Today in Wheeling History: January 22--John McLure, renowned Wheeling steamboat captain and operator, was born (1816).
John McLure was born on January 22, 1816, in Zelienople, Pennsylvania. His family moved to Wheeling, Virginia (now West Virginia) when he was an infant in 1816. McLure started working on steamboats as an engineer in the 1830s and became a captain by 1843, operating boats he co-owned like the Amazon. He built and operated steamboats until 1858 when he retired from building them and captained the Eunice until the Civil War. During the war he transported Union troops on the Eunice and other boats like the Senate, gaining the title of commodore. After the war, he returned to operating steamboats until the 1870s. He took over ownership of the McLure House hotel in Wheeling in 1873 from his uncle. In 1875, he helped move the West Virginia state capital back to Wheeling by transporting state officials on the Emma Graham. McLure lived on Wheeling Island at 203 South Front Street and died on November 5, 1893, at age 77. He was buried in Mount Wood Cemetery in Wheeling. His distinctive zinc grave marker there was damaged by a fallen tree in 2010 and restored in 2016.
To learn more: (http://tinyurl.com/3jf4s7jz) (https://jfinstein.wixsite.com/friends-of-wheeling/mclure) (http://tinyurl.com/yc23cdum) (http://tinyurl.com/yuk25hmn) (http://tinyurl.com/5xthez3x) (http://tinyurl.com/y3vham5j)
Photo Credits: Ohio County Public Library Archive, Wheeling WV; Wikipedia (Nyttend), Find a Grave, West Virginia Archives & History
John McLure was born on January 22, 1816, in Zelienople, Pennsylvania. His family moved to Wheeling, Virginia (now West Virginia) when he was an infant in 1816. McLure started working on steamboats as an engineer in the 1830s and became a captain by 1843, operating boats he co-owned like the Amazon. He built and operated steamboats until 1858 when he retired from building them and captained the Eunice until the Civil War. During the war he transported Union troops on the Eunice and other boats like the Senate, gaining the title of commodore. After the war, he returned to operating steamboats until the 1870s. He took over ownership of the McLure House hotel in Wheeling in 1873 from his uncle. In 1875, he helped move the West Virginia state capital back to Wheeling by transporting state officials on the Emma Graham. McLure lived on Wheeling Island at 203 South Front Street and died on November 5, 1893, at age 77. He was buried in Mount Wood Cemetery in Wheeling. His distinctive zinc grave marker there was damaged by a fallen tree in 2010 and restored in 2016.
To learn more: (http://tinyurl.com/3jf4s7jz) (https://jfinstein.wixsite.com/friends-of-wheeling/mclure) (http://tinyurl.com/yc23cdum) (http://tinyurl.com/yuk25hmn) (http://tinyurl.com/5xthez3x) (http://tinyurl.com/y3vham5j)
Photo Credits: Ohio County Public Library Archive, Wheeling WV; Wikipedia (Nyttend), Find a Grave, West Virginia Archives & History
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