Robert Pershing Wadlow wasn't born here in the tri-state. He was born February 22, 1918 in Alton Illinois. Weighing in at 8 lbs, 6 oz and normal length at birth, Robert seemed like a normal, healthy baby...the first son born to Addie and Harold Wadlow. However, by the time Robert was 6 months old, he already weighed in at 30lbs.
By the time Robert was an adult, he reached a weight of 490lbs...and a staggering height of 8 feet, 11.1 inches tall. His condition was blamed on an overactive pituitary gland, a condition that today can be easily remedied by doctors. But, at the time, it was incurable and would thrust young Robert into the public eye. As of this writing, Robert still holds the Guinness World record for not only being the World's Tallest Man, but also for being the world's tallest Boy Scout!
Being that size put a lot of physical strain on Robert's body, however, most notably in the fact that he had to wear braces to help him walk. It would be these braces that would kill him.
In early July of 1940, Robert was in Michigan for an Independence Day appearance at the National Forest Festival. Not only did Robert have to wear braces, but he had very little feeling in his lower extremities, and didn't realize until it was too late that one of his ill-fitting braces had rubbed a blister on his foot. The infection spread to his bloodstream, and Robert died in a Michigan hotel on July 15th. He was only 22 years old.
His body was brought home to Illinois and he was laid to rest at Oakwood Cemetery. His parents had most of his clothes and personal effects destroyed because they didn't want collectors selling their son's items as "freak memorabilia." However, Robert Wadlow has still remained an air of intrigue. The "Gentle Giant" is still loved and respected, and what memorabilia, such as photos, that survived are displayed at a local museum with taste and respect. There is also a statue of Robert, located in front of a local dental school.So what does all of this have to do with Robert and West Virginia?
It's not well known, but Robert Pershing Wadlow actually LIVED right here in West Virginia, in the town of Nitro! Robert's father, Harold, worked for an Illinois company that fabricated steel tanks. During the construction of Nitro, the government signed a contract with Harold's company to have a number of tanks constructed in the new community. Harold was appointed to come to West Virginia to oversee and manage the project.
Shortly after Harold had settled, Addie and baby Robert (whose middle name comes from the WWI general, General Pershing) joined him here in the Kanawha Valley. The work was completed by November and by then, the war had come to a close anyway, so the Wadlows packed up and moved back to Alton, well before Robert's first birthday.
More info on Robert
Robert Wadlow bio from Alton Web
The Tallest Man
I am actually doing research for my blog! Your account for him was very accurate.He went on tour with a shoe company who custom made his footwear. When he died his parents had his coffin filled with cement so no one would try to steal his skeleton.Known as the Alton Giant
ReplyDeleteCan you give a source for him living in Nitro, WV.
ReplyDeleteI'm still looking if I can find something viable. I know we discussed it in a local historical society meeting (Upper Vandalia Historical Society) years ago, and I think it was in a newsletter, or maybe even one of their books. As soon as I get some free time, I'll check through my personal library and see if I can find it!
DeleteHe also visited Clarksburg WV in 1939 and stayed at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel but I don’t know of any photos of that occasion
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