It’s true; I have way too much time on my hands, because I thought it would be interesting to look up what was happening on my birthday, say a hundred years ago. So on a trip to the public library I got crazy and signed my name up for the micro film machine, but then couldn’t decide what year to actually look up. So I closed my eyes, reached towards those hideous metal gray cages they store the micro film in, and picked 1904, so here we go. In 1904 Wheeling’s population consisted of about 40,000 people. It would be described as a bustling industrial river town. These events will help provide insight into what one could find in a early 20th century town. These news articles have been taken from the Wheeling Intelligencer and Wheeling Register. Trying to get your students to get the feel for a particular time period? Newspapers never fail.
Pure luck that I was able to find images of Wheeling from 1904. Notice the Wheeling Suspension Bridge, the bridge to the left was used for rail.
Accidents
A dominant feature in the news was accidents, in most cases resulting in death. Harry Gilham, a young coal miner was stealing a ride on a B & O Railroad box car heading towards St. Clairsville, Ohio. Gilham was riding on top of the box car and somehow the train skipped off the track. Officials suggest that when Gilham saw the train was going to wreak, he leaped off, and was killed. Gilham died about one half hour after the accident. No other injuries were reported from the train skipping the track.
Another accident involving a train occurred in Wellsburg. Patrick Deegan was heavily intoxicated with another man and was standing on the tracks when a passenger train from the Panhandle Railroad came by and ran him over. His partner attempted to help him off the tracks, but failed. Deegan was a gateman in Wellsburg and had worked for the Panhandle Railroad as a brakeman.
The next accident involved a child, seven months old. Its mother had laid the child on a bed for its nap. The bed was up against a wall, but not all the way. The baby rolled over towards the wall, fell, and became stuck between the wall and the bed. The child accidentally hung itself and by the time the mother checked on her baby, it was already dead.
Another accident occurred when Bryant Sullivan and Guiseppe Pergantius fell from scaffolding while making repairs to the B&O tunnel that runs through Wheeling hill. Both men looked to have serious injuries and were taken to the “North Wheeling institution” where they were diagnosed that their injuries were not so bad after all. The men were working on scaffolding that was erected about ten feet in the air when they slipped and fell. The one man was referred to as “the Italian” when describing his injuries.
I believe that these accidents which occurred all in the same day reflect heavily upon what life was like in the early 20th century. It was very dangerous and it was quite important that one stay alert. The safety standards that we have today were not present in this time period. Industrial cities such as Wheeling could be a dangerous place if one was not used to its many hazards. Being intoxicated doesn’t help.
Mr. Foley Visits the Fort Henry Club
A complimentary dinner was held for T.J. Foley, “the first superintendent of the newly created Wheeling division of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad.” The evening was described as pleasant and festivities started around 7 p.m. and did not end until after midnight. Guest chanted “Mister Foley-oley-o” as he prepared to give his speech. Foley focused his speech on what improvements were being made to the Wheeling area regarding the B & O Railroad. The B & O would immediately start spending $17,000,000 in improvements. The reason revolved around the areas rich mineral resources which would allow the mines to be more productive. Foley also expected an increase in trade; therefore it was vital that Wheeling have its own division to properly manage affairs. After Mr. Foley’s speech the band played “Mister Dooley” but suddenly changed it to “Mr. Foley”. Next Mr. George Hook stated that Wheeling needed to work with the railroad during the West Virginia Sate Fair season because Wheeling received about 14,000 passengers a day coming to the city for the fair. Many were left stranded waiting for cars because of poor car service, Mr. Foley promised to come up with a remedy to fix the problem.
Birdseye view of Wheeling - 1904. Spring Time on Wheeling Island
There was a brief article describing Wheeling Island during the spring and how the trees were near full bloom and descriptions of the beautifully maintained lawns on the island. Many that have been visiting Wheeling make an effort to take a walk on the island the view the “garden spot” of Wheeling. Wheeling citizens and visitors a like could leave the city’s industrial atmosphere without leaving the city because the island at one time was separate place to enjoy nature and the river font. Flooding prompted many of the island residents to leave, and in return lower class families moved on the island as property values fell. Today, in my opinion the island is more of a crime haven than garden spot.
Sports
During the springtime baseball was Wheeling’s biggest sport. The Wheeling Stogies (Wheeling was famous for making stogies) were already eleven games into their season, but their record was a disappointing 3-8. The Wheeling Stogies were in a league with seven other teams. Some of the more distant teams included South Bend, Indiana and Grand Rapids, Michigan. Bowling was also a huge sport in the town. Teams such as the Rough Riders and Lunch Grabbers competed on a weekly basis, each persons score printed in the paper the next day. Bowlers from Pennsylvania would also visit the Wheeling area for chicken dinners and competition.
Cocaine Ordnance Mailed to Druggist
A anti cocaine ordinance passed in Wheeling and all druggist were notified not to prescribe any prescriptions that contained cocaine or 1% opium. If customers had a prescription from a doctor, they were allowed to sell that particular drug. If pharmacist were caught distributing these drugs illegally, they could be arrested.
Colored Citizens Form Association
Colored citizens of Wheeling formed an association to gain “mutual advancement, social enjoyment, and cementing of stronger ties of good will and friendship.” Political discussion was not allowed at these meetings. Forty five members joined for the first meeting and membership was expected to double. The group of young back men met at 1024 Market street and although their group was new, they were enthusiastic and avidly recruiting new members. The article puts strong emphasis on the point that these men will only be engaging in “social enjoyment” and nothing else. This reflects upon the bigotry of nation.
This reminds me of a Fred Sanford quote. Fred was asked if the man that robbed him was “colored” …(of course Fred faked the robbery to cover up the fact that he broke Lamont’s fine porcelain collection)… Fred replied, “yeah, white!” I can’t stand the term “colored” because as Fred clearly states, everyone has “color.”
This is Wheeling’s main street a few years later - 1906Robbery
Harvy Keller, a crippled boy, and two other crippled men were drinking at a saloon located between 10th and 11th street when one of the two men robbed Keller. Keller was eighteen years of age and was crippled because he lost a leg in a train accident. Oddly enough Keller was robbed once before, while he was in the hospital receiving treatment after the train accident.
Retailers Have a Free Excursion
Trade excursions came to Wheeling by way of the Ohio River. The event was conducted by the Retail Merchants Association. It was described as being very successful with a plentiful amount of shoppers on hand. Shoppers were quite excited by these trade excursions and asked for more to be brought to Wheeling at a larger scale. The Retail Merchants Association was pleased with the results and was considering making the trade excursions a permanent event for Wheeling residents.
Wheeling Gets Large Contract
The Wheeling Mold and Foundry Company was awarded the contract to make the Iron Castings for the Hudson River Tunnel project. The Tunnel was for the Pennsylvania railroad. Wheeling was to make 32,000 tons of castings while the other half of the contract was given to the New York Car Wheel company in Buffalo, New York. The pig iron value for Wheeling’s part of the contract was worth an estimated $400,000.
Wheeling’s river front - 1904. The Society Section
This section of the paper featured wedding descriptions and announcements, people leaving and visiting town, illnesses, and descriptions of various social events that had taken place in Wheeling. Most of these descriptions were quite detailed with a guest list and all of the events that transpired for that particular event. For example there was a large game of euchre played by twenty four participants who played fifteen games of euchre. The article goes on to list who won prizes and what particular prize they won.
“As They Come and Go” would list people on vacation out of town, people that were out of town on business, people that were ill or other various announcements. In today’s world this may seem unimaginable, announcing to the town that your “ill with typhoid” but one must remember during this time period there were no forms of mass communication as we have today. The newspaper served as an important communication tool.
Wheeling Public Schools
The superintendent of Wheeling public schools, David E. Cloyd wrote a statement to readers declaring what needed to be done to improve the areas schools. According to his studies Wheeling was lacking in school enrollment by as much as 3,500 students when compared to other cities with Wheeling’s population. Cloyd challenged Wheeling citizens to be aware of how important an education for a child is rather than how much a child is worth in “dollar and cents”.
Next, Cloyd commented on how schools in Wheeling are “overshadowed by industrial institutions. Cloyd says, “she (Wheeling) has subordinated education to the making of money.” He goes on to say that people come from all over the world to study Wheeling’s commerce, one day he hopes they will come to study our education system. Cloyed closed this segment by stating, “There comes a time when a community can not continue to prosper financially without further development of mind and character.”
Cloyd goes on to state how much money other school districts are spending per capita. For example per capita in Parkersburg was $7.30, Philadelphia 9.05, and Indianapolis $11.33. Cloyd does not state what Wheeling was spending per capita but did say Wheeling was spending less these these other school districts and “she (Wheeling) has more wealth per capita of school enumeration than other cities have.” Cloyd claims that if more money was spent, enrollment would increase, and this would ultimately be in the highest interest of the city.
I feel this look into the past has provided an insightful, first hand account about life in the early 20th century. One can read books about the time period, but actually reading the news that the people of the period were reading and experiencing helps define what life was like during this particular generation when the newspaper was a vital tool in their lives.
The Wheeling river front today, Suspension Bridge (National Road) and Fort Henry Bridge (Interstate 70). When I took this picture I was standing near the location of where passengers would board the river boats in the 1904 river front picture.
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