T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA Belmont County Tourism Council executive director Jackee Pugh speaks about some of the countless events happening in Belmont County this summer.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — As Belmont County prepares for a summer filled with events celebrating the county’s 225th anniversary and the nation’s 250th anniversary, Jackee Pugh provided an update to the Belmont County Board of Commissioners on Thursday morning.

“This is a very historic year, not only in Belmont County, but also in America. 2026 marks the semiquincentennial, which is a word I never thought I would have to say so much in my life. It is known as the 250th anniversary of America, a once-in-a-generation milestone. But also, Belmont County is celebrating its 225th anniversary this year, as well,” Pugh said. “We were really excited to kind of jump in from a tourism perspective and take these anniversaries as much more than a date on the calendar. They are opportunities to reflect on who we are, where we came from and where we’re going. There are opportunities to celebrate our communities, honor our heritage, engage with our residents, welcome visitors and create a sense of pride throughout the county.”

She added that in preparation for a summer filled with America 250 events, her office has spent the past year planning meetings that brought together stakeholders from local governments, historical societies, museums, small businesses, school board members and others hosting America 250 events.

She said the meetings were designed to encourage collaboration so events could be spread throughout the year instead of being concentrated around the Fourth of July.

“This way we can build some momentum together to create a larger regional impact. Instead of these isolated events, we wanted Belmont County to be unified in these celebrations all year long,” Pugh said. “Some initiatives that we currently have underway, we’re developing a countywide America 250-Belmont County 225 event guide. We’ve done outreach to try and collect all of the events happening. We’re going to publish it in a brochure that would be very nice to give out to all residents and visitors to promote the historic events happening throughout the year. We’ve been delayed a little on the timeline, because I’m still getting events, and I’m scared that the second I hit print, I’m going to hear from all of the people that are not in the guide. I just got one submitted yesterday, so I had hoped to have those by now but we’re going to shoot for mid-June.”

She encouraged anyone planning America 250 or Belmont County 225 events to contact her so she can help spread the word.

Pugh added that with the Belmont County Courthouse Plaza soon to be transformed into Belmont County Veterans Plaza, she believes it is the perfect time to place a time capsule in front of the courthouse.

The reconstruction of the Belmont County Courthouse campus will facilitate bicycle and pedestrian connectivity, meet ADA regulations and enhance access to vital services and historic sites.

“It will include a snapshot of life in Belmont County today, our values, hopes and stories for future generations to discover,” Pugh said. “It’s a symbolic and meaningful way to connect the past, present and future. Beyond Belmont County, the state is doing time capsules as well. There’s one that’s going to be at the Ohio State Fair in August. All 88 counties will be included in that, so we’ll be providing some items to preserve our history.”

She added that the county also will be launching a countywide student art initiative in the fall.

“We’ve been engaging with high school students throughout Belmont County schools to do an American 250 art contest, with one winning piece from each of the schools that entered transformed into large-scale murals that will be put up in the communities where that student is from,” Pugh said. “In addition to those murals, the original art will be on display here at the courthouse. We love this initiative because it ties in student creativity. It gives the youth ownership of this big anniversary, and it helps beautify our communities. Younger artists will also be involved and through a partnership with the Ohio Valley Mall, we’ve created some coloring sheets that we’ve been passing out at all of the events that we’ve been to.”

She added that she believes those efforts are about more than commemorating history. She said they are opportunities to strengthen community pride, encourage visitation, engage younger generations and showcase Belmont County’s role in Ohio and American history.

Pugh said she attended Ohio Tourism Day at the Ohio Statehouse on Tuesday, where she was able to showcase the various events and resources Belmont County has to offer.

She said destinations from across Ohio gather on the Statehouse lawn to promote tourism and share what makes their communities unique.

“We have so much to offer visitors. It was rewarding to represent our county and continue building that awareness again this year, as with the last four years I’ve done this, I’ve run out of Underground Railroad Museum brochures within the first 45 minutes that I’ve been there,” Pugh said. “The interest at a state level for some of the attractions that we have here locally is really high. The interest in the Black Horse Inn is represented to me every time that I attend this event and how important that work is.”

In 2024, the Underground Railroad Museum received $3.9 million from Mike DeWine’s Appalachian Community Grant Program. The program is part of a $154 million investment in Appalachian downtowns and destinations. Through the grant, the museum is able to move from Flushing to Morristown into the historic Black Horse Inn. The project is expected to be completed in October.

Pugh also announced that veterans motorcycling organization Run For The Wall plans to return to St. Clairsville for Memorial Day weekend.

The annual stop will bring the organization into the county Sunday evening, where it will be welcomed by Pugh during a public dinner at the former JoAnn Fabrics location at 5 p.m. The organization will then spend Memorial Day in St. Clairsville as Main Street is closed and more than 300 motorcycles line the street ahead of a Memorial Day ceremony scheduled for 7:30 a.m. on the courthouse steps.

“It is one of my favorite events of the year. The community support is just so great and so welcoming, and really shows the level of patriotism and pride that we have here in Belmont County,” Pugh said.