Today in Wheeling History: September 27--William Alexander "Bill" Turner, Wheeling's first black police officer, died at his home at 114 Twelfth Street (1928).
William Alexander "Bill" Turner (1865-1928) was a prominent African American citizen of Wheeling, West Virginia who worked as a laborer, bartender, and barber before becoming one of Wheeling's first black police officers around 1899-1902 and again from 1919 until his death in 1928. Turner was well-known locally as a singer, baseball player and manager, Republican party activist, and member of several fraternal organizations like the Elks and Knights of Pythias. He performed heroic deeds both before and during his time on the police force, once saving a man from burning to death. When he died, Turner was honored by the Fraternal Order of Police for his 20 years of "faithful and conscientious" service on the force. (https://tinyurl.com/yrz3mpun)
William Alexander "Bill" Turner (1865-1928) was a prominent African American citizen of Wheeling, West Virginia who worked as a laborer, bartender, and barber before becoming one of Wheeling's first black police officers around 1899-1902 and again from 1919 until his death in 1928. Turner was well-known locally as a singer, baseball player and manager, Republican party activist, and member of several fraternal organizations like the Elks and Knights of Pythias. He performed heroic deeds both before and during his time on the police force, once saving a man from burning to death. When he died, Turner was honored by the Fraternal Order of Police for his 20 years of "faithful and conscientious" service on the force. (https://tinyurl.com/yrz3mpun)
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