Today in Wheeling History: October 26 — B. Walker Peterson, future Wheeling civic leader and financier, is born in Wheeling (1851).
Benjamin Walker Peterson was born on October 26, 1851, in Wheeling, West Virginia, into a family of means and civic engagement. He graduated from Bethany College in 1870 and earned a degree in engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1873. Returning to Wheeling, Peterson became a prominent businessman and philanthropist. He served as president of the Wheeling Dollar Bank and was instrumental in supporting local industry and civic development. Known for his generosity, he never turned away a local enterprise seeking financial backing. Peterson lived in Wheeling for 74 years, and his impact was so profound that on the day of his funeral—January 3, 1925—trolley cars stopped, foundry whistles blew, flags were lowered, and businesses closed in mourning. He was buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Wheeling, in a private mausoleum. His legacy includes contributions to education, finance, and civic life, and he was posthumously inducted into the Wheeling Hall of Fame in 1994. Peterson’s family, including his son Walker Fairfield Peterson, continued his tradition of civic involvement. His life exemplifies the spirit of industrial progress and community stewardship that shaped Wheeling in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library Hall of Fame Entry (https://tinyurl.com/574a3fnp), Find a Grave Memorial (https://tinyurl.com/2n4mn6br), Archiving Wheeling – Hall of Fame Feature (https://tinyurl.com/57r777sp), Peterson Family History PDF (https://tinyurl.com/jj4yswfc)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Find a Grave, Ohio County WVGenWeb
Benjamin Walker Peterson was born on October 26, 1851, in Wheeling, West Virginia, into a family of means and civic engagement. He graduated from Bethany College in 1870 and earned a degree in engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1873. Returning to Wheeling, Peterson became a prominent businessman and philanthropist. He served as president of the Wheeling Dollar Bank and was instrumental in supporting local industry and civic development. Known for his generosity, he never turned away a local enterprise seeking financial backing. Peterson lived in Wheeling for 74 years, and his impact was so profound that on the day of his funeral—January 3, 1925—trolley cars stopped, foundry whistles blew, flags were lowered, and businesses closed in mourning. He was buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Wheeling, in a private mausoleum. His legacy includes contributions to education, finance, and civic life, and he was posthumously inducted into the Wheeling Hall of Fame in 1994. Peterson’s family, including his son Walker Fairfield Peterson, continued his tradition of civic involvement. His life exemplifies the spirit of industrial progress and community stewardship that shaped Wheeling in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library Hall of Fame Entry (https://tinyurl.com/574a3fnp), Find a Grave Memorial (https://tinyurl.com/2n4mn6br), Archiving Wheeling – Hall of Fame Feature (https://tinyurl.com/57r777sp), Peterson Family History PDF (https://tinyurl.com/jj4yswfc)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Find a Grave, Ohio County WVGenWeb
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