Today in Wheeling History: July 4—Tens of thousands celebrated the nation's bicentennial in Wheeling with boat parades, canoe and flatboat races, firefighters' "water battles," kite flying, and daredevil dives from the Suspension Bridge, followed that night by the bridge's dedication as a National Historic Landmark (1976).
On July 4, 1976, Wheeling held an all-day bicentennial celebration along the Ohio River that the Wheeling News-Register said drew the largest Sunday crowds of any Ohio Valley community that weekend. Festivities began at 4 p.m. with a boat parade, followed by canoe and flatboat races, water skiing, swimming races between the Ohio Valley Yacht Club and the Wharf Parking Garage, and kite flying near the Suspension Bridge. Area firefighters staged a "water battle" on Water Street, spraying hoses at a keg suspended between two trucks; the Bridgeport team was declared the winner. WWVA Radio sponsored a country-western performance by Kenny Biggs and handed out free watermelon slices to the crowd. Two divers drew roars from onlookers by performing a swan dive and a back dive from the Suspension Bridge, surfacing to cheers, boat horns, and sirens. That evening, U.S. Rep. Robert Mollohan, whose congressional district included Wheeling, took part in ceremonies dedicating the Wheeling Suspension Bridge as a National Historic Landmark, one of the day's marquee events. The celebration closed with a fireworks display over the Ohio River, capping what the newspaper called a star-spangled bicentennial weekend for the entire Ohio Valley.
To learn more: Archiving Wheeling - A History of Wheeling’s 4th of July Celebrations (https://tinyurl.com/57rpp9bc), Wheeling News-Register (https://tinyurl.com/4mt8szz5) (https://tinyurl.com/mpdefwv2)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Wheeling News-Register, Wheeling Intelligencer
On July 4, 1976, Wheeling held an all-day bicentennial celebration along the Ohio River that the Wheeling News-Register said drew the largest Sunday crowds of any Ohio Valley community that weekend. Festivities began at 4 p.m. with a boat parade, followed by canoe and flatboat races, water skiing, swimming races between the Ohio Valley Yacht Club and the Wharf Parking Garage, and kite flying near the Suspension Bridge. Area firefighters staged a "water battle" on Water Street, spraying hoses at a keg suspended between two trucks; the Bridgeport team was declared the winner. WWVA Radio sponsored a country-western performance by Kenny Biggs and handed out free watermelon slices to the crowd. Two divers drew roars from onlookers by performing a swan dive and a back dive from the Suspension Bridge, surfacing to cheers, boat horns, and sirens. That evening, U.S. Rep. Robert Mollohan, whose congressional district included Wheeling, took part in ceremonies dedicating the Wheeling Suspension Bridge as a National Historic Landmark, one of the day's marquee events. The celebration closed with a fireworks display over the Ohio River, capping what the newspaper called a star-spangled bicentennial weekend for the entire Ohio Valley.
To learn more: Archiving Wheeling - A History of Wheeling’s 4th of July Celebrations (https://tinyurl.com/57rpp9bc), Wheeling News-Register (https://tinyurl.com/4mt8szz5) (https://tinyurl.com/mpdefwv2)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Wheeling News-Register, Wheeling Intelligencer
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