USA > Ohio > History of the Upper Ohio Valley, with family history and biographical sketches, a statement of its resources, industrial growth and commercial advantages, Vol. II pt 2 > Part 45
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The old town of Bellaire was laid out in 1834 by Jacob Davis, whose father purchased the land in 1802 and was one of the original settlers. The first house built in it was put up by Jacob Davis, in IS29, and the writer had it torn down in ISto, when the buildings of the Bellaire Implement and Machine works were erected. The town grew slowly until the construction of the Central Ohio railroad was completed in 1854, and the Cleveland and Pittsburg railroad in 1856.
In 1852 Col. J. H. Sullivan and others purchased the llarris farm and laid out the new city and called it Bellaire. The following addi- tions, which show the rapid growth of the city as well as anything can, were made at the time specified: Rodeter's first addition, January 30, 1856; Harris farm addition, September 5, 1856; Rodefers' second ad- dition, July, 1856; Rodefer's third addition, November 3, 1859; Sulli- van, Barnard & Cowen's addition, October 13, 1866: Bates' addition, March 31, 1868; Fink's addition, September 15, 1868; Fink's second addition, September 25, 1869; Sullivan, Barnard & Cowen's second addition, and Mrs. J. H. Sullivan's Rose Hill addition, June 5, 1869; Cummins' first addition, December 1, 18;0; Cummins' second addition, September 10, 1872; Cummins' third addition, June 28, 1873: Cum- mins' fourth addition. October 3, 1874; Heatherington's first addition, July 11, 1871; Bates' addition, July 15, 1871; Barnard, Cummins & Hammond's addition, July 25, 1871; Carroll, Armstrong & Co.'s addi- tion, February 21, 1872; Fink's third addition, June 22, 1872; Heather- ington's second addition, June 27, 1872; Heatherington's third addition, December 5, 1872; Barnard's first addition, April 3, 1873: Austin's ad- dition, August 22, 1873; Horn's addition, February 21, 18;4; Austin's second addition, August 28, 1874; Barnard's second addition, Sep- tember 4, IS;6: Cummins' fifth addition, April 15, 1878; Barnard & Cowen's addition, April 15. 1878; Sullivan, Barnard & Cowen's third addition, February 27, 18;8; Sheets' addition, March 21, 1879.
Early Settlers and Business Men .-- The following persons were among the earlier purchasers of lots in Bellaire: 11. B. Cunningham, John Wallace. R. Wallace and William Frazier, purchased lots in 1834; George Wheatly, Adam Long, Francis Hollingshead, Hiram Mc Mahan, R. H. O'Neal, Robert Tarbet and Jesse Bailey, in 1836, and John Hoff- man, James Dunlap, Richard Hawkins, C. S. S. Baron, Amos Worley, Thomas M. Davis, Harrison Porter and John Christian bought soon after. Amos Worley built the third house and carried on cabinet- making, Joseph Rine was the first coal merchant, Capt. John Fink and the Heatheringtons entered the business a few years later, Francis Hollingshead was the first grocer, Joseph Mccullough kept a shoe shop in the second frame house built in the town. lle was succeeded
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by Benjamin Westlake. William Ilunter made the first brick, John Archer was the first cooper, the Longs were boat builders, John Rees was a blacksmith, J. M. Beard a wagon maker, and a Jew named Weish, the first clothier. A postoffice was established in 1841, and John Archer was appointed postmaster. His successors were: Dr. . Andrews, John Anderson, A. W. Anderson, William Dunn, Robert Harper, Mrs. 11. A. Birdsong, George A. Wise, D. W. Cooper and D. H. Donal the present incumbent.
The town was incorporated in 1860. In 1870 and in 1873 the corpo- rate limits were extended, and in the latter year the village charter was changed to the city charter. The following persons have served as mayor: 1860-61, John Kelley: 1861-63, A. W. Anderson; 1863-68, F. B. Winans; 1868-70, A. O. Mellotte; 1870-74, George Crisnell; 1874-78, Joel Strahl; IS-S-So, Levi Cassell; ISSo-84, D. W. Cooper; 1886-90, W. H. Brown; 1Soo -- , S. S. McGowen.
Growth and Present Condition .- On the completion of the Central Ohio and Cleveland & Pittsburgh railroads, to Bellaire, it com- menced to grow rapidly. The first flint glass works, the Belmont, was organized in 1861. It was followed by the National, in 1869; the Goblet works, in 18;6; the Ohio Glass works, in 18;8; the Bellaire Bottle works, and the Etna Glass works in 18So. Some changes and enlargements have occurred in these factories, but they are all in operation now.
The first window glass works was erected in 1872, by the Bellaire Window Glass company, that has since been doubled in capacity. The Union Window Glass works were started in ISSo; the Crystal Window Glass works, in 1882, and the Enterprise Window Glass works, in 1884. These works are all now running. The Bellaire Nail works was organized in 1866. It has been enlarged from forty-five nail machines to 127 machines. The company has built a blast fur- nace with a capacity of 1oo tons of pig iron daily, and a steel plant with a capacity of 275 tons in twenty-four hours. The Bellaire Stamp- ing works organized in IS71, as the Baron Manufacturing company. has been enlarged until its present capacity is three or four times what it originally was, and runs the year round. The Bellaire Cement works, Barnhill & Co. Boiler works, .Etna Machine works and foundry, Buckeye Lantern works, the Gill Bros'. Glass-pot works, Dubois & McCoy's Planing mills, Ault's and Stewart & Ward's Mer- chant Flouring mills, the repair shops of the B. & O. and the C. & P. railroads and eight coal mines. These great manufacturing establish- ments, with the incident carpenters, masons, blacksmiths, wagon-mak- ers, tailors, shoemakers, merchants, butchers, newspapers, and other or- dinary callings in such a community, make Bellaire a live and pros- perous city.
A water works erected in 1874. at a cost of $100.000, and since enlarged, furnishes the people with an abundant supply of good soft water.
The Bellaire Gas Light and Coke company, organized in 1873, has supplied the city with gas, and under a re-organization in iSSo. as the
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HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY.
Bellaire Electric Light and Gas company, is now furnishing both electric lights and gas.
The Street Railway company, organized in 1875, passed into new hands in 1887, and the road has been rebuilt in a much better manner than orgininally constructed, and is a first-class road of great accom- modation to the people.
Schools .- The educational facilities are excellent. A good school building in each ward with from three to eight rooms and a central or high school building, the management of which is elsewhere more particularly described.
Churches .-- There are in the city four Methodist Episcopal churches (two colored), two Presbyterian churches, one Christian church, one Catholic church, one United Presbyterian church, one Episcopal church, and one German Lutheran church.
Commercial Business .-- The assessed valuation for taxation of the real and personal property in the city is $3,250,000, and increasing at the rate of $160,000 a year. In addition to the establishments speci- fically named there are in the city two banks, seven fine drug stores, nine dry goods stores, eleven clothing and gents' furnishing houses; nine boot and shoe stores, four tin and sheet iron manufacturers and stove dealers; three hardware stores, three toy and wall paper stores, two furniture and chair dealers, three painting and decorating firms, six cigar factories, five livery stables, five watch and silversmiths, sixty grocers and provision dealers, seven confectioners, twelve barber shops, with butchers, blacksmiths, marble cutters, news dealers, masons, carpenters, etc.
Newspapers .-- There are three weekly, one semi-weekly and two daily papers running apparently successfully, and numerous others have been started, ran a brief career, and died. The Independent, started in 18;6, by a company, J. B. Longley, editor, purchased by J. F. Anderson, in 1877, started a small daily edition in iSSi, and enlarged to a six column folio in 1890. The Tribune, a republican paper started by C. L. Poorman in 1879, as a weekly, issued a six-col- umn daily in ISSI, and made the weekly a semi-weekly, and in 1885 enlarged the daily to a seven-column folio. The Herald, a democratic paper, started in 1885, by E. M. Lockwood, was sold in ISgo to .A. C. Meyer, who is now running it. The Bellaire Democrat, a neat forty- column quarto, made its appearance as a democratic paper in iSSS. published by William C. Warnock, is the best patronized democratic paper ever published in the city.
Improved Streets and Roads .- Bellaire has the best paved streets of any city of equal size in the state and new contracts are being sold for still further improvements. At the April election here citizens voted by a large majority, agreeing to be taxed with the people of Pultney township to construct five macadamnized roads leading from the city in different directions through the township, which will be of great value to the city when constructed. All indications point to a rapid and substantial growth of the city in the near future.
St. Clairsville .- The capital of the county, St. Clairsville, is situated
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BELMONT COUNTY, OHIO.
on the line of the national road, eleven miles west of the Ohio river, and 560 feet above its level, on a site commanding a magnificent view of the rich agricultural country surrounding it. It was laid out in ISo1 by David Newell and called Newelstown. In 1803 it was en- larged by Mather's addition, and called St. Clairsville, in honor of Arthur St. Clair, governor of the Northwest Territory. It was made the seat of justice for the county in 1804, as elsewhere related.
For many years it was the principal trading town in the county and grew rapidly until 1840, being on the line of the leading road in the country in early days, and this became the national road in 1828-9. In early days a large trade was carried on here in ginseng, furs, grain and produce which was hauled to the river and shipped on flat-boats to New Orleans. In this way the people of the county obtained their money to meet cash outlays for taxes and other items. From a letter written in IS5S, we give a discription of this business:
"The produce collected here for the Atlantic ports, are flour (for New Orleans market ), hemp, fax, bees-wax, and in the fall of iso;, 12,000 weight of snake-root and 6,000 weight of ginseng (3,000 weight of which being clarified ), was sent to the ports of Philadelphia and Baltimore."
The village was incorporated in January, ISo7, and the following officers appointed to serve until their successors were elected: John Patton, president; Sterling Johnson, recorder: Samuel Sullivan, mar- shal; Michael Groves, William Brown, John Brown and Josiah Dillon, trustees; William Cougleton, collector; James Caldwell, treasurer. A new charter was issued by the secretary of state December 19, 1818, indicating a lapse or death of the old incorporation. Since 1840 there has been little growth or development, except within the past three or four years, the new growth being due to an influx of well-to-do farmers and others seeking a healthy, intelligent location, for a retired life, and the business transacted now, outside of that connected with the courts and official business of the county, is less than twenty years ago, and in fact, the following pen-picture of the business aspect of the place, written of its condition in 1808, by a citizen of the place, makes one doubt whether it has made much progress in point of ma- terial industry since that date: "Here are two schools, five taverns, eight stores well assorted with goods, seven carpenters, three masons, two blacksmiths, two tanners, or curriers, four cabinet-makers, one brick-maker, two saddlers, one pottery, one tinner, two manufactur- ers of cut nails, two clock and watchmakers, four shoemakers, three tailors, two turners in wood, one spinning wheel maker (a very useful manufacture in a new country, and especially at this time when every family is a dollar richer for every cent laid out in buying a spinning wheel, and pounds for every shilling's worth in home made garments), one cartwright, two windsor chair-makers, and one maker of split- bottom chairs, two distilleries, one victualer, three physicians, and two attorneys - in the latter the growth has been large.
Among the early merchants and business men were these: James Caldwell, first dry goods store, in 18o1, was president of Belmont bank
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HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY.
in 1816, and died in 1837: John Winters, merchant, 1802; James Barnes, 1803; Peter Yarnald, John Patterson and John Thompson, in 1805; Josiah Dillon, Samuel Sharp and John Carter & Co., in 1807; Joseph Harris and Richard Freeman, in iSOS; Josiah Hedges, 1813, and Richard Charlesworth, 1819. None of these have left family suc- cessors in the business of the place.
Newspapers .- St. Clairsville Gasette, J. W. Milligan, editor, and Belmont Chronicle, W. A. Hunt, editor.
Churches .- Presbyterian, Robert Alexander, pastor; United Pres- byterian, Thomas Balph, pastor; Methodist Episcopal, J. H. Hollings- head, pastor.
Schools .-- The schools of St. Cairsville are among the best in the county, employing seven teachers in six rooms, with 388 of an enum- eration, and at a cost of $5,600. Population in 18So, 1.128.
Bridgeport .- May 9, 1806, the town of Canton, now Bridgeport, was laid out by Ebenezer Zane, of Wheeling, who had secured the lands along Wheeling creek as far west as the Scott farm, and up the Ohio river to Burlington. It was located on the north side of Wheeling creek on the line of the "Indian trail," afterward "the Zane road,' and since the National road. Elijah Woods, the son-in-law of Mr. Zane, was active in the early growth and development of Bridgeport. In 1807, there were thirteen houses. At this early date boat-building was inaugurated by Moses Rhodes, who built flat- and keel-boats for the river trade, for carrying the produce of the county to points above and below on the river; and Bridgeport was the shipping point for the county and maintained the lead in this line until the construc- tion of railroads. Among the early business men of Bridgeport were Thomas Thompson who kept a tavern, the first in the place; Ezra Williams, a wheelwright; Moses Rhodes, and Artemus Baker, boat- builders; Elijah Woods, ferryman; Thomas Woods and Benjamin Bloomfield, John Pettis, Ford Scott and John Scott kept stores in 1820. Samuel Fitch established a wholesale store in 1825; he struck the first pick west of the river in the work of the National road. This enterprise gave Canton a substantial growth.
In 1844 there was another impetus to business, and for ten years there was substantial growth and development. Among the leading business houses during this period were: Rhodes & Oglebay, Hol- loway & Warfield, Anderson & Dewey, D. B. Atkinson & Co., Bell & Harden, grocers, dry goods and forwarders. The ship- ping business in 1854 amounting to about $150,000. Since 1864 there has been rapid growth in business largely due to the growth of man- ufacturing business.
Bridgeport proper was incorporated March 14, 1836. The incorpo- rated limits were extended to the north line of . Etnaville. laid out in 1873, and south of the La Belle glass works, including Kirkwood laid out January 28, 1834, by Joseph Kirkwood, Zane's addition in 1831, and Allen's addition in 1836.
Men Who Served as Mayor .-- Peter Cusick was first mayor of Bridge- port, Hugh MeNeeley followed. James D. Callighan served from
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BELMONT COUNTY, OHIO.
IS38-40. There were no corporate elections from 1840-47, when Moses Rhodes was elected. Since then the following have served: B. T. Brown, Novenber 17, 1847, to April 12, 1848; S. E. Francis, April 1, 1848, to May 12, 1848; John Gilbert, May 12, 1848, to April 9, 1849; Lewis G. Smith, April 9, 1849, to April 16, 1851; John Gilbert, April 16, IS51, to June 12, 1852; John Allison, June 12, 1852, to December, 1852; William Gill, December, 1852, to April 6, 1853; W. W. Halstead, April 6, 1853, to April 3, 1854; William Gill, April 3. 1854, to April 7, 1856; William Alexander, April 7, 1856, to December 11, 1857; A. J. Lawrence, December 11, 1857. to April 4, 1859; John Gilbert, April 4, 1859, to April 2, 1860; Andrew Grubb, April 2, 1860, to April 1, 1861; William Alexander, April 1, 1861, to June 14, 1864; A. Goudy, June 14, 1864, to April, 1866; William Alexander, April, 1866, to May, 1866; A. Goudy, May, 1866, to April, 1867; Israel Phillips, April, 1867, to April, 1869; William Gill, April, 1869, to April, 1870; Israel Phillips. April, 1870, to April, 1873; William Gill, April, 1873, to April, 1875; Milton McConoughy, April, 1875, to April, 1878; F. C. Robinson, April, 18;8, to April, ISS4; M. V. Junkins, April, iSS4, to April, ISSS; R. Mitchell, April, ISSS, to April, 189 .
Moses Rhodes was the first postmaster appointed in 1815, during Madison's administration. Dr. J. W. Cook was postmaster under the last administration.
Churches .- Bridgeport has two Methodist churches, one Presby- terian and one Colored Baptist church.
Manufacturers .- AEtna Iron & Steel company, sheet and building iron; Standard Iron company, corrugated iron; La Belle Glass Works, cut glass; Bridgeport Iron Works, fruit jars; Woodcock Bros., foun- dry; R. J. Baggs & Son, doors, sash, etc .; Diamond Mills, flour; L. C. Leech, boards, etc .; Bridgeport Machine shops.
Population in ISSo, 2,390; school enumeration, 1889, 1,210: valuation for taxation, 1889, $1, 147,104, First National bank; capital, $200,000. surplus and undivided profits, $50,430. Railroads. Cleveland, Pitts- burgh & Wheeling, Cleveland, Lorain & Wheeling and Wheeling & Lake Erie.
Barnesville .- James Barnes, the founder of Barnesville, was born in Maryland county, Md., of English parents, in 1782. He started life as a farmer in Montgomery county, Md., where he laid out a town, which he called Barnesville. In 18o3, he concluded to try the west, and came to Ohio. Ilis first stopping place was at St. Clairsville, where he opened a tavern on the lot now occupied by the west side of the court house. A few years later, he went into the dry goods busi- ness on the corner of Main and Marietta streets, where he continued in business until 1812.
In 1806, he entered the lands where Barnesville now stands, and two years later, Rev. James Rounds, a tanner, entered into partner- .ship with Mr. Barnes and started a tan yard on the land. On No- vember 8, 1868, Mr. Barnes laid out the town of Barnesville, and com- menced the sale of lots, reserving the block east of Chestnut, fronting on Main and Church streets. He removed to Barnesville in 1812, oc-
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HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY.
cupying part of the house on lot 45, but in 1813-14, erected a house on lot 17, where he lived until his death.
William Philpot, in ISto, opened the first store in the place on lot 18. That year John and Thomas Shannon, the former the father of William Shannon, governor of Ohio, did the work of clear- ing ten acres of ground, on which the orchard was planted, a part of the trees of which are still standing on the residence property of the late Kelion llager. Mr. Barnes was an active business man and started or aided in starting many enterprises. Ile started in the busi- ness of purchasing and classifying ginseng, and bought as much as 30,000 pounds of it annually. In 1814 he organized a company and put up a flouring-mill and woolen factory, the mill still running and the woolen factory ran until 1835. It was the largest woolen mill ever run in the county. In 1823-24 Mr. Barnes commenced dealing in leaf tobacco and 1826, erected a large tobacco house, and the to- bacco trade later became an important enterprise. Among the other early enterprises in Barnesville, was the nail factory of James Riggs, a wrought-nail maker who came from Hagerstown, Md., in 1810 and erected a factory with three forges, on lot 47, Main street. where he turned out from fifteen to twenty pounds of hand-forged nails to each forge per day, which he continued until after the war of 1812, when the introduction of the cut-nail machinery, the factory was abandoned.
Barnesville is situated on the line of the Baltimore & Ohio, or Cen- tral Ohio railroad, twenty-eight miles from the Ohio river, on lands dividing the waters of McMahan creek and Stillwater, and is noted at present for the quantity and quality of its strawberry production, which was commenced in 1860 and increased so that in good years 1,000 bushels are daily shipped during the fruit season to cities east and west, the largest quantity going to Chicago.
Municipal Organisations .- The act of the general assembly, by which Barnesville became an incorporated village, was passed in the winter of 1835-6. At the spring election of 1836, Isaac Barnes, a son of the proprietor of the town, was chosen its first mayor. From that time until 1855 the records of the town have been lost, and it is impos- sible to supply their place by traditional evidence. The officers, how- ever, were elected annually, and the following persons were chosen mayors of the village and very nearly in the order of the names given: Lewis H. Green, Col. Benjamin Mackall (several terms), Kelion Hager, John McGill (several terms), Evan Butler and John McCune. From 1855 the records of the town have been well preserved, and the following is a list of the mayors with the time they served annexed to their names: Benjamin Davenport, April, 1855, to April, 1856; John Davenport, Esq., April, 1856, to April, 1858; Stephen Wilson, April 1858, to November 1, 1858; S. J. Evans, November 1, 1858, to April 1, 1861; N. Criswell, April 1, 1861, to April, 1862; Handel Vance, April, 1862, to December 1, 1862; II. F. Odell, December 1, 1862, to April, 1864: Benjamin Davenport, April, 1864, to April, 1866; John M. Gardner, April, 1866, to April, 1867; James W. Warfield, April, 1867, to
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BELMONT COUNTY, OIIIO.
April, 1868; Benjamin Davenport, April, 1868, to April, 1869; John MI. Gardner, April, 1869. to April. 1870; R. C. Graves, April, 1870, to April. 1871; James A. Barnes, April, 1871, to May 1, 1871; Michael D. King, May, 1871, to February 16, 1874; John M. Gardner, February 16, 1874. to April, 1874; R. H. Taneyhill, April. 1874, to April, 18;6; H. W. Baker, April, 1876. to April, ISgo; G. II. Kemp, April, 18co.
Manufactures .- The Window Glass company, with two ten-pot furnaces, is the largest manufactory in the place and employs 130 hands; The Watt Bros. Mining Car-wheel company employs forty- five hands; George Atkinson's Woolen mill, thirteen hands; lleed Brothers, manufacturers of cigars, ninety hands.
Merchandising .-- There are at present five dry goods merchants, twenty grocers, four cigar factories, three boot and shoe stores, four drug stores, two national banks, two hardware stores, two furniture stores, two livery stables, four hotels, one wholesale leather and find- ing store, five butcher shops, nine tobacco packing houses, one cloth- ing store, one sewing machine store, with shoemakers, blacksmiths, carpenters, stone masons in full supply.
Churches and Schools .- One Methodist Episcopal church, one Afri- can Methodist Episcopal church, one Presbyterian church, one Chris- tian church and one Friends church. The schools are under charge of Henry L. Peck, superintendent, in a fine central school building. containing thirteen rooms so arranged that the light falls over the left shoulders of the pupils. The number of pupils in the enumeration was 908, enrolled 601, employing twelve teachers, at a total cost for schools of $9.386. Population in ISSo, 2,435: present population, about 3,500.
Martin's Ferry is situated on the Ohio river, one mile above Bridge- port on the site of the first settlement in the county, which was in 1785, and called Norristown, but was broken up by Col. Harmer by order of the United States government, on complaint of the Indians whose title had not yet been extinguished.
In 1788 the land upon which the town is located was granted to Absalom Martin, who laid out a town in 1795 and called it Jefferson, but failing to secure the county seat the town was vacated and the lots sold re-purchased by him. In 1835 Ebenezer Martin, son of Ab- salom Martin, born November 9, 1791, in a log cabin, not far from the ferry landing, laid out and platted the original town, first called Mar- tinsville and then changed to Martin's Ferry.
The town was incorporated August 5, 1865. The first election was held December 15, 1865. The following is a list of its officers since its incorporation:
Mayors -- A. D. Rice, 1865-67; W. 11. Orr, 1867-69: James Eagleson, 1860-70: J. W. Buckingham, 1870-72; James Kerr, 1872 74: James Dean, 1874-76; J. W. Buckingham, 1876- 18;8; James Kerr, 18;8 So; W. M. Lupton, 18So-82; M. C. Mitchell, 1882-86; Theodore Keller, 1886- S8; M. C. Mitchell, 1888-90; M. R. Smiley, 1800.
Treasurers -- James A. Gray, 1865 68; Daniel Parks, Jr .. iSos 74: Jolin L. Vanpelt, 1874 78; Abram Lash, 18;8 82; Joseph Medill,
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HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY.
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