The Northern Panhandle, especially Wheeling, became the center of iron and steel making in West Virginia. Wheeling’s first ironworks opened around 1834, and by 1860, it had several factories making cut nails, which were important at the time.

The Wheeling-La Belle Nail Company, started in 1852, made cut nails using old 1800s machines well into the 2000s. Located in south Wheeling, the company helped give the city its nickname “Nail City."

As cut nails became less popular in the late 1800s, La Belle began making tin and steel products. The plant closed in 2010 due to economic troubles and foreign competition.

Some of the old nail machines are now on display at the Artisan Center and West Virginia Independence Hall in Wheeling and the State Museum in Charleston.