We know, most of you have been programmed to get out of the Upper Ohio Valley as soon as you possibly can.
We were, too, and that’s exactly what most of us did. We heard it from our friends, our parents, our teachers, and from our coaches because when we were in high school, the valley’s downturn was well under way. This region experienced quite the industrial revolution in the early to mid-1900s, but as the West developed, the demand dropped, factory after factor closed, and the population decline continues today.
But we traveled back anyway because of family and because we missed our home.
Missed? Missed what? What’s there to miss?
That’s likely what you’re thinking because you have fallen into taking what we have here for granted. But keep these thoughts in mind:
- You will never live in an area that offers parks similar to Oglebay and Wheeling Park;
- The Muskingum Watershed is often overlooked until you are floating on Tappen, Piedmont, or Senecaville Lake;
- Right now, you may have a few cuss words to describe Interstate 70 because of the crippling construction, but that clear convenience factor will return soon enough, and it will be the all-direction access you likely will not experience wherever you may relocate;
- The history of the Upper Ohio Valley reaches so far back that the area has roots in the Revolutionary War, and while many towns along the East Coast feature the same, no other state became a state along the way;
- No matter where you may go, it is not likely you will discover the same “one-team mentality” that is prevalent in this valley, and a prime example of it was the overwhelming support present inside Wheeling Island Stadium while Wheeling Park High captured its first-ever Class AAA state football title.
You’ll see likely sooner rather than later, and once you do, maybe we’ll see you come home, too.
Sincerely,
The Welcome Home Wagon
