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BELMONT COUNTY, OHIO - 755 CHAPTER V. BY COL. C. L. POORMAN. CITIES AND TOWNS-THEIR GROWTH AND ORGANIZATION - BELLAIRE - ST. CLAIRSVILLE - BRIDGEPORT- BARNESVILLE MARTIN'S FERRY - MORRISTOWN - FLUSHING - BELMONT- HENDRYSBURG- OTHER TOWNS AND VILLAGES, ETC. HE early towns in Belmont county, with the exception of Pultney, the original county town, and Bridgeport, were all away from the Ohio river and along the ridges or high lands in the several townships. These towns were laid out in the following order: Pultney and Nowelstown, now St. Clairsville, in 1800; Morristown in 1802; Bridgeport and Uniontown in 1806; Belmont and Barnesville in 1808; Flushing in 1813; Farmington and Jacobsburgh in 1815; Somerton in 1818; Centerville and Hendrysburg in 1828; Pleasant Grove in 1830; Sewellsville, Loydsville and Steinersville in 1831. Later organizati0ns were Bellaire, Boston and New Castle in 1834; Martin's Ferry in 1835; Temperanceville in 1837; West Wheeling in 1838; Rockhill in 1844; Hunter in 1848; Powhatan in 1849; Warnock in 1854; Fairmont and Glencoe in 1855; Stewartsville in 1868; Maynard in 1874; AEtnaville (usually regarded as part of Bridgeport) and Georgetown were platted later. Those since 1849 have been along the lines of railroad. 756 - HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY. Bellaire is the largest town or city in Belmont county. The greater part of the city is upon a high bottom above the of all past floods in the river and at the mouth of McMahan creek, one of the larger streams of the county. The commercial advantages of its lo- cation have been recognized by all railroad constructors that have built railroads in or through the county, and all thus far built terminate in Bellaire. The old town of Bellaire was laid out in 1834 by Jacob Davis, whose father purchased the land in 1802 and was one of the original settlers. The first house built in it was put up by Jacob Davis, in 1829, and the writer had it torn down in 1870, when the buildings of the Bellaire Implement and Machine works were erected. The town grew slowly until the construction of the Central Ohio railroad was completed in 1854, and the Cleveland and Pittsburg railroad in 1856. In 1852 Col. J. H. Sullivan and others purchased the Harris farm and laid out the new city and called it Bellaire. The following addi- tions, which show the rapid growth of the city 4s well as anything can, were made at the time specified: Rodefer's first addition, January 30, 1856; Harris farm addition, September 5, 1856; Rodefers' second ad- dition, July, 1856; Rodefer's third addition, November 3, 1859; Sullivan, Barnard & Cowen's addition, October 13, 1866; Bates' addition, March 31, i868; Fink's addition, September 15, 1868; Fink's second addition, September 25, 1869; Sullivan, Barnard & Cowen's second addition, and Mrs. J. H. Sullivan's Rose Hill addition, June 5, 1869; Cummins' first addition, December I, 1870; Cummins' second addition, September 10, 1872; Cummins' third addition, June 28, 1873; Cum- mins' fourth addition, October 3, 1874; Heatherington's first addition, July II, 1871; Bates' addition, July 15, 1871; Barnard, Cummins & Hammond's addition, July 25, 1871; Carroll, Armstrong & Co.'s addi- tion, February 21, 1872; Fink's third addition, June 22, 1872; Heather- ington's second addition, June 27, 1872; Heatherington's third addition, December 5, 1872; Barnard's first addition, April 3, 1873; Austin's addition, August 22, 1873; Horn's addition, February 21, 1874; Austin's second addition, August 28, 1874; Barnard's second addition, September 4, 1876; Cummins' fifth addition, April 15, 1878; Barnard & Cowen's addition, April 15, 1878; Sullivan, Barnard & Cowen's third addition, February 27, 1878; Sheets' addition, March 21, 1879. Early Settlers and Business Men.—The following persons were among the earlier purchasers of lots in Bellaire: H. B. Cunningham, John Wallace, R. Wallace and William Frazier, purchased lots in 1834; George Wheatly,Adam Long, Francis Hollingshead, Hiram McMahan, R. H. O'Neal, Robert Tarbet and Jesse Bailey, in 1836, and John Hoff- man, James Dunlap, Richard Hawkins, C. S. S. Baron, Amos Worley, Thomas M. Davis, Harrison Porter and John Christian bought soon after. Amos Worley built the third house and carried on cabinet- making, Joseph Rine was the first coal merchant, Capt. John Fink and the Heatheringtons entered the business a few years later, Francis Hollingshead was the first grocer, Joseph McCullough kept a shoe shop in the second frame house built in the town. He was succeeded BELMONT COUNTY, OHIO - 757 by Benjamin Westlake. William Hunter made the first brick, John Archer was the first cooper, the Longs were boat builders, John Rees was a blacksmith, J. M. Beard a wagon maker, and a Jew named Weish, the first clothier. A postoffice was established in 1841, and John Archer was appointed postmaster. His successors were: Dr. Andrews, John Anderson, A. W. Anderson, William Dunn, Robert Harper, Mrs. H. A. Birdsong, George A. Wise, D. W. Cooper and D. H. Donal the present incumbent. The town was incorporated in 1860. In 1870 and in 1873 the corporate limits were extended, and in the latter .year the village charter was changed to the city charter. The following persons have served as mayor: 1860-61, John Kelley; 1861-63, A. W. Anderson; 1863-68, E. B. Winans; 1868-70, A. O. Mellotte; 1870-74, George Crisnell; 1874-78, Joel Strahl; 1878-80, Levi Cassell; 1880-84, D. W. Cooper; 1886-90, W. H. Brown; 1890--, S. S. McGowen. Growth and Present Condition - On the completion of the Central Ohio and Cleveland & Pittsburgh railroads, to Bellaire, it commenced to grow rapidly. The first flint glass works, the Belmont, was organized in 1861. It was followed by the National, in 1869; the Goblet works, in 1876; the Ohio Glass works, in 1878; the Bellaire Bottle works, and the AEtna Glass works in 1880. Some changes and enlargements have occurred in these factories, but they are all in operation now. The first window glass works was erected in 1872, by the Bellaire Window Glass company, that has since been doubled in capacity. The Union Window Glass works were started in 1880; the Crystal Window Glass works, in 1882, and the Enterprise Window Glass works, in 1884. These works are all now running. The Bellaire Nail works was organized in 1866. It has been enlarged from forty-five nail machines to 127 machines. The company has built a blast furnace with a capacity of 100 tons of pig iron daily, and a steel plant with a capacity of 275 tons in twenty-four hours. The Bellaire Stamping works organized in 1871, as the Baron Manufacturing company, has been enlarged until its present capacity is three or four times what it originally was, and runs the year round. The Bellaire Cement works, Barnhill & Co. Boiler works, "'Etna Machine works and foundry, Buckeye Lantern works, the Gill Bros'. Glass-pot works, Dubois & McCoy's Planing mills, Ault's and Stewart & Ward's Merchant Flouring mills, the repair shops of the B. & O. and the C. & P. railroads and eight coal mines. These great manufacturing establishments, with the incident carpenters, masons, blacksmiths, wagon-makers, tailors, shoemakers, merchants, butchers, newspapers, and other ordinary callings in such a community, make Bellaire a live and prosperous city. A water works erected in 1874, at a cost of $100,000, and since enlarged, furnishes the people with an abundant supply of good soft water. The Bellaire Gas Light and Coke company, organized in 1873, has supplied the city with gas, and under a re-organization in 1889, as the 758 - HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY. Bellaire Electric Light and Gas company, is now furnishing both electric lights and gas. The Street Railway company, organized in 1875, passed into new hands in 1887, and the road has been rebuilt in a much better manner than orgininally constructed, and is a first-class road of great accom- modation to the people. Schools - The educational facilities are excellent. A good school building in each ward with from three to eight rooms and a central or high school building, the management of which is elsewhere more particularly described. Churches - There are in the city four Methodist Episcopal churches (two colored), two Presbyterian churches, one Christian church, one Catholic church, one United Presbyterian church, one Episcopal church, and one German Lutheran church. Commercial Business - The assessed valuation for taxation of the real and personal property in the city is $3,250,000, and increasing at the rate of $160,000 a year. In addition to the establishments speci- fically named there are in the city two banks, seven fine drug stores, nine dry goods stores, eleven clothing and gents' furnishing houses; nine boot and shoe stores, four tin and sheet iron manufacturers and stove dealers; three hardware stores, three toy and wall paper stores, two furniture and chair dealers, three painting and decorating firms, six cigar factories, five livery stables, five watch and silversmiths, sixty grocers and provision dealers, seven confectioners, twelve barber shops, with butchers, blacksmiths, marble cutters, news dealers, masons, carpenters, etc. Newspapers - There are three weekly, one semi-weekly and two daily papers running apparently successfully, and numerous others have been started, ran a brief career, and died. The Independent, started in 1876, by a company, J. B. Longley, editor, purchased by J. F. Anderson, in 1877, started a small daily edition in 1881, and enlarged to a six column folio in 1890. The Tribune, a republican paper started by C. L. Poorman in 1879, as a weekly, issued a six-col- umn daily in 1881, and made the weekly a semi-weekly, and in 1885 enlarged the daily to a seven-column folio. The Herald, a democratic paper, started in 1885, by E. M. Lockwood, was sold in 1890 to A. C. Meyer, who is now running it. The Bellaire Democrat, a neat forty- column quarto, made its appearance as a democratic paper in 1888, published by William C. Warnock, is the best patronized democratic paper ever published in the city. Improved Streets and Roads. Bellaire has the best paved streets of any city of equal size in the state and new contracts are being sold for still further improvements. At the April election here citizens voted by a large majority, agreeing to be taxed with the people of Pultney township to construct five macadamnized r0ads leading from the city in different directions through the township, which will be of great value to the city when constructed. All indications point to a rapid and substantial growth of the city in the near future. St. Clairsville - The capital of the county, St. Clairsville, is situated BELMONT COUNTY, OHIO - 759 0n the line of the national road, eleven miles west of the Ohio river, and 560 feet above its level, on a site commanding a magnificent view of the rich agricultural country surrounding it. It was laid out in 1801 by David Newell and called Newelstown. In 1803 it was enlarged by Mather's addition, and called St. Clairsville, in honor of Arthur St. Clair, governor of the Northwest Territory. It was made the seat of justice for the county in 1804, as elsewhere related. For many years it was the principal trading town in the county and grew rapidly until 1840, being on the line of the leading road in the country in early days, and this became the national road in 1828-9. In early days a large trade was carried on here in ginseng, furs, grain and produce which was hauled to the river and shipped on flat-boats to New Orleans. In this way the people of the county obtained their money to meet cash outlays for taxes and other items. From a letter written in 1808, we give a description of this business: "The produce collected here for the Atlantic ports, are flour (for New Orleans market), hemp, flax, bees-wax, and in the fall of 1807, 12,000 weight of snake-root and 6,000 weight of ginseng (3;000 weight of which being clarified), was sent to the ports of Philadelphia and Baltimore." The village was incorporated in January, 1807, and the following officers appointed to serve until their successors were elected: John Patton, president; Sterling Johnson, recorder; Samuel Sullivan, marshal; Michael Groves, William Brown, John Brown and Josiah Dillon, trustees; William Cougleton, collector; James Caldwell, treasurer. A new charter was issued by the secretary of state December 19,1818, indicating a lapse or death of the old incorporation. Since 1840 there has been little growth or development, except within the past three or four years, the new growth being due to an influx of .well-to-do farmers and others seeking a healthy, intelligent location, for a retired life, and the business transacted now, outside of that connected with the courts and official business of the county, is less than twenty years ago, and in fact, the following pen-picture of the business aspect of the place, written of its condition in 1808, by a citizen of the place, makes one doubt whether it has made much progress in point of material industry since that date: " Here are two schools, five taverns, eight stores well assorted with goods, seven carpenters, three masons, two blacksmiths, two tanners, or curriers, four cabinet-makers, one brick-maker, two saddlers, one pottery, one tinner, two manufacturers of cut nails, two clock and watchmakers, four shoemakers, three tailors, two turners in wood, one spinning wheel maker (a very useful manufacture in a new country, and especially at this time when every family is a dollar richer for every cent laid out in buying a spinning wheel, and pounds for every shilling's worth in home made garments), one cartwright, two windsor chair-makers, and one maker of split- bottom chairs, two distilleries, one victualer, three physicians, and two attorneys — in the latter the growth has been large. Among the early merchants and business men were these: James Caldwell, first dry goods store, in 1801, was president of Belmont bank 760 - HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY. in 1816, and died in 1837; John Winters, merchant, 1802; James Barnes, 1803; Peter Yarnald, John Patterson and John Thompson, in 1806; Josiah Dillon, Samuel Sharp and John Carter & Co., in 1807; Joseph Harris and Richard Freeman, in 1808; Josiah Hedges, 1813, and Richard Charlesworth, 1819. None of these have left family successors in the business of the place. Newspapers - St. Clairsville Gazette, J. W. Milligan, editor, and Belmont Chronicle, W. A. Hunt, editor. Churches - Presbyterian, Robert Alexander, pastor; United Pres.byterian, Thomas Balph, pastor; Methodist Episcopal, J. H. Hollings- head, pastor. Schools. - The schools of St. Cairsville are among the best in the county, employing seven teachers in six rooms, with 388 of an enumeration, and at a cost of $5,600. Population in 1880, 1,128. Bridgeport - May 9, 1806, the town of Canton, now Bridgeport, was laid out by Ebenezer Zane, of Wheeling, who had secured the lands along Wheeling creek as far west as the Scott farm, and up the Ohio river to Burlington. It was located on the n0rth side of Wheeling creek on the line of the " Indian trail," afterward " the Zane road, and since the National road. Elijah Woods, the son-in-law of Mr. Zane, was active in the early growth and development of Bridgeport. In 1807, there were thirteen houses. At this early date boat-building was inaugurated by Moses Rhodes, who built flat- and keel-boats for the river trade, for carrying the produce of the county to points above and below on the river; and Bridgeport was the shipping point for the county and maintained the lead in this line until the construction of railroads. Among the early business men of Bridgeport were Thomas Thompson who kept a tavern, the first in the place; Ezra Williams, a wheelwright; Moses Rhodes, and Artemus Baker, boat- builders; Elijah Woods, ferryman; Thomas Woods and Benjamin Bloomfield, John Pettis, Ford Scott and John Scott kept stores in 1820. Samuel Fitch established a wholesale store in 1825; he struck the first pick west of the river in the work of the National road. This enterprise gave Canton a substantial growth. In 1844 there was another impetus to business, and for ten years there was substantial growth and development. Among the leading business houses during this period were: Rhodes & Oglebay, Holloway & Warfield, Anderson & Dewey, D. B. Atkinson & Co., Bell & Harden, grocers, dry goods and forwarders. The shipping business in 1854 amounting to about $150,000. Since 1864 there has been rapid growth in business largely due to the gr0wth of manufacturing business. Bridgeport proper was incorporated March 14, 1836. The incorporated limits were extended to the north line of AEtnaville. laid out in 1873, and south of the La Belle glass works, including Kirkwood laid out January 28, 1834, by Joseph Kirkwood, Zane's addition in 1831, and Allen's addition in 1836. – Men Who Served as Mayor - Peter Cusick was first mayor of Bridgeport, Hugh McNeeley followed. James D. Callighan served from BELMONT COUNTY, OHIO - 761 1838-40. There were no corporate elections from 1840-47, when Moses Rhodes was elected. Since then the following have served: B. T. Brown, November 17, 1847, to April 12, 1848; S. E. Francis, April i, 1848, to May 12, 1848; John Gilbert, May 12, 1848, to April 9, 1849; Lewis G. Smith, April 9, 1849, to April 16, 1851; John Gilbert, April 16, 1851, to June 12, 1852; John Allison, June 12, 1852, to December, 1852; William Gill, December, 1852, to April 6, 1853; W. W. Halstead, April 6, 1853, to April 3, 1854; William Gill, April 3, 1854, to April 7, 1856; William Alexander, April 7, 1856, to December 11, 1857; A. J. Lawrence, December II, 1857, to April 4, 1859; John Gilbert, April 4, 1859, to April 2, 1860; Andrew Grubb, April 2, 1860, to April 1, 1861; William Alexander, April I, 1861, to June 14, 1864; A. Goudy, June 14, 1864, to April, 1866; William Alexander, April, 1866, to May, 1866; A. Goudy, May, 1866, to April, 1867; Israel Phillips, April, 1867, to April, 1869; William Gill, April-, 1869, to April, 1870; Israel Phillips, April, 1870,E to April, 1873; William Gill, April, 1873, to April, 1875; Milton McConoughy, April, 1875, to April, 1878; F. C, Robinson, April, 1878, to April, 1884; M. V. Junkins, April, 1884, to April, 1888; R. Mitchell, April, 1888, to April, 189-. Moses Rhodes was the first postmaster appointed in 1815, during Madison's administration. Dr. J. W. Cook was postmaster under the last administration. Churches. Bridgeport has two Methodist churches, one Presbyterian and one Colored Baptist church. Manufacturers.- AEtna Iron & Steel company, sheet and building iron; Standard Iron company, corrugated iron; LaBelle Glass Works, cut glass; Bridgeport Iron Works, fruit jars; Woodcock Bros., foundry; R. J. Baggs & Son, doors, sash, etc.; Diamond Mills, flour; L. C. Leech, boards, etc.; Bridgeport Machine shops. Population in 1880, 2,390; school enumeration, 1889, 1,210: valuation for taxation, 1889, $1,147,104, First National bank; capital, $200,000, surplus and undivided profits, $50,430. Railroads, Cleveland, Pittsburgh & Wheeling, Cleveland, Lorain & Wheeling and Wheeling & Lake Erie. Barnesville. - James Barnes, the founder of Barnesville, was born in Maryland county, Md., of English parents, in 1782. He started life as a farmer in Montgomery county, Md., where he laid out a town, which he called Barnesville. In 1803, he concluded to try the west, and came to Ohio. His first. stopping place was at St. Clairsville, where he opened a tavern on the lot now occupied by the west side of the court house. A few years later, he went into the dry goods business on the corner of Main and Marietta streets, where he continued in business until 1812. In 1806, he entered the lands where Barnesville now stands, and two years later, Rev. James Rounds, a tanner, entered into partnership with Mr. Barnes and started a tan yard on the land. On November 8, 1808, Mr. Barnes laid out the town of Barnesville, and commenced the sale of lots, reserving the block east of Chestnut, fronting on Main and Church streets. He removed to Barnesville in 1812, oc- 762 - HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY. cupying part of the house on lot 45, but in 1813-14, erected a house on lot 17, where he lived until his death. William Philpot, in 1810, opened the first store in the place on lot 18. That year John and Thomas Shannon, the former the father of Williams Shannon, govern0r 0f Ohio, did the work of clearing ten acres, of ground, on which the orchard was planted, a part of the trees of which are still standing on the residence property of the late Kelion Hager. Mr. Barnes was an active business man and started or aided in starting many enterprises. He started in the business of purchasing and classifying ginseng, and bought as much as 30,000 pounds of it annually. In 1814 he organized a company and put up a flouring-mill and woolen factory, the mill still running and the woolen factory ran until 1835. It was the largest woolen mill ever run in the county. In 1823-24 Mr. Barnes commenced dealing in leaf tobacco and 1826, erected a large tobacco house, and the tobacco trade later became an important enterprise. Among the other early enterprises in Barnesville, was the nail factory of James Riggs, a wrought-nail maker who came from Hagerstown, Md., in 1810 and erected a factory with three forges, on lot 47, Main street, where he turned out from fifteen to twenty pounds of hand-forged nails to each forge per day, which he continued until after the war of 1812, when the introduction of the cut-nail machinery, the factory was abandoned. Barnesville is situated on the line of the Baltimore & Ohio, or Central Ohio railroad, twenty-eight miles from the Ohio river, on lands dividing the waters of McMahan creek and Stillwater, and is noted at present for the quantity and quality of its strawberry production, which was commenced in 1860 and increased so that in good years L0co bushels are daily shipped during the fruit season to cities east and west, the largest quantity going to Chicago. Municipal Organizations. The act of the general assembly, by which Barnesville became an incorporated village, was passed in the winter of 1835-6. At the spring election of 1836, Isaac Barnes, a son of the proprietor of the town, was chosen its first mayor. From that time until 1855 the records of the town have been lost, and it is impossible to supply their place by traditional evidence. The officers, however, were elected annually, and the following persons were chosen mayors of the village and very nearly in the order of the names given: Lewis H. Green, Col. Benjamin Mackall (several terms), Kelion Hager, John McGill (several terms), Evan Butler and John McCune. From 1855 the records of the town have been well preserved, and the following is a list of the mayors with the time they served annexed to their names: Benjamin Davenport, April, 1855, to April, 1856; John Davenport, Esq. April, 1856, to April, 1858; Stephen Wilson, April 1858, to November I, 1858; S. J. Evans, November 1, 1858, to April 1, 1861; N. Criswell, April 1, 1861, to April, 1862; Handel Vance, April, 1862, to December 1, 1862; H. F. Odell, December 1, 1862, to April, 1864; Benjamin Davenport, April, 1864, t0 April, 1866; John M. Gardner, April, 1866, to April, 1867; James W. Warfield, April, 1867, to BELMONT COUNTY, OHIO - 763 April, 1868; Benjamin Davenport, April, 1868, to April, 1869; John M. Gardner, April, 1869, to April, 1870; R. C. Graves, April, 1870, to April, 1871; James ,A. Barnes, April, 1871, t0 May t, 1871; Michael D. King, May, 1871, to February 16, 1874; John M. Gardner, February 16,1874, to April, 1874; R. H. Taneyhill, April, 1874, to April, 1876; H. W. Baker, April, 1876, to April, 1890; G. H. Kemp, April, 1890. Manufacture's. - The Window Glass company, with two ten-pot furnaces, is the largest manufact0ry in the place and employs 130 hands; The. Watt Bros. Mining Car-wheel company employs forty- five hands; George Atkinson's Woolen mill, thirteen hands; Heed Brothers, manufacturers of cigars, ninety hands. Merchandising. - There are at present five dry goods merchants, twenty grocers, four cigar factories, three boot and shoe stores, four drug stores, two national banks, two hardware stores, two furniture stores, two livery stables, four hotels, one wholesale leather and finding store, five butcher shops, nine tobacco packing houses, one clothing store, one sewing machine store, with shoemakers, blacksmiths, carpenters, stone masons in full supply. Churches and Schools. - One Methodist Episcopal church, one African Methodist Episcopal church, one Presbyterian church, one Christian church- and one Friends church. The schools are under charge of Henry L. Peck, superintendent, in a fine central school building, containing thirteen rooms so arranged that the light falls over the left shoulders of the pupils. The number of pupils in the enumeration was 908, enrolled 601, employing twelve teachers, at a total cost for schools of $9,386. Population in 1880, 2,435; present population, about 3,500. Martin's Ferry is situated on the Ohio river, one mile above Bridgeport on the site of the first settlement in the county, which was in 1785, and called Norristown, but was broken up by Col. Harmer by order of the United States government, on complaint of the Indians whose title had not yet been extinguished. In 1788 the land upon which the town is located was granted to Absalom Martin, who laid out a town in 1795 and called it Jefferson, but failing to secure the county seat the town was vacated and the lots sold re-purchased by him. In 1835 Ebenezer Martin, son of Absalom Martin, born November 9, 1791, in a log cabin, not far from the ferry landing, laid out and platted the original town, first called Martinsville and then changed to Martin's Ferry. The town was incorporated August 5, 1865. The first election was held December 15, 1865. The following is a list of its officers since its incorporation: Mayors - A. D. Rice, 1865-67; W. H. Orr, 1867-69; James Eagleson, 1869-70; J. W. Buckingham, 1870-72; James Kerr, 1872-74; James Dean, 1874-76; J. W. Buckingham, 1876-1878; James Kerr, 1878-80; W. M. Lupton, 1880-82; M. C. Mitchell, 1882-86; Theodore Keller, 1886-88; M. C. Mitchell, 1888-90; M. R. Smiley, 1890. Treasurers - James A. Gray, 1865-68; Daniel Parks, Jr., 1868-74; John L. Vanpelt, 1874-78; Abram Lash, 1878-82; Joseph Medill, 764 - HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY. 1882-84; T. J. Irwin, 1884-86; Thomas Charlton, 1886-89; Henry Stingle, 1889-9-. Martin's Ferry is located on a fine large bottom, about half the town on a second bott0m about forty feet above the first, and is a fine location—the best in the county f0r a large city. Its manufacturing establishments ai-e principally upon the first b0ttom next the river and railroads, and its dwelling houses largely upon the second or higher level. Its population was, in 1860, 1,220; in 1870, 1,876; in 1880, 3,812. Its school enumeration in 1888 was 1,920, indicating a population of between 7,000 and 8,000. Its recent rapid growth is due to the development of her manufactures in iron and glass which are given in the general history of manufactures elsewhere, and only referred to here in brief. The Cleveland, Pittsburgh & Wheeling railroad, and recently the Cleveland, Lorain & Wheeling railroad, and the Ohio river, furnish excellent shipping facilities, and the Wheeling & Lake Erie railroad, now in course of constructi0n, will still improve these facilities. Manufactures. - The Laughlin Nail company, on nails, employ 375 hands; the Standard Iron works, sheet iron, 250 hands; the Benwood mills furnace, pig iron, 55 hands; Spence, Baggs & Co., stove works, 25 hands; L. Spence, steam engines and threshing machines, 25 hands; William Mann, machine shop and foundry, 25 hands; Elson Glass works, table ware, 330 hands; Buckeye Glass works, table ware, 200 hands; Dithridge Flint Glass works, tumblers, etc., 175 hands; Nov. elty Glass works, 9 hands; J. Kerr & Sons, and B. Exly & Co., doors, sash, etc., 25 hands; F. McCord & Br0., brick, 25 hands. Commercial Business. - The commercial business of Martin's Ferry has been retarded by the tendency of the people to deal in Wheeling, almost opposite on the south side of the river, due largely to the fact that nearly all of the larger manufacturing concerns were started with Wheeling capital by Wheeling men. Among the early merchants were Park & Dakan in 1845, Joseph Jones, Jeptha Cowgill, Isaac Lanning and H. B. Rice, following within a few years. In 1850 Turner & Fennemore started in dry goods. Joseph Turner in 1853, Joseph Romea in 1858. Bendell, Orr & Co. were succeeded by Bendell, Orr & Frazier, who failed in 1858. H. B. Rice was succeeded by West & Son. There are at present in the place a number of dry goods stores, groceries, clothing stores, two banks, two newspapers, The Martin's Ferry News, James H. Drennen, and the Church Herald. Churches and Schools. - There are two Methodist Episcopal churches, one African Methodist Episcopal church, one Presbyterian church, one United Presbyterian church, one Baptist, one Episcopal, one Catholic. The schools are under the charge of Prof. Charles R. Shreve, superintendent, and number nineteen rooms with twenty-one teachers, with 1,692 enrolled scholars, and the annual expenditure is about $20,000. Morristown. - This is one of the oldest towns in the county, laid out in 1802, along the Zane road, twenty miles from the Ohio river. It was laid out April 4, 1802, by John Zane and William Chapline, of BELMONT COUNTY, OHIO - 765 Wheeling, and named for the first settler, Duncan Morrison, who was a justice of the peace. The National road passed through it, and it was quite a commercial town at an early date. In 1806, Mrs. Hazlett carried on merchandising. Among the early business men were: Nicholas Rodgers, tanner; Alexander Morrison and Robert Morrison, saddlers; John Millner, blacksmith; Richard Bazwell, shoemaker; William Harvey, tavern-keeper. Dr. Alexander Gaston practiced medicine as early as 1811. The town was incorporated January 1, 1853, and the following officers elected: Mayor, Peter Bramhall; clerk, Joseph R. Mitchell; treasurer, Steven Gregg. Its population in 1880 was 440. Churches. It has one Presbyterian church, one Methodist Episcopal church, one Baptist church and one Christian church. There are now in the place three dry goods stores, two drug stores, two hotels, one grist-mill, one tan-yard, two saddle shops, three shoe shops, two hardware stores, one livery stable, one silversmith, two stock dealers, four doctors, one dentist, with carpenters, wagon-makers, blacksmiths, bricklayers, stone masons, etc. Flushing.-- The village of Flushing was laid out November 9, 1813, by Jesse Folke. It is situated in the northwestern part of the county, on the ridge dividing the waters between Wheeling and Stillwater creeks. The first house built on the site was by Reese Branson, in 1809. Dr. Jesse Bartley was the first practicing physician. The first sermon was preached by Michael Ellis, Methodist, at the house of Jesse Brandenburg, in 1818. The town was incorporated February 23, 1849, with a population of 312. The population in 1870, was but 206, in 1880, 334. The construction of the Cleveland, Lorain & Wheeling railroad which passes .under the town through a tunnel nearly half a mile in length, has opened up a large coal business on the west side, and given quite an impetus to the growth of the place, and the pending census will show a large increase in population. The Granite Mills of John F. Stratton, built in 1878, is one of the best flouring-mills in the county. There are at present in the town one bank, three dry good stores, one hardware store, three hotels, two drug stores, one Methodist church, one Christian church, and just east of the town a Friends church: There is a large Quaker settlement surrounding the place. Belmont - Belmont, the principal town in Goshen township, is situated on the line of the B. & O. railroad, seventeen miles west of Bellaire. It was laid out by Joseph D. Wright, who came from Dublin, Ireland, in 1802. He laid out the town in 1808. Being located near the center of the county its inhabitants believed that it would one day become the county seat. Joseph Wright was the first postmaster, appointed in 1818. The first school-house was a log one built in 1807, and Joseph Wright was the first teacher. The second school-house was of hewed logs; the third, built in 1836, was a frame; the fourth, in 1861, was brick, and the fifth, the present house, in 1875, is brick. There are 766 - HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY. two dry good stores, two grocery stores, one drug store, two hotels, two churches, and a population of about 375. Hendrysburg. - The village of Hendrysburg was laid out on the National pike, which was built through this part 0f the county in 1825-.6. Charles Hendry, wh0 located here during the construction of that thoroughfare, opened a store, and in 1827 erected a steam mill, which brought trade and people, and a demand for houses. In 1828, Mr. Hendry had the town laid 0ut, and a number of lots were at once sold. Mr. William Tidball erected the first building of a substantial character, which contained dwelling and store room, in which he commenced mercantile business. The flouring-mill, erected by Mr. Hendry, burned down in 1851, and another, erected on the site, also burned down a year after its construction. In 1850, the Nati0nal Flouring mill was erected by C. Shaffer. In 1862 the old woolen mill was c0nverted into a distillery. In 1854, Combs & McCartney erected the Hendrysburg flouring-mill and saw-mill, and these three institutions, with the attending auxiliaries, of three dry g0od stores, two groceries, two wagon shops, two hotels, with requisite doctors, blacksmith, etc. Other Towns and Villages. - In addition to those above written up there are a number of smaller towns and villages scattered through the several townships of considerable local importance and containing in the aggregate several thousand inhabitants that will be briefly referred to. Maynard, on the C., L. & W. railroad, in the northwest corner of, C0lerain township, laid out since the construction of the railroad, has grown to be a village of 300 inhabitants, principally engaged in the coal .mining business. It has a postoffice, several st0res, a hotel, and several other business houses. Farmington, in the same township, was laid out in 18[5 by Daniel McPeak. It has several stores, a postoffice, and contains about 150 inhabitants. Pleasant Grove, also in Colerain township, is on the Bridgeporand Colerain pike, about nine miles from the Ohio river. The first house was erected in 1825, by John Anderson, built for a hotel and saloon. There are two stores, two shoemaker shops, a blacksmith, a wagon maker and a cooper, a good school-house and a Methodist Episcopal church, and about t00 population. Barton and Kidd's Mines are railroad stati0ns in this township, along the. C., L. & W. railroad that do considerable business, the latter in mining coal, and each have postoffices, stores, etc. Fairmount or Burr's Mills, is in Goshen township, B. & 0. railroad, five miles east of Barnesville, and on land 483 feet above the level of the Ohio river, at Bellaire. It was laid out in 1855, about the time of the construction of the railroad. The town is called Fairmount, the railroad station Burr's Mills, and the postoffice Bethesda. In 1855 a steam flouring-mill was built by McNichols, Frost & Martin, and thus with the manufacture of "stogy cigars," by several firms, consti- BELMONT COUNTY, OHIO - 767 tutes the principal business. There are four stores, two hotels, one Methodist Episcopal church and a population of 150. The Methodist Episcopal camp grounds located here makes it a place of considerable summer visiting, and the camp meeting each year draws large crowds. Sewelsville, located on the north side of Kirkwood township, was laid out in 1831, and the settlement that had commenced there as early as 1807, had been called "Union." The Sewelsville postoffice was opened in 1831, with Peter Sewel as postmaster. There is one Methodist Episcopal church, three stores, one hotel and 175 population. West Wheeling, in Pultney township, two miles north of Bellaire, on the Ohio river, was laid out by Martin S. Todd, July 30, 1838. It contains about 250 inhabitants, many of whom find employment in Wheeling factories and mills on the opposite side of the river. The paper mill of David Wagoner, and the burning of lime furnish the local business. In 1830 Andrew Woods built a steam grist-mill here, but it was never profitable and was finally abandoned. This place was the home of James Kelsey, an early settler in the township, who served as justice of the peace for thirty-eight years. Quincy is a station on the B. & O. railroad in Pultney township, four miles west of Bellaire, the postoffice is "Steele." It is at the junction of the B. & O., and St. Clairsville railroads. It has one store, one -woolen factory and one church. Loydsville was laid out in 1831, on the line of the National road, by Joshua Loyd, in Richland township, six miles west of St. Clairsville. It has three stores, one wagon shop, one blacksmith shop, two doctors, a cabinet shop, postoffice, school and a Methodist Episcopal church. Population about 175. Glencoe, in Richland township, on the line of the B. & O. railroad was laid out in 1855, by G. B. Fulton, contains a population of about 100 has three stores, two shoe shops and one mill, two blacksmiths, and a Methodist Episcopal church. It is a shipping point for a good farming community, and has recently obtained some notoriety by the discovery of oil and the laying of a pipe line to the Ohio river. Stewartsville, also in Richland township, is a station on the B. & O. railroad seven miles west of Bellaire. The Franklin coal works of Stewart & Mehan are located here, employing about fifty miners and shipping a large amount of coal west over the B. & O. railroad. The population is about 125. Somerton, in Somerset township, about eight miles south of Barnesville on the Barnesville and Woodsville pike, was laid out by Bordeh Stanton in 1818. The first house was built by Moses Davis. Richard Andrews was the first postmaster. It became an important tobacco purchasing town on Solomon Hogue, and R. C. Miles accumulated wealth in buying tobacco and selling goods. There are in the place now one bank, capital $50,000. Three stores, one drug store, two hotels, three churches: Methodist Episcopal, Presbyterian and. Friends. Population, 250. Boston, in Somerset township, was laid out in 1834, by Mordecai 768 - HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY. Harper. The first store was opened by Amos Ridgeway, in 1835. It has at present, two stores, a postoffice, hotel, two blacksmith shops, three shoe shops, one physician, a Methodist Episcopal church and a Christian church, and 100 population. Temperanceville, on the west side of the same township, was laid out in 1837, by Robert Gallagher and was settled by Catholics, has a gristmill, postoffice, two stores and a wagon shop, and but two republican voters in the town. Centerville, also in Smith township, is situated on the " Old Grade road," running east, to the river at Dillie's Bottom. It was laid out in 1828, by Thomas Jackson. It has three dry goods stores, one grocery, one hotel, two churches, a Methodist Episcopal and a Methodist Protestant, and a present population of 200. The postoffice is named Demos. Jacobsburg, in the southeast corner of Smith township, is an old town, having been laid out in 1815, by Jacob Calvert. It became well- known in the county as the place where " militia musters " were held in the days of the " Cornstalk militia." At a later date, it was suspected of being the home of some persons engaged in the production of counterfeit silver coins. Being off the line of the railroad, until the construction of the B., Z. & C. railroad, it has not kept pace with some of the later towns. It has one dry goods store, one grocery store, postoffice, wagon, blacksmith and cabinet shops, a Methodist Episcopal church and a good school h0use. New Castle, in Wayne township, was laid out by William Horseman, November 28, 1834. It was in a rich farming district and large quantities of tobacco were grown around it, and brought and packed here. *The present population is about 'c0, and it contains one dry goods store, one grocery store, one cigar factory, a school-house and Methodist Episcopal church. Huntre, a small village in Wayne township, was laid out in 1849, by N. Anderson, and was called after W. F. Huntre, of Monroe c0unty, a congressman from this district, from 1849 to 1851. Population about sixty. Warnock Station, on the B. & 0. railroad in Smith township, is a settlement made since the construction of the railroad. It has a water power, grist-mill and saw-mill, two stores, a postoffice and two churches, and about 'c0 population. Uniontown, in Wheeling township, was laid out early, but record is lost. William Sharp started a st0re as early as 1806. The business has not grown nor has the place, for many years. It contains a Methodist Episcopal church, a school-house, three st0res, a hotel, blacksmith shop and wagon shop, and about 125 inhabitants. Powhatan Point, in York township, on the Ohio river, in the southeast corner of Belmont county, was laid out in 1849, by Franklin W. Knox. The first building, however, was erected in 1819, and used by Mr. Mallery as a store room. In 1825 a log house was erected for a hotel and called the Point House. G. J. Boger erected the " P0whatan Enterprise Flouring Mill and Woolen Factory" in 1856. BELMONT COUNTY, OHIO - 769 There are now in the place four stores, two hotels, three blacksmiths, two shoe shops, three groceries, one Methodist and one Presbyterian church, a good school, and other enterprises sustaining a population of about 300. Steubenville and Industry are small hamlets in this township. The population of Belmont county is now about 57,000, and at least 30,000 of the number live in the towns and cities. The increase in population in the past thirty years has been almost exclusively in these towns and cities. |