Today in Wheeling History: April 4--John Neal (1793-1876), influential American writer and literary critic, published his "Wheeling, Virginia — First Impressions" article based on his 1833 visit to the city (1840).
John Neal, born in Portland, Maine, on August 25, 1793, was one of America's earliest literary critics and advocates for American cultural independence. During his extensive travels in the early 1830s, Neal visited Wheeling in the fall of 1833, when it was still part of Virginia (West Virginia would not become a separate state until 1863). Neal, known for his sharp observations and forthright writing style, later published his impressions of the city in "The Evening Signal" newspaper on April 4, 1840. His article "Wheeling, Virginia — First Impressions" provided readers with an outsider's perspective of the growing Ohio River community during a significant period in its development. At this time, Wheeling was becoming an important transportation hub with the completion of the National Road to the city in 1818 and the subsequent growth of steamboat traffic on the Ohio River. Neal's observations came just as Wheeling was transitioning from frontier settlement to industrial center, with its iron, glass, and tobacco industries beginning to flourish. Neal continued his literary career until his death in Portland, Maine, on June 20, 1876, leaving behind a substantial body of work, including novels, poetry, and critical essays.
To learn more: Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/3kr336ta)
Photo caption and credit: 1856 portrait of John Neal [Originally published December 20, 1856, in Ballou's Pictorial Drawing-Room Companion (volume 11, issue 25, page 396 (via Wikimedia Commons)]
John Neal, born in Portland, Maine, on August 25, 1793, was one of America's earliest literary critics and advocates for American cultural independence. During his extensive travels in the early 1830s, Neal visited Wheeling in the fall of 1833, when it was still part of Virginia (West Virginia would not become a separate state until 1863). Neal, known for his sharp observations and forthright writing style, later published his impressions of the city in "The Evening Signal" newspaper on April 4, 1840. His article "Wheeling, Virginia — First Impressions" provided readers with an outsider's perspective of the growing Ohio River community during a significant period in its development. At this time, Wheeling was becoming an important transportation hub with the completion of the National Road to the city in 1818 and the subsequent growth of steamboat traffic on the Ohio River. Neal's observations came just as Wheeling was transitioning from frontier settlement to industrial center, with its iron, glass, and tobacco industries beginning to flourish. Neal continued his literary career until his death in Portland, Maine, on June 20, 1876, leaving behind a substantial body of work, including novels, poetry, and critical essays.
To learn more: Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/3kr336ta)
Photo caption and credit: 1856 portrait of John Neal [Originally published December 20, 1856, in Ballou's Pictorial Drawing-Room Companion (volume 11, issue 25, page 396 (via Wikimedia Commons)]
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