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By ALEX MEYER
Staff Writer
WHEELING -- For Travis Henline, being hired to create a concept and eventually oversee a Wheeling history museum is serving as a homecoming, of sorts.
Henline is the former site manager of West Virginia Independence Hall in Wheeling, serving in that capacity from 2009-16. He left to run an operation in Morgantown, and returned to Wheeling last week to begin the process of identifying a site and a concept for the Wheeling History Museum.
City leaders, the Wheeling-Ohio County Convention and Visitor's Bureau and Wheeling Heritage are pitching in to fund the position, at a cost of about $40,000 annually. The history museum is being pursued this year as part of Wheeling's 250th anniversary, with events taking place throughout 2019.
Henline's official title is museum project manager, a position in which he will conceptualize the museum and work to make it a reality. He said no aspect of Wheeling's colorful history will be ignored.
"I'm incredibly excited," said Henline. "This has been something that people have talked about for many years, and to see it finally gain traction and to work to make it a reality is really exciting."
In the position, Henline will work to identify a potential location for the museum, establish themes and content, work with existing museums and historical sites and plan potential exhibits.
"This is a city with such a rich history," Henline said. "We want to showcase and celebrate that."
The decision to pursue creating a Wheeling history museum was announced Jan. 5 by Mayor Glenn Elliott. The idea for its creation came about through discussion within the Wheeling 250 Committee, tasked with planning events for the city's 250th birthday in 2019, committee chairman Jay Frey said.
"Last January in the initial conversation about the celebration, I posed the question, 'what will be the leave-behind for future generations and for the community?'" Frey said of Wheeling's milestone. "I can't imagine a better way to leave a lasting legacy of Wheeling's 250th anniversary than creating a Wheeling history museum."
Though Wheeling already has sites dedicated to specific parts of the city's history, it lacks a central place for residents and visitors to learn more about Wheeling, said Jake Dougherty, executive director of Wheeling Heritage.
"Wheeling is here for a reason, and that's because of so many events and activities that have happened over the past 250-plus years," Dougherty said. "Right now, that story is disjointed or not able to be found in one place.
"Our history has earned its place, it's earned its own museum and it's time for us to make that happen."
To make it happen, Henline will draw on his experience running a museum while working at Independence Hall. As site manager there, he oversaw research, exhibit design and production program planning, and budgeting. He also produced more than 20 programs and events for the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and West Virginia statehood in 2013.
One of the bigger achievements during Henline's tenure at Independence Hall was the commissioning and placement of the bronze, 1,200-pound Francis Pierpont statue at the corner of Market and 16th streets.
That happened through partnerships with the community and help from city and state officials, which is help the Wheeling history museum will need to become a reality.
"For this to be a success, it's going to require partnerships and input and engagement with our community," Henline said.
Henline said he expects the museum will incorporate eras of Wheeling's history symbolized on the city's flag, adopted last September. The stars on the flag represent Wheeling's first indigenous habitants; early settlement in the 18th century; transportation in the 19th century; the city's role in West Virginia's statehood; and its role as an industrial center.
"I really see this as a place where we can take Wheeling's history, and all of the elements from within each of those themes, and bring relevance to them to today's culture," Dougherty said.
Frey said some proposed sites for the museum have been discussed and ideally it would be located downtown, but nothing has been decided. Part of Henline's role will involve finding a site.
"I have lots of hopes for the museum, but for our city residents I hope it instills some pride and helps them understand the important place of Wheeling not only historically but today, where we've been and where we're going," Henline said.