USA > Ohio > Jefferson County > Steubenville > Century History of Steubenville and Jefferson County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, 20th > Part 28
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Beginning at the plantation of Jacob Sheplar, on road from Steubenville to C'adiz; thence to plantation of John Bake, on dividing ridge between Stillwater and Knottenhead; thence to the range line. John Lyons, David Ensloe, Samuel Holmes, viewers; William Holson, surveyor.
David Robinson, Nathan Shephard, George Humphrey, Abraham Cuppy and Elias Pegg were appointed to investigate grievance of John McCulloch by reason of road from the house of William Sharron to JJoseph Steer's mill.
James Bailey, George Alban, Thomas Nicholson, Richard Johnston and Thomas Hitchcock were appointed to view a re- monstrance against road from Bezaleel Wells' sawmill to Cross Creek.
June, 1806. Review of part of road from William Sharron's, past Steer's mill; in- tersecting road from Warren Town to Mor- rison's tavern; to-wit, from Rush Run Road to Jereminh Ellis' line; ordered. Joshua MeKee, Nathan Updegraff, James C'arr, viewers ; John MeElroy, surveyor.
Beginning at 16-mile tree on road from Charles Town to Henderson's; thence to Martin Suyder's on road from Steuben- ville to Cadiz. John Croskey, Jr., Samuel Holmes, Daniel Welsh, viewers; William Holson, surveyor.
Petition for road from Short Creek Road near month of Long Run; thence up run by Abner Wells' mills and intersect Chilli- cothe Road near house of John Wells. Jonathan Wilson, Israel Jenkins, John McConnell, viewers.
Beginning at state road near Massam Metealf's; thence so as to pass between farm of Abraham Bear and farm lately occupied by John Brisben, dee., until it in- terseets road laid out from Isaac White's Ferry on the Ohio, to Springfield, at
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Colonial Entrance to house,(Grave)
Interior Views of The Wills Stokeley mansione
WELLS-STOKELY MANSION (Built in 1798 by Bezaleel Wells)
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Thomas MeCamis'. Thomas MeCamis, Arthur Latimer, Massam Metcalf, viewers; Daniel MeClure, surveyor.
Beginning at mouth of Long Lick Run, through lands of Robert Hill and others, to intersect road down McMahan's Run to Steubenville, above Bezaleel Wells' saw- mill. John Miller, John Adams, John Ekey, viewers; Daniel McClure, surveyor.
Beginning at Baldwin Parson's mills on Short Creek, past Alexander Cassil's full- ing and sawmills; thence past Bradway Thompson's and Samuel Hanna's; to in- tersect road from Cadiz to Newels Town [St. Clairsville]. Andrew Richey, Samuel Dunlap, John Wells, viewers; James Mc- Millan, surveyor.
William Storer, Malachia Jolly and John MeLaughlin were appointed to review part of road from Charles Town to Cadiz.
Beginning at Cadiz; down Standingstone Fork of' Stillwater; to intersect road from George Town to Middle Moravian Town. Abraham Leeport, Michael Worley, Joseph Huff, viewers; Isaac Jenkinson, surveyor.
Beginning at the mouth of Wills Creek; up the creek by Michael Castner's sawmill; to intersect road from Steubenville; by Uriah Johnson's sawmill at or near Sam- uel Thompson's. Andrew Anderson, James Dunlevy, Brice Viers, viewers; Isaac Jenkinson, surveyor.
Beginning at s. w. corner George Rich- ey's field on state road; through Elliot's lane to Christopher Lance's; to intersect road leading from Bezaleel Wells' sawmill; over Cross Creek at Thomas Armstrong's. George Day, Thomas Nicholson, Jesse Wintringer, viewers; Isaac Jenkinson, sur- veyor.
Beginning at Cadiz; thence to John Mc- Connell's horse mill; thence to county line; to intersect road from St. Clairsville. John McConnell, Davis Drake, James Crague, James McMillen, viewers.
Beginning at mouth of State Lick Run; thence up the hill "where Joseph Cook has already dug a road;" thence to the middle fence in John Phillips' plantation; thence along state road to ridge leading to
George Mahon's horse-mill; to intersect a new road from Steubenville, past Wells' sawmill on Cross Creek. David Powell, Daniel Treadway, Thomas Wintringer, viewers.
Beginning at the mouth of Rush Run; up the run to Joseph Pumphrey's sawmill; to finally intersect Warren Town [ Warren- ton] Road, near "little Isaac Lemasters';" also, another road to begin near Thomas Brown's, and to intersect road from mouth of Rush Run to Steer's mill, near Elias Pegg's. George Carpenter, Joseph Bosk- himer, David Purviance, viewers; William Noughton, surveyor.
Beginning at road from Warren Town to Smithfield at or near house of William Sharron; to Joseph Steer's mill; to inter- sect the road leading from Warren Town to Morrison's, on the Chillicothe Road. Na- than Updegraff, James Carr, Joseph Mc- Kee, viewers; John McElroy, surveyor.
Beginning at the Charles Town Road, at Leeport's old place; thence up Macintire's Fork of Cross Creek; thence to James Rob- erts' sawmill; thence to intersect road leading from Warren Town to Duncan Morrison's, near John Fuller's. John Craige, George Moore, John McFadden, viewers.
Beginning at road from Tilton's Ferry to St. Clairsville, at corner James West's field; to intersect road up Little Fork of Short Creek, near Henry West's mill; tlience to continue along said road to ford- ing below the meeting-house; to intersect road from Steer's mills to Wheeling. Thomas MeCune, Joseph Tilton, Adam Dunlap, viewers, and John McElroy, sur- veyor.
James Bailey, William Bailey, William Campbell, James Pritchard were appointed viewers to investigate complaint of Henry Hannah as to road laid out to intersect the road from opposite King's Creek to Springfield. The same viewers were ap- pointed on the same complaint of John P'. McMillen.
March, 1807. Beginning at a school- house near the Widow Wycoff's, on road
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laid out from mouth of Island Creek to said schoolhouse; thence along the line be- tween Daniel Arnold's and Martin Swick- art's lands, to where said road strikes John Rider's corner; to interseet the Quaker Road; thence to the mouth of John Rider's jane; thence to hill descending to Shane's mill on the Town Fork of Yellow Creek. George Friend, William Friend, William Campbell, Arthur Latimer, viewers, and Jolın Milligan, surveyor.
Beginning at mouth of Right-hand Fork of Short Creek; up said fork to intersect road from Arnold's Town to Baldwin Par- son's mills. John Craig. George Moore, James G. Harra, viewers.
Jume, 1807. Beginning at the place where the road from Baldwin Parson's mill intersects road from Charles Town to Cadiz, about two and one-half miles from Cadiz; thenee past the plantation of Mor- ris West on road from Cadiz to Steuben- ville; past the plantation of Samuel Smith; to intersect the road leading down divid- ing ridge between Stillwater Cannotton [Connotton] at the plantation of Othia Baker. William Moore, Sammuel Osborn, Henry Hemry, viewers, and William Hol- son, surveyor.
Beginning at Nicholas Cutshall's mill; thence past the farm of Christopher Shaf- fer; past farm of John Stull; past farm of Daniel Shawber; to intersect road from Steubenville to n. w. corner of the Seventh Range. Solomon Miller, George Pfantz, Solomon Fisher, viewers, and John Milli- gan, surveyor.
Beginning at the line between Jefferson and Belmont, on dividing ridge between Wheeling and Stillwater, where the road from St. Clairsville intersects said line; to Jacob Vanpelt's; to Benjamin Wardings'; thence by near James Perdue's; thence to intersect the Steubenville Road. David Drake, Joseph Covert, John Chadwallider, viewers.
Beginning at or near the 16-mile free on road leading from Cadiz to Steubenville; thence to David Parkhill's mills ; thence to
New Salem. John Kinney, Jesse Edgin- ton, Peter Hesser, viewers.
Beginning at state road from Warren Town past Mt. Pleasant, east of fields be- longing to William MeKahe; thence to saw- mill of Asa Cadwallader; past lands of Judge Martin and Joshna Howard, so as to intersect road from Warren Town to Smithfield. Joseph MeKre, Joseph Steer. David Robertson, viewers.
Beginning near William Engle's; thence west along dividing ridge between main branch and Brushy Fork of Stillwater nu- til it comes to the head of a large run; to Daniel Easley's mill ou Big Stillwater. William Huff. David Drake, John MeMil- lan, viewers.
Beginning at Mr. Shepler's on the Chil- licothe Rond; thence to the Clear Fork of Stillwater; down said fork to Adam Far- rier's mill; thence to the point where the George Town Road crosses it. Samuel Boyd. Abraham Leeport, John MeKonkey, viewers.
Michael Castner complained of the course through his property of road from the landing of Philip Cable on the Ohio, to Springfield, and asked permission to change road at his own expense. James Moores, Jr., Thomas Frazier, Samnel Thompson, viewers.
William Marshall, John Ekey and Jo- soph Tumbleson were appointed viewers on a change in the road from the Steubenville Road to James Forsythe's mill; William Denning, surveyor.
December, 1807. Petition presented for alteration of road from Steubenville, past Mr. Wells' sawmill on Cross Creek ; altera- tion to be made between Steubenville and the First and Second Ranges. Jacob Fickes. David Hall, Moses Hanlon, view- ers, and Isaac Jenkinson, surveyor.
Petition for alteration of road from Steubenville to Hezekiah Griffith's Ferry opposite Charles Town; the alteration to begin at npper end of Mingo Bottom; down to Ohio River until it interserts road from Moodey's Mill to Edgar's Ferry.
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Robert Hill, Brice Viers, John Baird, viewers.
Petition for alteration of road from Warren Town to Smithfield; alteration to begin on Peter Houe's land; down the hill to the fording next below Thomas Adam's sawmill. John Kerr, Joseph Kerr, Joseph Steer, viewers.
Beginning at the Steubenville Road at intersection of road from Forsythe's mill; along line between James Counell and An- drew Elliott's land; north across James Connell's plantation to a hickory on the line between Connell's and Stephen Brown's land; to lane to Andrew Richey's; to corner of Thomas Mansfield's field; to mouth of William Sherrow's lane; to John Creesand's hill; to intersect state road be- tween 9 and 10-mile trees. Thomas Pat- ton, William Floyd, Thomas Latta, viewers.
Thomas Adams asked for alteration of road crossing Short Creek at upper end of his mill-dam. John Kerr, Joseph Steer, George Humphreys, viewers.
While all these projects were not car- ried out, yet Jefferson County's first decade witnessed a system of roads in- augurated which would give access to prac- tically every part of her territory. The proper improvement of these roads was to be the work of a century. To the northi- east from Steubenville extended the Pitts- burgh pike, organized in 1822 and com- pleted a few years later. Directly east was the original Washington road connecting with the pike four mills east of Wellsburg, while westward, leading up the ravine from Market street, was the "Old Steuben- ville, Cadiz and Cambridge road." To improve this road a private company un- der the direction of Civil Engineer Reeves, commenced operations on JJuly 10, 1837, when the main road was moved from the bottom of the ravine to the hillside, where there seems to have been already a sort of outlet. This involved quite heavy grading at the start, extending to what has long been known as "the watering-trough" on West Market street, whose never-failing supply of cold. pure water has been a
source of refreshment to thousands of men and animals. Here began, about 1850, what was known as the "Plank Road," made of two-inch planks a foot wide and eight or nine feet long, laid on the ground close together, forming a continuous floor extending to the "forks," five miles dis- tant, where one branch of the road to the left led to Cadiz, Cambridge and Zanes- ville. The right hand road, after running three miles further to the "Two Ridges," again forked, one branch taking to Salem and New Philadelphia, and the other to Richmond. Harlem Springs, Carrollton, Canton and Massillon. These roads, with the one up and down the river, were re- garded as state roads, although we do not find that the state did anything towards keeping them up. There was a toll-house and gate just beyond the present Union Cemetery entrance, which existed until about the year 1867, when the corporation was dissolved and further effort to keep the road in good order was abandoned. The planks gradually decayed or were re- moved, and the road remained in its origi- mal condition until the dawning of the pike era, although it continued to be known as the plank road. In some places, especially in swampy ground, efforts were made to "improve" the roads by laying across them close together a covering of fence rails or pieces of saplings. To this was given the title "corduroy," probably from the ridged cloth of that name, which be- came a synonym for the acme of roughness and discomfort in road travel.
Rongh as were these primeval thorough- fares, they were a great advance on the Indian trails and served well their pur- pose. As early as 1817 Matthew Roberts, a sturdy youth, carried the first mails to Pittsburgh on horseback, and a couple of years after he was succeeded by John McMillan, who introduced the stage coach, an humble two-horse precursor of the 20th century limited. Soon the four-horse coaches "fast express" were running be- tween Steubenville, Pittsburgh, Wheeling and other points, and in 1823 George A.
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Dohrman and Matthew Roberts greatly extended the business, taking in not only the towns named above, but Painesville, Ashtabula, Canton and Massillon, as well as other inland towns now springing into existence. The introduction of steamboats on the Ohio gave another impetus to this business, as Steubenville became an im- portant connection of the two methods of travel. Through tickets were issued in the East for the West, good for stage coach and steamboat. The bugle on the boat was sounded in rotation, within hearing dis- tance of a stage coach town, denoting the number of passengers aboard to be landed and continue their journey over the road. Thus the stage coach people were prepared for the start when the boat came to the shore. If there were ten bugle sounds, preparation was made for the ten passen- gers. How distinctly, said an old river- man, that is remembered, and especially the manner in which the embarking passen- gers hustled their luggage together to be ready for the best seat in the coach. Six to eight coaches leaving daily, and as many arrivals was no uncommon feature, and the notes of the driver's horn made the air resonant. To make the journey across the country to Pittsburgh one had to arise at 2 a. m., leave about 3 or 4, take break- fast and dinner en route, and arrive there in the evening. Travel was more com- fortable by river, but when the latter was dried up or frozen over it was necessary to fall back on the old reliable land route. The fare was $2 to Wheeling and $1.25 by steamer, while the average rate was 5 cents a mile or over. The inauguration of Har- lem mineral springs as a resort, especially by Steubenville people, greatly enhanced the coaching business in this vicinity. Each coach carried from nine to twelve passengers, each passenger being allowed twenty pounds of baggage. The driver was in full charge, the average time being about eight miles an hour, with changes of horses every ten or twelve miles. To in- sure your seat in the coach you were re- quired to be "booked," that is, registered,
in advance. and the term "booking" is still applied to European railways which do not have ticket offices but "booking" offices, where, however, they sell tickets just as they do in America. The freight wagons were constructed to carry about five tons, being covered and usually drawn by six horses. A cent a pound was charged on freight from Pittsburgh to Steubenville, and $3.50 to $10.00 per hundred pounds from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, according to circumstances. A good span of horses cost about $200, corn 25 cents per bushel, and hay $6 per ton. Wheat, which could be bought here for 30 cents a bushel, cost $1.50 in the eastern market, the difference being the cost of transportation. A coach- man received $10 to $12 per month and board, and was accountable for the care of his team. Up to the early fifties the stage coach held the pre-eminence in inland travel, and the merchant who could adver- tise his goods as only ten days out from Philadelphia was considered unusually enterprising.
Although we find occasional notices of turnpike companies in the early newspa- pers, yet the highways were simply dirt roads, delightful to travel in summer after the showers had laid the dust, but practi- cally bottomless and almost impassable in winter. The surface rocks of the northern townships being sandstone and shales, pro- duced a fair road which could be traveled at all seasons, but in the southern part of the county the limestone clays produced the most sticky and obdurate mud imagi- nable. The advent of steam by river and rail no doubt reduced the pressure for good roads, as the old stage lines disap- peared one by one, leaving as their surviv- ors local "hacks" still in vogue across the center of the county, and used to connect the back county with railroad stations. We have noticed the effort to improve mat- ters by means of the "plank road," but even the cheap lumber of that day did not avail to make a durable highway, and the enterprise was not a financial success. It began to be recognized that broken lime-
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stone with suitable grades could only solve the problem, but that kind of road build- ing was expensive, and for many years a section of about two miles in the lower end of the county was the only representative of improved roads.
Finally, in the winter of 1878-79, a cam- paign of education was begun in favor of pikes, or macadamized roads, from the name of their inventor. There seemed to be sufficient public sentiment in its favor to warrant the submission of the matter to the people on a proposition to begin the construction of three trunk roads leading north, south and west from Steubenville, with lateral branches to be added later. About one-third the tax valuation of the county was in Steubenville city, and as the work was to be paid for by general levy the city, which would be only indirectly benefited, would pay one-third the entire cost. The result of the election, which took place on the first Monday of April, 1879, exhibited some curious anomalies. The total vote in favor of pikes was 3,185 to 2,935 against, giving a net majority of 250. But the city was almost solid for the proj- ect, giving 1,970 in favor to 149 against, while the outside voted 1,215 for and 2,786 against. Steubenville township, 63 to 5, and Wintersville Precinct, 173 to 76, were the only two precincts outside the city which wanted pikes. Brush Creek cast a solid vote against, and some of the others nearly so. Nevertheless, the advocates of pikes flattered themselves that they had won a victory, but it proved a barren one. Injunction proceedings were begun, which had the effect of holding up the matter until after the fall election, when William Stark, the County Commissioner, who had been most active in the cause, was defeated for second term, and James Ball, an op- ponent of the project, was elected in his place. The matter was thus allowed to die, and we hear no more of pikes in this county until 1886, when Hon. B. N. Linduff, member of the legislature from Jefferson. had a bill passed directing the County Com- missioners to build a pike from Steuben-
ville city limits to the county infirmary, a distance of about two and one-third miles. which was accomplished that siumner. This seems to have been an education so far as the central part of the county was concerned, and on February 28, 1890, an act was passed authorizing the townships of Steubenville, Cross Creek, Island Creek, Salem, Wells, Knox and part of Smithfield to vote on the question of pikes to be con- structed by general taxation. Each town- ship had the privilege of joining or remain- ing outside of the combination, but unless the three first named should vote affirma- tively then no pikes whatever should be built. The ensuing April election resulted in the following favorable majorities in the townships named: Steubenville, 1,232; Island Creek, 10; Cross Creek, 130; Wells, 119, and Salem, 27. Knox and Smithfield voted adversely and were consequently omitted from the system. Under this act seventy-eight miles of turnpike were con- structed during the next four years in the five townships named, and under the stimu- lus of this example seven additional miles of pike were constructed in the southern townships under the one-mile assessment plan, and the work has been going on ever since until there are now 154 miles of turn- pike in the county. It has been found economical in the long run to make the limestone covering twelve inches deep, as with less the repair bill becomes propor- tionately heavy. Open ditches have in most cases been depended on for drainage, but four-inch sewer pipe were used on the worst part of the road built in 1886, placed under the center of the metal with good effect. The rugged nature of the country near the river has made the ques- tion of grades very important, and the re- strictions on the cost of construction have forced a maximum grade in some cases of 121/4 per cent, although on most of the roads the maximum does not exceed 834 per cent, and on a few 5 per cent. It is nn- necessary to say that the heavier the grade the greater the cost of maintaining a road, aside from other disadvantages. The cost
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of construction of the roads referred to Where this brick road stops a continuation has ranged from $2.120 to $8,000 per mile, of stone road of equal length was built at the same time. The stone road cost $3,000 a mile less than the brick road originally, and has a much more favorable location. running far above that in special cases like the Mingo and Stanton boulevards, which have been paved with fire brick. Difference in the amount of grading required is the principal cost of this variation, accessi- bility of limestone, the labor market, etc., also being factors. The change of senti- ment in the rural districts on this question is illustrated in the case of Knox Town- ship, which voted almost solidly against pikes in 1879, and 461 to 197 against in 1890, when a large part of the expense would have been borne by Steubenville city, and a few years later decided by a vote of 560 to 150 to build pikes without outside help. The pikes of Jefferson County have cost about one million dollars, but there is no thought of going backwards, and the time may come, as it has done in Europe, when the general use of public motor cars will bring back the rural higlı- way to more than pristine importance.
There are indications, however that the road of the future, not only in this but in other sections of the country, will be, not macadam, but the vitrified fire brick, which is already the principal factor in street paving. The first cost of a brick road is nearly double that of macadam, but the constant repair needed by the latter wher- ever there is a reasonable traffic in a few years more than equalizes the difference. About nine years ago the county commis- sioners laid a mile section of brick road between Toronto and Empire, which, as an object lesson, has attracted national at- tention. It is on the bank of the Ohio River, subject to overflow, and in a loca- tion where a stone road would not last a year. This road is 10 feet wide, with a little-used simmer dirt road on one side. It was built at a cost of $8,000 a mile and after nine years of heavy traffic is in about as good condition as when built, except where it was injured in one place by a landslide and in another by the burning out of a einder pile over which it was built.
In the nine years these roads have been in use the repairs on the stone road have already used up the original difference in cost and the annual repair hill is increas- ing, while not a cent has been spent on repairs on the brick, and to all appearance none need be spent for many years. Through the interests of some clay mag- nates the brick road was provided with a unique curb. The curb is of vital import- ance in brick road building. The stone curb at $4,000 a mile is an extravagance and the brick curb (the cheapest perma- nent curbing known) depends for its ef- ficieney on the careful maintenance of the stone or earth banking, or berme, and seems to be objectionable because it in- creases the annual repair bill. The concrete curb at a cost of about $2,500 a mile is most in favor but is easily broken, demands expert supervision throughout its construc- tion and is liable to frost damage.
The burnt clay curb used on the Toronto road can be laid at about the same cost per mile as the concrete, which it excels in sev- eral particulars. It is made of the same material as sewer pipe and vitrified in the same way. When laid in the road it is practically indestructible and unbreakable. The curh is made in 2-foot seetions with a height of 18 inches, a base 7 inches wide, top about 3 inches; sides 2 inches thick. Being hollow, it can be utilized for drain- ing the road bed. All that is needed is to cut outlets at the bottom of the grades and provide lateral tile to carry the water off the right of way. And it appears that, except where heavy grades are necessary, where a brick road becomes too slippery, this is the common highway of the future. The county already has about eight miles of briek highways and 750 miles of dirt road.
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