USA > Ohio > Jefferson County > History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, and incidentially historical collection pertaining to border warfare and the early settlement of the adjacent portion of the Ohio Valley > Part 160
USA > Ohio > Belmont County > History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, and incidentially historical collection pertaining to border warfare and the early settlement of the adjacent portion of the Ohio Valley > Part 160
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STEUBENVILLE.
Though we have ample evidence of white settlers locating freely through this section even anterior to 1797, yet the pres- ent immediate site of Steubenville did not assume the propor- tions of a white settlement, (let alone the nucleus to a town) ere the dawn of that year. Bazaleel Wells and James Ross then happily conceived the idea of extending their enterprise in the direction of purchasing land, to be sub-divided and placed upon the market in convenient sized lots, with a view to in- ducing the erection of residences .;- Bazaleel Well's family were prominent citizens of Maryland. His grandfather, James Wells, was a native of Baltimore, as also his own father, Alexander, who moved into Washington county, Pennsylvania, at a very early day. Having a permit from Lord Dunmore, to locate 1,- 500 aeres of lane, in which was then Augusta, county Va., (but now in Pennsylvania) Alexander settled on the waters of Cross creek, establishing one of the earhest mills, and it was here that his son, Bazaleel, first came at the age of about thirteen, having remained in his native state, Maryland, until of that age, to secure an education. Subsequently, upon his father's removal to Wellsburg, he accompanied him, but being of an en- terprising turn of mind, with a solid exchequer to fall back up- he conceived the idea of speculating.
FIRST PUBLIC SALE OF TOWN LOTS
Was made in February, 1798, and the first deeds are dated from that month.
TOTAL NUMBER OF LOTS IN THE CITY, INCLUDING ALL ADDITIONS DOWN TO 1879.
DATE.
NAME.
No.
LOCATION.
1802.
April 29 ..
Bazaleel Wells.
236 In lots.
April 29 .. 1805.
Bazaleel Wells.
20 Out lots of 5 acres each.
July 25.
John Ward
6 S. part of lot No. 3.
September 21 George Atkinson 1809.
6 In original ont lot No. 2.
November 21 James Johnston.
6 In original out lot No. 10.
1811.
September 10 Thomas Dadey. 1814.
6 In original ont lot No. 7.
January 31 ... Robert Carroll and Thos. Kell
20 In original ont lot No. 4.
1814.
July 23.
James Gray.
18 In orig. ont lots 5 and 10.
*After Major Beatty's visit, we are not informed of the disposition of Captain Mercer, but naturally infer, on the the authority of subsequent writers, who introduced the name of Mills, that the latter officer had succeeded Mereer prior to the garrison being removed.
¡In 1799. "the Territory of the North West," (as more fully deseribed elsewhere) was divided, and at a convention in Chillicothe, November 1. 1802, the eastern portion framed a constitution, and took its place among the States of the Union under the style-or after the name of-its chief river, Ohio. In that convention, Jefferson county was rep- resented by Rudolph Bair, George Humphries, John Milligan, Nathan Updegraff and Bazaleel Wells. The first survey's of Government lands were made in 1785, under the superintendence of Thos. Hutchius who had acted as military engineer under General Boquet. He first gave us the simple plan of surveying by towns, ranges and sections These "seven ranges," so called because they were the first ranges of public lands ever surveyed by the general government west of the Ohio river, were bounded on the north by a line drawn from thePennsylvania State line, where it. crossed the Ohio river to the U. S Military lands, forty-two mites west ; thence south to the Ohio river, at the southeast eor- ner of Marietta township ; theuce up the river to the place of beginning. These lands were first offered for sale in New York in 1787, and afterwards continued in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. A land office was established in Steubenville in 1801, and David Hoge station- ed here as register. When the land sales were opened, purchasers were found many of them from the east; a few, as Ephralm Kimberly, obtaining land grants for special ser- vices in the Revolutionary war. The first land proprietors, either directly by patent from the Government, Or by second purchase, were Jacob Nessley, Bazaleel Wells. John Tilton, James Ross, Willim Baily Thomas Edgington, James Carr, James Shane, Nathan Updegraff Joseph Gills, Josiah Price, Philip Cable and others we cannot mention. The first land titles were dated 1787-9, and the first transfers to those who occupied :he land chiefly begin about 1794. Bazaleel Wells put in an appearance at the Land Company's sales in New York, during 1797, when he, in company with the llon. James Ross, then an eastern attor- ney of considerable means, invested freely; securing sections 29, 30, 35 and 36 in fractional township two, now known as Steubenville township, and covering the present site of the eity. This traet was laid out in 236 lots, 60x180 feet, with intervening streets and alleys as they have remained since.
LIST OF CITY LOTS-Continued.
DATE.
NAME.
No.
LOCATION.
1814.
July 25.
James Gray.
26 In original out lot No. 6.
May 2,
John Wilson and Bazaleel Wells ..
18 In original ont lot No. 2.
May 11.
Brice Viers.
19 1st addition.
1815.
January 15 ... Bazaleel Wells 1815.
John C. Wright.
13 In original out lot No. 10.
March 1 .. 1815.
John Ward
In original out lot No. 3.
February 13. 1831.
James Ross.
48 N. of North street.
March 23 .. James Ross
March 23 ...
James Ross.
1815.
October 25 ... Brice Viers 1815:
Angust 17. 1833.
Nicholas Murray.
22 In original ont lot No. 5.
May 14. 1835.
Samnel Stokely ..
15 S. of Sonth street.
November 15 Samnel Stokely 1816.
Wm. R. Dickinson
48 In orig. ont lots 18 and 14. 21
16 N. of North street.
February 23. 1866. June 20 .. 1867.
John Fisher.
13 Part of out lot No 9.
34 Outside city limits.
May 7.
Jas. Turnbull and Wm. Kilgore .. Jas. Turnbull and Wm. Kilgore ...
20|In original ont lot No. 7. 12 In original out lot No. 11.
14 Addition.
Henry Orr.
14 Addition.
June 16 1836. Ootober 5 .. October 5. 1844.
Henry Holdship.
Henry Holdship.
32 1st addition. 16 2d addition.
Angust 29. 1844.
Nath. Dicke and James Wilson.
22 Addition.
October 18. 1848. February 3 ... 1848. M rch 21 .... 1848.
Peter Anderson and T. Donaldson
16 Addition.
12 2d addition in ont lot 15.
April 28. 1848. Jnne 20. 1848. August 26 ... 1848.
Dr. John Andrews.
16 Addition.
Win. McLanghlin
9 Addition.
December 6 .. Matthew Nicholson.
6 Addition.
1851.
Wm. McLaughlin.
8 Addition.
.John Armstrong and J. W. Gray.
15 Addition.
David Buchanan.
5,Addition.
Robert Sherrard, Jr.
24 Addition.
Win. R. E. Elliott.
7 Ist addition.
April 16. 1868. July 13. 1869. February 1 ... 1869. June 17. 1869.
C. Hineman and G. M. Cummins
24 Addition.
October 28 ... 1870. March 28 1865.
E. Tubble and J. H. Bukoffsky ...
14 Outside city limits.
October 1 1870.
Peter Thomas.
4 Outside city.
April 25.
Thomas L. Dewitt.
April 25 .. 1869.
B. W. Doyle.
7 Addition. 4 Outside city limits.
30 In original out lot.
May 15. 1870.
Episcopal Church.
April 19.
William R. Lloyd.
7 |Addition,
15 2d ad. S. of Sonth street.
April 1. 1836.
David Cable and Jas. Mckinney ..
Jannary 23 ... 1836.
Preston Roberts and Henry Orr ...
Angust 4 .. 1836.
May 7 .. 1836.
May 19. 1836.
Alexander McMurray.
James Wilson
7 Addition.
Henry J. Hnkills.
Addition.
May 2. 1853. March 8. 1864. April 7. 1865. December 6. . 1867. April 10. 1868.
M. Andrews, tr. of Dr. J. Andrews
27 Addition.
J. Manley and H. G. Garrrett.
13
Rosswell Marks.
11
John G. Flood
16 Outside city limits.
November 11 J. M. Rickey and M. J. Urquhart 1870.
27 In original out lot No. 1.
February 16. 1815.
1814.
1814.
40 In lots. 5 Out lots.
23 2d ad. in orig, ont lot 19.
John Fislier
Jas. Turnbull and Wm. Kilgore ...
1808
464
HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES.
LIST OF CITY LOTS-Continued.
DATE.
NAME.
No.
LOCATION.
1870.
October 15 ...
H. G. Wells and F. A. Wells ..
39 Addition.
October 15 ... W. R. E. Elliott.
2 Out lots.
1870.
W. R. E. Elliott.
20 2d Addition.
1871.
January 25 ... Justin G. Morris
136 Addition.
1871.
April 11.
J. Manley and H. G. Garrett
20 2d addition.
1871.
W. H. Wallace
7 Addition.
1871.
L. Anderson and W. C. Anderson.
28 Addition.
1871.
September 26 W. H. Mooney and J. B. Salmon 1872.
54 1st addition.
January 4. ... 1872.
J. P. Draper ..
10 Subdivision No. 10.
January.
John Orr and C. Hineman
109 Addition.
1872.
March 1.
Wm. H. Mooney
4 Addition.
1872
March 16 .. 1872.
Wm. E. Fisher.
7 Addition.
April 22. 1872.
John W. Gray.
128 Addition.
July 18.
John Fisher.
20 Subdivision.
1872
November 1 .. Justin G. Morris
59 Addition.
1873.
Wm. H. Mooney.
36 Addition.
August 13. 1873.
F. A. Wells and J. C. Wells.
49 Addition.
September 5. Steubenville Board of Education. 1873.
4 Addition.
September 13 J. Manley and H. G. Garrett. 1873.
105 Addition.
September 4. J. B. Salmon and W. H. Mooney
20 Addition.
1874.
March 16.
Win. H. Mooney
12 3d addition.
1875.
May 31. 1874.
James Nicholson
6 Addition
June 1 ..
E. S. Wood and W. R. Lloyd.
50 Addition.
1877.
January 31 ... Chris. Hineman's assignees.
10 Subdivision.
STEUBENVILLE'S ORIGINAL BOUNDARIES -- OLD ROADS -- RIVER TRADE- SITE SECURED FOR A COURT HOUSE-FIRST COURT-EARLY BUILDINGS -FIRST BIRTHS, MARRIAGES, CHURCHES, &C.
The "in-prospective" town, as at first laid out, was bounded by the river and what are now known as North and South streets and Bank alley. The streets parallel to the river were Water street, bounded on the river, sixty feet wide; High street, on the top of the second beneh, eighty feet wide, and Third and Fourth streets, each sixty feet wide. The alleys were twenty feet wide, and parallel to the streets-one between High and Third streets; one between Third and Fourth, and one west of Fourth street, bounding on the out lots. The twenty out-lots were also bounded by North street (on the north) at right angles with High street, and south by South street, paral- lel to north, and divided into bloeks 600 feet long, on Washington, Market and Adam streets. Market was 66 feet wide, the others 60 feet. The roads from up and down the river for many years, came in on Water street, and ascended to the second bench, or High street, by a dug out road in the side of the bank between Market and Washington streets. The only road into the country back, went out of town by the same route, and ascended the valley of Wells' run. The site of Steubenville is a very pleasant loca- tion on the right bank of the Ohio, seventy-one miles below Pittsburgh, twenty-three miles above Wheeling, and one hun- dred and fitty from the state capital, Columbus, while being 40° 25' north latitude and 3º 40' west longitude from Washington City. The whole plat of the city is naturally dry, and drains to the river. The soil of Waterand High streets is a rich alluvian, but on Third, Fourth and Fifth streets it is sand, mixed with gravel, undoubtedly once the bed of the river. There is also a strip at the foot of the hill, of considerable width, which affords clay of an excellent quality. The surrounding hills yield an un- limited supply of bituminous coal, (referred to extensively in an- other chapter) as also ample limestone and fire clay, while the geological formation of the site upon which the city stands is of a character affording elevations unsurpassed for building pur-
poses, with numerous exceedingly desirable springs in the im- mediate vicinity. As regards the river, in and about 1800, its facilities for navigation were, of course, of the most primitive eharacter. Every specie of water craft were employed-some of which, we are assured, were of the most whimsical and amus- ing structure. The barge, the keel boat, the Kentucky flat, or family boat, the pirogue, ferry boats, gondolas, skiff's, dug-outs and inany other crafts, formerly floated in great numbers .down the current of the Ohio and Mississippi, to a distance frequently of two to three thousand miles. The number of small boats, „however, rapidly diminished on the introduction of steam to navigation, and the singular race of men who navigated them are happily driven from the bosom of " Father Neptune "-at least in this quarter of theglobe .* But further interesting rem- iniscences in this direction will be found in another chapter treating specially on " The Ohio River." We will therefore now land from the river, by means of the ferry boat, at the foot of Market street, in those days in charge of one of Steubenville's earliest pioneers, John Hanlan, (whose family's descendants subsequently became numerous in this section) and propose to continue our chain of history on shore. Once the sale of lots in the original plat of Steubenville was fully under way, the de- mand for them increased at a lively pace, and by a deed still on record, we learn that as early as the 15th of August, 1798, the Justices of the Court of Common Pleas purchased from Baz- aleel Wells and wife a suitable site for a court house (where the
present building stands) for the nominal sum of $5. This, however virtually amounted to a gift-the reason for some nominal charge being obvious. This indenture is dated "The fifteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and nintey-eight," and bears witness that "Bazaleel Wells, and Sarah, his wife, of Brooke eounty and the Commonwealth of Vir- ginia, this day deeded to David Vance, Absalom Martin, Philip Cable, John Moody, George Humphries, Thomas Fawcette and Wm. Wells, Esqrs., justices of the Courtof Common Pleas for the county of Jefferson, in the territory of the United States, north- west of the Ohio river, for the consideration of five dollars ($5) the following piece of ground to be devoted to the site of a court house, jail and such other publie buildings for the use of the county aforesaid, as the said justices of the Court of Common Pleas, and their successors, shall from time to time think proper to order-to wit : beginning for the said lot or parcel of ground at the intersection of Market and Third streets, at the north- west eorner, as aforesaid, and running thence northwardly with and binding on Third street, aforesaid, one hundred and thirty feet-thence westwardly by a line parallel with Market street aforesaid, one hundred and eighty feet to an alley, and then south- wardly with and binding on said alley one hundred and twenty feet to Market street, thenee eastwardly with and binding on Market street to the place of beginning." Not bad evidence that a bright future was anticipated for the comparatively infant settlement. Nor was this all, for that year the erection of a substantial log court house was effected, which building subse- quently rendered good service for some ten years. ; The first court, however, organized under the proclamation of Winthrop Sar- gent, acting Governor of the Territory northwest of the Ohio, was held at Steubenville, in a private house, Nov. 1, 1797, when the judges were John Moody, George Humphries, and Philip Cable, with Bazaleel Wells, prothonotary or clerk, John Ralfe and Solomon Silby were admitted to the bar, and James Wal- lace appointed prosecuting attorney. Soon afterwards Edging- ton, Kimberly, Paul and Sample were also admitted to the bar, while in 1802 Obadiah Jennings came into eourt. The Hon. Calvin Pearce was presiding judge after the organization of the State in 1802. We learn that the first briek chimney in the
"The following lively and graphic picture of the life of a boatman, is taken from Flint's Recollections : " There is no wonder that the way of life which the boatmen lead, (in turn extremely indolent and extremely laborious) ; for days together requiring little or no effort and attended with no danger, and then on a sudden, laborious and hazardous beyond At- lantic navigation : generally plentiful as it respects foods, and always so as it regards whisky, should always have seductions that prove irresistible to young people that live near the banks of the river. The boats float by their dwellings on beautiful spring mornings, when the verdant forest, the mild and delicious temperature of the air, the delightful azure of the sky of this beautiful country, the fine bottom on one hand, and the romantic hluft on the other, the broad and smooth stream rolling calmly down the forest, and floating the boat gently forward-all these circumstanees harmonize in the excited youthful imagination. The boatmen are dancing to the violin on the deek of their boat. They scatter their wit among the girls along the shore, who come down to the water's edge to sce the pagcant pass. The boat ghides on till it disappears behind a point of woods. At this moment, perhaps, the bugle, with which all the boats are provided, strikes up its note in the distance over the water. These scenes, and these notes echoing from the bluffs of the beautiful Ohio, have a charm for the imagination, which, although I have heard a thousand times repeated, at all hours, and iu all positiona, is even to me always new and always delightful. No wonder that the young, who are raised in these romantic regions, with the restless curiosity which is fostered by solitude and silence, who witness scenes like this so frequently-no woude that the severe and unremitting labors of agriculture, performed directly in view of such scenes, should become tasteless and irksome."
¡When this building was pulled down, for the crection of a brick structure, in 1809 it was found to contain lumber sufficient to build three such cdifices.
May 28
April 10.
Aprll 18.
June 23. 1873.
THE P. C & STL. RAILWAY IRON BRIDGE E
THE OHIO RIVER AT STEUBENVILLE
1
465
HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES.
place was built by John Ward, in March, 1798, and the same year the erection of the Wells' homestead, south of the settle- ment, was commenced, but not occupied by the family until 1800. The building is still standing, and at present the well- known residence of Col. W. R. Lloyd. It may be interesting here to state that the first white child born within the corpora- tion limits was one James Hunter, son of Samuel Hunter, who first inhaled the pure air of freedom in the "Buckeye State," Sep- tember 18. 1798. After him came John Ward, born in October, 1798. The first white female child, as far as we can learn, was Sarah Ward, born in 1800, and Elizabeth Ward in 1801, after whom came Hannah Hunter, Ann Margaret Ward, Avery Brown, &c.
The first marriages on record are :- October 19, 1797, Jos. Baker to Mary Findley, married by Recorder Zenas Kimberly ; and January 25, 1798, Wm. Bush to Nancy Williamson, mar- ried by D. L. Wood, Justice of the Peace; but a morc extended list will be found in another chapter. We have no means of ascertaining the first death, but that the noble pioneers passed away in olden times much as they do now will be conceded as beyond question, when the modern resident glances over the names of our earliest settlers and finds so few survivors of the last century to afford us information of the past. In the way of spiritual consolation, from the very earliest day of white men penetrating this section, we find that " ambassadors of Christ" were not slow to find them out. On reference to an article on Methodism, elsewhere, from the able pen of the Rev. D. C. Os- borne, who has spared no pains to secure reliable dates, we find that as early as the summer of 1794, Samuel Hitt and John Reynolds, of that denomination, preached a few sermons here amidst much opposition. In 1795-6, Charles Conaway, presid- ing elder, Samuel Hitt and Thomas Haymond, also came here -the latter being poor, receiving £24, Pennsylvania curreney, per annum for his services, while Andrew Nichols, John Scw- ard, Shadrach Johnson and Jonathan Batemen were zealous workers. Nor were they all, as we learn from the testimony of Mr. David Mooney, given in " Doddridge's Notes," that the same year (1796) the Episcopal church was here represented. His statement reads as follows :- " The Rev. Dr. Doddridge was the first christian minister who preached in our little village." This, however, was decidedly a delusion, as already demon- strated. He then goes on to say-" As early as 1796 he held monthly services here, his congregation meeting in a frame building which stood on the south side of Market and Water streets. In 1798 the first court house for the county was built, in which an npper room was reserved for religious services, free to all denominations. In this room Episcopalians met for worship. With some intervals, this early missionary of the church continued in office in Steubenville, until Dr. Moore took charge of the parish in 1820." From subsequent investigation, the latter statement we are free to endorse, which brings us to a period when other denominations also came in-a more extended notice of each will be found elsewhere. As to the earliest store keeper, within the present corporation limits, opinions vary, but we are largely disposed, from rigid enquiry, to favor Hans Wil- son, after whom, (in somewhat rapid succession), came many others. until the dawn of 1800, when in truth a little village was fully inaugurated. Building then set in lively, and in a com- mendable spirit of friendly rivalry, those with any means what- ever, displayed a strong preference to a style of architecture in- volving the free use of bricks to supersede the old logs and clap- board exteriors so popular in those days. It was in 1800 that the present older portion of the United States Hotel was built by Mr. Ward, and the Vier's residence at the head of Market street (then out of town). After the United States land office had been established here, the place began to grow quite rap- idly. The first manufacturing enterprise appears to have been a tannery, started by Mr. Doyle, in 1798 or 9, followed by a grist and saw mill, erected by Bazaleel Wells, in 1802, on Wells' Run, south of the town, and about the same time, Brice Viers started a second tannery on the site of the present coke ovens of the Steubenville Coal and Mining Company. On the 14th of Feb- rnary, 1805, the town was first incorporated under the follow- ing
ORIGINAL CHARTER :
" An act to incorporate the town of Steubenville, in the county of Jefferson.
SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, that so much of the township of Steubenville, in the county of Jefferson, as is comprised in the plat of the town
of Steubenville, remaining on record in the office for the record- ing of deeds, in said county, shall be, and the same is hereby erected into a town corporate, which shall henceforth be known and distinguished by the name of " the town of Steubenville."
SECTION 2. Be it further enacted, that for the better ordering and governing of the said town of Steubenville, and for the 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 politic, with per- petual succession, to be known and distinguished by the name of "the president, recorder and trustees of the town of Steuben- ville."*
MICHAEL BALDWIN, DANIEL SYMMES.
14th February, A. D. 1805.
In conformity with the foregoing, the following officers were then appointed : David Hull, president; John Ward, recorder ; David Hoge, Zaccheus A. Beatty, Benjamin Hough, Thos. Vin- cents, John Englands, Martin Andrews and Abraham Cazier, trustees ; Charles Maxwell, collector, and Anthony Beck, town marshal. By this step " assurance was made doubly assured " that Steubenville was designed to become an extensive business center, and the advantages its site afforded for manufacture were more generally canvassed, while trade and commerce, " hand in hand," prospered. Conscious that no community could succeed without the means of heralding abroad its fame, so far back as 1806 the old Western Herald, now the Steubenville Herald, was stated by one James Miller, who, assisted by his brother-in-law, William Lowry, ran it down to 1816. In 1809-10 the old court house was superseded by a much finer and more convenient brick structure, designed by Mr. John Ward and built by Nich- olas Murray, which remained standing down to 1870,; when it was taken down to accommodate the present fine building, of which we shall yet have much more to say. In January, 1810, a company, from citizens, was incorporated to supply the town with water. Pump logs were laid from a large spring to High street, but they soon gave way, and were ultimately abandoned. In 1820, and afterwards, all the water was hauled from the river in barrels, or carts constructed for the purpose, each carrying a sixty-gallon barrel. The price was six and a fourth cents a barrel. In cases of serious fires lines of citizens had to be formed to the river, and water passed by band in buckets. Some serious fires, however, doing much damage, abont 1835-6 a substantial waterworks was put in partial operation, at a cost of about thirty-five thousand dollars. The first bank in Steu- benville, with Bazalecl Wells president, and W. R. Dickinson cashier, was opened in 1809, followed by the " Farmers and Mechanics' Bank " in 1816. So early as 1811 the manufacture of nails was instituted here by one Robert Thompson, though, we need hardly add that the pioneer factory was run without the aid of machinery. It was not until after the war of 1812 that we find further advancement made in the matter of manu- facture, a full account of which will be found elsewhere. During the said war, Steubenville was not slow to render substantial aid by contributing an excellent full company of soldiers, officered as follows: Nicholas Murray, captain; Nathaniel Wintringer, lientenant ; James Fowler, ensign ; Joseph Batch- elor, surgeon ; but happily their services were not called into requisition, and after marching a little beyond Mansfield, they were ordered home and disbanded. Anxious to preserve an ac- curate sketch of the extent to which the city had grown up to this period as obtained from the lips of those then and still ro- siding here, we taxed the memories and canvassed the opinions of quite a number, but only to secure a series of disconnected items, until happily meeting with Mr. E. H. McFeeley, more popular by the title of " Squire MeFeeley," whose memory proved extraordinarily good, and to him are we indebted for the following recollections, the majority of which we have found freely attested to by others.
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