Wheeling Steel’s Roots Still Run Deep in the Ohio Valley Ellen Brafford McCroskey June 1, 2020 Wheeling Steel opened in 1921 & during its time in Wheeling, WV its name changed several times leaving a history that runs deep throughout the OH valley.
Female Rollers: The Great Depression and the Infiltration of Women in Production Alex Warren May 29, 2020 The Great Depression (1929-1941) is commonly thought of as a time of doom and gloom, with high unemployment, reduced wages and “Hoovervilles” (crude houses built on the outskirts of a city typically populated b...
Wheeling’s Doughboy: A Monument to Peace in Remembrance of Conflict NIck Musgrave May 25, 2020 For nearly 90 years a silent guardian has kept watch over Wheeling Park. Originally dedicated on Memorial Day of 1931, Wheeling’s Doughboy statue has withstood weathering and vandalism to remain an enduring mon...
Victory Gardens: Then and Now Laura Jackson Roberts May 18, 2020 There’s nothing new about the idea of victory gardens in the United States. Since World War I, Americans have taken it upon themselves during times of crisis to manage their own food supply. This monumental eff...
Wheeling’s Women Are Slam Dunks Stacey Miller Sacco May 4, 2020 Wheeling loves sports. This is evident by the high participation in every Ohio Valley Athletic Conference event. You know it when you see the hundreds of people who come to Wheeling for Super Six weekend or Bea...
Wheeling on the Forefront: Fighting Fires for Over 200 Years Alex Warren April 29, 2020 Essential. Lifesaving. Game-changers. First responders and emergency preparation in Wheeling date back to the city’s founding, and their significance to our current society is undeniable. Specifically,...
The Alpha: Ye Olde Memories Phyllis Sigal April 14, 2020 At Weelunk, we’re all about keeping you connected to your community. Because that looks a little different right now, we’re bringing you ways to engage while staying safe and healthy. We hope Weelunk can contin...
Wheeling’s Pets Then and Now Betsy Sweeny April 11, 2020 Editor's note: At Weelunk, we’re all about keeping you connected to your community. Because that looks a little different right now, we’re bringing you ways to engage while staying safe and healthy. We hope Wee...
WOMEN IN HISTORY: These Wheeling Women Made Music History Stacey Miller Sacco March 31, 2020 Throughout March — Women’s History Month — Weelunk will feature stories about women who have made history and women who are making history. Read our other Women in History features. Music lovers in Wheeling ...
WOMEN IN HISTORY: A Nun’s Life — Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow Nora Edinger March 24, 2020 Editor’s note: Of all the forms of spirituality practiced in Wheeling, perhaps the least understood is that of the various orders of nuns who have served in the city since the 1840s. The Sisters of St. Joseph, ...
WOMEN IN HISTORY: Wheeling Nurses Share Tales From Their Military Days Kelly Strautmann March 17, 2020 Editor's note: Throughout March — Women's History Month — Weelunk will feature stories about women who have made history and women who are making history. Two women, born and raised in Wheeling, West Virgini...
Radical Ratification: Wheeling’s Role in the 19th Amendment Kelly Strautmann March 10, 2020 The right to vote is something many of us may take for granted — until it is time to get to the polls. And 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote. One hundred years ago today, Ma...
South Wheeling Historic District Listed on National Register of Historic Places Wheeling Heritage Media March 9, 2020 South Wheeling was added to the National Register of Historic Places last week as a historic district. The new district — which includes more than 200 historic properties — joins the ranks among others in Wheel...
WOMEN IN HISTORY: Wheeling Women Rewrite History Books Christina Fisanick March 6, 2020 Editor's note: Throughout March — Women's History Month — Weelunk will feature stories about women who have made history and women who are making history. “Libraries are full of ideas — perhaps the most dang...
HIDDEN GEMS: Inner Sanctums of Peace, History and Beauty Nora Edinger February 18, 2020 Editor’s note: This is the second in an ongoing series of stories about beautiful spaces in Wheeling that are rarely seen. Today’s post features two tiny chapels, one located inside the city’s oldest standing c...
Third Generation Campeti Puts Heart Into Soles Phyllis Sigal February 11, 2020 "I can fix about anything.” That’s Joe Campeti talking — the third generation of artisans repairing shoes since 1904 — at Campeti’s General Shoe Hospital. Anything. Ladies’ high heels. Men’s western b...
AS I SEE IT: Along Party Lines Ellen Brafford McCroskey February 1, 2020 There were two types of girls in the ’70s — those who had their very own telephones in their bedrooms, and those who did not. Some incredibly fortunate girls even had a private “children’s line” with a separate...
Out of the Ashes: Wheeling’s Ziegenfelder Company Stronger Than Ever Kelly Strautmann January 31, 2020 January 31, 2019. It was a bitterly cold winter day, with highs reaching only 11 degrees. Most people in Wheeling were rushing here and there to get out of the frigid cold on that Thursday morning, but soon ...
DOWNTOWN LIVING: The Writing on the Wall at Boury Lofts Was a Good Sign Phyllis Sigal January 29, 2020 Editor’s note: While downtown Wheeling living has always been a thing, it seems as if there are more apartments than ever. With the refurbishment of the Boury Lofts, the Stone Center and the Flat Iron Building,...
Wheeling Around: The Rise and Fall of the Historic Island Roller Rink Ellen Brafford McCroskey January 22, 2020 Writer’s Note: In recent years, the Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack used the former Wheeling Roller Rink as a storage facility. On Dec. 31, the building and its contents were lost to a devastating accide...
BILL HOGAN’S MUSINGS: The Alpha and the Omega Bill Hogan January 18, 2020 Share your memories of Ye Olde Alpha with Weelunk.
Alpha Moose on the Move Phyllis Sigal January 15, 2020 The trickiest part was getting the two huge moose heads out of the door. But long-time Ye Olde Alpha cooks Trevor Kropp and Dan Dokes, who were tasked with the job, succeeded. Getting most of the three do...
Held Together by Stories: A Special Lunch With Books Remembers OVMC Kelly Strautmann January 11, 2020 I was born there. I graduated from there. My children were born there. These statements were heard more than once at Tuesday's Lunch with Books — “OVGH & OVMC Memories” — at the Ohio County Library. ...
The History of the West Virginia Hot Dog Laura Jackson Roberts January 10, 2020 I just ate my first West Virginia Hot Dog yesterday down at Tito’s Sloppy Doggs. In the past, my relationship with the hot dog was wishy-washy. A good hot dog is an amazing thing, but a bad one is enough to tur...
DOWNTOWN LIVING: Church Bells Get Her to Work on Time Phyllis Sigal January 8, 2020 Editor’s note: While downtown Wheeling living has always been a thing, it seems as if there are more apartments than ever. With the refurbishment of the Boury Lofts, the Stone Center and the Flat Iron Building,...
EXTREME ELEVATORS: Wheeling Has Its Ups and Downs (Part 2) Ellen Brafford McCroskey January 7, 2020 Editor's note: Gone are the days when elevator operators called out "Going up," but some interesting elevators still exist in Wheeling with fascinating features. In Part 1, we learned a little history and read ...
EXTREME ELEVATORS: Wheeling Has Its Ups and Downs (Part 1) Ellen Brafford McCroskey January 6, 2020 Editor's note: Gone are the days when elevator operators called out "Going up," but some interesting elevators exist in Wheeling with fascinating features and histories. Today's Part 1 of "Extreme Elevators" ta...
OLD CHURCHES, NEW LIFE (Part 2): Buildings Are Real Gems Alex Panas December 31, 2019 Writer's note: When thinking of Wheeling’s scenery, it’s hard to turn a corner without marveling at one of the city’s many churches. Whether it’s the architecture, history or fellowship that draws you in, the b...
OLD CHURCHES, NEW LIFE (Part 1): Framed for the Arts Alex Panas December 30, 2019 Writer's note: When thinking of Wheeling’s scenery, it’s hard to turn a corner without marveling at one of the city’s many churches. Whether it’s the architecture, history or fellowship that draws you in, the b...
ROBERTS RUMINATES: Traditions, Toilets and Trickery Laura Jackson Roberts December 25, 2019 No matter what holiday we celebrate, our yearly traditions anchor us. They keep us grounded in times of joy and chaos, both of which flow abundantly in December. Christmas traditions in my family never varie...
‘Close-Knit’ Family Continues Haddad’s Holiday Tradition Phyllis Sigal December 24, 2019 Susan Haddad didn’t realize how “close-knit” her family was — until last year when she discovered that a decades-long Christmas tradition was still afoot. It all started in the summer of ’57 when 11-year-old...
HIDDEN GEMS: A Tale of Two Chapels Nora Edinger December 23, 2019 Editor’s note: Today’s post on two gem-like chapels launches a new occasional series on lovely but lesser-known facets of Wheeling’s architectural heritage. You’ve driven past them. One tiny chapel on Nation...
We Wish You a ’70s Christmas Ellen Brafford McCroskey December 21, 2019 Ah, childhood holiday memories — those sweet candy cane and hot cocoa ghosts of Christmases past. Is there anything else that can conjure up such nostalgia? For those of us who are Boomers/Gen Xers, many of tho...
Cold Hands, Warm Heart: Park Manager Loves His Work Nora Edinger December 20, 2019 Sometimes it takes a village. Other times, one guy will pretty much do. The latter seems to be the case with Nat Goudy, manager of Wheeling Park. Sure, he has plenty of staff as back up. But having started h...
B.E. Taylor Christmas Star Shines On Betsy Bethel-McFarland December 18, 2019 The first time I talked to B.E. Taylor, I was a young reporter at The Times Leader. I was assigned to preview the upcoming B.E. Taylor Christmas show at The Capitol Theatre in Wheeling by my boss Phyllis Sigal,...
Wrapping Up Ho-Ho-Home for the Holidays Nora Edinger December 16, 2019 Editor's note: Weelunk updates a story we shared four years ago about a business that ships various tastes of Wheeling that are near and dear to natives' hearts (and stomachs). Some traditions never grow old, a...
At Rest: OVMC Nurse-Training Skeleton Memorialized Nora Edinger November 20, 2019 Editor’s note: In late October, Weelunk posted a story by Kelly Strautmann that gave an in-depth look at how this community-sponsored burial came to be. Click here for the back story. No one knows her name, ...
WLU’s Rare Book Returns Home Christina Fisanick November 11, 2019 We stood around the podium topped with a glass case like mythical giants peering down at tiny humans, and for me, the moment felt just as magical. It was 1994, and I was in the Nelle M. Krise Rare Book’s Room a...
BILL HOGAN’S MUSINGS: Peace Corps in East Wheeling? Bill Hogan November 9, 2019 This is a tough one to get started. There are so many people involved from not only different backgrounds but different continents. ONE: PEACE CORPS When we arrived in Cove, Benin, West Africa, starting our ...
Legendary Barber Recalls 50 Years of Work in Wheeling Laura Jackson Roberts November 8, 2019 Ralph Tomlinson was 94 years old when he cut his last head of hair on July 6, 2018. For 50 years, Ralph barbered in Wheeling, 49 of them at his shop on 33rd Street. You might call him a legend. To hear more ...
Echoes … Of Life on Top of Violet Hill Anne Hazlett Foreman October 26, 2019 Editor's note: Last week, Anne Hazlett Foreman shared Echoes ... Of Life Below Violet Hill. Today, we read about life on top of Violet Hill. We moved to the big brown stucco house on top of Violet Hill whe...
Handled With Dignity: Putting the Past to Rest Kelly Strautmann October 25, 2019 It took a village to honor an anonymous young girl’s skeletal remains retrieved from the now-closed Ohio Valley Medical Center. Two hospital retirees, a historian, a funeral home, a library and, finally, a ceme...
ECHOES … Of Life Below Violet Hill Anne Hazlett Foreman October 19, 2019 Long before my family moved to the brown stucco house at the top of Chicken Neck Hill overlooking Elm Run, I was a resident of Birch Lynn and spent most of the summers on the gently sloping hillside below it. ...
AS I SEE IT: Reading — Soul Food for the Heart and Mind Ellen Brafford McCroskey September 14, 2019 “You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected ...
THE GRIFFITH FILES: When Wheeling Put On a Big Show to Celebrate Its Bicentennial Gerry Griffith September 7, 2019 Fifty years ago, I was a defender of Wheeling’s Fort Henry in the last battle of the Revolutionary War; a Union soldier guarding a prisoner of war camp during America’s Civil War; one of a dozen or so jubilant ...
ECHOES … Of That First Day at the Mount — and Beyond Anne Hazlett Foreman August 31, 2019 It is said that moments of trauma or great joy are etched in our minds forever and, like Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD), can come back as vivid memories unexpected and unwelcome in their timing and inten...
Celebrating the Musical Women of Coal Country: Karen Collins, Elaine Purkey Remember Hazel Dickens Seán Duffy August 26, 2019 The Ohio County Public Library and the WALS Foundation will celebrate Reuther-Pollack Labor Heritage Week through the music of two legendary West Virginia singer-songwriters whose work has brought attention to ...
BILL HOGAN’S MUSINGS: Poppa’s One, Two, Three Bill Hogan August 24, 2019 Driving through Wheeling Park, I noticed a sign — “Bandstand” — and followed it to the top of the hill. I haven’t been up there in decades. The last time was for a party we had there when the rails around the b...
Wheeling Heritage Media Launches Podcast on Wheeling Brewer Weelunk Staff August 21, 2019 Murder (maybe). Philanthropy. Prostitution. Industrialization. Corruption. All these words are synonymous with Wheeling brewer Henry Schmulbach. And Wheeling Heritage is bringing Wheeling’s brewing history t...
Exley Remembers (sort of) Three Days of Craziness on Max Yasgur’s Farm Fred Connors August 13, 2019 Wheeling resident R. Banford Exley has sporadic memories of a raucous music festival he attended 50 years ago on a New York dairy farm. He hadn’t heard of the Woodstock Music Festival until a friend asked hi...
