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I was perusing some files the other day (codeword for I was cleaning out my desk) when I came across the Wheeling 250th anniversary section we produced in 2019. I recalled the time and effort we put into that work, and the pride from our entire staff with the finished product.
Those thoughts quickly shifted to pondering Wheeling's impact -- yes, Wheeling, which explorer Meriwether Lewis, during his visit here on Sept. 7, 1803, termed "a pretty considerable village" -- on America as this great nation of ours this weekend celebrates its own semiquincentennial.
Here in Wheeling, we have every reason to celebrate -- not only as our nation reaches this milestone, but because our own city, now 257 years old, helped write several important chapters in the American story.
Most recently, Wheeling has been known as the Friendly City. It has also been the Nail City and, in the 1800s, the original Gateway to the West. But perhaps the title it deserves most is one that isn't used nearly enough: one of America's most historically significant small cities.
As our Wheeling 250 section reminded me, this city's story began in 1769, seven years before the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia. At the time, this was still a rugged frontier, where settlers often battled with native tribes to gain a foothold in the region. Col. Ebenezer Zane established a homestead here that year that served as the beginning of Wheeling's journey.
Just a few years later, near the end of the Revolutionary War, Fort Henry became the scene of one of the frontier's defining moments.
In September 1782 -- nearly a year after the British surrender at Yorktown -- the Battle of Fort Henry unfolded as British-allied Native American warriors laid siege to the settlement. Outnumbered and running low on ammunition, the defenders famously relied on Betty Zane's dash from the fort to retrieve a supply of gunpowder. Her bravery helped save the fort and preserved one of the most important frontier settlements. Zane's run remains one of the most celebrated acts of heroism in early American history.
As the young nation expanded westward, Wheeling's importance -- and its influence -- only grew.
When the National Road reached Wheeling in 1818, it transformed the city into the gateway between the East and the developing frontier to the west. Thousands of settlers passed through Wheeling on their journeys to Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and points beyond. Families seeking new opportunities crossed the Ohio River here, carrying with them dreams that would help shape the American Midwest. It's fair to consider that some of them, upon reaching Wheeling, decided this, too, would be a great place to call home.
The National Road's journey through Wheeling also led to the construction of the Wheeling Suspension Bridge, as Congress in the 1830s sought a more permanent crossing of the Ohio River to Wheeling Island. The bridge opened in 1849 and was, for a time, the longest suspension bridge in the world. It's hard to imagine today what that span looked like as travelers -- on foot, on horseback or in a horse-drawn wagon --crossed over the Ohio River in search of their own piece of the American Dream.
In many ways, it's fair to say few cities played a greater role in opening the nation's frontier than Wheeling.
Wheeling also became a center of innovation and industry. Throughout the 19th century, its factories manufactured iron, steel, nails, glass and tobacco products (the Wheeling Stogie is a great example) that were shipped across the nation. Products made here helped build homes, railroads, bridges and businesses that fueled a rapidly growing nation.
That brought fortunes to many in Wheeling, which helped fuel the city's growth (recall, Wheeling at that time was the second largest city in Virginia, behind only Richmond). In fact, Wheeling boasts more high-style Victorian homes than anywhere else in the nation.
Many of these homes have been restored and are in use today, with many located in either the North Wheeling Historic District or the Chapline Street Row Historic District.
Yet perhaps Wheeling's greatest contribution came during America's darkest hour.
When Virginia voted to secede from the Union in 1861, leaders gathered in Wheeling and chose a different path. The First and Second Wheeling Conventions rejected secession and established the Restored Government of Virginia, remaining loyal to the United States. These conventions took place in downtown, with the First Convention at Washington Hall (now the Laconia Building at 12th and Market streets) and the second at the Wheeling Custom House, now West Virginia Independence Hall. Much as the signers of the Declaration risked much in their opposition to British Rule, those in Wheeling did, as well, in their opposition to the government in Richmond.
That ultimately led to the creation of West Virginia, with President Abraham Lincoln welcoming the 35th state on June 20, 1863.
One of the more interesting tidbits is that, for a few months in 1863, Wheeling served as the capital of both the Restored Government of Virginia and the new state of West Virginia. Both governments were housed at the Wheeling Custom House.
For me, though, one of the most interesting pieces of this chapter is the work of Archibald Campbell, longtime editor of The Daily Intelligencer. Campbell advocated strongly for statehood and even shared letters with President Lincoln. It's a good reminder of the power of the press to do good -- and to always advocate for something better.
There was much more, of course. The WWVA Jamboree, founded in 1933, allowed people throughout the eastern United States, Canada and even overseas to listen to their favorite country music stars each Saturday night. Thousands of people whose only exposure to Wheeling was through the radio would make the trip here to attend in person.
When added together, it is difficult to find another community our size that can claim such a profound influence on the course of American history.
I think it's safe to say Wheeling's history is, in many ways, America's history -- one of perseverance, innovation, sacrifice and hope. We should take pride not only in what Wheeling has been, but in what it has meant to our nation.
The United States turns 250 this year.
Wheeling has been there for all of it.
That surely is a legacy worth remembering.
John McCabe is editor of The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register. From 9-10 a.m. each Friday, he joins Howard Monroe on AM 1600 WKKX to discuss the most pressing issues in Wheeling and the Ohio Valley. Email him at jmccabe@theintelligencer.net.