59-525: The Bloch Brothers Tobacco Company (formerly the Helme Tobacco Company ) of Wheeling , West Virginia was a tobacco company founded by brothers Aaron and Samuel Bloch in 1879. It was best known for its Mail Pouch chewing tobacco . Mail Pouch was a popular chew advertised on over 20,000 barns , many located in the rural Ohio River Valley . Each barn had an end or side painted with the familiar Mail Pouch lettering and advertising, "Treat yourself to
118-557: A black servant and returned to his home along the Yadkin. When Gist returned to North Carolina, he found that his family had fled to Roanoke, Virginia , because of Indian attacks. He rejoined them. During the summer of 1751 he again went west to explore the Pennsylvania and western Virginia (present day West Virginia ), country south of the Ohio River . During 1753 Gist again returned to
177-673: A detachment of the Virginia Regiment attempted to drive the French from the region. At the Battle of Fort Necessity on July 3, 1754, the French army routed the Virginia militia . This was the beginning of the French and Indian War, a part of the Seven Years' War between France and Britain. Gist owned land near the present city of Uniontown, Pennsylvania . He named it Gist's Plantation and began to build
236-630: A gateway to early westward expansion. In 1849 the Wheeling Suspension Bridge crossed the Ohio River and allowed the city to expand onto Wheeling Island . Lessons learned in constructing the bridge were used in the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge . Rail transportation reached Wheeling in 1853 when the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad connected Wheeling to Pennsylvania, Maryland, and markets in
295-690: A long tradition of live musical performance and radio broadcasting. With over 2,500 seats, The Capitol Theatre is the largest theatre in West Virginia. Opened in 1928, The Capitol was home to It's Wheeling Steel , a popular radio program in the early 1940s featuring musical performances by workers at a local steel plant. The Capitol has welcomed musical performances of all types, from Johnny Cash , Merle Haggard , and Tammy Wynette , to Ray Charles , Bob Dylan , B.B. King , and Black Sabbath . Other past performers include Jerry Seinfeld , David Copperfield , and George Carlin . The Wheeling Symphony Orchestra
354-601: A loss of working-class jobs and population. Capitalizing on its rich architectural heritage, Wheeling has worked to revive its Main Street with the Downtown Wheeling Streetscape project. Additionally, the city has been redeveloping the historic 1400 Market Street, just one block east of Main Street. Wheeling is located at 40°4′13″N 80°41′55″W / 40.07028°N 80.69861°W / 40.07028; -80.69861 (40.070348, -80.698604). The city has
413-510: A male householder with no wife present, and 45.8% were non-families. 40.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age in the city was 45.2 years. 18.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.8% were from 25 to 44; 29.8% were from 45 to 64; and 20.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of
472-453: A native army along with British soldiers attempted to take Fort Henry. During this siege, Fort Henry's supply of ammunition was exhausted. The defenders decided to dispatch a man to secure more ammunition from the Zane homestead. Betty Zane volunteered for the dangerous task. During her departing run, she was heckled by both native and British soldiers. After reaching the Zane homestead, she gathered
531-571: A plan to use convict labor) left many bequests to the labor movement, which erected a memorial statue. The city's earliest union was the United Nailers (1860, which later merged into the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers ), followed by the cigar makers in 1862. The 1877 railroad strike at Martinsburg, West Virginia , reached Wheeling and spread nationwide. In 1897, Eugene Debs , Mother Jones , and Samuel Gompers were among
590-515: A population of 139,513 in 2020. Wheeling is located about 60 miles (97 km) west of Pittsburgh and 120 miles (190 km) east of Columbus via Interstate 70 . Wheeling was settled in 1769 in land contested between colonial Pennsylvania and Virginia , and later grew to become Virginia's largest city west of the Appalachians. During the American Civil War , Wheeling was the host of
649-573: A prospective land deal during the mid-1750s. The couple also had two daughters, Anne and Violet. Nathaniel might have been the father of Sequoyah , the creator of the Cherokee syllabary . By 1750 Gist had settled in northern North Carolina , near the Yadkin River . One of his neighbors was the noted frontiersman Daniel Boone . During that same year, the Ohio Company hired Gist, for £150, to explore
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#1732848562527708-569: A regatta, and numerous visits from the Delta , Mississippi and American Queen riverboats. The Port holds over 8,000 spectators and has become a city focal point. Formerly held in nearby Belmont County, Ohio , Jamboree In The Hills draws over 100,000 country music fans to the Wheeling area every July. Wheeling, known as Nail City, is home to the Wheeling Nailers hockey team. The Nailers play in
767-624: A tablecloth and filled it with gunpowder. During her return, she was fired upon but was uninjured. As a result of her heroism, Fort Henry remained in American control. The National Road arrived in Wheeling in 1818, linking the Ohio River to the Potomac River, and allowing goods from the Ohio Valley to flow through Wheeling and on to points east. As the endpoint of the National Road, Wheeling became
826-570: A total area of 16.01 square miles (41.47 km ), of which 13.79 square miles (35.72 km ) is land and 2.22 square miles (5.75 km ) is water. Wheeling is located in northern West Virginia, on what is known as the Northern Panhandle. The area lies within the ecoregion of the Western Allegheny Plateau . The city is directly across the river from the state of Ohio and only 11 miles (18 km) west of Pennsylvania . It
885-785: A town there. At the outset of the war, the French burned all the buildings. Gist was a member of the Braddock Expedition during 1755 when it was defeated by the French and their Native American allies. During the summer of 1759, Gist contracted smallpox and died in South Carolina or Georgia . Gist's pay for military service with the First Virginia Regiment was paid to his heir, Nathaniel Gist, by 1766. Other reports have him surviving until 1794 and dying in Cumberland, North Carolina , although this narrative may confuse him with
944-553: Is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia . The county seat of Ohio County, it lies along the Ohio River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains within the state's Northern Panhandle . As of the 2020 census , the city had a population of 27,062, making it the fifth-most populous city in West Virginia and the most populous in the Northern Panhandle. The Wheeling metropolitan area had
1003-501: Is a part of the tri-state area of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, which is commonly referred to as the Ohio River Valley Region or "The Ohio Valley ". Wheeling Creek flows through the city, and meets the Ohio River in downtown Wheeling. The city is located both on the West Virginia side of the Ohio River, and on an island in the middle of the river called Wheeling Island . The following neighborhoods lie within
1062-581: Is housed at the Capitol Theatre and performs a range of contemporary, classical, and seasonal arrangements. Wheeling is also home to the Victoria Theater , the oldest theater in West Virginia. The 700-seat Victorian-style theater was home to the WWVA Jamboree program from 1933 to 1936. More recently, it has been the site for the "Wheeling Jamboree", a local initiative started in 2009 and modeled after
1121-496: Is thought to have had little formal education . Historians believe that he received training as a surveyor, more than likely from his father Richard Gist, who helped plot the city of Baltimore. Gist's nephew Mordecai Gist served as a general commanded by Washington during the Revolution. Gist married Sarah Howard, a daughter of Joshua Howard of Manchester . Howard served with King James II of England 's forces as an officer during
1180-543: The Monmouth Rebellion during 1685, before settling in Baltimore, Maryland . The couple had three sons, Richard (1727–1780) who was killed at the Battle of King's Mountain , Nathaniel who commanded Gist's Additional Continental Regiment of the Continental Army , and Thomas. Christopher's brother Nathaniel Gist married Sarah's sister Mary Howard, and also partnered with Washington and two other veteran soldiers on
1239-609: The Shawnee , Wyandot , and Mingo tribes joined to attack pioneer settlements along the upper Ohio River , which were illegal according to the Crown's Proclamation of 1763 . They hoped an alliance with the British would drive the colonial settlers out of their territory. Local men defended the fort, later joined by recruits from Fort Shepherd (in Elm Grove) and Fort Holliday. The native force burned
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#17328485625271298-522: The Venango Path through the Ohio Country, stopping at Logstown on their way to the fort. During the trip, Gist earned his place in history by twice saving the young Washington's life: first, from an attempted assault by a hostile Native American; and, second, by pulling Washington from the freezing Allegheny River after Washington had fallen off of a makeshift raft. During 1754, Washington, Gist, and
1357-934: The WesBanco Arena (formerly the Wheeling Civic Center), and are part of the North division of the Eastern Conference of the ECHL . Formerly home to the Ohio Valley Greyhounds , Wheeling became home to a second team in 2009. The team, known as the Wheeling Wildcats , played in the Continental Indoor Football League but folded after the 2009 season. High school football and soccer are played at Wheeling Island Stadium . The Wheeling Doggies of
1416-666: The Wheeling Conventions that led to the separation of West Virginia from Virginia and served as the state capital from 1861 to 1870, and again from 1875 to 1885. It became a manufacturing center in the late nineteenth century due to its location along major transportation routes, including the Ohio River, National Road , and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad . After the decline of heavy industry and substantial population loss following World War II , Wheeling's major industries now include healthcare, education, law and legal services, entertainment and tourism, and energy. The origins of
1475-518: The "First West Virginia Artillery" to oppose the Confederacy and played a role in the initial movement to separate from Virginia. The Germans' culture influenced the city, such as their "German Singing Societies", the first of which began in 1855. Although Wheeling lost its position as state capital in 1865, it continued to grow. In the late nineteenth century, Wheeling was the new state's prime industrial center. One early nickname (until an 1885 strike)
1534-677: The Appalachians, and some to Pennsylvania at its western edge, to settle their claims. By the Northwest Ordinance that year, it established the Northwest Territory to cover other lands north of the Ohio River and west to the Mississippi River . Settlers began to move into new areas along the Ohio. In 1793, Ebenezer Zane divided the town into lots, and Wheeling was officially established as a town in 1795 by legislative enactment. The town
1593-797: The Canine Baseball League also play at Wheeling Island Stadium . Wheeling is also home of the Mountain East Conference basketball championship tournament, an NCAA Division II conference that launched in the 2013–14 school year. Wheeling University and West Liberty are both charter members of the new conference, an offshoot of the now-disbanded West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference . Wheeling features several municipal parks, including Oglebay Resort & Conference Center and Wheeling Park . Ohio County has six golf courses, including designs by renowned golfer Arnold Palmer and architect Robert Trent Jones . In October 2007
1652-568: The City of Wheeling opened the state's first concrete skateboard park. The 12,000-square-foot (1,100 m ) facility was designed and built by world-renowned skatepark builder Grindline, of Seattle, Washington . The park consists of 60% bowls and 40% street elements; it is located within the Chambers Ballfield Complex in the Elm Grove section of the city. An addition to the street section of
1711-464: The Northeast. A new bridge connected the city to Bellaire, Ohio , just across the river, and to western areas of the U.S. Much of the area had been settled by yeoman farmers, few of whom owned slaves. With the railroad, a larger industrial or mercantile middle class developed that depended on free labor; it felt either disinterest or hostility to slavery. The Wheeling Intelligencer newspaper expressed
1770-547: The Ohio Country, this time accompanying George Washington. Robert Dinwiddie , the governor of Virginia, sent Washington to Fort Le Boeuf to deliver a message to the French demanding they leave the Ohio Country. (The French were constructing forts in the Ohio Country to prevent the Thirteen Colonies from expanding there; they ignored Dinwiddie's letter.) Washington took (now Lieutenant) Gist along as his guide. They traveled on
1829-607: The Ohio countryside between the Lenape (Delaware) village of Shannopin's Town , site of present-day Pittsburgh , to the Great Miami River in present-day western Ohio . Gist was received well at Pickawillany when he arrived during February 1751, and strengthened the alliance between the Native American chief Memeskia and British interests against the expanding French colonies. From there he crossed into Kentucky accompanied by
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1888-634: The Union and created the new state of West Virginia, which the United States quickly admitted. Later in 1861 and continuing to 1863, the building was the site of many heated debates during the First Constitutional Convention of West Virginia , including the name of the new state. The oldest building in the area is Shepherd Hall (Monument Place) , built in 1798. Wheeling is home to Centre Market , formerly Wheeling's market house. Built in 1853,
1947-605: The area's anti-secession sentiment as tensions rose over slavery and national issues. The city became part of the movement of western areas to secede from Virginia after the beginning of the Civil War, hosting the Wheeling Convention of 1861. It served as the provisional capital of the Restored Government of Virginia from 1861 to 1863, and became the first capital of West Virginia after the state seceded from Virginia and
2006-476: The best." The brothers began manufacturing cigars in 1879 as a side-line to Samuel Bloch's wholesale grocery business. It was discovered that the left-over cigar clippings could be flavored and packaged in a paper bag, and then sold. Mail Pouch chewing tobacco is still produced by Swisher International Group . 40°2′32″N 80°43′35″W / 40.04222°N 80.72639°W / 40.04222; -80.72639 Wheeling, West Virginia Wheeling
2065-445: The city limits: Wheeling lies at the boundary between the humid subtropical and humid continental climate zones ( Köppen : Cfa/Dfa , respectively). The annual precipitation is about 41.88 in (1,064 mm) inches, distributed evenly throughout the year. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 27,052 people and 11,737 households residing in the city. There were 14,407 housing units in Wheeling. The racial makeup of
2124-524: The city was $ 17,923. About 13.1% of families and 18.0% of the population were below the poverty line , including 23.3% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those at least 65 years old. The city of Wheeling has a rich and varied history. West Virginia Independence Hall was the site of the Wheeling Convention , two meetings held in 1861 that ultimately reversed Virginia's Ordinance of Secession . 26 counties in Virginia's north and west voted against secession from
2183-573: The city was 46.9% male and 53.1% female. As of the census of 2000, 31,419 people, 13,719 households, and 7,806 families resided in the city. The population density was 2,258.4 people per square mile (872.1/km ). 15,706 housing units were present, at an average density of 1,128.9 per square mile (436.0/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 92.72% White , 4.99% African American , 0.10% Native American , 0.91% Asian , 0.03% Pacific Islander , 0.16% from other races , and 1.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 0.58% of
2242-428: The city was 86.5% White , 5.5% African American , 1.1% Asian , 0.2% Native American , 0.7% from other races , and 6% from two or more races . Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.7% of the population. Of the 11,737 households, 34.5% were married couples living together, 37.4% had a female householder with no spouse present, 23% had a male householder with no spouse present. The average household and family size
2301-428: The city was 91.2% White , 5.1% African American , 0.2% Native American , 0.9% Asian , 0.2% from other races , and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 0.9% of the population. There were 12,816 households, of which 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.6% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had
2360-585: The claim. He returned the following spring with his wife Elizabeth and his younger brothers, Jonathan and Silas; they established the first permanent European settlement in the Wheeling area, naming it Zanesburg. Other families joined the settlement, including the Shepherds (see Monument Place ), the Wetzels, and the McCollochs (see McColloch's Leap ). In 1787, the United States gave Virginia this portion of lands west of
2419-610: The country of the Ohio River as far as the Falls of the Ohio, and endear himself to the Native Americans along the way. He was in Muskingum on Christmas Day of 1750 where he celebrated with some local indigenous people a religious ceremony with readings from the Church of England. This is believed to be the first Protestant religious service in the present state of Ohio. That winter Gist mapped
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2478-493: The head was that of a Native American prisoner, not a settler. Native Americans had inhabited the area for thousands of years. In the 17th century, the Iroquois from present-day New York state conquered the upper Ohio Valley , pushing out other tribes and maintaining the area as their hunting ground. Originally explored by the French, Wheeling still has a lead plate remnant that the explorer Céloron de Blainville buried in 1749 at
2537-471: The market house and the surrounding area have been adapted for use as retail shops and restaurants. The first official memorial monument in the state of West Virginia dedicated specifically to men killed in the Vietnam War , was dedicated in Wheeling, with full military honors, in a Memorial Day 1986 ceremony. The monument was erected in front of the flagpole near the main shelter of Bethlehem Community Park in
2596-404: The mouth of Wheeling Creek to mark his claim. Later, Christopher Gist and George Washington surveyed the land, in 1751 and 1770, respectively. During the fall of 1769, Ebenezer Zane explored the Wheeling area and established claim to the land via " tomahawk rights ", the practice of girdling a few trees at a prominent site and marking the bark with the initials or name of the person making
2655-461: The name "Wheeling" are disputed. One of the more credible explanations is that the word comes from the Lenni-Lenape phrase wih link or wee lunk , which meant "place of the head" or "place of the skull." This name supposedly referred to a white settler who was scalped and decapitated. His severed head was displayed at the confluence of Wheeling Creek and the Ohio River . Earlier sources say that
2714-613: The original WWVA Jamboree (which changed its name in the 1960s to Jamboree U.S.A. ). The original WWVA Jamboree ran from 1933 to 2007, making it the second-longest-running country radio program and variety show in the country, after the " Grand Ole Opry " in Nashville, Tennessee . Live music emanates from the amphitheatre at the Wheeling Heritage Port several nights per week from mid-spring through late fall. The waterfront park area hosts festivals, concerts, movie nights, celebrations,
2773-489: The park was completed by Grindline in November 2009. A covered shelter, restrooms, and webcam are installed. The park is lighted and open 24/7. Wheeling is the home of Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack , located on Wheeling Island . Formerly known as Wheeling Downs, the facility features live greyhound racing, slots , poker games, and casino-style table games . Christopher Gist Christopher Gist (1706–1759)
2832-418: The population. There were 13,719 households, of which 23.4% included children under the age of 18, 41.8% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.1% were non-families. 38.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.6% had someone living alone who was at least 65 years of age. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size
2891-598: The speakers at a national labor convention in Wheeling to discuss a nationwide coal strike. With industry, Wheeling reached its peak of population in 1930. As the city grew, prosperous Wheeling residents built fine houses, especially on Wheeling Island , but slums also expanded. As a result of that growth, an ordinance was passed regulating personal cesspools, including a ban on pipe communications with other homes and businesses unless offensive smells were properly trapped. The Great Depression , and later changes and restructuring in heavy industry following World War II, led to
2950-550: The state's Workmen's Compensation Act), and later steel concerns after development of the Bessemer process . Wheeling Steel Corporation was created in 1920 and grew after a 1927 strike caused J.P. Morgan and other investors to sell National Tube Company, which had been created in 1899, six years after local owners had consolidated five plants in the area as Wheeling Steel & Iron Company. In 1866, Lincoln School opened in Wheeling to serve African American students. Lincoln High School
3009-426: The surrounding cabins and destroyed livestock. During the first attack of the year, Major Samuel McColloch led a small force of men from Fort Vanmetre along Short Creek to assist the besieged Fort Henry. Separated from his men, McColloch was chased by attacking natives. Upon his horse, McColloch charged up Wheeling Hill and made what is known as McColloch's Leap 300 feet (91 m) down its eastern side. In 1782,
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#17328485625273068-656: The village of Bethlehem, just southeast of Wheeling. The roughly 6-foot-high granite memorial consists of a large bronze dedication plaque with the names of KIAs from the Wheeling/Ohio County region. Below the dedication plaque is a bronze map of South Vietnam, complete with names of 28 major cities. Fans of theater have several options in Wheeling. The Capitol Theatre hosts numerous touring musical performances. The Oglebay Institute 's Towngate Theatre in Center Wheeling has produced plays for over 35 years. Wheeling has
3127-415: Was "Nail City", reflecting the iron manufacture in several mills, which dated from the 1840s. Mills transformed pig iron into sheets that could be cut, and some mills also produced boiler plates, stoves, barrel rings, and/or ornamental ironwork. Noted businesses of the era included the Bloch Brothers Tobacco Company (owned by state senator Jesse A. Bloch , who would in 1913 introduce legislation that became
3186-471: Was 2.89. The median age was 42 years. 20.6% of residents were under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 21.6% at least 65 years old. For every 100 females 84.1 males were present, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.6 males. The median household income was $ 27,388, and the median family income was $ 38,708. Males had a median income of $ 30,750 versus $ 22,099 for females. The per capita income for
3245-498: Was 3.16. The median age in the city was 43.6 years with 20.2% of the city's population under 18. The median income for a household in the city was $ 43,483 and the poverty rate was 16.5% As of the census of 2010, there were 28,486 people, 12,816 households, and 6,949 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,065.7 inhabitants per square mile (797.6/km ). There were 14,661 housing units, at an average density of 1,063.2 per square mile (410.5/km ). The racial makeup of
3304-428: Was admitted to the Union in its own right in 1863. From the acceptance of the new state of West Virginia into the union until the Restored Government of Virginia's move to Alexandria in August of the same year, Wheeling was the state capital of both West Virginia and Virginia. The growing German population, which included immigrants after the 1848 Revolutions , was firmly anti-slavery. The Germans of Wheeling organized
3363-596: Was an explorer, surveyor, and frontiersman active in Colonial America . He was one of the first white explorers of the Ohio Country (the present-day states of Ohio , eastern Indiana , western Pennsylvania , and northwestern West Virginia ). Gist is credited with providing the first detailed description of the Ohio Country to colonists in the Thirteen Colonies . At the outbreak of the French and Indian War , Gist accompanied Colonel George Washington on missions into this wilderness and saved Washington's life on two occasions. Born during 1706 in Baltimore, Maryland , Gist
3422-418: Was incorporated on January 16, 1805. On March 11, 1836, the town of Wheeling was incorporated into the city of Wheeling. By an act of the Virginia General Assembly on December 27, 1797, Wheeling was named the county seat of Ohio County . Originally dubbed Fort Fincastle in 1774, the fort was later renamed Fort Henry in honor of Virginia's American governor, Patrick Henry . In 1777, Native Americans of
3481-517: Was taught by Laura Grayson-Morison. A new building for Lincoln High School opened in the early 1940s; the school closed with desegregation in 1954. Wheeling had considerable associations with the American labor movement. In 1904 it became the first city in the country to refuse a proposed Andrew Carnegie gift of a free library, because of the industrialist's labor record, especially the notorious Homestead Strike of 1892. By contrast, cigar tycoon Augustus Pollack (despite once rousing controversy by
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