WHEELING, W.Va. — History comes alive on Sunday, September 24, at the Greenwood Cemetery in Wheeling, West Virginia. The tour begins at 1 p.m. and will run continuously throughout the afternoon, with the last tour beginning at 4:15.
The Friends of Wheeling cemetery tour returns with volunteers dressed in period-appropriate clothing to tell the stories of several notable people from the Wheeling area. The non-profit online magazine that shares the stories of Wheeling, Weelunk, tells us what to expect in this unique look into the past.
According to Weelunk, the Friends of Wheeling is West Virginia’s oldest historic preservation organization and has hosted cemetery tours since the early 90’s. Because several notable Wheeling figures are interred at Greenwood Cemetery, it makes the ideal location. The group has also done tours in the Mt. Wood and Stone Church Cemeteries as well.
Some of the notable figures you can meet include rival brewers Anton Reymann and Henry Schmulbach, portrayed by Dave Barnett and Hal Gorby, respectively. You’ll also meet Jacob Thomas, co-founder of Wheeling Stone & Thomas Department Store, and Hanson Waddell, a prominent glass industry executive, who is portrayed by his great-grandson Jay Frey.
Guests will also get to meet two prominent doctors of the era, Dr. John Eoff and Dr. John Frissell. Eoff is suggested to be the first medically trained doctor in Wheeling, and Frissell was one of the founders of Wheeling Hospital.
The developer of what is now Woodsdale, Ruth Woods, will also be portrayed, as well as artist Edith Lake Wilkinson, whose artwork has been featured in HBO’s Packed in a Trunk, and many, many more.
Parking for this event is available at Wheeling Park, and Kepner and Altmeyer Funeral Home limousines will transport visitors to and from the cemetery.
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