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It has been said Wheeling's big drawing card for out-of-town visitors is our Victorian-era architecture. Indeed, some of the restored old buildings are beautiful and are attractions for tourists.
But their appeal to history buffs pales in comparison to the stories of our people. Good for West Virginia Division of Culture and History officials for deciding more of that heritage ought to be seen by the public.
A story we published a few days ago broke the news that the agency has received federal funding to erect 162 new historical markers throughout the state. No doubt you have seen the existing ones, with black lettering on white backgrounds.
At least six of the new markers will be placed in Wheeling.
Pardon our pride, please, in noting that one of the markers will recognize the role Archibald Campbell and The Intelligencer played in West Virginia becoming a state.
Other markers will be just as interesting. One will tell the story of Sara Lucy Bagby Johnson, who escaped slavery in Wheeling but was caught in Cleveland. She was the last person prosecuted under the Fugitive Slave Act, just before the Civil War.
Wheeling is chock-full of wonderful human interest stories, the kind that make history come alive. Telling more of them is an excellent idea -- so good it ought to be part of the city's proposed streetscaping initiative. Our guess is that the $1,400 each sign costs would be a cheap price to pay for making visitors to our city remember Wheeling and want to return.