data from each census, the ...
The Green Book: Navigating Wheeling During Segregation Emma Wiley February 25, 2022 Originally published on Nov. 6, 2020 “Write for Reservations—Moderate Rates.”1 This 1956 listing for lodging at the Wheeling Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) Blue Triangle Branch did not just...
Kicking Off Black History Month Emma Wiley February 1, 2022 Black History Month was created by the famous African American historian, Carter G. Woodson, in 1926. Originally known as “Negro History Month,” it was a response to what Woodson saw as a disturbing lack of Bla...
The Blacksmith Shop You’ve Missed While Sitting in Traffic on National Road Emma Wiley December 31, 2021 Originally published August 30, 2021 If you’ve driven down National Road recently, you may have noticed a bit of history suddenly uncovered. On the northern side of the road, across the street from Generatio...
Pre-Civil War Ledger Found in Downtown Wheeling Building…Here Are Some of the Names Inside Emma Wiley December 27, 2021 Originally published July 30, 2021 In April 2020, while many people were working from home and shutting down shops and businesses to ride out the global pandemic, April and Jay Arritt discovered an amazing h...
How a Stolen Statue Ended Up in Wheeling During the Civil War Emma Wiley November 8, 2021 On July 2, 1864, George Washington arrived in Wheeling—65 years after his death. Well...his statue did. During the Civil War, in June 1864, Union troops under Col. David Hunter burned most of the Virginia Mi...
QUIZ: What Should You Carve on Your Pumpkin? Wheeling Heritage Media and Emma Wiley October 8, 2021 Don’t know what to carve into your pumpkin this year? Weelunk has you covered with Wheeling inspired designs that will make your creations the talk of the town this fall!
What’s So Funny?: Political Cartoons from Wheeling’s Past Emma Wiley September 27, 2021 Many of us have fond childhood memories of enjoying “the funny papers”—silly colorful comics often published in the Sunday morning paper. Whether it was laughing at Garfield’s laziness, chasing the antics of Ca...
Marvelous Maps of Wheeling Emma Wiley September 8, 2021 Can you find the coolest/weirdest/strangest detail on a map? Hint: You have to look closely...it’s all in the details. A map’s secrets depend on when the map was drawn, who made the map, and why the map was ...
The Many Lives of the 1400 Block of Market Street Emma Wiley September 6, 2021 The historic 1400 Block of Market Street has seen many businesses over the years, from restaurants and saloons to car companies and candy shops. Based on extant records and architectural styles, the current bui...
Help Us Solve History’s Mysteries: Landscape Edition Emma Wiley August 24, 2021 Do you recognize any of these people? These are all historic photos of Wheeling people, places, and things that need to be identified. Weelunk, Archiving Wheeling, and the Ohio County Public Library Archives ha...
The 13-Year-Old McLure Hotel Bellboy Who Became America’s “Hotel Man of the Half-Century” Emma Wiley August 18, 2021 Walking or driving down Market Street recently, you may have noticed some new activity at the McLure Hotel, including a new paint job, but the establishment has a much longer history. Originally named the McLur...
The Young Wheeling Doctor Who Captured WWI Through Photography Emma Wiley August 9, 2021 Dr. Raymond A. Tomassene was only 24 when he departed New York City on the ocean liner, La Touraine, bound for France. Fresh out of medical school, Tomassene was headed to the American Ambulance Hospital in Neu...
Help Us Solve History’s Mysteries: Patriotic WWII Workers Edition Emma Wiley July 28, 2021 Do you recognize any of these people? These are all historic photos of Wheeling people, places, and things that need to be identified. Weelunk, Archiving Wheeling, and the Ohio County Public Library Archives ha...
How a Wheeling Company Became One of the Country’s Largest Pharmaceutical Giants Emma Wiley July 19, 2021 Taking a first pass through Wheeling’s history, you would certainly notice the prevalence of industries such as glass, nails, stogies, and steel. Dozens of books have been written about the city’s factories and...
How a Warwood Medical Couple Became Internationally Decorated Floriculturists Emma Wiley July 5, 2021 Over the years, Wheeling has been home to numerous award-winning people in various fields—from singers to actors to artists and more. However, not many Wheeling residents know that Warwood boasts two internatio...
Help Us Solve History’s Mysteries: Summer Edition Emma Wiley June 29, 2021 Do you recognize any of these people? These are all historic photos of Wheeling people, places, and things that need to be identified. Weelunk, Archiving Wheeling and the Ohio County Public Library Archives hav...
The Mysteries of Mabel: Journalist, Working Woman, and Mother Emma Wiley June 28, 2021 Mabel Hull first became a mystery due to a collection of her scrapbooks at the Ohio County Public Library. The scrapbooks primarily contain clippings of columns she wrote in the Wheeling News-Register and The P...
Three Random Patents and Inventions that Started in Wheeling Emma Wiley June 22, 2021 Ever have an idea for an invention? The first patent law in the US was the US Patent Act in 1790, right as Wheeling was growing as a young town.1 Check out some of these random patented innovations from Wheelin...
Wheeling, Westsylvania?: The Forgotten History of the “Almost” West Virginias Emma Wiley June 16, 2021 West Virginia Day is almost upon us and it is the 158th anniversary of West Virginia officially becoming a state. Approximately two years after deciding not to secede during the Civil War, West Virginia became ...
Can You Identify These 10 Wheeling Architectural Details? Emma Wiley June 11, 2021 Wheeling has thousands of interesting, unique, and funky details around town...but how often have you taken the time to look up? We have provided a scavenger hunt of ten of our favorite architectural features, ...
This Wheeling Bridge is the Oldest Surviving Bridge in West Virginia Emma Wiley June 2, 2021 The Elm Grove Stone Arch Bridge has become part of many Wheeling residents’ daily routines, connecting commuters to downtown and providing access to the main Elm Grove strip. Hundreds of cars pass over the Ston...
Dozens of Wheeling Individuals Identified Through History’s Mysteries Project Emma Wiley May 21, 2021 In February 2021, Weelunk, Archiving Wheeling, and the Ohio County Public Library teamed up to reach out to the Wheeling community to identify unknown people in historic photographs. History’s Mysteries is a di...
Wheeling’s Real Life M*A*S*H Couple Emma Wiley May 17, 2021 While many people have undoubtedly watched the wildly popular 70s sitcom, M*A*S*H, most probably don’t realize that Wheeling has its own real-life MASH couple—Sam and Della Nazzaro. Sam Nazzaro and Domenica “De...
Solving History’s Mysteries: Nurses Edition Emma Wiley May 11, 2021 Do you recognize any of these people? These are all historic photos of Wheeling people, places, and things that need to be identified. Weelunk, Archiving Wheeling, and the Ohio County Public Library Archives ha...
The Day All of Wheeling’s Street Names Changed Emma Wiley May 10, 2021 Can you imagine the chaos if all of the street names and house numbers changed in Wheeling? The confusion, the misdirection, the lost residents? In July 1873, the Wheeling City Council passed an ordinance to do...
Help Us Solve History’s Mysteries!: Baseball Edition Emma Wiley April 28, 2021 A Partnership Between Weelunk, Archiving Wheeling, and the Ohio County Public Library Archives Do you recognize any of these people? These are all historic photos of Wheeling people, places, and things that ...
Three of the Funkiest Contests in Wheeling’s History Emma Wiley April 26, 2021 What is the weirdest contest that you’ve ever competed in? Throughout Wheeling’s history, there have been some funky contests—from twin-matching to babies and more! Some of the contests were just for fun, but s...
How an Ohio Valley Resident Became Black Baseball’s First Historian Emma Wiley April 23, 2021 Baseball is back in full swing for the season, and many of us are ready to take to the field or root for our favorite team as fans. While “America’s favorite pastime” has fostered interesting stories across the...
Spring Cleaning? How the Clean Blockers of the 1940s Can Inspire Today’s Volunteers Emma Wiley April 19, 2021 As flowers are blooming, seasonal allergies are flourishing, and warmer weather is in the air...so is spring cleaning. Today, members of Volunteer Wheeling can be seen cleaning the streets and organizing the co...
All Aboard!: The Streetcar Trolleys that Changed Wheeling Emma Wiley April 14, 2021 Seventy-one years ago, on April 14, 1948, the last streetcar of Wheeling made its final trip—its last day overshadowed by historic flooding on the Ohio River.1 Even though Wheeling’s streetcars may have ended q...
These Vintage Easter Ads Provide a Glimpse Into Wheeling’s Past Emma Wiley April 3, 2021 Easter dresses...Easter bonnets...For those who celebrate Easter, you know that your attire is important. Spring is in the air, a time of rebirth, out with the old, in with the new. Last year, when all of us we...
Wheeling’s Historic Female Doctors Emma Wiley April 1, 2021 “Doctress”...“Lady Doctor”...“Girl Doctor”...These are just a few of the peculiar titles that have been given to some of the historic Wheeling women who worked as physicians. Today, most of us don’t think twice...
Help Us Solve History’s Mysteries!: Women’s History Month Edition Emma Wiley March 26, 2021 A Partnership Between Weelunk, Archiving Wheeling, and the Ohio County Public Library Archives. Do you recognize any of these people? These are all historic photos of Wheeling people, places, and things that...
The Many Madonnas (of the Trail) Emma Wiley March 23, 2021 A Pioneer Woman The “Madonna of the Trail” statue on the edge of Wheeling Park along Route 40 is hard to miss. It has become an icon in Wheeling and has been featured prominently on everything from welcome sig...
Adventures in the Archives: The YWCA Blue Triangle Collection Emma Wiley March 19, 2021 Wheeling and the greater Ohio County area has centuries of history...and therefore thousands of historical documents and other ephemera. So where does it all go? Short answer: the library. In addition to its...
Boiled Tongue and Pine Apple Cheese?: A 1852 McLure House Dinner Menu Emma Wiley March 8, 2021 Food is an integral part of human life. Not only is it what fuels and energizes our day, but food gathers people to share and connect in community. Everyone has a favorite dish and many of us still have fond me...
Help Us Solve History’s Mysteries! Emma Wiley February 26, 2021 A Partnership Between Weelunk, Archiving Wheeling, and the Ohio County Public Library Archives Do you recognize any of these people? These are all historic photos of Wheeling people, places, and things that ...
The Blue Triangle Branch of the YWCA Emma Wiley February 25, 2021 The local Wheeling branch of the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) is well-known around the city for its services and impact on people’s lives. However, for over three decades between 1921 and 1956, Wh...
The First Wheeling Wedding? Emma Wiley February 13, 2021 “I do hereby Certify that I have this day solemnized the Right of marriage between Mr. John McIngtur (McIntyre properly) and Miss Sarah Zane agreeable to an act of assembly in such case made and provided. Witne...
A Tennis Giant: Arthur Ashe at Oglebay Emma Wiley February 8, 2021 In July 1960, Wheeling had a 16-year-old visitor to the tennis courts of Oglebay. Few knew that this young African American boy would become one of the greatest American tennis players of all time. His name was...
Uncovered in Photographs: The Children Who Worked Wheeling’s Factories Emma Wiley January 26, 2021 While Wheeling has a rich and proud history of organized labor, the issue and history of child labor is often overlooked. There are few records or histories examining or documenting child labor in Wheeling; the...
The Giant Wheeling Tabernacle Built in Only Four Days Emma Wiley January 11, 2021 In only four days between January and February of 1912—over a century ago—hundreds of Wheeling residents came together to build an enormous low-roofed building on the eastern side of 26th Street in Center Wheel...
‘Tis the Time for Calendar Updates: Funky Holiday Edition Emma Wiley January 1, 2021 For many of us, as we turn over our calendars to the new year of 2021, it means updating with the new dates, birthdays, and holidays. Everyone has the main dates covered, but Weelunk has a list of wacky other h...
Children of Wheeling Share Their Letters to Santa Emma Wiley December 25, 2020 Santa has a special message to the children of Wheeling this Christmas. Share his letter with your children and browse through the letters Santa received from our youngest Weelunk fans! Dear Children of Wheeli...
Ringing in a Vaccine Emma Wiley December 22, 2020 Imagine all of the church and school bells ringing and all of the factories and trains whistling in Wheeling all at the same time. Incredibly loud right? That cacophony of noise lasted two long minutes at no...
Seafood Traditions: Coleman’s Fish Market and the Feast of the Seven Fishes Emma Wiley December 17, 2020 This time of the year is usually one of celebration, good will, spending time with family and friends, and shopping. But, few places get as busy as Coleman’s Fish Market in Centre Market, Wheeling. At first ...
Local Letters to Santa from 1904 Emma Wiley December 11, 2020 Writing letters to Santa Claus has long been a tradition for many children who celebrate Christmas. Some send the letters in the mail, leave them by a plate of milk and cookies on Christmas Eve, or give them to...
