Of course, we wish you were still here with us, and we always hope for native citizens to choose to return, but no one blames anyone for leaving the Upper Ohio Valley for greener pastures as they have for decades.
Many of us have done the same, but for a plethora of different reasons we’ve followed the draw back that’s part of being raised in this region.
If an individual has moved away, there’s something about this place that lures you back here whether you’re from the Ohio side or a native of the Northern Panhandle, and those are the same reasons why many have never left. If you haven’t moved back, you do return every time it’s possible no matter where you live now.
For the most part, we live here because we love it here. You might not hear many admit that fact, but it’s true, and there are more than a few reasons why. We accept reality, and that’s why we help each other, and we’ll defend each other, too, whether it’s against another belittling stereotype, a downgrading click-bait online survey, or against a national sports broadcaster who thinks Morgantown is a few miles away from Richmond, Va.
We aren’t afraid to the cross borders of three states, sometimes in a matter of 15 minutes, and we grew accustomed to enjoying the ease of doing so without much construction along Interstate 70 until the last couple of months. But we’ll complain together, and we’ll figure it out together because, after all, we still have so many more amenities than most communities.
The common U.S. city is not an hour or two away from large cities like Pittsburgh and Columbus, and they don’t have a symphony, parks like Bark Camp, Grand Vue, Brooke Hills, or Oglebay, and they don’t have the historic Ohio River running through the middle of blue-and-gold and scarlet-and-grey.
And we love that river, too, as well as the lakes and creeks and the woods where we boat, kayak, fish, and hunt. There’s the food, too, whether it’s the lasagna from Undo’s, the fish sandwich from Coleman’s, or the square pizza with cold cheese, we visit often, and homecoming natives see those delicious delectables as savory salvations.
We live here to raise our kids and send them to one of many quality options for their high school years, and do we ever love our rivalries. Although the Valley lost the Park-Central tradition several years ago, Bellaire-Ferry, Linsly-Central, Park-John Marshall, and Magnolia-River remain some of the most prominent matchups.
We grew up here together, we likely went to West Liberty State College together, and we’ve struggled together while watching corporate America close a pair of hospitals, the unfortunate growth for the need for full-time employment and a part-time job to make ends meet, and the deaths of far too many because of the drug epidemic. All that after witnessing the slow-but-inevitable-death of steel, pension plans, and the easy path to a living wage.
The good news now is that younger residents are finding employment with companies like Williams Lea Tag and Orrick, and several are making efforts to remain here by starting small businesses like Under The Elder Tree, Peace Pipes, Brew Keepers, and Mason Dixon BBQ.
We do have history here, though, and we’re lucky we have individuals and organizations that have preserved the tales about the Lewis Wetzel Cave, the process of statehood, the founding of the oldest settlement in Ohio, the creation of the original “Gateway to the West,” and so much more.
It’s our home, a place where it’s a short drive to Deluxe Toy & Hobby, Wakim’s Bar, the Prima Marina, Centre Market, or the former W.Va. Pen Museum no matter where you live.
It’s home.
