​Today in Wheeling History: April 11--First Presbyterian Church, Wheeling’s landmark Greek Revival “Old First,” was rededicated after major renovation (1886).
 
First Presbyterian Church at 1301 Chapline Street is widely regarded as the oldest surviving church building in downtown Wheeling and one of the city’s most recognizable Greek Revival landmarks. The congregation’s roots reach back to the ministry of Rev. John Brice in “Big Wheeling” in the 1790s, with a formal congregation emerging in the early nineteenth century. The present church stands on land deeded by Noah Zane in 1816 “for the use, purpose and design of erecting a meeting house or church,” and by 1823–1825 the core of the current edifice—its Ionic portico, narthex, and initial sanctuary—was completed.  
 
Over the decades, the building was repeatedly altered: new windows in 1833, a bell and clock tower after the 1833 cholera epidemic, and a major lengthening and remodeling in the 1850s. For many Wheeling residents, the church clock provided the city’s first reliable public timekeeper until a new capitol building rose in the 1870s.  
 
In 1885–1886, the sanctuary underwent an extensive renovation that transformed its interior. On April 11, 1886, the “elegantly refitted” church was formally rededicated, with large congregations attending services led by Rev. Dr. Cunningham and music provided by a new quartet choir. The Wheeling Intelligencer praised the tastefully frescoed walls, new pews, and especially the stained-glass memorial windows honoring former pastors, elders, and long‑time members—“lasting and fitting testimonials” to the congregation’s history.  
 
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV (https://tinyurl.com/3s7uf52z) (https://tinyurl.com/mtkwy4pk; Library of Congress (https://tinyurl.com/b7s4awm8), YouTube (https://tinyurl.com/2tmjs8mz),Friends of Wheeling (https://jfinstein.wixsite.com/friends-of-wheeling/first-presbyterian-church)
 
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Library of Congress

​Today in Wheeling History: April 10—Character actor Watson Hall "Downie" Downs, future Hollywood supporting player, is born in Wheeling, West Virginia (1879).
 
Watson Hall Downs, known to friends as "Downie," was born on April 10, 1879, in Wheeling, West Virginia, the son of John M. Downs and Hannah Elizabeth (Hall) Downs. Census records indicate that by 1900 he was working as a night clerk at the post office. In 1903, he married Elida Kay Kellogg, and the couple had several children. By 1910, Downs was employed as a postal clerk for the railroad, and by 1920, the family had relocated to Fillmore City, California, where he worked as a clerk for Standard Oil of California. The 1930 census found the family in Los Angeles, where Downs worked as a county store clerk.
 
Downs entered acting remarkably late in life, beginning his screen career around age 67. His first known film appearance was an uncredited role in "Magnificent Doll" (1946), followed by numerous small parts throughout the late 1940s and 1950s. He became a reliable Hollywood character actor, appearing in westerns, crime dramas, and science fiction films. His most notable credited role came as the Mayor in "The Magnetic Monster" (1953). He also made guest appearances on television series including "Highway Patrol," "One Step Beyond," and "Tombstone Territory."
 
Downs married Grace Gertrude Shofe McKay in 1941 following the death of his first wife. He died on May 26, 1969, at age 90, and was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.
 
To learn more: IMDb (https://tinyurl.com/4vhcbya7) (https://tinyurl.com/2r9b99t6) (https://tinyurl.com/bv6ky7hn), Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/mr3md23z), Fandom (https://tinyurl.com/3j4dvz3m), Rotten Tomatoes (https://tinyurl.com/48bynxe3), Geni (https://tinyurl.com/ymszpds3), Plex (https://tinyurl.com/mrxs3hnm)
 
Photo credits: IMDb, geni, Find a Grave

Today in Wheeling History: April 9—The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) of Wheeling is organized, adopts a constitution, and elects a 30‑member all‑female Board of Directors (1906).  
 
The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) in Wheeling formally took shape on April 9, 1906, when local women gathered to adopt a constitution and elect a 30‑member Board of Directors, signaling a new era of organized support for women in the city. Temporary chairperson Mrs. John B. Garden helped guide the founding meeting, and Mrs. Robert J. Reed became the first organizing president, joined by prominent early leaders such as Mrs. E.A. Hildreth and Miss Emily Shephard.  
 
In January 1907, the association rented a house at 1207 Chapline Street, opening it to the public that June as a social, educational, and religious center for young women working or studying in Wheeling. Rapid growth led to a move in 1908 to the Schenk Building at 1130 Market Street. By 1913, the YWCA launched an ambitious building campaign, and architect Edward Bates Franzheim designed a new facility at 11th and Chapline Streets, completed in 1915 as both administration building and residence hall.  
 
In 1921, the Blue Triangle Branch was created as a segregated branch for African American women and girls, offering leadership training, recreation, and community support until full integration in 1956. Over time, YWCA Wheeling’s mission expanded from clubwork and residence services to a broad agenda of racial justice, anti‑violence work, housing, and advocacy, continuing its original 1906 commitment to empower women and strengthen community life.  
 
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling, WV (https://tinyurl.com/59fn38dz); Wheeling YWCA (https://tinyurl.com/49s4a7wu)
 
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Google Maps

​Today in Wheeling History: April 8--Eoff Street Temple, Moorish Revival style synagogue of Congregation L'Shem Shomayim, is formally dedicated on Eoff Street (1892).  
 
The Eoff Street Temple on 1214 Eoff Street was the first permanent synagogue building for Congregation L’Sheim Shomayim, a Reform Jewish community founded in 1849 by German‑speaking immigrants who settled in Wheeling when it was still part of Virginia. Completed and dedicated in 1892, the temple quickly became a landmark of downtown Wheeling religious architecture. Designed in a striking Moorish Revival style by architects E. W. Wells and O. S. Philpott, the façade featured a tall central tower, keyhole‑shaped doors and windows, and a prominent hipped dome that echoed contemporary synagogue designs in New York and Chicago. Inside, Wheeling newspapers marveled at the carved pulpit and altar, elaborate memorial stained‑glass windows, and richly decorated sanctuary, calling it one of the city’s most beautiful houses of worship. For generations, the building anchored Jewish religious and social life, including the early rabbinic service of Abba Hillel Silver in the 1910s. By the 1950s, demographic shifts led the congregation to construct a new temple in Woodsdale; services moved there in 1957–1958, and the Eoff Street structure was later demolished. Its site is now part of a parking area near Boswell Monuments, but the congregation endures as Temple Shalom on Bethany Pike.  
 
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV (https://tinyurl.com/55d4vs6y) https://tinyurl.com/mr3buh5b) (https://tinyurl.com/7mnws6hp); Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/2j93uxnb), Synagogues of the South (https://tinyurl.com/46wzt4f3), JewishGen (https://tinyurl.com/a6d5jh7m) , Wheeling Daily Register (https://tinyurl.com/4efpyfyb), Wheeling Intelligencer (https://tinyurl.com/2mmffbfh)
 
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Weelunk, Synagogues of the South, College of Charleston Libraries (Charleston, SC), Wheeling Daily Intelligencer, Wheeling Daily Register

​Today in Wheeling History: April 7—Imperial Display, a beloved five-storefront "big box" retailer on Main Street, is largely destroyed by a three-alarm fire on Easter Sunday morning, drawing all off-duty Wheeling firefighters and mutual aid from Ohio (1996).
 
For decades, Imperial Display was unlike anything else in downtown Wheeling. Founded by Isador Mendelson in the 1930s, the business grew from a wholesale Christmas display supplier into a sprawling retail destination along Main Street. Jack Mendelson eventually joined his father in the family business. As the Christmas store grew increasingly popular, the Mendelsons expanded by acquiring adjacent buildings one by one. At its peak, Imperial Display spanned five interconnected storefronts at 1040 Main Street, each with its own specialty: a Christmas store, a paper goods and party supplies store, a fabric store, a craft store, and a teacher's store. There was no Walmart or other big-box retailer of its kind, and customers could spend hours browsing its interconnected spaces.
 
April 7, 1996, was Easter morning. While the stores were usually closed on Sundays, that holiday Wheeling lost a legendary business when several of the buildings nearly burned to the ground. For those who worked there, the fire was described as horrendous, traumatic, and like the oxygen being sucked right out of Main Street. The Wheeling Fire Department identifies the fire address as 1057 Main Street. The three-alarm blaze brought in all off-duty firefighters and mutual aid from Eastern Ohio, causing roughly $2.1 million in property damage. Four of the five buildings were destroyed, and the cause was never officially determined, though investigators believed it started in the basement of the main building. Miraculously, no one was seriously injured. The business relocated to the old Murphy's building for a couple of years, but rising rent eventually forced Imperial Display to close permanently.
 
The legacy endured. In 2003, Cathy Jackson, inspired by her love for the original store, opened the Imperial Teacher's Store and later the Imperial Christmas Shoppe on Main Street — a tribute that itself served the community for more than two decades before closing in early 2025.
 
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library Archives, WV (https://tinyurl.com/3zbmwz3s); Weelunk (https://tinyurl.com/yusvuctu), Weelunk (https://tinyurl.com/ypskstte), WTRF (https://tinyurl.com/6799zbx9), Facebook - Wheeling Fire Department (https://tinyurl.com/46ba4khx)
 
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Weelunk, Wheeling Fire Department

​Today in Wheeling History: April 5 — J. Loran “The Chief” Mercer, Warwood High School’s legendary band director and music educator, is born in Monaca, Pennsylvania (1913).
 
Joseph Loran “The Chief” Mercer (1913–1983) became one of Wheeling’s most influential music educators, shaping generations of students and helping define the cultural identity of the Warwood community. Born in Monaca, Pennsylvania, he moved with his family to Warwood in 1928 after his father purchased the Lincoln Theater. As a teenager, Mercer provided music for silent films using dual turntables, making him one of the area’s earliest disc jockeys. He attended Central Catholic High School, where he played piano each morning as students marched into the building, foreshadowing his future in school music leadership.
 
In 1936 Mercer began a remarkable 29‑year tenure as band director at Warwood High School, the longest in Ohio County history. Under his direction, the Warwood band earned superior ratings, produced All‑State musicians, and achieved national recognition, including a performance on Paul Whiteman’s television program in 1951, an appearance with the Wheeling Symphony in 1958, and a top‑ten finish at the International Lions Convention that same year. He later directed the West Virginia All‑State Band at the 1964 New York World’s Fair and was widely remembered as a compassionate, fatherly mentor.
 
Mercer’s legacy extended through his family. Two of his sons—Dr. William C. Mercer, a distinguished physician and public health leader, and Dr. Donald W. Mercer, a pioneering biochemist whose CK‑MB test revolutionized cardiac care—also became Wheeling Hall of Fame inductees. Together, the Mercer family represents one of Wheeling’s most enduring contributions to education, medicine, and public service.
 
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV – Wheeling Hall of Fame (https://tinyurl.com/yeyskbd4) (https://tinyurl.com/3ubz2xpb) (https://tinyurl.com/2stkjzbp); City of Wheeling – Hall of Fame Program (2002 Induction) (https://tinyurl.com/yh7se6uw), Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/942v9r83), Weelunk (https://tinyurl.com/3tvxwa9v)
 
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; City of Wheeling, Find a Grave

​Today in Wheeling History: April 4--The Ohio River reaches 41.85 feet at Wheeling, its highest level since 2005, flooding Wheeling Island, South Wheeling, Center Wheeling, and Benwood (2024).
 
On April 4, 2024, the Ohio River crested at 41.85 feet at Wheeling — the 23rd-highest crest ever recorded at that location and the highest since 2004-2005 — just below the 42-foot major flood stage threshold. The rise was faster than anticipated, with Wheeling Police Chief Shawn Schwertfeger noting the river began climbing more quickly than expected around 6:30 a.m., prompting crews to switch from cones to police tape to block roads more efficiently.
 
Much of the south end of Wheeling Island was inundated, with Wheeling Island Stadium and the Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack parking lot submerged. The casino closed Wednesday evening and remained shut until further notice. South Wheeling neighborhoods — particularly Chapline, 35th, 36th, and Jacob streets — were also hard hit. Center Wheeling saw high water near the Water Pollution Control facility, and Benwood experienced flooding near 48th Street. Ward 1 Council Member Rosemary Ketchum, herself facing three feet of water in her 35th Street basement, coordinated efforts to connect affected neighbors with hotels and other resources.
 
Emergency responders remained busy throughout the day. The Swift Water Response Team conducted multiple rescues of residents stranded in their homes, while Fire Department and Police Department crews staged across the Island. The city offered free parking in the 10th Street and Intermodal parking garages for displaced residents. Despite the hardship, neighbors across affected neighborhoods responded with remarkable solidarity, helping one another move furnaces, water heaters, washers, and dryers from flooded basements. Governor Jim Justice amended his state of emergency declaration to include Ohio County.
 
To learn more: City of Wheeling – April 4, 2024, Flood Information (https://tinyurl.com/99akuz9n), WV MetroNews – "Wheeling Island flooding, flood gates working in Parkersburg" (https://tinyurl.com/yc45uaud), WTRF – Updated Information on Ohio River Flooding (https://tinyurl.com/2f7498sd), The Intelligencer (https://tinyurl.com/3cjmvuse), Lede News – "Flooding Information for Wheeling Residents" (https://tinyurl.com/mpe8b3pt)
 
Photo credits: Wheeling Fire Department

​Today in Wheeling History: April 6—American Red Cross presents WWVA with Certificate of Appreciation for service rendered during the Wheeling flood, bearing the signature of President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1936).
 
When the Ohio River crested at 55.5 feet on the afternoon of March 19, 1936—19.5 feet above flood stage—Wheeling faced the most catastrophic flood in its recorded history. More than eight square miles of the city disappeared beneath the raging water. Newspapers were silenced: the News-Register's offices flooded, forcing staff to abandon equipment and hand-set a crude "flood edition handbill" using a small proof press. With telephone lines down and less than half of American homes equipped with working phones, WWVA Radio became the city's lifeline.
 
Under production manager Paul J. Miller, program director Walter Patterson, and announcers including Carl W. Gustky, Paul Myers, Murrell Poor, and Wayne A. Sanders—joined by engineers who ran their own telephone lines into the danger zone—WWVA maintained an uninterrupted 92½ hours of continuous broadcasting. From a remote microphone on the Steel Bridge, Rev. Frederick W. Cropp, Co-Chairman of the Wheeling Chapter of the American Red Cross Disaster Committee, read letters and telegrams from anxious listeners searching for missing loved ones. More than $50,000 in aid was raised through on-air appeals. Food, volunteers, and supplies poured into the stricken city. Seventeen people perished in the Wheeling district; more than 20,000 were driven from their homes.
 
On April 6, 1936, in recognition of its invaluable public service, the American Red Cross presented WWVA with a Certificate of Appreciation bearing the signature of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
 
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV (https://tinyurl.com/39dztj4u); World Radio History (https://tinyurl.com/muwyts9j), Archiving Wheeling (https://tinyurl.com/vxyj6kxd)
 
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV

​Today in Wheeling History: April 3 — Rev. Joseph A. Burke, S.J., Jesuit priest and first Chancellor of Wheeling Jesuit University, dies (2003).
 
Rev. Joseph A. Burke, S.J., was a devoted Jesuit priest who spent a significant portion of his religious life serving the Catholic community at Wheeling College and Wheeling Jesuit University (now Wheeling University). Born in Ireland to Michael and Mary (Killen) Burke, he entered the Society of Jesus around 1940 and was ordained a Jesuit priest. During his priestly career, he served in a variety of ministerial roles, including as chaplain at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, where he was remembered for his warm, people-loving personality and his kindness to students.
 
Fr. Burke eventually came to Wheeling, where he served as rector of the Jesuit Community on the university campus. On May 19, 1994, the Board of Directors named him the first Chancellor of Wheeling Jesuit University (now Wheeling University), a newly created role honoring his extraordinary contributions to the institution. On October 28, 2000, the campus community celebrated Fr. Burke and Fr. Walter Buckius's 60th anniversary as members of the Society of Jesus, marked by a Mass in the Chapel of Mary and Joseph and a dinner. In recognition of their decades of dedication, the Buckius-Burke Scholarship was established in their honor, benefiting third-year science or theology students with financial need. Fr. Burke later joined the Jesuit Community at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia. He died on April 3, 2003, and was buried at SS. Peter and Paul Cemetery in Springfield, Pennsylvania.
 
To learn more: Wheeling University Historical Timeline (https://tinyurl.com/mr23f6ks), Wheeling University History (https://tinyurl.com/4yy9wsnd), Philadelphia Inquirer obituary via Legacy.com (https://tinyurl.com/2s4dhb6v), Wikipedia – Wheeling University (https://tinyurl.com/5xdnf23c), Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/5a7jbysx)
 
Photo credits: Wheeling University, Find a Grave, Wikimedia Commons

Today in Wheeling History: April 2—McDonald's opens its new two-story restaurant on the corner of 12th and Market Streets, bringing a national fast-food chain to downtown Wheeling's busy retail crossroads, with an official grand opening to follow on April 26 (1980).
 
When McDonald's opened its downtown Wheeling location on Wednesday, April 2, 1980, more than 3,000 customers crowded the counter on each of the first two days. Easter shoppers and school-age children on holiday break accounted for much of the initial surge. The official grand opening was celebrated on Saturday, April 26, with ribbon-cutting ceremonies at 9 a.m., an appearance by Ronald McDonald, and donations of $350 to the city's Downtown Revitalization Program and $100 to the Easter Seals Society. Officiating were Ohio County Commission President Samuel Anthony, Commissioner David DeProspero, McDonald's District Manager Jim Skinner, Vice Mayor William Muegge, owner-operator Al "Lefty" Didriksen, and manager Fran Ogden.
 
Didriksen, a Temple University All-American and three-sport star who also owned McDonald's restaurants in Warwood, St. Clairsville, and Moundsville, applied for his first franchise in 1974. The family settled in Glen Dale. His wife, Jayne, a fine arts student at Wheeling College and former dancer, gymnast, and swim coach, designed the interiors of three of the four Ohio Valley locations. The downtown restaurant required three redesigns. Its decor featured cool blues, tans, and natural woods, with framed historical photographs of Wheeling, including a striking three-panel panoramic image of the Wheeling Suspension Bridge by Jay Adams of Cress Studio of Photography mounted on the stairway wall.
 
The 4,488-square-foot restaurant seated 154 people and offered second-floor views of the 12th and Market intersection. It employed 104 hourly workers. Big Macs accounted for 30 to 34 percent of sandwich sales, well above the national average of 18 to 22 percent. The location closed in 1996 and today houses Uniglobe Ohio Valley Travel and Undo's Catering.
 
To learn more: Wheeling News-Register (https://tinyurl.com/934hd26e) (https://tinyurl.com/29ntv93p) (https://tinyurl.com/2p9vu54k), Lede News (https://tinyurl.com/yxv8whnh), Weelunk (https://tinyurl.com/4nem773r), YouTube (https://tinyurl.com/thn4735h), McDonald's Corporate History (https://tinyurl.com/3wj5xdnm), McDonald's of Wheeling/Moundsville (https://tinyurl.com/yw32n86y), Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/4x8hj9y8) (https://tinyurl.com/4zfkvrkk) (https://tinyurl.com/mu7zkym7), Instagram (https://tinyurl.com/3jjjp2a3)
 
Photo credits: Wheeling Intelligencer, Wheeling News-Register, Google Maps