A new and comprehensive gazetteer of Virginia, and the District of Columbia, Part 54

Author: Martin, Joseph. ed. cn; Brockenbrough, William Henry
Publication date: 1835
Publisher: Charlottesville, J. Martin
Number of Pages: 1278

USA > Washington DC > Washington DC > A new and comprehensive gazetteer of Virginia, and the District of Columbia > Part 54
USA > Virginia > A new and comprehensive gazetteer of Virginia, and the District of Columbia > Part 54

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TRIADELPHIA, P. O. 364 ms. from around this village, 6 manufacturing R. and 255 from W.

WEST UNION, P. O. 344 ms. from R. and 266 S. W. by W. of W .- Situated on Wheeling creek, 14 miles growing countries west of the moun- S. E. by E. of Wheeling, on an ad- tains. Population 280 persons; of vantageous and beautiful eminence,! whom 2 aro regular physicians.

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WESTERN VIRGINIA-OHIO.

WHEELING CITY, seat of first manufacturing towns in the wes- justice, 357 ms. from R. and 264 W. tern country, and ranks, in point of population, the fourth in the state. There are at all times not less than 26 steam engines in operation. The Wheeling Iron Works, owned by Messrs. Shanberger & Agnew, roll 1000 tons of iron annually-about (300 tons of which are cut into nails

of W. C. in lat. 40° 07' N. and long. 4º 36' W. of W. C .- situated on the left bank of the Ohio river, and at the mouth of a creek of the same name, 56 ms. S. W. of Pittsburg and 31 S. W. by W. of Washington, in Pa .-- The origin of this place was Wheel- ing fort, built early in the Revolu- of various sizes-the balance being tionary war, which stood on the breast of a high bank, at the point of which, the U. S. road reaches the Ohio river. Wheeling advanced at first but slowly. It was laid out as a village early in 1783, and in 1820 contained 1,567 in- habitants. Within the last thirteen years the advance has been rapid,- in 1830 the population was 5,222, and now, 1834, is estimated at 8,000,- among whom are 14 resident attor- neys, 12 regular physicians, and 11 clergymen. It contains abont 500 houses, 9 houses of public worship, (2 Presbyterian, 1 Episcopalian, 2 Methodist, 1 Catholic, I Friends or Quakers, 1 regular Baptist, and 1 Campbellite, &c.

There are a number of very ex- cellent institutions here. Ist. The Wheeling Institute, contains 4 depart- ments, viz :- infant-primary-clas- sical, and female-under the super- intendence of six teachers, and con- tains from 150 to 160 pupils.

2d. The Wheeling Lancasterian Academy. 3d. The Wheeling Clas- sical Academy. 4th. The Wheel- ing Female Seminary. 5th. 'The Wheeling University, (not yet organ- ized,) and nine common English pre -. paratory schools.

The rear of this town is skirted by a range of hills which approaches within a short distance of the river. These hills, which abound with inex- haustible quantities of stone coal, from their proximity to the town are of the greatest convenience to the numerous manufactories ;-- a number of them having coal within a few yards of their fires. This place is one of the tallow chandleries, 10 bake houses, 6

bar, boiler, sheet, hoop iron, &c .- giving employment to a great num- ber of hands, and consuming 150,- 000 bushels of stone coal annually. These works are calculated to pro- duce double or treble the quantity pr. annum, if there were a demand for it. There are also 4 iron foundries, em- ploying 70 hands, & consuming about 130,000 bushels of coal annually, 4 steam engine builders, giving employ- ment to 70 hands and consuming 60,- 000 bushels of stone coal annually- 5 glass houses and 2 glass cutting es- tablishments-giving employment to 193 hands, and consuming 260,000 bushels of stone coal, 3 steam flour mills, consuming 75,000 bushels per annum, 1 brewery, 2 steam distilleries, consuming 50,000 bushels, 2 cotton factories, 2 woollen factories and card- ing machines, consuming 70,000 bush- els, 2 paper mills, 70,000 bushels, 2 steam saw mills, 50,000 bushels, 1 copperas, 1 white and 1 sheet lead fac- tory, consuming 8,000 bushels of stone coal annually.

There are 2 tobacco factories and l glue factory, 1 coach and wagon ma- ker, 1 edge tool maker, 3 chair ma- kers, 1 comb maker, 2 merchant tai- lors, giving employment to a great number of hands, 4 silversmiths, 18 blacksmiths, and 3 white smiths, 2 steam planing machines, 3 tanners and curriers, 5 saddlers, 17 boot and shoe factories, 6 painters and glaziers, 3 cabinet makers, 3 coppersmiths and tin plate workers, 5 hatters, 2 wire workers, 2 coopers, 1 rope maker, 2 water pump manufactories, 2 soap and

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livery stables, 1 stone and earthen pot-jing, in whole and in part, from 17 to tery, 7 brick yards, 12 master stone and brick masons, 5 stone cutters, 6 plasterers, 7 carpenters and underta- kers, 1 book bindery, 1 brass foundry, 3 window glass and hollow ware manufactories, consuming 175,000 bushels of coal annually, 3 printing offices, (2 issuing a weekly, and 1 a tri weekly paper,) 1 book and job of- fice, 2 book stores, 1 reading room, and a very extensive circulating libra- ry, 12 apothecaries' shops, 1 Lyceum, a Masonic Hall and Theatre.

The aggregate number of manu- factories in the town of Wheeling for domestic goods are 113, using annu- ally upwards of 1,000,000 bushels of coal, and giving employment to more than 1,300 hands. There are 65 wholesale and retail stores, vending annually goods to the amount of $1,- 500,000, 7 commission and forward- ing houses, for the sale of goods con- signed, and for receiving and forward- ing merchandize and produce. These to 23 tons and occupies 8 days upon houses, from Nov'r 1832, to Nov'r the road. Arrangements are in pro

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20 steam boats, worth from 200 to $230,000. The arrivals and depar- tures of steam boats at and from this port during the past year were, 738. Wheeling is by a law of Congress a port of entry, so that goods from any port of Europe may be imported di- rect without payment of duties at New Orleans.

There is now running to and from: Wheeling eight lines of daily stages, east, west and north-1 tri-weekly. line, 1 semi-weekly and 1 weekly. The number of passengers arriving and departing weekly by steam boats and stages are variously estimated at from 350 to 400 .-- The Baltimore and Ohio wagon transportation company with a capital of $200,000 (one-fourth' of which is paid in) transports goods- and produce between Wheeling ands Baltimore. One wagon arrivesand de- parts daily at and from each of those; places, with a load weighing from 24

1833, forwarded to Baltimore and the gress to increase the number of daily arrivals and departures from one to three wagons, and eventually to five. - District of Columbia, by wagons, 2,671 hogsheads of tobacco, and by steam, keel and flat boats, to the west There are now within a circle of 25 miles around Wheeling, 134 manu~ facturing flour mills, making annual- ly at least 270,000 barrels of flour, worth say $823,500-of this quanti- ty, from 150,000 to 160,000 bbls. are exported by boats to New Orleans, or by wagons across the mountains ... The public water works are now near- ly completed, worked by a steam en- gine of 120 horse power; and it pos- sesses the capacity to raise gallons of water from the Ohio river per hour. and south, and by wagons to Balti- more and Philadelphia, merchandize and produce equal to at least 11,000 tons. During the same period there was paid to wagoners for carriage on goods from the eastern cities, and to boats for freights, via the river, a sumn variously estimated at from $230 to $250,000. The amount of money expended for the purchase of merino wool exported during the past season cannot be exactly ascertained, but it is known that a sum exceeding $104,- These, together with the erection of 500 was so invested for pork, lard and public stone wharves, sewers, &c. &c .; bacon 130 to. $140,000, flour 550 of the most permanent kind, cost the ; to $600,000, whiskey, cider, apples, corporation within the last 2 years an &c. 50 to $60,000, flat boats to trans- expenditure of upwards of $40,000. A stone bridge has lately been erect- at a cost of $17,000 .-- Boat building' for the last few years has been carried! port the same 70 to $80,000, stone coal, say 1,000,000 bushels, 830,000, ed over Wheeling creek at this place,' flat boats to transport the same, 15 to 820,000. There is owned in Wheel-

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.. 1000

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on here extensively. At low water, the second town in the commonwealth. steam boats ascend no higher than this A growth so rapid, is believed to be place. From the fact of its having a altogether unexampled in Virginia; more permanent navigation the whole and but seldom surpassed even in the year round than any other point, it is rapidly filling districts of the "great made the general route of travellers. west." It also possesses one of the finest mar- kets in the western country. The Baltimore and Ohio rail-road it is

This town, the capital of Ohio connty, situated at the head of steani boat navigation on the Ohio, during supposed will strike the Ohio river at the low water season; at the termina- this place. Considering all these ad- tion of the eastern, and commence- inent of the western division of the great "Cumberland," or "National Road:" possessing unexampled facili- The ties and advantages for manufacturing, in the abundance and low cost of all materials, and especially of fuel; (coal, costing, delivered at the facto- ries, but one to three cents per bush- el:) surrounded by a country of un- common fertility, and remarkable for health-cannot but continue to ad- cent .; and, in the last 15 years, offvance in business, population and wealth. vantages, there remains no doubt that in the course of a few years Wheel- ing will become one of the most im- portant places in the west. northwestern bank of Virginia is lo- cated here. It may not be consider- ed irrelative to state that the present population of Wheeling is estimated at about 8,000 souls; shewing an in- crease in the last four years, (since the census of 1830) of about fifty per about eight hundred per cent! The colored part of the population, both County and Corporation Courts slaves and free blacks-amounting to are held on the 3d Monday, in eve- ry month :- Quarterly in March, June, August and November. less than two hundred-it is highly probable that Wheeling contains al- ready, the largest white population of Circuit Superior Courts of Law any town or city, in the state; and, inland Chancery are held on the 14th reference to its manufactories and of May and October, by JUDGE FRY. commerce, if not the first, is doubtless,

PAGE.

PAGE was established by act of Assembly in 1831, and formed out of parts of Rockingham and Shenandoah. It is bounded on the W. and N. W. by Shenandoah,-N. and N. E. by Frederick, -E. by the Blue Ridge, separating it from Rappahannock,-S. E. by Madison, and S. and S. W. by Rockingham, Length 34 miles, breadth 11, and area 374 square miles. Lat. 38° 45' long. 1º 25' W. of W. C. It consists of one entire valley. The Blue Ridge lying on the east and the Fort or Massanuttin mountain on the west. The Shenandoah river passes through the whole length of the county, running from south to north. The Blue Ridge and Fort moun- tain are exactly parallel to each other, and here range due north and south, thus making the county an oblong square-the east and west boundary lines running on the top of these mountains respectively. These moun- tains present a most beautiful and pictureque appearance at all seasons of the year. The snow and ice, and clouds of winter, are not less beautiful, though something more dreary, than the refreshing green of summer, or

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the bright and varied hues of autumn. The land in this county is gene- rally of the very best quality of limestone, valley land-a very consider- able portion is bottom, lying on the Shenandoah river and Hawksbill and other creeks. Considered in relation to its agricultural advantages, it is with the exception of Jefferson, the richest county of its size, in the state. 'The productions of the soil are such as are common in the valley of Vir- ginia.

There are in the county 61 saw mills, 24 merchant mills, 20 grist mills, 6 carding machines, 3 oil mills, 6 hemp mills, 10. tan yards, I blast fur- nace for smelting iron and making castings, and 2 forges for making bar iron. These forges and this furnace belong to Benj. Blackford & Son, and their manufactures in irou, are annually worth 50,000 dollars.

. Vast quantities of iron ore are found in every part of the county. Cop- per, lead and magnesia are also found in considerable quantities. Beauti- ful marble is found in many places. The town of Luray may be said to be almost built on a rock of gray marble-but as yet there has been no effort made to dress it for ornamental use. The rock is blown, and the marble in its rough and crude state-is used for all the common building purposes of the town. It never can become an article of commerce, until there are increased facilities of transportation.

'The population by the census in 1830 was 8,327, about 1000 of whom were slaves. It belongs to the 14th judicial circuit and 7th district. Tax paid in 1833, $1354 09-in 1834, on lots, $49 65 -- land, $989 56-517 slaves, $129 25-1991 horses, $189 46 -- 6 studs, $38 00-6 coaches, $13 00-4 gigs, $2 50. Total, $1341 42. Expended in educating poor children in 1832, $237 25-in 1833, $369 18.

Curiosities .- There are several very large mounds or Indian graves, such as are common to the Ohio and Mississippi valley-from one of which, situated in a field in cultivation, bones, beads, pipes, &c. are continually dragged by the plough. There are many large and extensive caves in this county, such as are peculiar to lime stone countries-one of which, that at CAVE HILL, is thought to be little inferior in extent and beauty to Weyer's Cave. It is not however, very accessible, the entrance being difficult, and is therefore but little visited. The author has been so obliging as to send us the following beautiful description of this remarkable cave -- which he published in the Shenandoah Sentinel, May 14th, 1825, it is well written and well worthy of perusal.

"Wonders of Cave Hill .- It would seem that all that region of coun- try lying west of the Blue Ridge, as far towards the Pacific ocean as it has been explored and known, abounds in subjects, which, whilst they gratify the curiosity and exercise the utmost stretch of the imagination, confound and baffle the understanding. And a subject not the least curi- ous and wonderful, are those extensive and numerons caverns, which are found generally in the linestone districts of country.

"One of those caves has been known to the people of the neighborhood of Luray, in Page county, during a number of years past; but nothing like a full discovery of its beauties was ever made until within a few days past. This cave is about one mile west of the town of Luray, and situa- ted within a hundred yards of the road leading from Thornton's Gap to New Market. The entrance is almost exactly at the top of a small moun- tain, which has for along time been known to the neighbor hood by the name of Cave Hu ... Recently several attempts had been made to explore this

And 19.04

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subterranean world, but rather unsuccessfully; and on Saturday last a party of fifteen gentlemen left Luray, with a determination to give it a complete exploration.

"The mouth of the cave was rather difficult of access, owing to its small- ness ; but the party eager for the marvellous and impatient of obstacles, fell manfully to work, and in a short time, by breaking and removing the rocks, a different and more commodious entrance than the one formerly used, was opened into the cave. Then commenced the bustle of prepara- tion for the descent. The broad cloth and finer articles of dress were quickly laid aside, and in their stead was substituted old clothing, which had been specially provided for the occasion. Then the descent com- menced-each man provided with a sufficient number of candles for half a day, whilst others carried provisions and refreshments; and others again, instruments for the purpose of ascertaining courses, distances, &c., and of · determining other matters relating to the cave.

"Here, if we mistake not, was a pretty correct criterion of that physical courage and strength of nerve which we so much admire in others, and which we are all willing to believe we possess ourselves. Each man was willing that his comrade should descend first into this great unknown deep; and all were willing to be the last to enter. In a few moments, however, the whole party were safely entered. The descent for ten or fifteen yards is rather narrow, and at an angle of forty-five degrees; it then takes a horizontal direction, until we are brought at the distance of about one hun- dred yards from the entrance, to the first room, which from its situation, we. called the LOBBY.

"The passage approaches this room about ten feet above the level of the floor, and at some places it is perpendicular, but the descent into the room, is down the rocks somewhat in the form of steps. This room contains some specimens of beautiful spar. Here we tried to take the bearing of the room, but found from the proximity of minerals, or some unknown cause, that the instruments were rendered wholly useless. Leaving this room, we proceeded in a direction which seemed to be west and southwest, and down the side of the hill. This passage has somewhat the appearance of a large stairway. After descending, as we supposed, about a quarter of a mile, the passage became very straight and smooth, and gradually enlarged until we perceived that we stood in front of a room whose dimensions, from the light of our candles, we could not discover. The entrance here, as in the room which we first entered, was ten or fifteen feet above the level of the floor. After a few moments, however, by clinging to the projections of spar, which here appeared like large icicles, the whole party stood safely upon the floor of this great room. Here all the wonder and magnificence of the subterranean world burst upon us at once. We found that we stood in a room, the area of whose floor was equal to a quarter of an acre. Im- mediately before us, and within a few feet of the centre of the room, arose a vast column or pillar, in some degree combining architectural propor- tions; and running up about thirty feet, and supporting the dome of this immense HALL This column stands upon a block or rude pedestal, about three feet in height, and the shaft where it rests upon it is about the thick- ness of a man's body. It then swells gradually until it becomes, at the distance of twenty feet from its base, about the size of a barrel, whence it continues of the same size, until it gradually enlarges into its capital, where it reaches the dome. Strange to tell, this vast column is almost as regular-

Wah

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ly fluted or grooved, as if it had been done with the chisel of the sculptor. About fifteen feet from the main pillar stand two smaller ones, about ten feet in height, which consequently do not reach the ceiling; and just at their base, and nearly between them is a small pool or basin of water. Here the whole party sat down, and unfolding their various bundles of provisions and refreshments, and sticking their candles to the different pil- lars and projections of the wall, enjoyed their cold collation with such ap- petites and spirits, as were naturally produced by exercise and the novelty of the scene around us. We perceived now for the first time, by the united glare of all our candles, that the whole of the arch of this immense Hall, was hung with the most beautiful stalactites, and variegated with almost every possible variety of color. In some places it was perfectly white, then red, grey or yellow-and in others it was as clear and transparent as ice.

"In looking around us towards the lights which were dispersed in dif- ferent parts of the Hall, the various small spars or pillars that were point- ing up-others that had been detached from the ceiling and lay scattered about the floor-and numerous large blocks of crystalized limestone, pro- duce novel and almost indescribable feelings. It did not require an imagi- nation unusually fervid, to liken this dim picture of the floor, to the minia- ture ruins of some great city, with a few of its spires and steeples pointing up from the ruins; or to some mighty temple, with its shattered and broken columns and fallen walls, with just sufficient of its materials to shew the style of its former magnificence.

"When we had finished our repast and collected our company to push forward in quest of further discoveries, we concluded to call this room Congress Hall; its magnificence being equalled by nothing else within our knowledge. We now proceeded to the left of the entrance by which we came into the Hall-entered an opening which presented itself, and by following rather an uneven and difficult passage, we very soon arrived in another room. Here we found a very pleasing subject for our admiration. A large block or projection of the rock at one side of this room was hung round with a vast number of stalactites, of every possible variety of shape and size,-from the thickness of one's finger to that of one's arm, and from six inches to three or four feet in length. Some one of the party casually striking one of the larger of these stalactites, a loud, full sound was emit- ted, something like the tone of a distant church bell. Several of the party then drawing pieces of spar across these stalactites, alternately and in con- cert with each other, it produced a rude and not unpleasing melody, with every gradation of sound, from the deepest tone of the organ to the finest note of the flute. This room we somewhat aptly called the Music Room. Finding no convenient outlet from this room other than the one by which we entered, we returned into Congress Hall. After we had entered this Hall again, and continued to the right until we came to the great stairway, by which we had first entered, we discovered greatly to our surprise that this entrance projected into the Hall twelve or fifteen feet, and was nearly as many feet from the floor. You can form some idea of this singular entrance by supposing a square box with its ends open to be projected through a window intoa room. This projected or funnel part of the entrance appeared to have been formed by the same process that the stalactites and spar had been; and its bottom, under which we could all walk and view it, seemed not to be more than nine or ten inches in thickness. Immediately to the right of this passage, commenced, what we very properly called, u

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Gallery. This Gallery was considerably above the level of the room, and contained a great quantity of very brilliant and beautiful spar. The side of the Gallery next to the Hall was entirely open, from which we could look down into it. We left the gallery, and still continuing to the right around the Hall, we entered a cavity in the floor; and after traversing a tolerably long aud difficult passage, we arrived at a very regular room, the side walls and ceiling of which seemed to be the clear blue limestone, with a thin crystallization as clear as glass over their surface. We could reach the ceiling, upon which we wrote many of our names with white chalk, the day of the month, year, &c. This room we called the Glazed Cham- ber. In the passage leading to this chamber, we discovered attached to". the side of the rock, what appeared to be a complete conch shell. The shape and size-the smoothness and delicate red on the inside, and the roughness on the outside, with the little circle of knobs near the top, all precisely corresponded with the product of the sea. And it appeared that a very gentle tap would have detached it from the rock. Within a few feet of this was a sparry excrescence, exactly resembling the human heart. Its color, shape, and size all precisely corresponded. And near this again, the perfect leg, foot, and talons of a bird projected from the rock. These several objects were so clearly and completely defined and so closely re- sembled the originals, as to strike the mind even of the most inattentive observer with a degree of astonishment.

" From the Glazed Chamber we all once more returned to Congress Hall, and still continued our discoveries to the right around the room. We perceived now, that as the arch of this great room hecame lower, large stalactites were projected from it and reached the floor; thus forming a beau- tiful colonnade or row of shining pillars in a line with the direction of the room, and three or four feet from its wall, leaving between this colonnade and the wall a beautiful recess. In this recess one of the simplest, yet one of the most striking beauties of the cave unfolded itself. This was a spring or pool of pure water, which appeared as transparent as other. This pool or basin is about three or four feet in diameter, and twelve or fourteen inches in depth. The bottom and sides of this basin where the water covers them, are entirely covered with stalagmites or drops of shining spar, which .. have much the appearance of burnished silver. About the centre of this pool, stands a beautiful stalactite, eighteen inches in height, and unlike all the rest of these specimens of spar which we found arising from the floor, the small end or point rested on the bottom of the basin, and gradually

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A new and comprehensive gazetteer of Virginia, and the District of Columbia, Part 54

Author: Martin, Joseph. ed. cn; Brockenbrough, William Henry Publication date: 1835 Publisher: Charlottesville, J. Martin Number of Pages: 1278

Author: Martin, Joseph. ed. cn; Brockenbrough, William Henry
Publication date: 1835
Publisher: Charlottesville, J. Martin
Number of Pages: 1278