To Daydreamers of the Darling Days of Downtown:
It was as fun as your memories recall and, even though we were kids at the time, we’ll never forget THAT version of downtown Wheeling either.
The stores, the billiard bars, the pawn shop’s guns and diamond rings, the theatres, the bikes in Becker’s, the restaurants, the train tracks, the ball gloves at Banov’s, the Big Boy statues, the Talking Christmas Tree, the unlocked alley doors, the music shops, the hot dogs and cheeseburgers and those quarter milkshakes at the lunch counter at G.C. Murphy’s.
Of course, we ran between our hot spots like the Hamburger Inn, the Victoria Theatre, the back door of the Capitol Music Hall, and the showroom at Boury Inc. to play pinball, and there was the Teacher’s Store and Juniper and the Wharf and the Club Tower because it had those girlie portraits out front, too.
We were the kids of Wheeling, and we cherish our memories, too, but now, as adults, it’s where we live and work and eat and see shows and bank and go to church. So, these days, it’s our downtown, and yes, it is very, very different along Main and Market streets from back in those heyday decades, but it’s not deserted as many suggest in their social media postings. Tumbleweeds don’t mosey down cob-webbed streets, daytime traffic is constantly brisk, and that white-flag mindset seems reserved for those no longer living here.
So, we believe it might be useful to offer you this list compiled for your convenience. We may have missed a few, and for that, we apologize, but it is our hope you realize today’s downtown mix of new and old represents a fight for a new future.
Sincerely,
People of the Present
Downtown Wheeling
A
The Artisan Center, Alpha Clothing, Adventures in Elegance, Altmeyer Funeral Home
B
Bridge Tavern & Grill, Beyond Marketing, Board of Trade Building, Boury Lofts, Boswell Monument, Belgium Waffles
C
Capitol Theater, Community Foundation, CMS Bankcard Services, Cardinal Printing, Clientele Art Gallery, Central Catholic High School, Catholic Charities, Comas Barber Shop
D
DiCarlo’s Pizza, Dyagon Alley, DLS Hair, The Day Reporting Center, Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston
E
Elle and Jack’s, Enterprise Car Rentals
F
Fort Henry Building, Felton CPA, Family Services – Upper Ohio Valley
G
Good Mansion Wines, Gompers and Associates, Grow Ohio Valley, Greater Wheeling Soup Kitchen
H
The Health Plan, Hazlett, Burton and Watson, Helping Heroes, Harris Law Office
I
IC Care, Information Help Line, IC Staffing, The Intelligencer, iHeart, IC Cab
J
Jewelry and Watch Repair
K
Kalkrueth Roofing, Kepner Funeral Home
L
Lucky Candies
M
Mmm Popcorn, Mugshots, Main Street Bank, The Mother of Jones Center, Mills Group, Mull Center, Midge’s Kitchen, McLure Hotel, Medical Supply
N
Neely’s Grocery, National Equipment, News-Register, Nail City Records, National Alliance on Mental Illness
O
The Orrick Center, Ohio County Commission, Omni Strategic, Ohio Valley MMA, Omega Bar
P
Panda Chinese Kitchen, Public Market, Perry & Associates
R
River City, Rivers Edge, Regional Economic Development Partnership, Rachel’s on 16th, Route 40 Realty, Rich & Shirley’s Printing
S
Stages, State Farm, Sarah’s On Main, Steptoe and Johnson, 7-Eleven, Studio 66, Salvation Army, Stone Center, Smith Law, The Snake Club, Sexual Assault Help Center, Stazenski Law Firm
T
Titos, Tacoholix, Table 304, Thrive, TaylorMade Printing, Truist Bank, Teamsters Local #697
U
United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley, United States Government, Uniglobe, Undo’s Catering, United Bank
V
Vagabond Kitchen, Vineyard Church, Visiting Angels, Viper’s Billiards, Victoria Theatre
W
Wheeling Chamber, WVU-Wheeling Clinic, Wheeling Coffee and Spice, Wesbanco Arena, W.Va. Northern Community College, Wesbanco Bank and Headquarters, WKKX, City of Wheeling, Williams Lea Tag, Wilbraham, Lawler, & Buba, Wheeling National Heritage Area Corp., WVLY, Wheeling Office Supply, Wheeling Nailers, Wheeling Symphony, Wheeling Convention and Visitors Bureau, W.Va. DHHR, The Wig Store, W.Va. Independence Hall, WTRF TV7, Wheeling Food Mart, WTOV TV9
Y
YWCA-Wheeling, Youth Services System
Z
Ziegenfelder’s
(Art by Bob Dombrowski)
(Susan Hagan and Dean Connors contributed to the list.)
