Wheeling, West Virginia: When Steel Workers Became Radio Stars

Wheeling, West Virginia. It's a Sunday afternoon in late 1939. 3,000 people pack into Wheeling's Capitol Theater, West Virginia's largest venue between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. But they're not here for a movie. They're not here for vaudeville. They're here to watch their neighbors perform on a national radio broadcast. The orchestra tunes up on stage. 42 musicians, machinists, crane operators, stenographers, dressed in matching uniforms. The Steel Sisters rehearse in their harmonies backstage.

TIMELINE
1919: The general steel strike begins.
1920: And for 15 years after that defeat, there's almost no union organizing in the steel industry.
1930: Then, in 1933, the National Industry Recovery Act sparks renewed organizing.
1933: But there's another shadow over Wheeling Steel.

WHY THIS MATTERS
The story of Wheeling is a reminder that the events that shaped America didn't always happen in the biggest cities. What unfolded here left marks on the community that are still visible today. The full story is more complicated, and more human, than the version most people know.

Episode 177 | Hometown History | Hosted by Shane Waters

If you liked this: Episode 178 (Gauley Bridge, West Virginia)

Hometown History explores forgotten stories from small-town America. The overlooked events, hidden triumphs, and buried tragedies that shaped the country we live in. New episodes every Tuesday. Find every episode at mythsandmalice.com/hometown-history

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