A PLANT OF UNEQUALLED CAPACITY IN THE MANUFACTURING OF DRY AND WET PROCESS PORCELAIN INSULATORS. PORCELAIN PRODUCTS, INC. CLOSED IN THE 1960s

BY THE OHIO RIVER STANDS THE PARKERSBURG IRON & STEEL PLANT.

THE LARGEST PLANT IN THE WORLD MANUFACTURING DERRICKS AND OTHER OIL FIELD EQUIPMENT. THE PARKERSBURG RIG & REEL CO. PARKERSBURG PLANT. BECOMING PARMAC INC. A SUBSIDIARY OF MALONEY CRAWFORD TANK CORP. IN 1966 

THIS WAS WRITTEN IN 1935 / THE LARGEST SHOVEL PLANT IN THE WORLD. AMES BALDWIN WYOMING CO. AN OUT GROWTH OF THE ORIGINAL FACTORY, IN NORTH EASTON, MASS. WHERE THE FIRST GENUINE O. AMES SHOVELS WERE MADE 161 YEARS A GO. CLOSED ON SEPTEMBER 14 2005   

THE PARKERSBURG SILK MILLS FACTORY1935

THE IMPORTANT LINK IN THE CHAIN OF STANDARD OIL THE PARKERSBURG PLANT OF THE STANDARD OIL CO. OF NEW JERSEY COVERING 87 ACRES.  1935

COVERING AN AREA OF 30 ACRES UNDER ROOF IS THE LARGEST RAYON FACTORY IN THE WORLD THE PARKERSBURG PLANT THE AMERICAN VISCOSE CO. THEY MAKE " CROWN " BRAND RAYON THE VISCOSE CO WAS PURCHASED IN 1963 BY FMC CORP CLOSED THERE DOORS IN 1974

 ( THIS WAS WRITTEN IN 1935 ) ONE OF THE TWO PLANTS IN THE WORLD MAKING VITROLITE. THE VITROLITE CO. RECENTLY ACQUIRED BY THE LIBBEY OWENS FORD CO.   

A BOILER MADE BY HE DONOVAN BOILER WORKS

1890 PARKERSBURG WV MAIL CARRIERS

STANDING - ARMSTRONG CLEGG - WILLIAM CROLLEY - SITTING JOHN DOLAN - HARRY HOPKINS

EARLY FORT NEAL POST OFFICE THE FIRST IN  SOUTH PARKERSBURG ON THE CORNER OF CAMDEN AVE & EAST STREET. EARLY 1950s

THE PARKERERSBURG BREWERY CO.

THE FIRST PARKERSBURG BREWERY WAS BUILT AROUND MARRTOWN ROAD BY MARCUS RAPP IN 1859. THE BREWERY WAS CALLED THE RAPP & HEBRANK BREWERY. A NEW BREWERY WAS BUILT IN 1896 AT 648 7TH ST PARKERSBURG WV THEY CHANGED THE NAME TO THE PARKERERSBURG BREWERY. THE PARKERSBURG BREWING CO. SEE HISTORY   HEBRANK-RAPP - PARKERSBURG BREWERY HISTORY

THE TERRAPIN PARK & CASINO.

In 1898, Charles H. Shattuck, president of the Parkersburg Electric Power and Street Railway, decided to build a trolley park, a company-owned park along one of the streetcar lines to attract riders. Shattuck purchased land on the outskirts of Parkersburg at Dudley Avenue and Twenty-fifth Street and began construction of what he called Terrapin Park. Built in 1899, the Terrapin Park Casino was not a gambling casino as we use the term today, but a large multi-purpose building. The casino featured a cafe, cigar stand, and confectionery, but it was the 2,OOO-seat auditorium that drew the crowds. People stood in line to get tickets for plays, musical entertainment, vaudeville, and moving pictures plus performances by the Amazing Canadian Diving Elks and Dare Devil Jack.  

THE OLD CHANCELLOR HOTEL CORNER OF MARKET & 7 TH STREET WAS TORN DOWN IN THE 70s WAS A PARKING LOT FOR A LONG TIME. 

THE BLENNERHASSETT HOTEL AROUND 1902  

THE OLD CHANCELLOR HOTEL 1935

CARNEGIE PUBLIC LIBRARY 1935

MONROE HOTEL IN THE EARLY 1900S WAS TORN DOWN IN THE 70s

THE OLD PARKERSBURG CITY BUILDING IT HOUSED THE POLICE DEP AND FIRE DEP. WAS TORN DOWN IN THE EARLY 1980s

OLD WOOD COUNTY JAIL IN 1890 WAS COUNTY PRISON 

COUNTY PRISON PARKERSBURG 1890

WOOD COUNTY COURTHOUSE

SHERMAN DILS SECOND FLOOR OF HIS MOTOR MART FORD DEALERSHIP EARLY 1930s THAT WAS LATER KNOWN AS THE COLISEUM THE LARGEST BALL ROOM IN THE STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA WITH 18;000 SQ. FEET OF FLOOR SPACE. LATTER WAS A SKATING RINK

CAMDEN CLARK OR CITY HOSPITAL 1935 

ST. JOSEPH'S HOSPITAL  1935

GREYHOUND BUS 1935 IN FRONT OF CHANCELLOR HOTEL 

EVANS MOTOR EXPRESS 1935

SUMNER SCHOOL

IN 1862 WAS THE FIRST FREE SCHOOL SOUTH OF THE MASON DIXON LINE FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN. WAS FOUNDED BY SEVEN AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN TO PROVIDE AN EDUCATION FOR THEIR CHILDREN.

1935 THE COLISEUM THE LARGEST BALL ROOM IN THE STATE WITH 18;000 SQ. FEET OF FLOOR SPACE. LATTER WAS A SKATING RINK

THE LAKE IN THE CITY PARK KNOWN AS " THE LILY POND " IS THE SECOND LARGEST LILY POND IN THE WORLD.

WHEN THE B & O RAILROAD BRIDGE WAS BUILT ACROSS THE OHIO RIVER IN 1871 IT WAS 4397 FT LONG IT WAS 7140 FT LONG ACROSS PARTS OF PARKERSBURG & BELPRE OH. AT THAT TIME IT WAS THE LONGEST BRIDGE OF THAT TYPE IN THE WORLD. 

THAT IN PARKERSBURG WV THERE  POST OFFICE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST IN THE COUNTRY TO OFFER FREE CITY MAIL DELIVERY IN 1887

THAT FLOATING SOAP LATER SOLD TO PROCTOR & GAMBLE AS " IVORY " WAS DEVELOPED IN PARKERSBURG BY UPSON OIL & SOAP WORKS.

THAT VICTOR BLOEDE THE BALTIMORE CHEMIST THAT DEVELOPED THE ADHESIVE ON POSTAGE STAMPS BEGAN HIS CAREER IN PARKERSBURG.

THAT IN PARKERSBURG IN 1862 WAS THE FIRST FREE SCHOOL SOUTH OF THE MASON DIXON LINE FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN. WAS FOUNDED BY SEVEN AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN TO PROVIDE AN EDUCATION FOR THEIR CHILDREN.

THAT SINCE 1957 PARKERSBURG IS CALLED THE SAVINGS BOND CAPITAL OF AMERICA.   WHEN THE U. S. TREASURY DEPARTMENT'S BUREAU OF THE PUBLIC WAS MOVED HERE. IN 1957 ALL U. S. SAVINGS BOND'S BOUGHT GOES THROUGH PARKERSBURG. 

THAT THE COLISEUM WAS THE LARGEST BALL ROOM IN THE STATE WITH 18;000 SQ. FEET OF FLOOR SPACE. FOR CONVENTIONS AND DANCES. MANY OF THE FINEST ORCHESTRAS IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE PLAYED HERE.

THAT IN 1899 ABOUT THE 2500 BLOCK OF DUDLEY AVE. THE TERRAPIN PARK & CASINO. WAS BUILT THE $15,000 CASINO HAD A 2000 SEAT AUDITORIUM, DANCE HALL & BOWLING ALLEYS. IN SEPTEMBER 1917 IT WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE. 

THAT THE LAKE IN THE CITY PARK KNOWN AS " THE LILY POND " IS THE SECOND LARGEST LILY POND IN THE WORLD.

  West Virginia's first oil pipeline, from Volcano to Parkersburg, in 1879