Point Pleasant WV History

Point Pleasant, WV The Way We Were

Coupola in middle distance is the courthouse. Early 1900s.

Early 1900s Main Street

Early 1900s. Awnings on east side of Main Street to protect against sun, woman in bonnet on right.

1918 Main Street. Note street light top middle, woman on balcony on left, buggy on right.

1920s Main Street looking south from above post office.

Street light can be seen faintly in the middle.

Main Street north from 9th Street.

Fort Randolph in what is now Tu-Endie-Wei park. The battle monument was not erected until 1909.

Viand north from the K&M railroad bridge

The Barbee Block. The Silver Bridge was later constructed to the left of this building

The AA VanGilder drug store and Western Union

Ben Franklin shoe store

Beale’s Hall

The Bickle Block

DS Snyder Grocery

Equity Milling

Filson Bros. Hardware

The Hein Building

HG Nease Store

Hooff’s Opera House – 313 Main Street

JW Friedman Clothes and Shoes

JW Rhoades Hardware

The Kisar Block

Mason County Jail

Mercy Hospital

Mutual Realty, builders of the Spencer Hotel, later renamed the Lowe Hotel

The Phoenix Hotel

Swisher Grocery

The “Mansion House” in Tu-Endie-Wei Park

Original location of Cornstalk monument by the first courthouse

Battle Monument Dedication

Battle Monument dedication program

County clerk’s staff

The Spencer Hotel, the Lowe Hotel beginning in 1929

The gym of the original Point Pleasant High School shown beyond trees at right

Malleable Iron Works

Malleable Iron Works - 1925

Point Pleasant Ice Plant

Point Pleasant Water and Light

Point Pleasant town lockup and hose house for fire hoses

Heights

Heights at left with Point Pleasant Development Association land to the right.

Heights

Main Street, Early 1950s

1913 Flood. The white cupola at right is the Mason County Courthouse

Flooded Main Street

Flooded Main Street, 1947

1947 flood Viand Street looking south

Flooded Main Street

High water almost to the top of the Lowe Hotel fireplace, close to the mezzanine floor

House or “shanty” boat on the south side of the Kanawha near the Ohio River

Packet “Kanawha”, K&M railroad bridge in background

Busy river and docks

Ice on the Ohio

Boat Builders 1916 – 1970s

Laying the post office cornerstone - 1913

First parking meters - 1942

1937 Potato Queen – this festival was held to encourage raising potatos in Mason County. Raising apples was also encouraged.

IGA Foodliner on Main Street

John Brown Grocery

A&P Grocery Store, 303 Main Street

Point Pleasant Grocery Compay

Evans Grocery

Fairs and shows played important roles in town history

One of several river shows that called at Point Pleasant

Town newspapers included the Weekly Register, followed by the Point Pleasant Register

Reported as the 4th car in Point Pleasant.

No information about who owned it.

Jackson Avenue, 1918

Fruth Phamacy

Original post office, later state liquor store and now a restaurant. Silver Bridge was built to the left of the building. K&M railroad bridge across the Ohio to the left.

Shadle Bridge Tollhouse

New York Central Railroad Workers

Dr. Benjamin F. Sommer, Leon

Doc Summer of Leon

Doc Eshenauer

Point Clinic Staff

Floodwall Construction: Ground broken August 21, 1948,

by Mayor BW Krodel. Cost was $2.5M, scheduled for 1950 completion.

WV Ordnance Works

Bob Evans Drive-In

Main Street Parade

Photo sources: Ruth and Russ Finley Steve Shaluta The Point Pleasant River Museum Point Pleasant Restoration Foundation Point Pleasant Register Supplement 1922 Carolyn Costen Hartenbach Lynn Fruth Arlona Tait Rick Halstead