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In the mid-1950s, the Civitan Club in Wheeling sponsored a forum titled "What Is Wrong With Wheeling -- And What Can We Do About It?" A series of meetings brought together community leaders from the tri-state area and sparked citizens' interest.
Among the topics on point included discussions regarding dwindling population, tax assessments, loss of industry, housing needs and falling school enrollment. Sound familiar?
This movement, started not long after the end of World War II, was the beginning of marked improvements to the city. A community-wide beautification project was initiated with local citizens, including youth groups, taking part. It included eliminating slum and blighted areas.
Further conferences tackled the mammoth project of a new interstate, bridge and tunnel project. While it was on the West Virginia State Road Commission's agenda, it would take over a decade for that to come to fruition. And that reality still stands today.
Keeping children safe spawned the construction of city swimming pools. That project most likely saved the lives of young people who were routinely swimming in the Ohio River.
In 1951, spurred by a News-Register front-page "challenge" editorial, the Ohio Valley Homes' Corp. was formed to promote the development of housing, a much needed program to fill the needs of the population. The newspaper challenged the Ohio Valley Board of Trade and business leaders to finance and promote housing development.
The News Publishing Co. put up $10,000 with the caveat that 15 other firms and corporations make similar pledges. Within two weeks, the pledges were secured and 22 homes were constructed on Austin Avenue in the Elm Grove neighborhood. Imagine that.
Now that I have given you a little history lesson about my 72 years in my hometown, I believe it points out what can happen when people work together for a common goal. Yes Wheeling, and cities and towns like it, have drastically changed. Yet I don't think people have changed all that much. The bottom line is that people have to work toward a common goal that benefits all, not just a few.
Heather Ziegler can be reached via email at hziegler@theintelligencer.net.