USA > Ohio > Jefferson County > Steubenville > Century History of Steubenville and Jefferson County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, 20th > Part 51
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In witness whereof the said John Adams, President of the U'nited States of America, hath caused the seal of the United States to be hereto affixed and sigued the same with bis band at Philadelphia, the fifteenth day of Janu- ury, in The year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight, and in the twenty-second of the Inde- pendence of the United States.
JOHN ADAMS.
[ SEAL]
By the President, TIMOTHY PICKERING, Secretary of State.
No doubt the new community, including the hundred or so purchasers of lots, went to work erecting places to live; in fact, quite a number of their cabins were in ex- istence previous to the sale, and doubtless some of them stood on the lots to which they now acquired a legal title, for, as we have seen, Steubenville was actually an old- er settlement than Marietta. We know of court being held in a private house in No- vember, 1797, but the first building of which we have any record was the old log courthouse built on the lot procured from Bezaleel Wells, which stood until removed for the erection of its brick snecessor, in 1809, and when torn down was said to con- tain sufficient lumber to build three such
edifices. The first brick chimney in the vil- lage was built by John Ward, in March, 1798, he soon after building the older por- tion of the United States Hotel, at present Hotel Lacy. The building of the Wells homestead began that same year, but was not completed until 1800, when Mr. Wells brought his family here from Wellsburg. As stated elsewhere, the first marriages were Joseph Baker to Mary Findley, by Recorder Zenas Kimberly, October 19, 1797; and William Bush to Nancy Will- iamson, Jannary 25, 1798, by D. Z. Wood, justice of the peace. The first white child born was James, son of Samuel Hunter, on September 18, 1798. John Ward, Jr., was the next born, in October. The first white female children were Sarah Ward. born in 1800, and Elizabeth Ward, in 1801, followed by Hannah Hunter, Ann Mar- garet Ward, Sally Brown, etc.
Hans Wilson was the first storekeeper of whom we have any record. He was said to have been a short, dark complexioned. round shouldered man, clean shaved, plainly dressed and economical to parsi- mony. He came from Ireland when quite young, and threshed for a living until he secured money enough to follow the road with a pack, so he was one of the pioneer peddlers. As will be seen from the above sale, he purchased lot No. 139, adjoining the public square on the north, for $100, and on this erected a small log storeroom. His business growing, it was replaced by a substantial brick building, and at his death, about fifty years after, he had ac- emulated quite a large fortune. He was an ardent Presbyterian, and after making .provision for the support of his wife, the residue of his property was willed to the Home and Foreign Missionary Societies. It is said that after his death diligent search was made through the attic and other out-of-the-way places for money which he was supposed to have secreted. but we are not advised that the search was successful. John Allen succeeded Mr. Wilson, and kept a dry goods store on the same lot, and remained there until the fall
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of 1869, when the property was purchased by the county, and a portion of the jail and sheriff's residence now stands thereon.
As stated, John Ward built the older portion of the United States Hotel, what is now Hotel Lacey, fronting on Market Street, in 1800. At first it was merely a lodging for the court officinls, but the busi- ness naturally grew into a permaneney. The street at that time was on a level with the present second floor or a little below, and the present ground floor was the base- ment or cellar. Mr. Ward succeeded Be- zaleel Wells as prothonatory, or clerk, of conrt, which office he held until 1810. His writing was like copper plate, and is still greatly admired in the old records. After 1810 he conducted merchandizing and had a drug store for many years on the north- west corner of Market and Court Streets. His family residence, now considerably changed, still stands on the southwest cor- ner of Fifth and Washington Streets, his mead extending to Market Street on the south and to Alley D on the west. the whole tract an expanse of flowers and vegetables. He was a Churchman, and died April 30, 1840. His immediate de- scendants are all dead, but grandchildren and great-grandchildren are still living.
Benjamin Doyle, the first manufacturer in the community, wns n sedate matter of fact individual, a strict Churchman and qnick at business. He provided the first city well on the courthouse lot, which re- mained there for many years. He was in- terested in public affairs, as will be seen by reports elsewhere, and died in 1832.
Samuel Hunter. one of the early ar- rivals, father of the first white child borne genial manners. He had one son, William, in the town, having purchased lot 100 on who died about 1823, and several daugh- ters, who respectively married William Jolmson, Robert Hanlin, William Findley. Mr. O'Neil and James Turnbull. He died about 1840. the southeast corner of Third and Market Streets, kept a general store there until about 1825, when he left for Knoxville, built a flonr mill and enrried on a store for many years. He was a Presbyterian in religion, and active in public affairs, being town and county treasurer. The Jones Munker establishment now occupies that corner.
John Galbraith, the first postmaster. came here about 1799, and at one time owned hot 166 at the corner of Fourth and Market Streets, where MeConville Block now stands. He was a short, stout man, nffable and very popular. He died about 1830.
John England was a bachelor from Pennsylvania, and kept a general store on Lot 138, on the southwest corner of the public square. He was a Quaker of con- siderable executive ability and was one of the associate judges of the Common Pleas Court. He spent his last days on his farm in Cross Creek Township.
William R. Dickenson came here about 1805 from Chillicothe, a Churchnnan, characterized by gentility and deportment, and more than ordinary ability. His bank- ing enterprise and relations with Bezaleel Wells in woolen manufacturing nre related elsewhere. His first wife was a daughter of Dr. MeDowell, the pioneer physician of this section ; and the second, Miss Johnsou, a niece of Dr. McDowell. After the fail- ure in 1830 he moved to Texas, where he died. One daughter became the wife of Mr. Peebles, of Pittsburgh, and another of Mr. Riddle, of the same place. One of the latter's daughters beenme the wife of Thomas A. Scott, president of the Penn- sylvania Railroad.
Colonel Todd, born in 1764, came here about the same time, and kept the tavern known as the Cross Keys, the present site of the National Theater. He was said to have taken a prominent part in the whisky insurrection in western Pennsylvania. and as a host gained much popularity by his
Isaac Jenkinson was among the first jus- tices of the peace and township trustees. He was best known, however, as host of "e "Red Lion," the popular tavern on N. Third Street, present site of Cavitt plan-
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ing mill, which was the popular hostelry for visiting politicians and others. His daughter became the wife of Captain Will- iam Spencer, for many years cashier of Jefferson Branch of the State Bank of Ohio.
Among the first dry goods merchants was Moses Hale, who kept a store north of and adjoining Hans Wilson's lot, on Third Street. He was a strong Methodist and a popular tradesman. Immediately north, Martin Andrews traded in hats and furs, his business extending as far as New Orleans. He died about 1850, and his son Martin a few years ago in Chicago.
By 1805 there was quite a vigorous if not a large community gathered here, and on February 14 of that year the legislature passed an act to incorporate the town of Steubenville according to the plat already described. Section 2 of the act provided "that for the better ordering and govern- ing of the said town of Steubenville, and for better regulating the police thereof. there shall henceforth be, in the said town, a president, recorder, seven trustees, an assessor, a collector, treasurer and town marshal, who shall be elected and qualified as hereinafter directed; which president, recorder and trustees shall be one body corporate and politie with perpetual suc- cession, to be known and distinguished by the name of 'the president, recorder and trustees of the town of Steubenville.' " This charter was amended February 9, 1813, January 9, 1817, December 29, 1821, and a new act passed February 23, 1830, which will be noted beyond. In conform- ity with this charter, David Hull was ap- pointed president; John Ward, recorder; David Hoge, Zaccheus A. Beatty, Benja- min Hougb, Thomas Vincents, John Eng- land, Martin Andrews and Abraham Ca- zier, trustees; Charles Maxwell, collector; and Anthony Beck, marshal.
From 1805 to 1814 accounts of the town are rather meager outside of special de- velopments in manufacturing, etc., related under their proper heads. We have, how- ever, a sketch of the town by Fortesque
Cumming an Englishman, who made a journey down the Ohio in 1808 and kept full notes of his tour, which were pub- lished the following year by Zadok Cra- mer, a Pittsburgh printer. Mr. Cumming reached Brown's Island on the evening of July 19, where he spent the night with Mr. Brown, and gives an interesting ac- count of that locality. He left there the next morning, and in his journal writes:
" At a little before 8 o'clock we stopped at Steuben- ville, the capital of Jefferson County, in Ohio, seven miles frum Brown's. The town has been settled about eight years, chiefly emigranta from the state of .Jersey ( !). It contains 160 houses, including a new gaol of heavy stone, a court house of square logs (which is soon to be replaced by a new one of better materials), and a brick Presbyterian church. There are four or five different sects of Christians in this town, but no established min- isters except a Mr. Snodgrass, to the Presbyterians, and n Mr. Doddridge, who comes up from Charlestown in Virginia every other Sunday to officiate to the Epis- copalians in the court house, which is occasionally used for the same purpose by the other sects. There is a land office here for the sale of the public lands, from which large mums in Spanish dollars are sent annually to the treasury of the United States in Washington. Perhaps this is one cause of the town having increased so rapidly. Another may be its very handsome situation. The first street, which is parallel to the river, is on a narrow flat sufficiently raised above the river floods, while the rest of the town is about twenty feet perpendicular above it, on an extensive plain rising gradually with a gentle slope to the foot of the hills, which surround it in a semi-circle like an amphitheater about a mile distant. On one of those a Mr. Smith has a house and farm, which seems to extend over the south end of the town, from an elevation of four hundred feet perpendicular from the bed of the river. Mr. Bazil Wells, who is joint proprietor of the soil with Mr. James Ross, of Pittsburgh, has a band- some home and finely improved yards and farm on the bank of the Ohio a quarter of a mile below town. We remained an hour in Steubenville (which is named In honor of the late Maj. (ien. Baron Steuben), the founder af the present American military tartics. We then pur- sued our course down the river, passing at nalf a mile a point on the left where is a tavern with a fine extensive bottom behind it, and four and one half miles further we left Mingo Bottom Island (very small) on the left, half a mile below which on the right is Mr. Potter's hand- some square-roofed house and one-quarter of a mile lower down is Mr. Pratt's neat frame cottage, ornamented like Potter's, with weeping willows and Lombardy pop- lars. A inile and a quarter from here we passed two small creeks ealled Cross Creeks, one on each hand, and a mile and a half below there on turulng a point on the left we saw Charlestown half a league before us on the Virginia side, making a handsome appearance with the white spire of the court house and several gooit looking private houses, which are distinctly seen from the river on account of the situation being on a lower bank than at Stenbenville."
Cramer notes the tearing down of the
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old courthouse in 1809 and the "magnifi- cent" structure nearly completed in its place. It may be noted that Charlestown was laid out in 1791 and named after Charles Prather, its proprietor. In 1816, by an act of the legislature, the name was changed to Wellsburg, after Alexander Wells, doubtless to avoid confusing it with Charlestown in the Shenandoah Valley.
Fortunately for those interested in lo- cal history, a keelboat touched at the Market Street landing on October 22, 1814. and a family disembarked, in which was a lad twelve years old, who soon became known as the possessor of a singularly retentive memory, and who also formed the habit of jotting down items of inter- est with their dates as they occurred, which in time made a local record that was almost invaluable. Unfortunately that record has been lost, but interviews with numerous persons have been reduced to writing from time to time, so that much has been preserved. The boy referred to was Eli IT. McFeely, to whom we are in- debted both directly and indirectly for much that follows. His descent from Ed- ward MeFeely aud subsequent history are given in another place. It is sufficient to sny here that he married Elizabeth, ser- ond daughter of John Ward, and thus identified himself with the pioneer work of the town. He thus tells his introduction to the little city :
" Arriving in Steubenville from Pittsburgh by keel. boat with my father nud family on Saturday, October 22, IS14, after a pleasant voyage of seven days, we were met by ' U'nele' Abe Moore (colored) with his cart, who removed our household goods to the west end of Market street. The town in that day contained some eight or nine hundred inhabitants. On Water street, Jobn Moody, father of David Moody, Esq., had focated from Burgetts town, Pa., in 1797, and settled in a Jog house below Washington street. He built the 'Yarnel' house on Third street and moved inte it in the fall of 179%, John Ward located on the corner of Market and High streets in March, 1798, and he it was who that year built the first brick chimney in this place. He also built the old part of the United States House in 1800. On Water street the old Armstrong house was north of Market street, while south was the Dundas House. On the eor- ner of High and Market Tom Hamilton kept the sign of the 'White Horse,' and on the corner of Market and North Third streets stood a two-story log house, 'Tarl- ton' store, James Wilson's store, and a two story frame,
where McGowan Bros. have now a wholesale grocery. Next was Isaac Jenkinson's tavern, the ' Red Lion.' Oa the west side of Third, corner of Court House square, Hans Wilson had a store, then came Hale's store, an- other one run by James Means, James Dick 's tavern. sign of the 'Ship,' and then Thomas Kells's tavern, the sign of the 'Green Tree." South of Market, corner of Third, was Samuel Hunter's store, and John England ran a new store on the south corner of Market Square. On Market street was Hartford's tavern under old Wash- ington Hall, and further up Market street John Galbraith ran a store. On the east side of North Fourth street Charles Porter's tavern stood, and opposite was Juba Moreland's tavern. Joseph Beatty's store stood on the northwest corner of Fourth and Market streets. On the opposite corner was lienderson's store, then Thomas Norton's tavern, sign of the 'Black Bear.' Up Market street was John Ward's store, corner of Bank alley above Fourth. James Ayres kept a store on the south side and Colonel Todd had a tavera, sign of the 'Cross Keys,' on the north side. Above Sixth was Davis's tavern, sigu of the 'Indian Queen.' On a line north and south of Elliott's tannery property and west thereuf there were no houses in the corporate limits except the factory building and Viers's house. The taverns were licensed, and the stores contained dry goods, groceries, apple and peach brandies, whisky and rum. There were but four wells in the town-at Mckinney's saw mill, Jake Ricart 's near Kennyon's shop, the Tommy Gray (now under Bower's cafe), and the 'Titus,' corner of Market and Eighth streets. At that day there were no street crossings on Market street west of Fourth, but as additions were made to the town, first Fifth street was opened, followed by Sixth, Seventh, Eighth and Ninth-the latter being the laat street west in the corporation limits. "
Mr. McFeely notes at the time of this interview ( 1879) that the only houses still found on Market Street built previous to 1814 were the United States Hotel (old part), Bazaleel Davis's (opposite corner). Munker's corner, MeAlpin's corner (Gill block, Fourth and Market), the Watson house, corner of Bank Alley, east part of Dr. Johnson's corner of Fifth, Jimmy Cooper's cigar store above Fifth, John B. Mandel's meat store-a two-story frame east of Garrett's Hall, Sutherland row built in 1814, and Long's drug store. Since then all have been replaced by other build- ings except the United States, the Watson House and a fragment of Sutherland row.
The building of manufactories and opening of stage lines, etc., brought more people wanting homes, resulting in the out- lots being divided, and a new addition of forty-eight lots being laid out by James Ross, north of North Street, and others; but from 1816 to 1831 there is a hiatus. Among the incidents of that time was the
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formation of a local militia company, which was accomplished in 1819, under the name of Steubenville Guards, with the fol- lowing officers: Nicholas Hutchins, cap- tain; W. Spencer, first lieutenant ; Samuel J. De Huff, second lieutenant. Two years after Hutchins was made a colonel and Lieutenant Spencer promoted to the cap- tainey. They lasted a member of years, one of their last acts being an escort to Gen. William H. Harrison during his visit to Steubenville, in 1840. During his sena- torial term Henry Clay visited Steuben- ville, and a public dimmer was given him at "The Grove." He made a speech on the tariff, followed by James Ross and John C. Wright. Clay toasted Jefferson County : "Its green hills, its flocks and its fleeces, and with the new mills lately start- ed furnishing a home market for the fleecy flocks." During 1820 the old Washing- ton Hall was erected on Market Street, which stood until after the beginning of the Civil War, when Robert Cochran pur- chased the property and erected a large hotel and business block. Financial em- barrassment prevented him from com- pleting the building, which was used as a courthouse during the building of the new structure, 1870-74, after which it remained vacant for a while. Most of the structure finally passed into the hands of the Me- Conville heirs, who finished the building and leased it to Gettzman & Strichmacher. who conducted a hotel for a couple of years. It then passed into the hands of J. Ross Mossgrove, who ran it as the United States Hotel until March 9, 1885, when, during the latter part of the after- noon, it caught fire, and was entirely de- stroyed, with the Scott dry goods building adjoining. The ground lay idle for some time, but was finally ocenpied by what are now the May & Leopold, MeConville and Hawkins Blocks, the Scott site being taken by McConnell & Lyons. During that fire, which, probably with one exception, was the most exciting over in the city, a fire- man named Bickerstaff, who had been im- mured in the city prison for disorderly
condnet, begged to be released to fight the flames, promising to return when the fire was over. His request was granted, and he was killed by a falling wall. He was given a public funeral.
Steubenville's first recorded cyclone was on the afternoon of February 15, 1820. The weather was very sultry, with heavy clouds, when a volume of wind came down on the brickyard between Sixth and Seventh Streets, south of Market, demol- ishing the buildings. It then turned to the north, destroying a blacksmith shop on Market Street; then down Market and up Fourth, knocking off the roof and blowing in the gable of Porter's tavern, then per- forming the same feat at the Kilgore resi- dence, corner of Fourth and Washington. After wrecking some other residences it made for the paper mill, whose lower story was brick and the upper frame. The lat- ter was torn off and blown into the river. The steamer B. Wells just below lost her chimney. Three fishermen on the river bank-Jack Mitchell, John Trump and and Beany-ran for a rock, but a tree fell on Trump and killed him. On July 4 of the same year, while a keelboat of Wells- Unrg soldiers was passing the wharf en route to Holliday's Cove, a salute was fired from a swivel gun, in front of which a young son of Major Conghton happened to pass, and he was blown to atoms.
Two subsequent cyclones visited the city -one in 1880, which passed over the northern end of the city, uprooting trees and injuring dwellings; and one in the sonthern end, in 1908, which dannaged sev- eral homes, but no person was hurt in either of these storms. As a matter of fact, the city has been in a great measure free from destrnetion by these elements.
That attention was devoted to dramatic matters was manifest by the organization of a "Thespian Club," composed of Ephraim Root, Angust Culp, J. D. Slack, Arnudel Hill, Dr. Ackerly, Thomas Cole, James Henry, John Bray, Robert Jollie, F. HI. McFeely, James Wilson, William Campbell, P. S. Campbell, Thomas Armi-
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tage, Samnel MeFerren, Francis A. Priest, Fletcher Wampler, Eliphalet Steele, Dan- iel Viers and William Hazlet. Mr. Culp was stage manager, Slack, prompter; A. Hill, treasurer; and Thomas Cole, scene painter. Quite a number of plays was given to crowded houses, especially at one performance for the benefit of the Greeks in their war against the Turks; but "ex- penses" absorbed the proceeds, so the money did not go away from town. All who composed that society have passed away.
The Navigator, published in Pittsburgh in 1818, gives the industries in Stenben- ville in 1817 as follows:
"One woolen factory, worked by steam power, in which are manufactured on an extensive scale, cloths of the finest texture and of the most brilliant and Insting colors; one iron foundry, in which casting of all kinds is performed; one paper mill, of three vats, ir. which steam power is umal; one brewery, in which is canu. factured beer, ale, and porter of the first quality ; one steam flour mill, which is kept in continued and profitable operation; one steam cotton factory, in which cloths of an excellent quality are made; one nail factory; two carthenware factories; one tobacco and cigar factory; one wool carding machine; four preachers; six lawyers; rive physicians, twenty-seven stores; sixteen taverns; two banks; one printing office; one book bindery; two gun- smiths; one coppersmith; two tinner's shops; thirty two carpenters; six bricklayers; five masons; five plasterers; four cabinet makers; six blacksmiths; tive tailors; four saddlers; three bakers; eight shoc and bootmakers; three wheelwrights; four chair makers; three hatters: three clock and walchmakers; one silversmith ; three tanneries; seven schools, three of which are for young ladies; one reed maker; three wagon makers; four coopers, and mix butchers, Many other profemious are followed which are too tedious to mention. Publie Offices .- Register U. S. Land Office. Receiver U. S. Land Office. Collector U. S. Revenue. Collector of non-resident tax for the fifth district. Clerk's Office Supreme Court and Court of Common Pleas. County Commissioners' Office, and Office of Recorder of Deeds. There are several valuable grist mills near Steubenville which send a great deal of flour to New Orleans. The lown has a postoffice rereiv- ing and discharging the public mail werkly. The fuel usedl is mineral coal and wood. "
Nevertheless the first growth of the town could not have been rapid. The pop- ulation in 1810 was only 800, but, accord- ing to a census ordered by the town conn- cil, on February 1, 1817, there were 2,032 inhabitants, at which time there were 453 houses, three churches, a courthouse and a market and town house. Manufactur- ing had begun in the meantime, making
this the liveliest place along the valley. A market honse was built on the public square in 1816. It was a one-story strie- ture, being principally a roof resting on brick pillars and arches. In the center was a one-story frame superstructure con- sisting of a single room, which was used as a mayor's office, council chamber and city headquarters generally. This build- ing stood until 1879, when it was torn down. The place once more remained a public square for about three years, being occupied in 1880 by the Republican "wig- wam"; but in 1882, through the exertions of Hon. J. Dunbar and others, the erec- tion of the present city building was be- gun, and completed the next year, at a cost of $65,000. As late as 1820 Washing- ton Street was but a cowpath; but the low- er end of the town was in better condition, containing the best houses and more of them. At that time all the churches were sonth of Market Street.
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