WHEEL'ING. The largest city of West Vir ginia and the county-seat of Ohio County, 63 miles southwest of Pitesburg. Pa.. on the Ohio River, and on the Pennsylvania, the Pittsburg, Cincinnati. Chicago and Saint Louis. the Balti more! and Ohio, the Cleveland. Lorain and Wheel ing, the Wheeling and Lake Erie, and other rail roads (Map: West D 1). it is ated on ground rising gradually from the river. A steel railroad bridge spans the Ohio, and there is a suspension bridge, 1010 feet long, which is one of the chief attractions of the city. Note worthy features include also the Krugar Monu ment, the site of Old Fort Henry, the custom house and post-otfiee, the city hall. and the county courthouse. The Public Library has 17,200 vol umes. Among other institutions are Linsley Institute, Wheeling Female Academy. and Has kins Ilospital. Owing to its excellent transpor tation facilities, Wheeling is an important whole sale and jobbing centre, and i-s also of consider able industrMI prominence, being known espe cially for its iron and steel interests. The manu facture of glass, pottery, smoking tobacco. and cigars is extensive. The smaller establishments comprise lumber mills, canneries, breweries, and manufactories of carriages and wagons, boxes, leather, etc. In the census year 1900 the capital invested in all industries was $13,224,577, and their output was valued at $16,747.544.
The government is vested in a mayor, chosen every two years, and a bicameral council. Of the subordinate officials, the water board, board of public works, and gas board are elected by the council, and the school board is chosen by popu lar vote. The water-works, which represent an
expenditure of $803,092, the gas plant, and the electriedight plant are the property of the mu nicipality. For maintenance and operation the city spends annually about $438.000, the chief items being: schools. $94,000; gas plant, $80, 000; water-works, $5L000; fire department, $42, 000: police department• $30,000; and interest on debt, $20,000. Population, in 1890, 34.522; in 1900, 38,878.
Settled by Colonel Ebenezer Zane m 1170, Wheeling was the first town_ established on the Ohio River. It was laid out in 1793, was incor porated as a town in 1800. and was chartered as a city in 1836. In 1774 Fort Henry, named in hon or of Governor Patrick Henry, was built here, which, in September of the same year• was fiercely attacked by a force of 300 Indians• who killed 23 out of a garrison of 42. In 1781 the Indians made another attack, and in 1782 a force of English and Indians unsuccessfully besieged the place for several days. In 1861 the Wheeling Convention. representing the people of Virginia opposed to seeession, met here and established the `restored government.' and here the Constitutional Convention of \Vest Virginia met in From 1863 to 1570 and again from 1575 to 1885 Wheeling was the capital of the State.