The Three Economic Lives of Hancock County
At the very tippy-top of West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle is Hancock County. While many think of West Virginia as the transition area between the cultural north and south in the United States, Hancock County reaches further north than Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Columbus, Ohio. With that in mind, the history of the region has much less to do with coal and much more to do with industrial manufacturing, especially steel. Dedicated to preserving the history and culture of this part of West Virginia is the Weirton Area Museum and Cultural Center, which features an array of exhibits detailing the history of the region and ongoing events that bring visitors closer to the unique history and culture of this region. In support of the museum and cultural center’s mission, Dr. Lou Martin, Associate Professor of History at nearby Chatham University, presented Hancock County: From Pre-Industrial to Post Industrial on February 20, 2022 to an audience of folks invested in the history and future of the Northern Panhandle.
Lou Martin is a steady voice for West Virginia’s industrial and labor history. In addition to his role at Chatham University, he is also a founding board member of the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum in Matewan, which is about as far as you can get from Hancock County without entering Kentucky. Lou is also the author of Smokestacks in the Hills: Rural-Industrial Workers in West Virginia, which highlights the unique combination of industrialization and the preservation of rural habits and culture in areas like Hancock County.
His lecture on February 20 spanned the commercial and industrial history of the region from the late 1700s to the present, detailing the transition from an agriculturally driven economy to one firmly rooted in producing pottery and steel and finally on to the present, post-industrial era brought on by the proliferation of neoliberalism in state and federal government. As emphasized in the talk, neoliberalism has less to do with “liberals” and more to do with market-oriented reform policies like deregulation, incentivizing free trade, and privatization. Indeed, one of the strongest proponents of neoliberal trade policies is Ronald Reagan. That there should very clearly communicate the relationship between neoliberal trade policies to “the liberals.” Indeed, no one person or company is responsible for the shuttering of factories and mills, but rather it comes a consequence of a shift in global economic policy. Of course, it can be frustrating and confusing when major economic shifts occur and there is no one, clear individual or entity to blame.
Lou Martin, Ph.D. discussing the development of the potteries of the East Liverpool region, which includes Hancock County and Weirton.
Both Morgantown, West Virginia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania are examples of thriving communities with knowledge-based economies emerging after the fall of heavy industry. The term “meds and eds” is commonly applied to Pittsburgh, which has doubled-down on world-class institutions of higher education and medical facilities over the past five decades to great success. Within West Virginia, Morgantown is home to the largest institution of higher education in the state, West Virginia University. Each year more and more people flock to Morgantown to start careers at West Virginia University, WVU Medicine, and an increasing number of professional services and tech companies founded or branching out into the state to take advantage of the growing brain trust in the area. I relate strongly to this because, well, I am part of that movement!
The talk revealed that opportunities can spring up anywhere and that there are individuals and organizations interested in helping preserve and develop communities like Weirton. However, it can be difficult to connect communities in need with the resources available. Groups and individuals often do not know what they do not know.
With so much food-for-thought, it seemed like it was time for actual food. On the recommendation of West Virginia food blogger (and Northern Panhandle native), Candace Nelson, I stopped at Drover’s Inn to try out their legendary wings. Not your typical wing joint, Drover’s dates back to 1848 as a tavern and inn on the Washington Pike a few miles east of central Wellsburg, West Virginia. Each dining room (and the tavern) maintains the character of a bygone era and features extensive collections of local artifacts with an emphasis on glass produced in the area. Indeed, staff even urge guests to walk around and take in the accumulated history of hospitality.