Point Pleasant, WV The Way We Were
The purpose of this slideshow is to place pictures about Point Pleasant’s early history in one place for viewing by all. It is not intended for any commercial purpose. Rather it aims at providing a sense of how the town grew over the years. Sources include images placed on Facebook by various people interested in Point Pleasant, the WVU Historical Photographs Collection, the Library of Congress, the Point Pleasant Weekly Register, the Point Pleasant Register, the Charleston Gazette, and the Athens Messenger.
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 first high school, which later became Central Elementary school. Mason County Public Library is now at this location
September 7, 1910 Point Pleasant Register
The high school which sat in the open field roughly across from Wendy’s
The high school gym - left of the building in the image above
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
1937 flood. Lowe Hotel at right, Silver Bridge in the background. The stained glass windows are on the hotel mezzanine level.
Main Street 1937 flood.
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
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 Eshenauer
Point Clinic Staff
Floodwall Construction: Ground broken August 21, 1948, by Mayor BW Krodel. Cost was $2.5M, scheduled for 1950 completion.
Harris Steakhouse fountain
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 Ami Williams Ryan Grady