Wheeling, WV
Downtown Wheeling is quite run down but shows signs that it was once a major city. In fact, one source says it was once the city with the richest per-capita of all of the USA, at the end of the 19th century (per WheelingWV.gov). In its heyday, Wheeling was the capital of newly formed West Virginia. It apparently was the “nail capital of the world” in its period of peak industrial success.
We visited the holiday lights at Oglebay, which is a recreational complex including golf courses. This was a drive-through display that compares quite favorably to the lights at Bull Run Regional Park, which we have visited a few times in the past.
Here are some highlights from our Christmas Light Display.
Claudette’s 2 cents: I loved driving through Oglebay Park to see the Christmas lights. We loved it so much that we did it twice. Hey, once you paid, you could go back. I felt like a little kid, overjoyed at seeing them. What fun.
I tried to enjoy going through the farmhouse which was all decorated for Christmas. ( I was stressing because people weren’t wearing masks and were way too close for my taste.) What a lifestyle they experienced. There was a glassblower on-site but didn’t get to see him work as he was leaving. The farm made their own glass and pottery. They had formal gardens that hosted music for their guests.
Here are some fun facts:
- The name Wheeling is derived from “Weelunk” from a Native American language meaning “place of the scalp or skull.”
- Wheeling was both a frontier outpost and part of Virginia.
- In September 1782, 290 Canadian troops and Native Americans attacked about 40 settlers inside Fort Henry.
- The B & O Railroad (Baltimore to the West) took 24 years (from July 4th,1828 til December 24th, 1852) and 5,000 men to complete. Wheeling was its terminus, becoming the crossroads of America.
