Timeline of Wheeling, West Virginia

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Wheeling, West Virginia, US.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

18th century

• 1769 – Wheeling founded by Ebenezer Zane.^[1]
• 1774 – Fort Fincastle built.^[2]
• 1777 – September: Siege of Fort Henry "by a large force of Indians."^[3]
• 1782 – September: Attempted siege on fort by "about 40 British regular soldiers and about 250 Indians."^[3]
• 1793 – Town grid laid out.^[2]
• 1795 – Town incorporated.^[2]
• 1797 – Wheeling becomes seat of Ohio County.^[4]
• 1798 – Shepherd Hall (residence) built.

19th century

• 1806 – George Miller becomes town mayor.
• 1807 – Wheeling Library Company founded.^[5]
• 1814 – Linsly Institute for boys founded.^[6]
• 1817 – Elm Grove Stone Arch Bridge built.
• 1818
  • National Road begins operating.^[1]
  • Va. North-Western Gazette newspaper begins publication.^[7]
• 1821 – Glass manufacturing begins.^[3]
• 1834 – Wheeling Water Works established.^[8]
• 1836
  • City chartered.^[2][3]
  • Moses W. Chapline becomes city mayor.^[9]
• 1840 – Population: 7,885.^[10]
• 1848 – Wheeling Female Academy and Wheeling Lyceum^[5] established.
• 1849
  • Wheeling Suspension Bridge opens.^[4]
  • Nail manufacturing begins.^[3]
• 1850
  • Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling established.^[11]
  • Population: 11,435.^[10]
• 1852 – Baltimore and Ohio Railroad built.^[4]
• 1853
  • Wheeling Hospital established.^[3]
  • Iron Market House in business.^[8]
• 1859 – Wheeling Library Association established.^[5][12]
• 1860 – Population: 14,083.^[10]
• 1861
  • January: Andrew J. Sweeney becomes mayor.^[9][13]
  • May: First Wheeling Convention held.^[14]
  • June: Second Wheeling Convention held.^[14]
• 1863
  • June 20
    • Wheeling becomes capital of the new state of West Virginia.^[2]
    • West Virginia Legislature convenes.^[14]
  • Daily Register newspaper begins publication.^[7]
• 1865 – St. Joseph's Academy for girls established.^[6]
• 1866 – Greenwood Cemetery established.^[15]
• 1870
  • West Virginia capital relocated from Wheeling to Charleston.^[1]
  • Population: 19,280.^[10]
• 1875 – Wheeling becomes capital of West Virginia again.^[2]
• 1879 – Bloch Brothers in business.^[4]
• 1880 – Population: 30,737.^[10]
• 1882 – Wheeling Public Library established.^[12]
• 1883 – Soldiers and Sailors Monument dedicated.^[4]
• 1884 – Ohio River flood.^[16]
• 1885 – West Virginia capital relocated from Wheeling to Charleston again.^[1]
• 1890
  • City Hospital established.^[3]
  • Population: 34,522.^[10]
• 1897 – Cathedral Parish School built.
• 1898 – March 26: Ohio River flood.^[4]
• 1900 – Population: 38,878.^[10]

20th century

• 1904 – Victoria Theater in business.
• 1907 – March 15: Ohio River flood.^[4]
• 1910 – Population: 41,641.^[3]
• 1913 – March 28: Ohio River flood.^[4]
• 1915 – Rex Theater in business.^[17]
• 1917 – Liberty Theatre in business.^[17]
• 1922 – Lincoln Theater in business.^[17]
• 1926
  • WWVA radio begins broadcasting.^[18]
  • Wheeling Area Historical Society founded.^[19]
• 1928
  • Oglebay Park established.
  • Madonna of the Trail monument dedicated.
  • Capitol Theatre in business.^[17]
• 1929 – Wheeling Country Day School incorporated.[1]
• 1930 – Oglebay Institute established.
• 1933 – Ohio County Public Library active.^[12]
• 1935 – Wheeling News-Register newspaper in publication.^[7]
• 1936
  • March 19: Ohio River flood.^[4]
  • City centennial.^[16]
• 1937 – January 26: Ohio River flood of 1937.^[4]
• 1942 – December 21: Ohio River flood.^[4]
• 1950 – February 9, 1950: Senator Joseph R. McCarthy made the "Enemies Within" speech before the Ohio County Women’s Republican Club^[20]
• 1952 – October 23: US president Truman visits city during election campaign.
• 1953 – WTRF-TV (television) begins broadcasting.^[21]
• 1955 – Fort Henry Bridge and Jesuit Wheeling College open.
• 1970 – Wheeling Area Genealogical Society founded.^[22]
• 1976 – Wheeling Park High School established.
• 1977 – Oglebay's Good Zoo established.^[23]
• 1983 – Alan Mollohan becomes U.S. representative for West Virginia's 1st congressional district.^[24]

21st century

• 2008 – Andy McKenzie becomes mayor.^[25]
• 2010 – Population: 28,486 city;^[26] 147,950 metro.
• 2011 – David McKinley becomes U.S. representative for West Virginia's 1st congressional district.^[27]
• 2016 – Glenn Elliott elected mayor.^[28]

See also

• Wheeling, West Virginia history
• List of mayors of Wheeling, West Virginia
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Ohio County, West Virginia
• Other cities in West Virginia:
  • Timeline of Charleston, West Virginia
  • Timeline of Huntington, West Virginia

References

1. "Official Website of Wheeling West Virginia: Our History". City of Wheeling, West Virginia. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
2. Webster's Geographical Dictionary, Springfield, Massachusetts: G. & C. Merriam Co., 1960, p. 1257, OL 5812502M
3. Britannica 1910.
4. "Timeline". West Virginia Encyclopedia. Charleston, WV: West Virginia Humanities Council. Retrieved June 26, 2016. + Wheeling timeline
5. Davies Project. "American Libraries before 1876". Princeton University. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
6. Patterson, Homer L. (1932). Patterson's American Educational Directory. Vol. 29. Chicago. hdl:2027/uc1.b3970358.
7. "U.S. Newspaper Directory". Chronicling America. Washington DC: Library of Congress. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
8. "City of Wheeling, West Virginia Historic Resources". City of Wheeling, West Virginia. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
9. Coniff 1901, p. 771: "Mayors"
10. Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990, U.S. Census Bureau, 1998
11. "Chronology of Catholic Dioceses: USA". Norway: Oslo katolske bispedømme. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
12. Charles A. Julian (2013). "Wheeling/Ohio County Public Library Chronology" (PDF). Wheeling: Ohio County Public Library.
13. "Wheeling History: Wheeling Hall of Fame". Ohio County Public Library. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
14. Federal Writers' Project 1941, p. 523: "Chronology"
15. "Wheeling History: Places of Wheeling". Ohio County Public Library. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
16. "Wheeling History: Events in Wheeling". Ohio County Public Library. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
17. "Movie Theaters in Wheeling, WV". CinemaTreasures.org. Los Angeles: Cinema Treasures LLC. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
18. Jack Alicoate, ed. (1939), "Standard Broadcasting Stations of the United States: West Virginia", Radio Annual, New York: Radio Daily, OCLC 2459636
19. American Association for State and Local History (2002). "West Virginia". Directory of Historical Organizations in the United States and Canada (15th ed.). Rowman Altamira. ISBN 0759100020.
20. ""Enemies from Within": Senator Joseph R. McCarthy's Accusations of Disloyalty". History Matters. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
21. Charles A. Alicoate, ed. (1960), "Television Stations: West Virginia", Radio Annual and Television Year Book, New York: Radio Daily Corp., OCLC 10512206
22. "W. A. G. S. History". Wheeling Area Genealogical Society & Ohio County WVGenWeb. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
23. Vernon N. Kisling, Jr., ed. (2001). "Zoological Gardens of the United States (chronological list)". Zoo and Aquarium History. USA: CRC Press. ISBN 978-1-4200-3924-5.
24. "West Virginia". Official Congressional Directory. 1991/1992- : S. Pub. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1983. hdl:2027/msu.31293104127141 – via HathiTrust.
25. "Andy McKenzie - Wall of Honor". West Liberty University. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
26. "Wheeling city, West Virginia". QuickFacts. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
27. Civic Impulse, LLC. "Members of Congress". GovTrack. Washington, D.C. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
28. "Mayor-Elect Glenn Elliott Leads Fresh Faces For Wheeling", The Intelligencer, Wheeling, WV, May 11, 2016

Bibliography

published in 19th c.

• J.B. Bowen (1839), Wheeling Directory and Advertiser, Wheeling: John M. M'Creary, Printer, OCLC 3456530, OL 23720924M
• "Wheeling". Kimball & James' Business Directory for the Mississippi Valley. Cincinnati: Printed by Kendall & Barnard. 1844. hdl:2027/chi.20799213 – via HathiTrust.
• "Wheeling, Va.". Commercial Gazetteer and Business Directory of the Ohio River. Indianapolis: G.W. Hawes. 1861.
• "Wheeling". Commercial Directory of the Western States. St. Louis: Richard Edwards. 1867.
• "Ohio River: Wheeling". James' River Guide...Mississippi Valley. Cincinnati: U.P. James. 1871.
• "Wheeling". Wiggins and Weaver's Ohio River Directory. Cleveland: Fairbanks, Benedict & Company. 1871.
• J.H. Newton; G.G. Nichols; A.G. Sprankle (1879). "Wheeling: Past and Present". History of the Pan-handle: Being Historical Collections of the Counties of Ohio, Brooke, Marshall and Hancock, West Virginia. Wheeling: J.A. Caldwell.
• George E. Waring, Jr.; U.S. Department of the Interior, Census Office (1887), "West Virginia: Wheeling", Report on the Social Statistics of Cities: Southern and the Western States, Washington DC: Government Printing Office, pp. 87–92
• "Wheeling" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 24 (9th ed.). 1888.
• White & Allen, ed. (1891). Laws and Ordinances for the Government of the City of Wheeling, West Virginia. Printed by the West Virginia Printing Company.

published in 20th c.

• John J. Coniff, ed. (1901). Laws and Ordinances for the Government of the City of Wheeling, West Virginia.
• "Wheeling" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 28 (11th ed.). 1910. p. 586.
• Charles A. Wingerter. History of Greater Wheeling and Vicinity. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1912.
• Thomas Condit Miller; Hu Maxwell (1913). "Wheeling". West Virginia and Its People. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company.
• "Wheeling". Automobile Blue Book. Vol. 3. New York: Automobile Blue Book Publishing Co. 1920. hdl:2027/pst.000052908583 – via HathiTrust.
• Federal Writers' Project (1941). "Wheeling". West Virginia: A Guide to the Mountain State. American Guide Series. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9781603540476 – via Google Books. + chronology
• Kenneth R. Nodyne; Densis E. Lawther (1981). The Wheeling Area: An Annotated Bibliography. West Virginia University Library.
• Minder, Mike. Wheeling’s Gambling History to 1976. Wheeling: Nail City Publishing, 1997.

published in 21st c.

• Fones-Wolf, Ken, “‘Traitors in Wheeling’: Secessionism in an Appalachian Unionist City,” Journal of Appalachian Studies, 13 (Spring–Fall 2007), 75–95. JSTOR 41446778.
• Duffy, Sean, & Rinkes, Paul, Wheeling: Then & Now. Mount Pleasant, S. Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2010.

External links

• "History of Wheeling (timeline)". Wheeling National Heritage Area.
• "Wheeling History". Wheeling: Ohio County Public Library.
• Items related to Wheeling, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America).