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 64

Author: Caldwell, J. A. (John Alexander) 1n; Newton, J. H., ed; Ohio Genealogical Society. 1n
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Wheeling, W. Va. : Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 728

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 64
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 64

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).

INDIANS RETURN TO VISIT THEIR OLD HOMES.

Major Thomas Thompson of St. Clairsville says that in the year 1809, four Indians came to the house of Joseph Smith, at the forks of Crab-apple creek and staid over night (Sunday). On Monday morning they left, traveling in a southeast direction, and were seen on Thompson's run, which empties into McMa- hony creek, by John Devore, then a boy. That they returned to Smith's on Thursday, their ponies laden with lead ore of an excellent quality.

Again-Two men named Buskirk and Biggs, living near Moundsville, W. Va., say that the 'Indians used frequently to come to Moundsville, cross over into Belmont connty, Ohio, be gone three or four days and return with an abundance of lead ore.

Further-In the year 1861 a gentleman came from the State of Arkansas to Moundsville and spent several weeks prospecting for lead in Belmont county, Ohio. He claimed to have derived his information respecting the lead mines in Belmont county from a very old Indian squaw in Arkansas, and felt very confi- dent of success. The rebellion breaking out, however, obliged him to return home, since which time nothing has been heard of him. These circumstances would seem to indicate that there is somewhere in south-eastern Belmont county a valuable deposit of lead, which idea the geological structure of the country does not altogether discourage.

AN EARLY TOUR DOWN THE OHIO AND THROUGH BELMONT COUNTY,

The following extracts are taken from F. Cuming's Tour. He passed through the county as early as 1807, and his description of the country as it appeared then, will, no doubt, be interesting to all. He leaves Philadelphia on foot, January 8, 1807, and ar- rives in Pittsburgh in July, 1807. where he takes "a batteau, or flat-bottomed skiff, twenty feet long, very light, and the stern sheets roofed with very thin boards, high enough to sit under with case." He reaches Steubenville on the 8th of July. He says :

"At a little before 8 o'clock we stopped at Steubenville, the capital of Jefferson county, in Ohio, seven miles from Brown's (now known as Brown's Island in the Ohio river). This town has been settled about eight years, chiefly by emigrants from the State of Jersey. It contains one hundred and sixty houses, in- cluding a new goal of hewn stone, a court house of square logs (which it is said is to be soon 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 minister, except a Mr. Snodgrass to the Presbyterians, and a Mr. Doddridge who comes from Charlestown (Wellsburg) in Virginia every other Sunday, to officiate to the Episcopalians 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 sums in Spanish dollars are sent annually to the treasury of the United States in Washington. Perhaps this is one canse 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 surrounded it in a semi-circle like an amphitheatre, abont a mile distant. On one of those a Mr. Smith has a house and farm which seems to im- pend 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 handsome house and finely improved garden and farm on the bank of the Ohio, a quarter of a mile below the town.

We remained about an hour in Steubenville (which is named in honor of the late Major General Baron Steuben, the founder of the present American military tacties). We then pursued our course down the river, passing, at half a mile, a point on the left, where is a tavern with a fine extensive bottom behind it; and four and a 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 handsome square-roofed honse, and a quar- ter of a mile lower down is Mr. Pratt's neat frame cottage, orua- mented like Potter's, with weeping willows and Lombardy poplars. A mile and a quarter from hence we passed two small creeks, called Cross creeks, one on cach hand, and a mile and a half below them, on turning a point on the left, we saw Charles- town (Wellsburg) half a league before us, on the Virginia side, making a handsome appearance. * *

* * *

Three miles lower we passed Pike island, which is about three- quarters of a mile long, and seems capable of cultivation, thongh perhaps rather low. Opposite to it is the boundary line between Jefferson and Belmont counties, in Ohio."

Mr. C. passes on down the river, observing nothing very in- teresting until he reaches Little Grave creek, where he lands at a ferry and walks a half a mile to Tomlinson's, the first settler of now Marshall county. The Indian Mound is looked at by the traveler, and, after spending a short time, he returns to his boat. He says ;

* * " We found a floating store at the landing. It was a large square flat, roofed and fitted with shelves and counter, and con- taining a varions assortment of merchandise, among which were several copper stills, of which much use is now made throughont the whole western country for distilling peach and apple brandy and rye whisky. * * At about one o'clock we proceeded on our voyage, passing on the right Mr. Dilly's large frame house and fine farm, round which the river takes a great bend to the westward.

About five miles and a half below Little Grave creek, after passing Big Grave creek (which is as inconsiderable as its name- sake, notwithstanding its distinguished adjective) and Captina island (very small) and after having stopped for a few minutes at one Baker's, who answered our questions with savage mo- roseness, we passed Captina creek on the right, emptying into the Ohio through an extensive bottom, with three mills and sev- * eral settlements on it. * *

About three miles below Captina creek we stopped on the left at Mr. Cressup's fine farm. He was on the plantation overseeing his laborers, but Mrs. Cressup received us politely."

Passing down the Ohio river as far as the mouth of the Scioto river and thence up the same to Chillicothe, he strikes across the county to Zanesville, and thence to Cambridge by stage:

"On Tuesday, the 8th of August, the stage being only to go fifteen miles, and the same distance next day, on account of the

177

HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES.

arrangement of the carriage of mails, rather than travel sueb a snail's pace, I proceeded on foot, leaving my baggage to follow in the stage. The first five miles were excellent road, over a long but not very high ridge of hills, without a single house to Washington, or Beymerstown, as it is more generally called, from its being owned by the family of Beymer, two of whom keep taverns in it. It has twelve cabins, four of which are tav- erns, and a blacksmith's shop.

"Four and a half miles further have no inhabitants ; the road is still good, but is lead over several high, short and steep ridges, which generally run from north to south. Then passing a cabin and farm in half a mile more I came to Frankfort or Smiths- town, where I breakfasted. This is a small village, or rather hamlet, of eight or ten housesand cabins, some of which, as well as several in the neighborhood, are inhabited by families from Peeks-hill in New York, many of whom regret their having re- moved from thence to this place, and with great reason, if one may judge from the appearance of the soil, which is all a red and yellow clay, very stiff, and apparently very unproductive.

"The country now became better settled, but still continued very hilly. I walked on, passing Wherry's tavern, where the stage was to sleep, five miles, and stopping at Bradshaw's, where I rested about half an hour and got some refreshments. This family is from the county Monaghan in Ireland. Their house is too small for an inn, but they have a good farm. Ten miles further brought me to Morristown through a similar hilly country, with a succession of woods and farms, the latter at every mile, and a tavern at every two miles.

"On the road I met in straggling parties above fifty horsemen with rifles, who had been in Morristown at a militia muster, for the purpose of volunteering, or of being drafted to serve against Britain, in ease of war with that country, now much talked of. Most of them were above half seas over, and they traveled with mueh noise-some singing, some swearing, some quarreling, some laughing, according to their different natural dispositions, which are always most manifest when in that unguarded situa- tion.

"I found Morristown, where I arrived just before dark, all in a bustle from the same cause, many of the country people remain- ing to a late hour, drinking and fighting.

"My host, Morrison, who is a justice of the peace, and a Major of the militia, had shut his house against them, but there was another tavern, where Squire Morrison, while commanding the peace, during an affray, came in for his share of the blows, and had his shirt torn.

"I got a very good supper, bathed my feet and went to bed in a room where a man and his wife, a young married couple, in another bed, acted over a similar scene to what I had experienced at Lancaster, keeping me awake chatting to me until a very late hour.

"After a short but sound sleep, I awoke at an early hour well refreshed, and pushed on eleven miles to St. Clairsville, through a fine, well improved and well inhabited country, which was still hilly, but the ridges were neither so steep nor so high, as they are in general at this side of Chillicothe. , I stopped at Thomp- son's stage inn, where Mrs. Thompson, who was very civil, pre- pared me a good breakfast.

"St. Clairsville, or Newelstown as it is more frequently im- properly called, is the capital of Belmont county, and is pleas- antly situated on the point and top of the highest hill within sight, from whence twelve or fourteen miles of ridges and woods may be seen in every direction, some of them across the Ohio, which I was now again approaching. The town is only about four years old, and already contains eighty good houses, including several stores and taverns. It has a court house and gaol, and altogether it has the greatest appearance of wealth and business of any town between Chilicothe and itself. There are several Quakers settled in the neighborhood, who are a sung, Wealthy and industrious people, and who enhanced the value of real property in a wide extent around the focus of their settle- ments.

"On the banks of the Ohio is a new town called Canton (Bridge- port), laid out by Mr. Zane last year, which has now thirteen houses. We here crossed a ferry of a quarter of a mile to Zane's Island, which we walked across, upwards of half a mile, through a fertile, extensive and well enltivated farm, the prop- erty of Mr. Zane, some of whose apples, pulled from the orchard in passing, were very refreshing to us while we sat on the bank nearly an hour awaiting the ferry boat. At last the boat came, and we crossed the second ferry of another quarter of a mile to Wheeling.

23-B. & J. Cos.

"I set out at half-past nine o'clock (next morning) and soon gained the top of the hill immediately over Wheeling, from whenee there is a handsome bird's-eye view of that town, Zane's island in fine cultivation, the two ferries across the Ohio, and the village of Canton beyond; while on the left the Ohio is seen winding among hills five or six miles below, and the view is bounded in that direbtion by one ridge rising beyond another to a great distance, Turning round on the narrow ridge over which the road leads, I had Wheeling creek directly under me at the foot of a precipice, it running in such a manner as to make the site of the town, with the hill behind, almost a penin - sula between it and the Ohio."

THE PUMPKIN FLOOD.

In the fall of 1816 the Ohio river rose to an unprecedented height, overflowing its banks, and bearing away on its resistless tide houses, barns, fences, and whatever else would float. Many cornfields were overflowed, and the pumpkins, which grew in abundance, were carried down the stream, dotting the water so that the flood was ever after known as the "Pumpkin Flood." A large barn was seen floating down the stream, and two men, Daniel Kilgore and Jackson Mitchell rowed in to it in a skiff and took from it a fat hen, which they found, and killed and ate it to pay them for their trouble. At this time the Ohio river was not so wide as at present, yet, notwithstanding this faet, it re- quired a great deal more rain to produce a high flood. The explanation of this seeming paradox is as follows: When the country was covered with forests the course of the rainfall to the river was impeded by the leaves and fallen timber that cov- ered the ground, hence the water that fell reached the river gradually, and was carried away to the sea as gradually, but when the ax of the woodman denuded the country of its forests the rainfall ran into the river all at once, and both raised the stream suddenly and washed its channel wider.

SICK OR BLASTED WHEAT.

Wheat sown in the carly settlements of Belmont county, in some localities, did not do well. It grew very tall in the stalk, but never matured properly, the ends of the grains presenting a red appearance. This wheat, when eaten either boiled or as bread, produced sickness, nausea and vomiting; hence it was called "sick or blasted wheat." This state of affairs continued several years after the land was cleared, when the wheat matured and sickness did not result from eating it.

THE MEMORABLE HAIL STORM.

Early in July, 1816, one of the severest hail storms ever known to the people of this region passed over a portion of' Belmont county, which played sad havoc with the crops of that year. It was several miles in width. The hail were of such size as to totally destroy grain and fruit in many places. Many were the size of a hen's egg, and noticed having prongs on a half inch in length. Where suel struck fences and trees marks were seen and leaves stripped off. The storm occurred on Sat- urday, and as late as Wednesday the following week hail in many places could have been picked up. A number of persons were obliged to give up their homes, losing everything they had, were unable to meet their obligations, and left the county. They were parties that had just come in and purchased land from the government.

HARDESTY FLOOD.

The flood known as the "Hardesty flood" occurred in about 1818 on McMahon's creek. It was styled thus owing to the fact that Mr. John Hardesty and family -- wife and five children, were crowned in it. He lived near the banks of this stream, and the waters rose to such a height that his house was inundated and carried off on the resistless bosom of the angry turbid waters. After the waters had abated he and his wife's body were recover- ed a short distance from where the house stood. The remains of two of his children were regained a considerable distance be- low, in the stream. The other children were never found. Ma- jor Thompson, of St. Clairsville, says, that several days after the flood, he passed down that way on horseback, and saw straw and litter lodged on the branches of trees along the creek, so high above him that he was unable to reach with his whip from his horse. The ravages of the flood were immense with great loss of property. It is said that the waters came down with such power as to canse the drift, bourne on its bosom, to be swept. across on the opposite banks of the Ohio river.

178

HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES.

THE FIRST STAGE.

The first stage in Belmont county came through from Wheel- ing to St. Clairsville, thence to Morristown, en route for Cam- bridge and Lancaster, in the spring of 1818. The line was own- ed by Thomas Dryden, of the latter place, and he drove the first stage throughout the first trip. The stage was drawn by four beautiful bay horses, and was filled with a cheery company of passengers who were enjoying the pioneer journey with consid- erable glee. The ontside patrons were, if possible, more joyons than the inside seat-holders, and whenever the driver would "wind his horn" as they approacheda settlement, they gave vent to their feelings by boisterous hnzzas, and songs in which the in- siders joined in the chorus.

The road near the villages were thronged with the people, some of whom had come many miles to see the stage. There was an intense satisfaction enjoyed by all, and no cirens or me- nagerie that has since visited the county, ever created the same excitement and heartfelt joy and exnltation that accompanied the passage of the pioneer stage.

PROJECT TO ERECT THE NEW COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND.

In the fall of 1847, after the annual October election, notice was given in the newspapers that petitions would be presented to the next General Assembly, asking that honorable body to erect a new county, to be called Cumberland, with the county seat at Fairview in Guernsey county, Ohio. The territory so to be made into a new county comprised the whole of Somerset, War- ren, and Kirkwood townships, and a part of Flushing township of Belmont connty, Ohio; and parts of Harrison, Tuscarawas, and Guernsey connties. In conformity with that notice petitions were shortly thereafter put in circulation within the terri- tory n med, which were signed by a vast majority of the voters resident therein. Barnesville in a mass was indignantly op- posed to the creation of the new connty.

The petitions however were in due time presented to the General Assembly and referred to their appropriate committee. A bill for the erection of the new connty of Cumberland was in a short time reported to the Assembly by that committee. The project met with much favor from that body and at one time the bill was on the very verge of being made a law. But Hon. Miller Pennington, the representative from Belmont county, who was a man of terrible energy, and shrewd tact, op- posed the bill with a vehemence and force that soon carried it to an indefinite postponement. The erection of Noble county, in 1850-51, put an end to it forever.

LIST OF PUBLIC OFFICERS.

REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS.

Below are given a list of the Congressmen representing the District in which Belmont county formed a part, from the first Congressman after it became a county up to 1881 ;

8-Jeremiah Morrow (Representative at large for the State) Warren county, from 1803 to 1805. 9-Jeremiah Morrow (Representative at large for the State), Warren county, from 1805 to 1807.

10 -- Jeremiah Morrow (Representative at large for the State), Warren county, from 1807 to 1809.

11-Jeremiah Morrow (Representative at large for the State), Warren county, from 1809 to 1811.

12-Jeremiah Morrow (Representative at large for the State), Warren connty, from 1811 to 1813.

13-James Caldwell, Belmont county, from 1813 to 1815.

14-James Caldwell, Belmont county, from 1815 to 1817.

15-Samuel Herrick, Muskingum county, from 1817 to 1819. 16-Samuel Herrick, Muskingum county, from 1819 to 1821. 17-John C. Wright* and David Chambers, Muskingum coun- ty, from 1821 to 1823.

18-John Patterson, Belmont county, 1823 to 1825.

19-David Jenningst and Thomas Shannon, Belmont county, from 1825 to 1827.

20 -- John Davenport, Belmont county, from 1827 to 1829.

21- Judge Wm. Kennon, Belmont county, from 1829 to 1831. 22-Jndge Wm. Kennon, Belmont county, from 1831 to 1833. 23-James M. Bell, Guernsey connty, from 1833 to 1835. 24-Judge W.m. Kennon, Belmont county, from 1835 to 1837. 25-James Alexander, Jr., Belmont county, from 1837 to 1839.

26-Isaac Parrish, Guernsey county, from 1839 to 1841. 27-Benj. S. Cowen, Belmont county, from 1841 to 1843. 28-Joseph Morris, Monroe county, from 1843 to 1845. 29-Joseph Morris, Monroe county, from 1845 to 1847. 30-William Kennon, Jr., Belmont county, from 1847 to 1849. 31-W. F. Hunter, Monroe county, from 1849 to 1851. 32 -- W. F. Hunter, Monroe connty, from 1851 to 1853. 33-Wilson Shannon, Belmont county, from 1853 to 1855. 34-Chas. J. Albright, Guernsey county, from 1855 to 1857. 35-William A. Lawrence, Guernsey county, from 1857 to 1859.

36-Thomas C. Theaker, Belmont county, from 1859 to 1861. 37-James R. Morris, Monroe county, from 1861 to 1863. 38-J. W. White, Guernsey county, from 1863 to 1865.

39-John A. Bingham, Harrison county, from 1865 to 1867. 40-John A. Bingham, Harrison county, from 1867 to 1869. 41-John A. Bingham, Harrison county, from 1869 to 1871. 42-John A. Bingham, Harrison county, from 1871 to 1873. 43-Lorenzo Danford, Belmont county, from 1873 to 1875. 44-Lorenzo Danford, Belmont county, from 1875 to 1877. 45-Lorenzo Danford, Belmont county, from 1877 to 1879. 46-J. T. Updegraff, Harrison county, from 1879 to 1881.

LIST OF STATE SENATORS.

1803 William Vance and Thos, 1834 James Alexander, Sr. Kirker. 1804 William Vance. 1835 George Sharp. 66 1836

1805 Joseph Sharp. 66

1806 =

1838

1807 Joseph Dillon.

1839

1808 6

1840

1809 James Caldwell.

1841 Chauncey Dewey.

1810 66

1842 Robert H. Miller. 66 =

1811 66

1843

1812 =

1844

1813 Charles Hammond.

1814

1846

1847 Edward Archibold. 1848

1816 66 66

1817

18-19 William P. Simpson, =

1818 66

1850

1819 David Jennings.

1852 66

1854 David Allen.

1821

1856 Charles Warfel.

1822 66 66

1858 Isaac Holloway.

1823 66

1860 Marshall McCall.

1824

1862 Isaac Welsh.

1825 Jolin Davenport.

1864 John C. Jamison.

1826 6

1866 Henry West.

1827 William Hubbard.

1868 James B. Jamison.

1828 6.

1870

1872 Samnel Knox.

1829 Thomas Shannon. 1830

1874

1831 William Dann.

1832

1833 James Alexander, Sr.

1880 D. A. Hollingsworth.

REPRESENTATIVES.

The following is a list of Representatives to the General As- sembly, from Belmont connty, commencing from the first, which convened at Chillicothe, March 1, 1803 :

1803-Joseph Sharp and Elijah Woods, and in the second General Assembly, which convened December 1, 1803, Josiah Dillon and James Smith.

1804-Thomas Wilson and John Stewart.

1805-John Stewart and James Smith.

1806-Josiah Dillon and John Stewart.

1807-William Vance and John Patterson.

1808-Joseph Sharp, Edward Bryson and Isaac Vore.

1809-Joseph Sharp, Isaac Vore and Josiah Dillon.

1810-Elijah Woods, Moses Morchead and Wm. Smith.

1811-James Smith, Thomas Mitchell and Joseph Sharp.

1812-Josiah Dillon, Jacob Myers and Peter Yarnel.

1813-Moses Morehead, Ambrose Danford and William Sin- clair.

1814-Joseph Sharp, Edward Bryson, Thomas Majors.

1815-David Wallace, James Smith and Thomas Majors.

1816-Charles Hammond, Thomas Townsend and Edward Bryson.

1817-Charles Hammond, George Panll and William Dunn. 1818-Charles Hammond, George Paull and William Dunn.

*John C. Wright resigned. +Resigned in 1826.

1845 Benjamin Mackall. .4

1815 John Patterson.

1820

1876 David Wagoner. 1878 66

1837 Thomas Shannon.

179

HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES.

1819-William Dunn, Thomas Shannon and John Smith. 1820-Charles Hammond, William Dunn and Thomas Shan- non.

1821-William Dunn, Alexander Armstrong and Thomas Shannon.

1822-William Dunn, Alexander Armstrong and Thomas Shannon. 1823-William Perrine, Isaac Atkinson and John Scatterday. 1824-John Davenport and Thos. Shannon.

1825-William Perrine and William Dunn.

1826-William Dunn and Eli Nichols.

1827-James Weir and Crawford Welch.

1828-Crawford Welch and William Dunn.

1829-Crawford Welch, James Weir and Andrew Patterson.

1830-John Davenport and James Alexander.

1831-John Patton, William Workman and William B. Hub- bard.

1832-John Patton and William Workman.

1833-Joseph A. Ramage and John Thompson.

1834-Joseph A. Ramage and Solomon Bentley.

1835 -- Solomon Bentley and William Chambers.

1836-James Weir.

1837-Ephraim Gaston and Isaac H. Green, 1838-Henry West.

1839-Henry West and Thomas A. Way.

1840-John Koontz and Crawford Welch.

1841-Wm. Workman and Samuel Dunn.

1842-Thomas Pilcher.

1843-Samuel Dunn and Wm. R. Carle.

1844-Benjamin S. Cowen and Peter Tallman.

1845 -- Benjamin'S. Cowen. 1846-John C. Kerr and William Hogue.

1847-Miller Pennington.

1848-Samuel Bigger.

1849-John A. Weyer and Hugh McNeely.

*1850-Archibald C. Ramage and James J. Grimes.

From 1852 to 1854-Archibald C. Ramage and Price Corn- well.

From 1854 to 1856-E. V. Cleaver and Samnel Findley. From 1856 to 1858-James A. Turner and Robert Hamilton. From 1858 to 1861-Isaac Welch.

From 1861 to 1863-Wilson S. Kennon.

From 1863 to 1864-Robert E, Chambers.

From: 1864 to 1866-Coulson Davenport.

From 1866 to 1868-Coulson Davenport and John Patterson. From 1868 to 1870-John W. Kennon and Thomas M. Nichol, From 1870 to 1872-John A. Weyer.

From 1872 to 1876-Thomas H. Armstrong.

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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 64

Author: Caldwell, J. A. (John Alexander) 1n; Newton, J. H., ed; Ohio Genealogical Society. 1n Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Wheeling, W. Va. : Historical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 728

Author: Caldwell, J. A. (John Alexander) 1n; Newton, J. H., ed; Ohio Genealogical Society. 1n
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Wheeling, W. Va. : Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 728