USA > Ohio > Belmont County > Centennial history of Belmont County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 7
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98
was changed to St. Clairsville, in honor of Governor St. Clair, and it is charged with the expectation of winning his support in the movement.
A BIT OF UNWRITTEN IIISTORY.
With regard to the removal of the county seat from Pulthey to St. Clairsville, C. C. Kelly of Bellaire says: "A few years before the death of 'old 'Squire Kellsey,' one of the pio- neers of Pultney township, he told me that a great barbecue was held at Newellstown, to which General St. Clair, the Governor of the Northwest Territory, was invited. The word of General St. Clair was considered authority on about all matters regarding public affairs at that time. The General responded to the invitation, was wined and dined by the good people of Newellstown, although wine was probably a scarce article at that time and the probabilities are that something more in keep- ing with the times was used as a substitute for wine. At any rate it seemed to produce the desired effect. In the midst of the feast of good things, and while every one, especially the General, was feeling real good and of a disposing mind, a motion was made and unani- mously carried changing the name of the town from Newellstown to St. Clairsville in honor of General St. Clair. The Chauncey Depew of the occasion then suggested to the General that St. Clairsville would be a good place for the county seat, that it could not do anybody any good away down there at Pultney in the woods, while its location at St. Clairsville would be nearer the center of the county and at the same time help to build up the town just named for him. The General at once fell in with the idea and ordered the removal. A yoke of cattle with a cart was sent down to Pultney and the records of the county were taken to St. Clairsville, and this was the be- ginning and end of the first county seat re- moval question in Belmont County."
A TRIBUTE TO GOVERNOR ST. CLAIR.
This distinguished, but unfortunate officer,
50
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF BELMONT COUNTY,
the first Governor of the Northwest Territory, deserves more than a passing notice. General St. Clair was born in Thurso, Scotland, in 1734, and died in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, in 1818. He was a grandson of the Earl of Roslyn, was educated at the University of Edinburgh, and studied medicine under John Hunter, but, entering the English army as an ensign, he came to America with the British fleet, and served under Amhurst at Lewisburg, and under Wolfe at the storming of Quebec. In 1762 he resigned his commission, and settled in the Ligonier Valley, Pennsylvania, where he erected mills, and held many important civil offices. At the outbreak of the Revolution- ary War, he was created a colonel in the Con- tinental Army, and in August, a brigadier general, and fought in the battles of Trenton and Princeton. In 1777, he was made a brigadier general, and placed in command at Ticonderoga, but was obliged to evacuate before the superior army of Burgoyne. For this he was tried before a court martial, but was acquitted. In 1781, he remained in Philadelphia to protect Congress, while Washington marched to Yorktown, but was again in the field before the surrender of Cornwallis. In 1786 he was sent to Congress, of which he became president, in 1787. When the government of the Northwest Territory was organized, he was made Governor, and held that position until 1802.
In 1791 he became commander-in-chief of the army operating against the Miami Indians. He was surprised on November 4th, near the Miami villages, and his forces cut to pieces. Washington refused a court of inquiry, and St. Clair resigned. However, Congress ap- pointed a committee of investigation that fully exonerated him.
The late Judge Burnett of Cincinnati, who was personally acquainted with St. Clair, says he was a man of superior talents and great uprightness of purpose, as well as suavity of manners. As Governor of the Northwest Ter- ritory, he believed that the power he claimed legitimately belonged to the chief executive, and the manner in which he exercised it was
for the best interests of the territory. Soon after his removal by President Jefferson, he returned to his home in Pennsylvania, poor and destitute of the means of sustenance. In this extremity he presented a claim against the government of $200 or $300 he had assumed in fitting up an expedition against the Indians, when to his mortification it was refused. The pride of the old veteran was touched and, after spending several winters in seeking remunera- tion from Congress he returned to the Ligonier Valley, where he lived in the most abject pov- erty. At length Pennsylvania, from consider- ations of respect and gratitude for his past services, settled upon him an annuity of $650, which gave to the gallant old soldier a com- fortable subsistence for his remaining days.
COUNTY SEAT REMOVED TO ST. CLAIRSVILLE.
On April 1, 1803, the first General Assem- bly of Ohio, held in Chillicothe, passed an act appointing John Mathews, James Brown and Robert Speer as commissioners to examine and report whether a removal of the seat of jus- tice in said county of Belmont be necessary for the convenience and accommodation of the citizens thereof, and certify their opinion thereon. And when this committee visited St. Clairsville it was said that Governor St. Clair accompanied them. The report of the commissioners, as recorded in Vol. II of the Ohio laws, is as follows :
An.act to establish the seat of justice in the county of Belmont.
Whereas, John Mathews, James Brown and Robert Speer, commissioners for Belmont County, in pursu- ance of the powers delegated to them by an act entitled an act to provide for the permanent seat of justice in the county of Belmont, passed at Chillicothe, the first day of April, 1803, have reported to this General As- sembly that on examination they do find that St. Clairsville is the most proper place for the seat of justice in the county of Belmont ; therefore,
Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio that St. Clairsville in the connly of Belmont be and the same is hereby declared the seat of justice for the said county of Belmont, and that all conrts hereafter to be holden in and for said county shall be held in the town of St. Clairsville, and all
5I
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
officers are required to conduct themselves accord- ingly.
Passed 19th January, 1804. ELIAS LANGHAM, Speaker of the House of Representatives. . NATHANIEL MASSIE, Speaker of the Senate.
So, in April, 1804, the seat of justice was removed to St. Clairsville, and soon thereafter the county property at Pultney was sold for $219 to Daniel McElherren. The first Court of Quarter Sessions, with Judge Pease presid- ing, was held in the house of William Congle- ton, of St. Clairsville, on the 16th of April, 1804, for which Mr. Congleton received a small consideration.' Two months thereafter, the Supreme Court met at the new seat of justice, and at this session Jacob Nagle and Daniel Church were admitted to the bar.
THE FIRST MURDER TRIAL.
The first record of a murder tried in Bel- mont County appears in the proceedings of this court with Jonathan Meigs, Samuel Hunt- ington, and William Spriggs on the bench. A grand jury, composed of Elias Ellis, foreman, Francis Bowen, Valentine Ault, George De- Long, Edward Milliner, Samuel Brown, John Bradshaw, Risson Masters, John Boyd, Joshua Hatcher, Arthur Morrison, Michael Carroll and Edward Bryson, brought a true bill against Peter Sunderland, for the murder of John Holtz, who, being arraigned before the court, pleaded not guilty. The day following the prisoner was brought into court for trial, and the following jury was impaneled : Levi Okey, Andrew Marshall, John Dungan, Moses Given, John Nichol, James E. Newell, Arch McElroy, William Hulse, Robert Giffin, Benjamin Masters, William Woods, and Isaac llogue. Jacob Nagle was appointed to prose- cute, and the jury brought in the unique ver- dict, "Not guilty of murder, only guilty of feloniously killing the said John Holtz." Sun- derland was sentenced to pay all the costs and be burned upon his left hand. Whereupon the prisoner was placed in charge of Sheriff Jacob Coleman, and the burning was inflicted upon
the scene of the murder, on Main street, St. Clairsville, just west of the present Court House, and just opposite the residence and store of Ellis Wilson.
In 1809 this court sentenced an old offender, a negro, "Cuff," who was arrested for petty theft, to a sound whip lashing, which was vig- orously administered, the negro meanwhile bawling lustily. Among the civil cases, we note the first slander suit in the annals of the court was held at the summer term of the court in 1815, in which John Wherry obtained $80 damage from John Winter for damaging his character.
BOUNTIES.
At this period in our history the records show that the injury done by wolves and pan- thers must have been very great, for in 1802 the commissioners ordered that the highest bounty be paid for wolf scalps and in 1804 the amount paid out for wolves was very much greater than panthers, indicating that the wolves greatly outnumbered the panthers. The bounty paid was from $1 to $3 per head, and all claims were required to be attested by oath. Parties killing such animals were required to take the scalp before a justice of the peace, who must certify that they were genuine, when the hunters could secure their bounty from the treasurer. There is a record of $125 having been paid out for such bounties between 1803-08. While the panthers were not as numerous as bears, they were regarded as in- finitely more ferocious and dangerous. It is related of a citizen of St. Clairsville named Robert Thompson that while attending divine worship in the old Presbyterian Church of a century ago, his little daughter entered the church very much alarmed and disturbed the congregation by crying to her father, "Come home, oh, come home quick." The father hur- ried home, and to his astonishment saw a fierce panther on a tree a few feet from the door and the children greatly alarmed. Hurrying for his rifle, the ferocious beast was soon brought to the ground. At the report of the
.
52
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF BELMONT COUNTY,
gun, the already excited congregation broke up and hastened to the scene of danger.
THE FIRST COURT HOUSE AND GAOL.
After the removal of the seat of justice to St. Clairsville, the county commissioners met in the September following. Present: Levi Okey, John Williams and Robert Giffin. In the proceedings we find the following entry with reference to the construction of a Court House and gaol.
The public buildings were "let up" to the lowest bidder, who was Alexander Young, with Sterling Johnson as surety, and the amount was fixed at $1,000 for the jail and jailer's rooms and $70 for raising an upper story upon the same for a Court House. The expense of furnishing which was to be paid for by dona- tions, for which Sterling Johnson and Robert Giffin and William Congleton entered into bond. These buildings were used for jail and jailer's residence and court rooms until 1814, and stood about where the present jail stands. After the completion of the second Court House in 1803 the building was sold and the logs were removed and used in the construc- tion of a one-story building on the lot now occupied by Mrs. A. Cochran.
The commissioners at the same session al- lowed the sheriff $20 for salary for the year 1803 and $8 fees for service in the case of Peter Sunderland, the murderer, and Samuel Courtland was also allowed $122.75 for guard- ing the prisoner. Some of the early justices of the peace who served as early as 1802-03 were: Thomas Mitchell, John Ferris, Jacob Davis, Andrew Marshall, Moses Merritt, James Starr, John Greer, Jacob Repshire, Thomas Wilson, Levi Okey, James Henthorn, David Ruble, James Smith, Sterling Johnson and Thomas Thompson. And some of the first marriages performed by these justices were : William Patterson and Kitty Clark in 1803; John Grant and Elizabeth Masters in 1803; Peter Alexander and Jane Mitchell in 1804; John Plummer and Nancy Sidwell in 1804; Jacob Long and Martha Lashley; Timothy
Bates and Ruth Moore in 1804; Myers Thom- son and Sarah Cole in 1805; Joseph Wilson and Ruth Hardesty in 1805; John Gray and Hannah Okey in 1805; Cornelius Okey and Hannah Weir in 1805; James Taylor and Elizabeth Barton in 1805; John Dille and Nancy Gallagher, and Conrad Neff and Eliza- beth Feely. The first couple married by a min- ister of the Gospel of which there is any rec- ord is Alexander McWilliams and Margaret Nixon, who were married by Rev. Alexander Calderhead, August 7, 1804.
The county seat being thus established, we present as next in order our first county offi- cials. These were as follows: Congressmen for the district in which Belmont County was embraced, - Jeremiah Morrow, of Warren County, from 1803 to 1813. State Senators,- William Vance and Thomas Kirker, 1803. Representatives in General Assembly,-Joseph Sharp and Elijah Woods, 1803. Sheriff,- Jacob Coleman, appointed 1801 to 1803. Treasurer, - Daniel McElherren, appointed 1801 to 1803. Clerk of the court,-Elijah Woods, appointed 1801 to 1806. County com- missioners,-Levan Okey, John McWilliams and Robert Giffin, 1804. Prosecuting attor- ney,-Charles Hammond, appointed 1801 to 1804. Recorder, - Sterling Johnson, 1804. Coroner,-John Dungan, 1801 to 1806. The offices of county auditor and Probate judge were not created until 1823 and 1851, respect- ively.
Having quoted from the records of the first court in Belmont County, and some proceed- ings of its first board of county commissioners, we will now present some of the first deeds entered upon the book of the county recorder. The first deed was given by Henry Lingo and Rebecca, his wife, to Robert Bell, dated Octo- ber 13, 1800, and it conveyed 100 acres of land, being part of lot number 24 in the sixth township of third range, consideration $500. This lot was probably near Stewartsville, and an abstract of its title shows that the tract of land was granted to Robert Jolinson in April, 1780, and by Johnson to Obadiah Hardesty, date uncertain, and by Hardesty to Lingo on
-
53
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
March 7, 1796. The second deed given was recorded October 29, 1800, by Benjamin New- ell and Jane, his wife, to James Caldwell, of Ohio County, Va., and consisted of two lots in the town of St. Clairsville, one numbered 28, fronting on Main street, the other, lot 53, cor- nering on the first mentioned lot, each contain- ing a quarter of an acre, consideration $32. These lots are supposed to be a short distance west of the Court House. Another is dated November 4, 1801, from David Newell and wife, of the county of Belmont, Northwest Territory, to Emsby Rush, of Brooke County, Virginia, in consideration of $12 for lot num- ber 157, in St. Clairsville, and containing about one-fourth of an acre.
THE EVOLUTION OF THE TOWNSHIPS.
About this time began the evolution of the townships whereby the four original and par- allel townships were increased to 16 and we cull freely from an article in the Belmont Chronicle describing this evolution.
By an act of the General Assembly in 1810, creating Guernsey County, a portion of Kirk- wood, Pultney and York townships were ceded to Guernsey County, and in January, 1813, by a similar act of the Legislature, the whole of the township of Salem was ceded to Monroe County, thus materially reducing the bounda- ries of Belmont County. By subsequent divi- sions and subdivisions the following changes occurred : The erection of Richland township, so named because of its productive limestone soil, was the first following the original divi- sion as enacted by the court sitting at Pult- ney Bottom, February 24, 1802. The original Kirkwood township was cut in twain, and all that portion of it lying east of the present west boundary line of Richland township, north to the county line and east to the river, was en- braced in Richland township as originally formed. On May 26, 1802, the boundaries of Richland were again extended two miles south, so as to include a part of the original Pultney township. Again on March 7, 1809, the boundaries were again extended to include two-thirds of what is now Smith township,
and the remaining 12 sections of what is now Smith were added to York township. Rich- land has thus embraced in its boundaries l'ease, Colerain, and the greater part of Wheel- ing and Smith townships as now existing, though not all this area at one time.
The next townships to be set off were Pease and Union on August 15, 1804. Pease was named after Judge Pease, one of the pre- siding judges, and at the time of its formation embraced the territory within its present boun- daries and also 12 sections that now belong to Colerain. Union township, formed at the same time, embraced all in its present territory and those parts of Flushing and Wheeling townships included within the east and west boundaries of the township and extending north to the county line. On March 11, 1805, two rows of sections of what is now Goshen were added to it.
Warren was erected June 10, 1807, from Kirkwood as extended in 1802. In the latter year a part of what had been Pultney was added to Kirkwood. Warren at first embraced all within its present boundary and all of what is now Goshen, except two rows of sections on the north side.
On January 14, 1808, Colerain and Wheeling were erected. The description given of Colerain does not agree with its present boundaries. It is probable that its present boundaries were formed from Richland and Pease, though one row of sections on the east side may have been added later, though no record to that effect is in evidence after diligent search.
Wheeling was cut off from Richland and embraced its present territory except the six sections on the west, which were taken from Union in 1817 and added to Wheeling.
Goshen was erected September 6, 1809, from Warren and Union townships, all but the northi two rows of sections being taken from War- ren.
Wayne was formed March 5, 1811, from York and embraced all of what is now Wayne and Somerset and a part of Washington town- ship. It also included some territory now in Monroe County.
54
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF BELMONT COUNTY,
Mead township was formed January 3, 1815, from parts of Pultney and York town- ships, and seems to have assumed at that time its present boundaries, in which no change was ever made.
Flushing was erected on March 14, 1817, being formed from parts of Kirkwood and Union, 16 sections being taken from Kirk- wood and 12 from Union. ' On that date Kirkwood, one of the original townships, hav- ing been divided and subdivided and extended, assumed its present boundaries.
Smith township was erected January 2, 1819, from parts of Richland and York, and then assumed its present boundaries.
Somerset followed Smith in close order, it being erected March 16, 1819. Somerset was cut off from the west end of Wayne.
Washington was the last township to be erected, this being ordered in 1831, 12 sec- tions being taken off Wayne, and 30 from York. Then the township lines assumed their present location.
1
CHAPTER IV.
GROWTH OF BELMONT COUNTY.
POPULATION OF BELMONT COUNTY FOR A CENTURY -- THE "OLD COURT HOUSE"-THE SECOND JAIL-THE THIRD JAIL-NEW COUNTY PROJECTS-THE COUNTY SEAT WAR-THE NEW COURT HOUSE AND JAIL-LIST OF COUNTY OFFICIALS FOR A CENTURY-REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS-STATE SENATORS-REPRESENTATIVES TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY-SHERIFFS-TREASURERS-CLERKS OF THE COURTS- COUNTY COMMISSIONERS-AUDITORS-PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS-PROBATE JUDGES -RECORDERS-CORONERS-INFIRMARY DIRECTORS-VOTE FOR GOVERNOR.
Belmont as at present constituted is divided into three parallel ridges that are separated by Wheeling, McMechen's and Captina creeks, that empty into the Ohio at Bridgeport, Bel- laire and Powhatan respectively.
On the west side of the county, Stillwater Creeek flows north and empties into the Tus- carawas River. The present area of the county is 461 square miles, with a population of 60,875 at the last census. The marvelous growth of the county in the century just closed is evidenced in the following census table, which reveals the increase in population by decades :
POPULATION OF BELMONT COUNTY FOR A CEN-
TURY.
1800.
600
1810.
11,185
1820
20,556
1830
. 20,224
1840
. 31,623
1850.
.35,378
1860.
.37,396
1870
45,021
1880.
49,038
1800
.57,413
1900.
.60,875
The growth by townships can only be com-
puted from 1840, the decade in which the last township was formed, and is as follows :
Township.
1840.
1900.
Colerain
1,389
2,987
Flushing
1,683
2,142
Goshen
1,823
2,47I
Kirkwood
2,280
1,680
Mead
1,496
1,726
Pease
2,449
15,158
Pultney
1,745
13,833
Richland
3,735
4,367
Smith
1,956
1,710
Somerset
1,932
1,862
Union
2,127
1,482
Warren
2,410
5,881
Washington
1,388
1,540
Wayne
1,734
1,415
Wheeling
1,38I
1,222
York
1,200
1,400
A study of this table reveals the fact that the great increase has been in the manufactur- ing townships of Pultney and Pease along our river front, and this gain is the result of the industrial development in Bellaire, Bridge- port and Martin's Ferry. At present many new mining and manufacturing industries are in process of organization and the next decade will witness largely increased numbers in wealth and population.
The vital statistics for 1901 show 1, 126
56
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF BELMONT COUNTY,
births, and 535 deaths in the county : viz., 588 males and 538 females; deaths, 313 males and 222 females.
THE "OLD COURT HOUSE."
The rapid growth of the county in wealth and population necessitated an enlarged and more substantial Court House and jail. Wherefore, in February, 1813, the commis- sioners called for bids for the construction of a building in design similar to the court houses previously constructed at Steubenville and Ca- diz. Namely, a square, two-story brick build- ing with a cupola and high spires in the center of the roof facing north, south, east and west. The contract was given to William Brown for $56,040, the work to be completed by April I, 1815. At the same time, Sterling Johnson ob- tained the contract for grading the ground for the sum of $270.
The work was rapidly pushed to completion, and before the specified time the contractors turned the new Court House over to the com- missioners, namely,-Peter Tallman, Alexan- der Boggs and Joseph Morrison. Not, how- ever, until a committee of inspection from Steubenville reported the building as complete in all respects. After a lapse of five years, it was necessary to add three county offices to the Court House, and a contract was awarded Stacy Boven, to build two substantial offices east of the Court House and in addition thereto, and one upon the west side of the building at a cost of $10,050. And upon the recommendation of Charles Collins and Robert Thompson, mechanics, the commissioners, Messrs. Tallman, Boggs and Morrison, ac- cepted these buildings when completed. This new building was regarded as a palace in its day, and served the county as its temple of justice for upward of 70 years. The picture of the "Old Court House," as it was familiarly called, appears in this volume, and will call vividly to the minds of the people of this and of past generations the many interesting and stirring scenes that have occurred within and without its walls. Many great legal battles
have been fought in the old court room whose walls have echoed to the masterly arguments and eloquent appeals of some of the greatest lawyers and jurists, not only of Belmont County, but of the State of Ohio. Such dis- tinguished statesmen as Judge Mcllvane, Judge Taft, Peter Hitchcock and Judge Thurman, have measured legal swords with Belmont County's no less honored and able Charles Hammond, Governor Shannon, Ben- jamin S. Cowen, Judge Ruggles, William Ken- non, Sr., and William Kennon, Jr. On great public and political occasions, the leaders of all political parties, preceding and following the war, have appealed to their followers with warmth and eloquence from its platform with- in or from the high stone balcony that sur- rounded it without. And old citizens yet re- call the enthusiasm aroused by the presence of such eminent leaders as Salmon P. Chase and "Bluff" Ben Wade and Allan G. Thurman.
THE SECOND JAIL.
Six years later it was found necessary to construct a new brick jail to succeed the old log gaol, erected in 1805. The contract was awarded William Brown, March 19, 1819, for $3,040, and Sterling Johnson, who had figured in the construction of all former pub- lic buildings, was awarded the contract of grading for $95. The specifications read as follows :
"The building is to be two stories high, with an entry way six feet wide, and to con- tain two rooms for dungeons and two jailer's rooms on the first story.
"The second story to be divided as the first, with two rooms for debtors and two for jail- ers "
The whole was completed within two years according to contract. And the work was promptly done and accepted by the commission- ers. In the meantime the county officials oc- cupied such cramped quarters that it was thought necessary for both comfort and public safety to construct a fireproof building for the preservation of public documents. So upon
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.