Mike Breiding's Epic Road Trips: 2024

12 May 2024
Springtime Walkabout in Oglebay Park

Preface
In 1952 my father George H. Breiding took a job as Naturalist at Oglebay Park in Wheeling, WV. And so began 13 years for the Breiding family of living in Oglebay Park. At that time part of the salary for park employees was housing. And so we spent those 13 years at 350 GC&P road in a small 3 bedroom house with one bathroom. There were 8 of us.

My dad worked at what was then called the Brooks Nature Center, a lovely wood and stone building which was demolished to make way for a bigger building with none of the charm and hominess of the original.

The Brooks Nature Center as drawn by Don Altemus.

Photo: William Wylie

George H. Breiding leading his first Oglebay Nature Walk - 1950.
He is carrying a vasculum in his left hand.

Oglebay Park is a self-supporting public municipal park, the only one of its kind, located on the outskirts of Wheeling, West Virginia, on 1,650 acres (670 ha). In 1926, Earl W. Oglebay (of Oglebay, Norton, and Company) deeded his estate, Waddington Farms, to the city of Wheeling for the express purpose of public recreation. The park has been open to the public since 1928 when its governing body, the Wheeling Park Commission, began operations.

Several Waddington Farms buildings, including the Mansion Museum and the greenhouse, remain in use today. Others, such as the Carriage House, have been rebuilt in the style of the original structures. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, the Oglebay Mansion is operated as a museum by the Oglebay Institute.

Source: WikiPedia

Betsy and I started at the bottom of the old Serpentine carriage road that is now used for a walking trail. When we arrived at the Garden Center we found it as expected - between the spring and summer plantings. There were no flowers to speak of, but the views from the top were fine.

Here is the old amphitheater where many perfomances have been enjoyed over the decades.

In the 1930s, about 200 young men were assigned to Oglebay Park to carry out CCC and WPA projects around the area. The CCC men lived in Camp Waddington and were paid $21 a month plus room and board. Even with President FDR’s innovative program, however, Oglebay Park relied heavily on generous donors to make improvements and infrastructure in the Park possible. According to Living New Deal, “Gift and loans were solicited to match the Works Progress Administration funds, making possible the building of nature trails and roads, picnic sites, cabins, tennis courts, the outdoor theater, Camp Russel, and the entire Crispin Center area.”

Source: weelunk.com

Looking towards Wilson Lodge over the wisteria trellis and herb gardens.

We wound our way down the path to the "trout pond".

The trout pond empties into the bigger Schenk Lake.

If you look closely at the tip of the shadow on the water you can just make out a Great Blue heron.

The clouds were beautiful and dramatic all day.

We had not seen the paddle swans before. I thought them a bit on the large size.

 

From the lake we went over to what I still call the Nature Center. This metal sculpture was on display behind the building.

It is made entirely of recycled rebar.

 

We took the path down into the ravine and past this old watering trough, a remanent of when cattle roamed the hills of Waddington Farms.

The trail led us up Camp Russell Hill. As we walked up the hill towards the old log building, we were anticipating a little rest and some snacks.

The single log building by that name (Camp Russell) was constructed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Its size is deceiving. It can hold up to 200 people for receptions, dinners, and the like. Oglebay Park is a self-supporting public municipal park, the only one of its kind. It has been open to the public since 1928, when the Wheeling Park Commission began operations at the former estate of Earl W. Oglebay. In 1926, Oglebay donated his summer estate, Waddington Farms, to the city of Wheeling.

Source: Library of Congress

Over the years many thousands of campers have recited the The Pledge of Allegiance at this spot.

 

We then made our way down the hill and back to the lake and through the road tunnel. The swans looked somewhat surreal to me.

We then climbed the hill up to Wilson Lodge. From here you can see the Garden Center in the distance.

Amazing clouds, don't ya think?

Here is a look at the Garden Center from the old Race Track. Soon we will be there and then finish of our Walk About on Serpentine.

It's all down hill from here.

Click on the image to read some of the text.

See you next time...
Mike and Betsy

 

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