Wheeling WV History

McCarthy-Wheeling Connection Explored in a New Book

Stacey Miller Sacco July 4, 2020

On Feb. 9, 1950, Sen. Joseph McCarthy arrived in Wheeling to give a speech at the annual Republican Lincoln Day...

Mount Wood Overlook: A Community Treasure

Ellen Brafford McCroskey July 3, 2020

If you have driven up Mount Wood Road to bypass the recent interstate construction project, you’ve likely noticed the unique...

Time Travel From Home With Historic Postcards

Alex Warren June 30, 2020

Summer usually means beach vacations and traveling to exciting new destinations. This year, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, travel has been...

Wheeling Heritage Trail: From Railroad to Walking Trail

Alex Warren June 26, 2020

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, getting out of the house for fresh air has become a necessity and, of course, Wheeling...

The West Virginia Snakes Club and its Historic Location

Ellen Brafford McCroskey June 24, 2020

First of all, where in the world did the name “West Virginia Snakes Club” come from? And is “Snake” singular...

A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT: A Tale of Two Capitals

Taylor Abbott June 20, 2020

Editor’s note: Throughout Wheeling’s history, one aspect has remained a constant — the Ohio River. From the birthplace of the...

American Legion Post 89 Making Community Proud

Nick Musgrave June 7, 2020

Editor’s note: This week, Weelunk will pause our normally scheduled programming to highlight stories that feature Black narratives. We have...

We Wish You a ’70s Christmas

Ellen Brafford McCroskey June 6, 2020

Editor’s note: This week, Weelunk will pause our normally scheduled programming to highlight stories that feature Black narratives. We have...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Radical Ratification: Wheeling’s Role in the 19th Amendment

Kelly Strautmann March 10, 2020

he right to vote is something many of us may take for granted — until it is time to get...

South Wheeling Historic District Listed on National Register of Historic Places

Wheeling Heritage Media March 9, 2020

outh Wheeling was added to the National Register of Historic Places last week as a historic district. The new district...

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...

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...

AS I SEE IT: Along Party Lines

Ellen Brafford McCroskey February 1, 2020

here were two types of girls in the ’70s — those who had their very own telephones in their bedrooms,...

Out of the Ashes: Wheeling’s Ziegenfelder Company Stronger Than Ever

Kelly Strautmann January 31, 2020

anuary 31, 2019. It was a bitterly cold winter day, with highs reaching only 11 degrees. Most people in Wheeling...

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...

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...

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

he trickiest part was getting the two huge moose heads out of the door. But long-time Ye Olde Alpha cooks...

Held Together by Stories: A Special Lunch With Books Remembers OVMC

Kelly Strautmann January 11, 2020

was born there. I graduated from there. My children were born there. These statements were heard more than once at...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

ROBERTS RUMINATES: Traditions, Toilets and Trickery

Laura Jackson Roberts December 25, 2019

o matter what holiday we celebrate, our yearly traditions anchor us. They keep us grounded in times of joy and...

‘Close-Knit’ Family Continues Haddad’s Holiday Tradition

Phyllis Sigal December 24, 2019

usan Haddad didn’t realize how “close-knit” her family was — until last year when she discovered that a decades-long Christmas...

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...

B.E. Taylor Christmas Star Shines On

Betsy Bethel-McFarland December 18, 2019

he first time I talked to B.E. Taylor, I was a young reporter at The Times Leader. I was assigned...

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...

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...

WLU’s Rare Book Returns Home 

Christina Fisanick November 11, 2019

e stood around the podium topped with a glass case like mythical giants peering down at tiny humans, and for...

BILL HOGAN’S MUSINGS: Peace Corps in East Wheeling?

Bill Hogan November 9, 2019

his is a tough one to get started. There are so many people involved from not only different backgrounds but...

Legendary Barber Recalls 50 Years of Work in Wheeling

Laura Jackson Roberts November 8, 2019

alph Tomlinson was 94 years old when he cut his last head of hair on July 6, 2018. For 50...

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...

Handled With Dignity: Putting the Past to Rest

Kelly Strautmann October 25, 2019

t took a village to honor an anonymous young girl’s skeletal remains retrieved from the now-closed Ohio Valley Medical Center....

ECHOES … Of Life Below Violet Hill

Anne Hazlett Foreman October 19, 2019

ong before my family moved to the brown stucco house at the top of Chicken Neck Hill overlooking Elm Run,...

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...

THE GRIFFITH FILES: When Wheeling Put On a Big Show to Celebrate Its Bicentennial

Gerry Griffith September 7, 2019

ifty years ago, I was a defender of Wheeling’s Fort Henry in the last battle of the Revolutionary War; a...