West Virginia General Tips by traveldave

Favorite Thing: Wheeling was first settled by Colonel Ebenezer Zane and his brothers in 1769, when they came from the Potomac River Valley in eastern Virginia to establish a land claim. The area they settled is on a flat plain along the Ohio River, with steep hills rising up from the river valley. Other settlers soon followed. The early inhabitants built Fort Fincastle to protect the settlement. In 1776, the name was changed to Fort Henry, in honor of Patrick Henry.

During the Civil War, Wheeling was the headquarters of Virginians opposed to secession from the Union. At the time, the area that is now West Virginia was part of Virginia. The Union supporters in the city organized the State of West Virginia on June 20, 1863. Wheeling served as the state capital from 1863 to 1870, and from 1875 to 1885.

Nowadays, Wheeling is the seat of Ohio County. It is the center of a metropolitan area of around 160,000 inhabitants which includes Belmont County, Ohio, across the Ohio River from Wheeling.

Wheeling lies near West Virginia's coal- and natural-gas-producing region, and many of the city's industries are fueled by coal or natural gas. The city is also an important coal shipping center. The most important aspect of Wheeling's economy, however, is tourism. Visitors are attracted by the city's parks, historic sites, and local events.


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