Wheeling WV History

Dr. Harriet B. Jones

Wheeling’s Historic Female Doctors

“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...
Madonna of the Trail

The Many Madonnas (of the Trail)

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...
Photo Identification

Help Us Solve History’s Mysteries!

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 ...
Blue Triangle

The Blue Triangle Branch of the YWCA

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...
Chu Berry

Wheeling’s Jazz Giant: Leon “Chu” Berry

Wheeling has a reputation for being a country music hub. So much so that along the way the city earned the nickname “Little Nashville.” I grew up two doors down from Wheeling’s country music legends Doc and Chi...
Wedding

The First Wheeling Wedding?

“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...
Arthur Ashe

A Tennis Giant: Arthur Ashe at Oglebay

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...
Camp_Russel

New Deal Projects at Oglebay Park

As a staple institution in the Wheeling community, Oglebay Park serves as a place for entertainment, recreation, history, and celebration. While many people are familiar with the history of Earl W. Oglebay and ...
Doughboy

10 Fast Facts About Wheeling’s Doughboy

Wheeling’s Doughboy monument is back and better than ever. After a longer than expected stay at Venus Bronze Works in Detroit due to COVID-19, the 89-year-old monument has been returned to its home at Wheeling ...
Vaccine

Ringing in a Vaccine

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...
Christmas card

The History and Tradition of Holiday Cards

Many families have a tradition of sending out holiday cards every year. Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanza, we all love receiving holiday mail. But have you ever considered when or who sen...
Mingo Statue

Reexamining Wheeling’s Mingo Statue

The Mingo statue has long been a recognizable landmark on Wheeling’s landscape. It has been featured on the cover of tourism brochures and included in the Smithsonian Art Inventory. Recently, it has even been u...
May Hornbrook

The Forgotten Wheeling Suffragist: May Hornbrook

When Wheeling residents think of a local suffragist, their minds probably jump to Dr. Harriet B. Jones, the first woman licensed to practice medicine in West Virginia in addition to her extensive suffrage activ...
Village of Power

The People of Power, WV

Connections to place are powerful. The former residents of Power, West Virginia know this all too well. What do you do when your childhood village no longer exists? While abandoned or “ghost” towns are not u...
Thomas Family

A River Runs Through It: The Thomas Family

Author’s Note: It is an honor to be invited and share this story of my ancestral journey with our Weelunk readers to mark the milestone occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Wheeling Area Genealogical Society...
Sultana

April 1865: A Burst of Historic Events

April 1865, was a month long remembered in history. Richmond, Virginia, fell; April 9, Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered to Gen. U.S. Grant; April 15, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated; April 26, John Wil...