[Nfbwv-talk] Information About Wheeling and the McLure House

Bob Hicks bob at seeinghandassociation.com
Mon Aug 2 12:35:17 UTC 2010


Hi Dave.  Talk about memories.  Before losing my sight, I did heating and 
a/c work.  I remember the building and sign you are referring too.  Yes, we 
have moved, but not far.  The old address was 737 Market Street.  If you 
went out the back door of that building and diagonally across the alley 
behind, you would be at the back door of the present address, 750 Main 
Street.  We are on the corner of 8th and Main.  They moved in 1997.  I 
started here in 2000.  The member of the Sightless Workers Guild have told 
me that you used to live on the hill above us.  The Guild still meets in the 
Seeing Hand building(the new one!  Grub Construction originally built this 
building for IBM and  West Virginia Job Services was in here for years).
Best regards,

Bob Hicks
Access Technology Specialist
Seeing Hand Association, Inc.
304-232-4810
<bob at seeinghandassociation.com>
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Andrews" <dandrews at visi.com>
To: "NFB of West Virginia Discussion List" <nfbwv-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, July 30, 2010 10:28 PM
Subject: Re: [Nfbwv-talk] Information About Wheeling and the McLure House


Bob -- this sure brings back memories.  I used to
live right up the street from your place, unless
you have moved -- in a building used for storage,
and with one apartment owned by Hitt Heating and
Air conditioning, as you went up the hill.

Dave

At 07:17 AM 7/30/2010, you wrote:
>Hi Charlene.  The directions on the McClure are not current.  The I-70 
>tunnel west is closed.  The directions for downtown are also incorrect. 
>There is no need to go to 14th Street to turn left(east), you can turn left 
>on 12th Street and go one block.  I believe there are doors on Market and 
>12th Street, but the 12th Street entrance to the McClure is the main 
>entrance.  You must exit at exit 2, Oglebay Park and take US Rt. 40 west to 
>go to downtown; or, take WV Rt. 2 south to the 16th Street exit to get into 
>downtown Wheeling from I-70(coming from the east, the directions coming 
>from the west are correct).  If you take the 16th Street exit, you can turn 
>right on Market Street(north) and go two stop lights and you are at the 
>McClure. If you take US Rt. 40 west, you will go up and over Wheeling Hill 
>into historic(Victorian) North Wheeling, past the Seeing Hand into 
>downtown.  At the top of Wheeling Hill, if you go to the left of the large 
>bronze Indian, you will come right  down Chaplain Street to 12th Street 
>just one block east of the McClure(by the parking garage and near the main 
>entrance). Everything else looked accurate at first glance.
>
>Best regards,
>
>Bob Hicks
>Access Technology Specialist
>Seeing Hand Association, Inc.
>304-232-4810
><bob at seeinghandassociation.com>
>----- Original Message ----- From: "charlene" <cs.nfbwv at verizon.net>
>To: "NFB of West Virginia Discussion List" <nfbwv-talk at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2010 12:32 PM
>Subject: [Nfbwv-talk] Information About Wheeling and the McLure House
>
>
>For those planning on attending the 2010 state convention of the National 
>Federation
>of the Blind of West Virginia, I got on the internet and gathered the 
>following information
>that I thought you might find interesting and/or useful:
>McLure Hotel Summary
>1200 Market Street
>Wheeling, WV 26003
>McLure House Hotel is located on US 40 in downtown Wheeling, WV, one-fourth 
>mile
>south of I-70. Free wireless Internet access. Lounge and guest laundry. 170 
>rooms
>on 8 floors. Opened 1857 and renovated 1998.
>Hotel Description
>The McLure House Hotel is located in Wheeling, W.Va., along the Ohio River 
>in West
>Virginia's northern Panhandle, between Ohio and Pennsylvania. The property 
>is one
>block from the Victoria Vaudeville Theater. The Children's Museum and West 
>Virginia
>Northern Community College are within one-half mile of the hotel. The 
>Wheeling Island
>Racetrack is two miles away.
>The McLure House Hotel is located in historic downtown Wheeling and was 
>originally
>built in 1852. The front desk is open 24 hours a day. The hotel features 
>on-site
>event facilities. Complimentary wireless Internet access is available in 
>public areas
>of the hotel. Laundry facilities are available on site.
>The McLure House Hotel houses 170 guestrooms are equipped with dial-up 
>Internet access
>and coffeemakers.
>Area Attractions
>Wheeling Symphony Mull Center - 1.0 mile
>Wheeling Island Racetrack - 2.0 miles
>Victoria Vaudeville Theater - 1 block
>West Virginia Northern Community College - 0.3 miles
>Children's Museum - 0.1 miles
>West Virginia Independence Hall - 0.1 miles
>Oglebay's Good Children's Zoo - 4.6 miles
>Victorian Wheeling Landmarks - 0.4 miles
>Women's History Museum - 8.1 miles
>Information
>Pet fee charged at hotel/condo
>Minimum check-in age 21
>Caters to families
>Check-in time is 3 PM
>Check-out time is Noon
>170 rooms on 8 floors.
>Meeting rooms
>Fitness facility
>Pets allowed
>Policies and Disclaimers
>You must present a photo ID when checking in. Your credit card is charged 
>at the
>time you book. Bed type and smoking preferences are not guaranteed.  Your 
>reservation
>is prepaid and is guaranteed for late arrival.
>The New Office Grill House
>Breakfast Served Daily 7 am - 11 am
>Lunch Monday - Saturday 11 am - 3 pm
>Dinner Daily 3:30 pm - 10:30 pm in the lounge
>McLure House Hotel offers complementary parking in our attached covered 
>parking garage.
>Free parking for all hotel guests.
>McLure House
>Hotel & Conference Center
>Considered one of Wheeling's prominent landmarks, The McLure House Hotel 
>has been
>the lodging choice of US presidents, West Virginia governors, Civil War 
>generals,
>entertainers and other notable figures since 1852.
>The McLure offers 170 spacious and well appointed guest rooms. Wheeling's 
>largest
>professional conference facility and banquet space highlighted by our newly 
>renovated
>Grand Ballroom and executive board room.
>The McLure Hotel's professional staff is available 24 hours a day to ensure 
>your
>stay is enjoyable and successful whether your visit is for business or 
>pleasure.
>Your complete satisfaction is not only our goal, but our PROMISE.
>We are proud of our unique place in Wheeling's history and invite you to 
>discover
>the exciting and fascinating blend of past and present that is The McLure 
>House Hotel.
>Walls Surrounding History
>Constructed in 1851 and opened in 1852, the McLure House Hotel has been a 
>mainstay
>of the city of Wheeling and has been the scene of several events that 
>shaped the
>country or at least the city itself.
>Over the years, there have been many changes within the walls but nothing 
>can change
>the historical events that occurred at Wheeling's oldest functioning hotel. 
>Originally,
>built in a doughnut shape, the Hotel contained a watering trough and 
>hitching posts
>for horses and carriages.  The registration desks and offices were located 
>on the
>second floor due to the muddy mess that was made in the open lobby. 
>However, this
>was not the fascinating feature of the McLure House.  The 12th Street 
>entrance was
>marked 'Ladies' and was built with a wider door that made room for the 
>cumbersome
>yet fashionable wide hoop skirts that were worn by the women of the time.
>At one point, the McLure was the largest hotel in the state with 315 rooms, 
>65 bathrooms,
>and 50 showers.  The hotel was usually busy Monday through Thursday due to 
>the business
>travelers arriving from Pittsburgh and returning home at the end of the 
>week.
>E.M. Statler, founder of the Hilton and Sheraton Hotel dynasties, was once 
>an employee
>of the McLure.  He started out as a bell-boy and eventually worked his way 
>up to
>manager.  After gaining the attention of a few very prominent businessmen 
>in Wheeling,
>Statler finally raised the money to begin his endeavor.  Since that time, 
>the McLure
>has hosted several dignitaries and entertainers that remain as the most 
>famous or
>infamous of their times.  Dignitaries who have stayed at the McLure include 
>General
>Ulysses S. Grant, Benjamin Harrison, William Howard Taft, Theodore 
>Roosevelt, Woodrow
>Wilson, William McKinley, James A. Garfield, Chester A. Arthur, Harry S. 
>Truman,
>Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and many of their first ladies.  In 
>fact, if it
>had not been for the raid on Harper's Ferry, Abraham Lincoln might have 
>made his
>inaugural speech at the McLure.
>During the civil war, the McLure was host to several generals and served as 
>headquarters
>of Union General William Rosecrans.  In fact, it has been said that West 
>Virginia's
>founding fathers ventured to the McLure for refreshment when they needed a 
>break
>from dealing with the issues of West Virginia statehood.
>As the years passed, many more of America's mover and shakers came and went 
>from
>inside the walls of the McLure.  Senator Joseph McCarthy delivered his 
>famous McCarthyism
>speech, in which he claimed to have a list of communist sympathizers in the 
>U.S.
>state department.  It was also at the McLure where Dwight D. Eisenhower met 
>with
>Richard Nixon and reinstated him as his running mate for the 1952 campaign. 
>The
>long list could go on for days and one would recognize names such as John 
>D. Rockefeller
>Sr., William A. Wrigley, and even Marilyn Monroe.
>The McLure House has had its share of historic events; however, it has also 
>had its
>share of renovations.  Starting with the first addition of 90 rooms in 
>1910, the
>structure has been ever changing.  In 1978, a $10 million renovation plan 
>had been
>launched and finally gave the McLure the exterior look it has today.  Phase 
>I, completed
>in 1981, was a six level 220 car garage allowing guests to exit and enter 
>sleeping
>rooms directly from the garage.  Work transforming the 133-year-old 
>hostelry into
>one of the area's most modern hotels and meeting centers was completed in 
>early 1985.
>Finally, in 1996, Lane Hospitality was contracted by Wesbanco, Inc. to 
>manage the
>McLure property.  Since the takeover, Lane and Wesbanco have completed 
>several renovations
>including the new executive boardroom that can accommodate groups up to 15 
>comfortably.
>Amenities featured in the room consist of a speaker phone, audio visual 
>equipment,
>television and VCR, dry erase board, and coffee service.  The hotel's 
>conference
>space has a capacity to seat up to 700 using the entire ballroom, it can 
>also be
>broken down into two to five separate rooms, allowing for meeting space as 
>well as
>breakout rooms.  2007 brought on new renovations in the hotel including the 
>refurbishing
>of all guest rooms with new beds, furniture, décor, iron and ironing board, 
>hair
>dryers, individual coffee pots, cable television including Showtime and 
>ESPN and
>a keyed entrance to ensure security and privacy.  The latest addition is 
>the fabulous
>WIFI Internet throughout the hotel.  The Office Lounge & Grillhouse 
>Restaurant, along
>with Vito's Deli are open to serve our guests.
>As one can see, the past history, present status, and future possibilities 
>have combined
>to make the McLure House Hotel the premiere hotel in the city of Wheeling 
>and an
>historic landmark that has and will withstand the test of time.
>The Tupsey Waltz was played during the railroad supper.
>The waltz was composed for and dedicated to Dr. John D.M. Carr, who based 
>on notations
>in a Wheeling City Directory from that era, was a resident of the McLure at 
>the time
>of the banquet, said Wheeling historian Beverly Fluty.
>During its early years, the McLure House was the site of strategy planning 
>by West
>Virginia and Pennsylvania officials who were fighting a legal battle over 
>the Wheeling
>Suspension Bridge's existence, and it was a favorite place of both Union 
>and Confederate
>soldiers during the Civil War, the archives articles said.
>It is said that the Mountain State's founding fathers, among them Francis 
>H. Pierpoint
>and Arthur L. Boreman ventured to the McLure for refreshment when they 
>needed a break
>from dealing with the important issues of West Virginia's independence.
>The McLure was well known for its menu which included such items as 
>venison, calves'
>feet, St. Louis hams, oysters prepared to order, and ample number of wines, 
>champagne
>and cognacs and a wide selection of  fruits and nuts.
>Wheeling Hall of Famer & hotel magnate Ellsworth M. Statler- who built a 
>famed hotel
>empire, which, when sold to Conrad Hilton in 1954, represented the largest 
>transaction
>in hotel industry history- was responsible for instituting several 
>innovations, including
>hot and cold running water, adopted by major hotel owners, received his 
>start as
>a bell hop at the McLure.
>The list of dignitaries who have stayed at the McLure is long and includes 
>U.S. presidents
>U.S. Grant, Benjamin, Harrison, William Howard Taft, Theodore Roosevelt, 
>Woodrow
>Wilson, William McKinley, James Garfield, Chester A. Arthur, Harry S. 
>Truman, Dwight
>D. Eisenhower, and John F. Kennedy and many of their first ladies; Civil 
>War generals
>William T. Sherman and John C. Fremont; Old West figures Frank James, Cole 
>Younger
>and Buffalo Bill Cody; entertainers Jenny Lind, Sarah Bernhardt and Marilyn 
>Monroe;
>businessman John D. Rockefeller Sr., United Mine Workers founder John L. 
>Lewis and
>William Wrigley before he became the chewing gum mogul.
>Wheeling, a city of history and pleasure
>The Northern Panhandle, is a cross roads of history and modern pleasures in 
>the northern
>most tip of West Virginia. In Wheeling, Independence Hall, Centre Market 
>and the
>rows of Victorian homes make history come alive. At Wheeling Downs play the 
>slots
>and place your bet on the best greyhound and thoroughbreds from across the 
>United
>States. Tap your toes, clap your hands to the beat of the best in the field 
>of country
>music at Jamboree USA located in the Capitol Music Hall. Come catch that 
>Wheeling
>Feeling, for you belong in Wheeling!
>History of Wheeling
>Echart House, Victorian Home Tour- The crown jewel of Victorian opulence. 
>Magnificently
>restored. Tours Saturdays in April, November and December. Open all year by 
>appointment.
>Grave Creek Mound- was constructed in two stages between 250-150 BC. The 
>Woodland
>period of man, known by the general term "MoundBuilder" began about 1000 BC 
>and lasted
>until about 700 AD. The Culture made significant settlements in what is now 
>West
>Virginia.
>The Museums of Oglebay Institute- unique collections of historic Wheeling 
>artifacts,
>the museums preserve the area's heritage and is a true symbol of community 
>pride.
>Old Main at Bethany- A National landmark located at Bethany College is the 
>earliest
>example of collegiate Gothic in America. Construction began in 1858 using 
>local timber,
>stone, slate and bricks kilned on the site. Five U.S. Presidents have 
>spoken in the
>Commencement Hall.
>West Virginia Independence Hall- journey bay to 1862 when Wheeling was in 
>Virginia,
>a state ripped apart by the American Civil War. West Virginia was born in 
>this building,
>now a National Historic Landmark. This was the only territorial change 
>resulting
>from this great conflict. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed on 
>Sundays in
>January and February and all state holidays.
>West Virginia Penitentiary- experience the history behind the towering 
>walls of the
>Civil War era facility that served as a maximum security prison for 120 
>years. Glimpse
>"life on the inside". Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 
>Open Tuesday
>through Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April to November. December to March by 
>appointment.
>Let's meet in Wheeling
>By Airplane:  The Pittsburgh International Airport is 60 miles from 
>downtown Wheeling.
>Directions:
>Follow Business Rt. 60 toward Pittsburgh to I-79 South.
>Follow I-79 South toward Washington, PA. To I-70 West.
>Follow I-70 West toward Wheeling.
>After Wheeling Tunnel, take Exit 1 Main Street (Bare Right).
>Make a left on to Main Street South to 14th Street.
>Left on 14th Street, follow one block to Market Street.
>Left on Market Street to 12th Street.
>Hotel located on the right.
>Via Bus:  Nationwide service is provided by Greyhound Bus Lines 
>1-800-231-2222.
>Driving Directions traveling I-70 from the East:
>Stay in the right lane through the Wheeling Tunnel on I-70.
>Take first Main Street, Exit 1.
>Left on Main Street South to 14th Street.
>Left on 14th Street one block to Market Street.
>Left on Market Street to 12th Street.
>Hotel located on the right.
>Directions traveling I-70 from the West:
>Take I-70 Exit 1A to Main Street.
>Turn right on Main Street South and follow to 14
>th Street.
>Left on 14th Street one block to Market Street.
>Left on Market Street to 12th Street.
>Hotel located on the right
>Driving Distances
>Baltimore        300 miles
>Boston             651 miles
>Buffalo             290 miles
>Charleston      179 miles
>Charlotte         450 miles
>Chicago           460 miles
>Cincinnati        240 miles
>Cleveland        177 miles
>Columbus       123 miles
>Detroit              330 miles
>Indianapolis    315 miles
>Lexington         320 miles
>Louisville         340 miles
>Montreal           710 miles
>Nashville          525 miles
>New York         425 miles
>Norfolk              490 miles
>Philadelphia    350 miles
>Roanoke          370 miles
>Richmond        405 miles
>Rochester        330 miles
>Syracuse          380 miles
>Toledo               270 miles
>Washington      300 miles
>
>
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                         David Andrews:  dandrews at visi.com
Follow me on Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/dandrews920


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