​Today in Wheeling History: October 10--Henry Crimmel, a notable glassmaker who contributed significantly to the Wheeling-Bellaire region’s glass industry, passed away in Hartford City, Indiana (1917)
 
Henry Crimmel was born on February 14, 1844, in Hesse, Germany. At the age of eight, he emigrated with his family to South Wheeling, Virginia (now West Virginia), a region known for its burgeoning glass industry. The Crimmel family settled in an area with a significant German population, which likely influenced their decision to move there. Henry's father and brothers were also glassmakers, a trade that had been practiced in their homeland for centuries.
 
Crimmel began his career in glassmaking at the lowest level, gradually learning every aspect of the business. He worked at the Hobbs, Brockunier & Company glass works in Wheeling, which was one of the leading glass manufacturers in the United States during the 19th century. His expertise and dedication led him to become a skilled glassblower and a recipient of two patents. He worked in management at several glass factories and was a co-founder of the Novelty Glass Company in Fostoria, Ohio, and the reorganized Sneath Glass Company.
 
During the American Civil War, Crimmel served in the Union Army, reflecting his commitment to his adopted country. After the war, he continued to contribute to the glass industry, eventually retiring with over 50 years of experience. Henry Crimmel passed away on October 10, 1917, in Hartford City, Indiana, and was buried there. His legacy in the glassmaking industry remains significant, particularly in Wheeling and the surrounding regions.
 
To learn more: Wikiwand (https://tinyurl.com/y6z2a39h), Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Crimmel)
 
Photo credits: Wikimedia Commons, Library of Congress

Today in Wheeling History: October 8–Joseph Howard Hodges, future Bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, was born (1911).
 
Joseph Howard Hodges was born on October 8, 1911, in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, to Joseph Howard and Edna Belle (née Hendricks) Hodges. His family later moved to Martinsburg, West Virginia, where he attended St. Joseph's High School. After graduating in 1928, Hodges studied at St. Charles College in Catonsville, Maryland, and then at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. He was ordained to the priesthood in Rome on December 8, 1935.
 
Hodges began his ecclesiastical career as a curate at Sacred Heart Parish in Danville, Virginia, and later served in various parishes in Virginia. On August 8, 1952, he was appointed as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Richmond and titular bishop of Rusadus by Pope Pius XII. He became the coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling on May 31, 1961, and succeeded as the fifth bishop of Wheeling on November 23, 1962.
 
During his tenure, Hodges attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council and implemented its reforms within the diocese. He was instrumental in expanding the diocese to include all 55 counties of West Virginia, renaming it the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. Hodges was a strong advocate for social justice and ecumenism, receiving numerous accolades for his contributions. He passed away on January 27, 1985, in Wheeling and is buried at Mount Calvary Cemetery.
 
To learn more: Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/mwd9wfcn), Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/2pdhn7nz), West Virginia Encyclopedia (https://tinyurl.com/y729rs2a)
 
Photo credits: Find a Grave, West Virginia Encyclopedia

​Today in Wheeling History: October 6–J. R. Clifford, West Virginia’s first African-American attorney and former Wheeling resident, passed away (1933).
 
John Robert "J. R." Clifford was born on September 13, 1848, in Williamsport, Virginia (now Grant County, West Virginia). His parents, Isaac and Mary Clifford, were free blacks who had lived in the region for generations. Clifford attended school in Chicago and later enlisted in the United States Colored Troops during the Civil War, serving as a corporal. After the war, he moved to Wheeling, West Virginia, in 1870 to operate a writing school¹. He later attended Storer College in Harpers Ferry, graduating in 1878. Clifford became a teacher and principal at a segregated public school in Martinsburg, West Virginia.
 
In 1882, Clifford founded The Pioneer Press, West Virginia's first African-American newspaper, which he published until 1917. He was also a prominent civil rights advocate and a founding member of the Niagara Movement, the precursor to the NAACP. Clifford's most notable legal achievement was the Carrie Williams v. The Board of Education case, where he successfully argued against school segregation in West Virginia. Clifford continued to practice law until his death on October 6, 1933, at the age of 85. He was initially buried in Berkeley County but was later re-interred at Arlington National Cemetery.
 
To learn more: Wikipedia (http://alturl.com/8obqe), West Virginia Encyclopedia (http://alturl.com/p2rjt), J.R. Clifford Project (http://alturl.com/rhfh2), Find a Grave (http://alturl.com/e8aaa)
 
Photo credits: Find a Grave, National Archives

Today in Wheeling History: October 5–Lydia Wilson “Mother” Holliday, Civil War nurse from Wheeling, passed away (1899).
 
Lydia Wilson "Mother" Holliday was born in Delaware in 1802 and moved to Wheeling, West Virginia, with her family in 1833. She was married to William R. Holliday, and they had several children. Lydia became widely known as "Mother Holliday" for her dedicated service as a nurse during the American Civil War. At nearly sixty years old, she answered President Lincoln's call for volunteers and served in various military hospitals, including those in Wheeling, Winchester, and Washington, D.C. She cared for both Union and Confederate soldiers, earning a reputation as a fearless and compassionate nurse.
 
Lydia's strong sense of patriotic duty led her to volunteer at Camp Carlile on Wheeling Island, where she provided essential supplies and recruited other women to serve as nurses. She later served as an army field nurse at several battles, including Winchester, Snicker’s Ford, and Cedar Creek. After the war, Lydia remained active in the community, becoming a prominent member of the Woman’s Relief Corps. She was known for making "crazy patch quilts" to raise funds for the J.W. Holliday Post, named in honor of her son.
 
Lydia Wilson Holliday passed away on October 5, 1899, at the age of 97. She is buried at Mt. Wood Cemetery in Wheeling.
 
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV (https://shorturl.at/iWGbK) (http://alturl.com/ej67c), Find a Grave (https://shorturl.at/vDFfK), Archiving Wheeling (https://shorturl.at/uHZxK), Wikipedia (https://shorturl.at/G0tDh)
 
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV

​Today in Wheeling History: October 4–Beulah Boyd Ritchie, suffragist and educator from Wheeling, passed away (1939).
 
Beulah Boyd Ritchie was born in 1864 in Wheeling, West Virginia, to Annie Caldwell Boyd and George Edmund Boyd. She attended Wooster University and later taught in Missouri and West Virginia, including at Fairmont State. Beulah married Charles M. Ritchie in 1893, and they had one daughter. She was a prominent suffragist, temperance leader, clubwoman, educator, and librarian. Beulah was a longtime member of the Fairmont Political Equality Club and served as president of the West Virginia Woman Suffrage Association from 1900 to 1903. Her father, Judge George E. Boyd, was also an advocate for women's suffrage and drafted a bill for women to vote for Presidential electors in 1901. Beulah passed away on October 4, 1939, and is buried in the Mausoleum at Woodlawn Cemetery in Fairmont, West Virginia.
 
To learn more: Alexander Street (https://shorturl.at/qVvmr), West Virginia Department of the Arts (https://shorturl.at/8pUWf), Find a Grave (https://shorturl.at/8q1Xb), Wikipedia (https://shorturl.at/UgdRe)
 
Photo credits: Find a Grave

​Today in Wheeling History: October 3–Lewis Steenrod, U.S. Congressman and Virginia State Senator, died in Wheeling (1862).
 
Lewis Steenrod was a prominent 19th-century politician and lawyer from Wheeling, Virginia (now West Virginia). Born on May 27, 1810, he was the son of Daniel Steenrod and Nancy Ann Gater. Steenrod grew up in Wheeling and attended private schools as a child. He later studied law and was admitted to the Virginia bar in 1835, establishing his law practice in Wheeling. Steenrod entered politics as a Democrat, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1839 to 1845. He later became a member of the Virginia State Senate from 1853 to 1857. During his political career, Steenrod played a crucial role in securing Congressional authorization for the Wheeling Suspension Bridge, a significant infrastructure project for the region. He married Mary Neldon in 1843, but tragically lost both his wife and infant son shortly after. Steenrod was a successful businessperson, owning substantial real estate and personal property, including slaves. Interestingly, despite earlier opposing Virginia's secession, Steenrod later held outspoken secessionist views, possibly due to opposition to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad reducing National Road traffic. This led to him and his brothers being placed under house arrest during the Civil War. Steenrod died of tuberculosis on October 3, 1862, at age 52, in Wheeling, and was interred in Stone Church Cemetery in Elm Grove.
 
To learn more: Wikipedia (https://shorturl.at/9ziJw), Find a Grave (https://shorturl.at/7kkIG), Ohio County Public Archives, Wheeling WV (https://shorturl.at/Y9b1C)
 
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Archives, Wheeling WV; Find a Grave

Today in Wheeling History: October 2--First case of Spanish Flu diagnosed in Wheeling (1918).
 
The 1918 Spanish flu pandemic significantly impacted Wheeling, West Virginia. Despite its name, the Spanish flu did not originate in Spain. It was called "Spanish flu" because Spain, being neutral in World War I, freely reported on the outbreak while wartime censors suppressed news of the illness in other countries to maintain morale. The exact origin of the Spanish flu remains uncertain, but some evidence suggests it may have started in the United States, possibly in Kansas, while other theories propose origins in China or Europe. The first documented case was in March 1918 in Kansas, but the virus may have been circulating earlier. The first case in Wheeling was diagnosed on October 2, 1918. On October 6, Dr. M. B. Williams, Health Commissioner for the City, proposed an order to close all places of public entertainment, schools, churches, and other public institutions. This order was approved by the City Council, which also instructed the Chief of Police to enforce anti-spitting ordinances. Two hospitals, Ohio Valley General Hospital (OVGH) and Wheeling Hospital, treated influenza patients. OVGH, under Superintendent Pliny O. Clark, took the lead, admitting influenza patients immediately after the first diagnosis. By October 17, OVGH had 17 influenza patients, with two deaths from pneumonia. The hospitals quickly became overwhelmed, leading City Manager G. O. Nagle to suggest expanding capacity by enclosing large porches at both hospitals. Nurses played a crucial role in fighting the pandemic. Alice M. Young, a Wheeling nurse working at Camp Sevier in South Carolina, died from influenza on October 5. By December, 19 OVGH nurses were ill with influenza, and one, Miss Groves, died of pneumonia on October 22. The pandemic also led to a shortage of nursing students in the following year. The city implemented quarantine measures and social distancing, though enforcement was inconsistent. On October 25, neighboring Ohio towns of Martins Ferry and Bridgeport initiated a quarantine against Wheeling residents, requiring permits to cross the Ohio River. This led to tensions and was seen as ineffective, with U.S. Surgeon General Rupert Blue personally intervening to end the "squabbling" on November 21. Local businesses proposed various remedies. Baer's Drug Store started using "sanitary paper cups" at its soda fountains, while the Wheeling Traction Company fumigated streetcars with eucalyptus oil. Dubious treatments like Bulgarian Blood Tea and Nostriola balm were advertised as flu remedies. The pandemic had significant economic impacts on Wheeling. By October 22, the Wheeling Intelligencer reported that business in the city had slowed considerably due to the flu and quarantine measures. However, by late December, the situation had improved enough for schools to reopen after eleven weeks of closure, signaling the end of the main quarantine period in Wheeling. While exact death tolls are unclear, reports indicate that from October 5-17, there were 4 deaths in Wheeling, and from October 15-November 15, there were 75 deaths in Ohio County. Additionally, Wheeling Hospital alone reported treating 567 influenza patients in 1918, of whom 94 died.
 
To learn more: Archiving Wheeling (https://shorturl.at/Mta51), Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV (https://shorturl.at/lm1uZ), The Wheeling Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register (https://tinyurl.com/yrvbpevb), (https://shorturl.at/bbdQO) (https://shorturl.at/ysD7W), Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/yu85tpeu)
 
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Wheeling Intelligencer

​Today in Wheeling History: October 1--Under the guidance of coach Edward Coyne, Sr., the Wheeling College basketball team holds its first practice, with twenty-nine freshmen trying out and practices conducted in parking lots and on outdoor asphalt courts (1956).
 
On October 1, 1956, the Wheeling College basketball team, under the guidance of coach Edward Coyne, Sr., held its first practice. This marked the beginning of an exciting era for the college's athletics. Twenty-nine players tried out for the team, with almost all being freshmen. Due to the lack of indoor facilities, practices were conducted in parking lots and on outdoor asphalt courts. Despite these challenges, the team showed remarkable dedication and resilience. Coach Coyne's leadership played a crucial role in shaping the team's competitive spirit and sportsmanship. The first intercollegiate basketball team (1956-57) achieved an 11-7 record, competing against powerhouse teams such as WVU, Pitt, Duquesne, and Steubenville. This initial success set the foundation for the future of Wheeling College basketball, fostering a legacy of teamwork, quality talent, and school spirit. Coach Coyne's contributions were later recognized with his induction into the Wheeling University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005. The team's early practices and achievements remain a significant part of Wheeling College's rich history.
 
To learn more: Wheeling University Historical Timeline (https://tinyurl.com/4y2dkrm3), Wheeling University Athletics Hall of Fame (https://tinyurl.com/2y5uswas), Wheeling Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register (https://shorturl.at/8DY42)
 
Photo credits: Wheeling News-Register

Today in Wheeling History: September 30–Lina Basquette, silent film star and dog breeder, passed away in Wheeling, where she had been a resident since 1975 (1994).
 
Lina Basquette, born Lena Copeland Baskette on April 19, 1907, in San Mateo, California, was a prominent actress during the silent film era. She began her career as a child dancer and secured her first film contract at the age of nine. Basquette’s most notable role was as Judith in Cecil B. DeMille’s “The Godless Girl” (1929). Throughout her career, she appeared in numerous films and was known for her tumultuous personal life, including multiple marriages, most famously to Sam Warner, co-founder of Warner Bros. In 1937, Basquette was invited to Germany, where she met Adolf Hitler, who was an admirer of her work. She later claimed that Hitler made a pass at her, and she responded by kicking him in the groin.
 
After her film career declined, Basquette turned to dog breeding and became a renowned breeder of Great Danes, winning numerous professional show prizes. In 1975, Basquette moved to Wheeling, West Virginia, where she continued her work with dogs and served as a judge for the American Kennel Club. She also wrote several books on dog breeding. Basquette passed away from lymphoma on September 30, 1994, at her home in Wheeling. She was cremated, and the location of her ashes is unknown.
 
To learn more: Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/33swkhx5), Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/bdjjdc2w), Encycopedia.com (https://tinyurl.com/yywftu74)
 
Photo credits: Wikimedia Commons

Today in Wheeling History: September 29--President Donald Trump held a rally at WesBanco Arena, campaigning for Republican Senate candidate Patrick Morrisey and drawing approximately 7,000 supporters (2018).
 
On September 29, 2018, President Donald Trump held a rally at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, West Virginia, to campaign for Republican U.S. Senate nominee Patrick Morrisey. Around 7,000 supporters attended the event, with Trump endorsing Morrisey in his race against incumbent Democratic Senator Joe Manchin.
 
Trump touted economic improvements and support for coal miners. He suggested changing his slogan to "Keep America Great" for 2020. Morrisey spoke at length, praising Trump and criticizing Manchin, Obama, and Clinton. The crowd chanted slogans like "Joe's gotta go" and "Build that wall."
 
Outside the arena, hundreds of Trump supporters lined the streets, vastly outnumbering a small group of protesters. Some tense exchanges occurred between the groups, but no violence was reported. A contingent of laid-off General Motors workers from Ohio also attended to ask Trump to fulfill promises about jobs.
 
The rally coincided with an Oktoberfest celebration elsewhere in Wheeling. Some attendees were surprised to find copies of a nationalist newspaper left on car windshields, which a local rabbi found concerning. Overall, the event demonstrated strong support for Trump in West Virginia, while also highlighting some tensions around his presidency.
 
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV (https://tinyurl.com/3ee32e24), Wheeling Sunday News-Register (https://tinyurl.com/3hw4dhy4) (https://tinyurl.com/mtzbvr6t), Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/27fvur2h) (https://tinyurl.com/mwbh4p5f)
 
Photo credits: Scott McCloskey, Jennifer Compston-Strough, and Heather Ziegler of the Wheeling Sunday News-Register