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Wheeling celebrates its 180th birthday

Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register photo by Joselyn King Wheeling historian Margaret Brennan serves up birthday cake during Wheeling’s 180th birthday party Tuesday.
Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register photo by Joselyn King
Wheeling historian Margaret Brennan serves up birthday cake during Wheeling’s 180th birthday party Tuesday.

WHEELING, W.Va. — The city of Wheeling celebrates its 180th birthday on Friday, although city leaders and members of the community blew out the candles on the cake early during a birthday celebration on Tuesday.

A history of Wheeling was presented during a special edition of the Lunch With Books discussion series at the Ohio County Public Library.

Mayor Andy McKenzie kicked off events by reading a proclamation detailing the story of the city.

Wheeling was founded in 1769 by Colonel Ebenezer Zane and his brothers, and grew up around Fort Henry, which was built five years later. The last battle of the Revolutionary War was fought by inhabitants within Fort Henry.

Wheeling was established as a town in 1795, and later incorporated on March 11, 1836 – now considered the date of Wheeling’s birth. When West Virginia became a state in 1863, Wheeling was designated the new state’s first capital.

It held this distinction until 1870, when the capital was moved to Charleston.

“And since it was moved, it’s never been right since – I can tell you,” said McKenzie, a former state senator.

Among the notable historical facts discussed Tuesday was that Wheeling wasn’t the original county seat of Ohio County. West Liberty holds that distinction. And when Wheeling turned 150 in 1986, there was no celebration to commemorate the occasion, according to local historian Margaret Brennan.

Brennan explained Wheeling was at its peak in the 1930s, with a population of over 61,000. This meant there were many people available to volunteer to organize and participate in events.

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