IN THE NEWS:
The following article was written by reporter ROBERT A. DEFRANK for the Martins Ferry Times-Leader and the Wheeling Intelligencer newspapers.
For more than a decade the Great Stone Viaduct Historical Education Society has brought the rich history of the area to light, and it’s launching another series of talks beginning Feb. 7. GSV board member Dan Frizzi said since the lecture series started in 2012, talks have highlighted aspects of foundational industries such as coal and the railroad, leading businesses of the past and historical and sports figures, as well as scandals and court cases that gained notoriety.
“The speakers we look for are people with a history background. We like to get and we have had a lot of professors from Ohio University, from West Liberty,” Frizzi said. “We’ve had judges.”
Board member Erica Keller said the organization has enjoyed a strong partnership with the Bellaire Public Library and credits the cooperation of then-library director Laura Cramblett. “It’s free to the public, 6 p.m. every Wednesday through February and March,” she said.
Frizzi said the timing is also perfect. “It would be nice if we could have a lecture series during winter, when people are cooped up, they don’t have any place to go, it gets dark early,” he said.
Lectures will be held at 6 p.m. and usually last an hour, followed by questions and answers and an opportunity for author presenters to sell their books.
- Feb. 7 will feature Tim Anderson, a professor of geography from Ohio University who will present “Settling Ohio: First Peoples,” focusing on early explorers and highlighting artifacts.
- On Feb. 14, Frizzi will make a presentation about Belmont County’s railroads. “It’s going to talk about the decline of railroads and what’s still active,” Frizzi said.
- On Feb. 21, Patrick Hipple of Ohio’s Coin Co. will speak about Osborne Coinage in Cincinnati, one of the oldest in the country.
- On Feb. 28, Shawn MacIntyre, curator and director of the Braddock Battlefield Museum in Braddock, Pennsylvania, will present “Braddock’s Defeat,” about the loss of Gen. Edward Braddock in the French and Indian War while trying to take Fort Duquesne where the Ohio River forks into the Allegheny and Monongahela.
- On March 6, Dwight Jones, a railroad aficionado from Columbus, will present “Cabooses and B&O Potpourri.” Keller said Jones became interested in the area and contacted the society after learning about the successful project of renovating the viaduct as a walking trail.
- On March 13, Gordie Longshaw, a former county commissioner who runs City Advertisers in Bridgeport, will speak about sports legends in the Ohio Valley.
- On March 20, Jeanne Finstein and Judi Hendrickson, members of the Friends of Wheeling, will present “Eight Women of Note: A Review of Wheeling History Through the Eyes of Eight Influential Women.” Finstein and Hendrickson are longtime presenters who have provided previous lectures. They wear period attire and act as the historic person in question while sharing information about her life. They will alternate, with one changing into a different costume while the other presents. “We haven’t settled on all of them yet,” Finstein said. “They go all the way from the frontier era. … From 1700s up to the mid-1900s.” Hendrickson said the response is usually very positive. “It’s a lot of fun for us. It’s a lot of learning about our area and people who were influential here,” Hendrickson said.
- The lectures will close out March 27 with Taylor Abbott, Monroe County treasurer, and the presentation “A River Runs Through It — Early Exploration down the Ohio River.”
Keller said attendance is usually about 50-75 people. Some of the past presentations were very well-attended, with one lecture drawing 235 people to hear about notorious murders and court cases. “People like murder and scandal and crime,” she said. “We’ve had very high attendance.” Some past events were held off site at Ohio University Eastern, the Belmont County Heritage Museum and Marian Hall in St. Clairsville, but all of this year’s presentations will be at the library. Keller said the lectures will continue to be livestreamed on Facebook, YouTube, and kept online at the library’s website, bellaire.lib.oh.us. Samantha McAfee, a staff member at the library, said engagement is strong.
Keller agreed. “We have a nice following. We have people who come to expect it and know that it’s coming up,” she said.
