Pulling the Thread: Untangling Wheeling History

Christina Fisanick, PhD

“Pulling the Thread: Untangling Wheeling History” is a captivating collection of 34 essays by Dr. Christina Fisanick, an English professor with a passion for historical storytelling. From her childhood beginnings in Moundsville, West Virginia, to her return to Wheeling after earning a PhD, Fisanick's journey through local, state, and national archives unfolds a tapestry of Wheeling's rich past.

Each essay is a thread pulled, leading to unexpected connections and revelations. From indigenous peoples to contemporary Juneteenth celebrations, Fisanick weaves a narrative that transcends time, bringing to light forgotten stories and hidden ties. Through meticulous research, she uncovers Mark Twain's unexpected links to Wheeling, the birth of the town of Power spurred by a Parisian exhibition, and even the connection between Oglebay Park and the tragic wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Fisanick's prose is as engaging as it is informative, blending the rigor of historical research with the flair of a novelist. Readers will delight in discovering Wheeling's Jewish heritage, the city's role in the film industry, and surprising anecdotes like the Black Panther demonstration at Wheeling High School. With each essay, Fisanick proves that good writing and good history are inseparable, making Pulling the Thread a must-read for history enthusiasts and story lovers alike.

"Christina Fisanick loves her hometown's history, and it shows. Her versions of Wheeling's stories are vivid and lively-- full of the often heartbreaking, sometimes uplifting energy that made Wheeling, whether bad or good, always a place worth visiting. Wheeling is an enigma. A paradox. A comedy of errors. And a place where important things happen, all at once. Fisanick gets that. And her Wheeling is all the better because she does."
- Sean Duffy, Programming Director and Local History Specialist at the Ohio County Public Library

“Delightful collection of historical tidbits and author commentary … Appalachia at its best.”
-Jeanne Finstein, President, Friends of Wheeling