On November 18, 1918, the "Wheeling Intelligencer" reported that prominent local architect Frederick F. Faris would design an elaborate memorial on the summit of Wheeling Hill to honor the soldiers from Wheeling and Ohio County who died in World War I. The idea for the elaborate memorial was first conceived by Walter B. Hilton, editor of "The Wheeling Majority" newspaper, a socialist newspaper. Faris' plan was to feature a 150-foot shaft surrounded by a 2,000 by 300 foot park, statues representing military units, two lakes, an open-air speaking area, and a hall of fame listing the names of over 4,500 local veterans. Faris estimated the concrete memorial would cost $250,000 ($4.5 million today). The Kiwanis Club donated $1,000 and several other organizations endorsed the project. However, by February 1919, fundraising had stalled and a planning committee urged public input, but the grandiose Faris Memorial was never built. A similar memorial design was included in a 1920 City Plan for Wheeling by the engineering firm Morris Knowles.
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Photo Credits: Ohio County Public Library Archive, Wheeling WV