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Wheeling Reenactor Greg Smith To Portray 19th Century Newspaperman

Photo Provided Wheeling Island resident Greg Smith will be portraying John Frew in front of the 1500 Main Street entrance to The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register building at 12:15 on Thursday.

In celebration of Wheeling’s 250th birthday, Pop-Up History will bring historical figures back to life, as reenactors will be reliving their lives at their places of work every other week throughout the coming months.

Wheeling Island resident Greg Smith, a Friends of Wheeling board member, will be portraying John Frew, one of the proprietors of The Intelligencer shortly after its establishment in 1852.

Frew’s story, as presented by Smith, includes a point where he raised the American flag and kept it flying despite threats from secessionists, amid hot debate among residents calling for Virginia to secede from the Union, with himself and editor Archibald Campbell sharing strong support for Abraham Lincoln and the Union cause.

Smith had previously portrayed Frew at a cemetery tour last year and was well acquainted with his character.

“As part of the Wheeling 250 celebration, we have Pop-Up History,” he said. “They pop up at 12:15 during the lunch hour. … I’ve done cemetery tours in the past, I sat by Frew’s gravestone in September, and this is the same script I used there.”

Smith will be portraying Frew in front of the 1500 Main St. entrance to The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register building at 12:15 Thursday.

“I’m going to have (current) newspapers to hand out to people,” he added. “I’ll be standing next to the newspaper dispenser, kick it, ask what that contraption is.”

Wheeling 250 includes numerous other Pop-Up History displays, including Wheeling Symphony founder Eleanor Caldwell, portrayed by Laurie Ruberg on June 20, and murder victim Dr. George Baird, who will be portrayed by Mike Medovic at the site of the 1891 murder at 25 11th St. on July 11. Starting in July, the events will be held on the second and fourth Thursdays in the month, until Oct.10.

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