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 47
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52
The Township School Board .- Under this system each township is a school district, divided into as many school districts as the conven- ience of the people may require. Each sub-district elects three local directors for the management of the school under the township board. One of these three is elected clerk and member of the township board, and these clerks, to the number of all the sub-districts, constitute the township board of education, with control of the schools. The num- ber of sub-districts vary in different townships, running from eight to eighteen, and aggregate 173 in the county, having 183 school rooms, with $185,500, requiring at least 187 teachers, and employing in part during the year 144 male teachers at the average of $37 per month, and eighty-two female teachers at the average of $29 per month. The enrollment in these schools for ISSo was 8,582, and the average daily attendance was 5,271, and the total expenditure of $83,012.12, of which $8,066.91 was for sites and new buildings, and $3.969.86 for in- terest and redemption of bonds, leaving $70,975.35 as the net cost of maintaining the schools, for the year during which thirty weeks of school was the average in the township, and the cost being equal to $13.46 to each pupil in daily average attendance. The average on the total expenditure would be $15 .; 5.
Separate Districts .- It is in the separate school districts, of which there are nine in the county, in the more prominent towns, that the greatest efficiency has been attained, due largely to the better facili- ties for classification of children and the advantages of a general supervision. It is here that the common school has, in fact, be- come the poor-man's college, and young men and young women are so educated as to be qualified for almost any position in life. These nine separate districts are at Barnesville, Bellaire, Bridgeport, Belmont, Flushing, Martin's Ferry, Morristown, Powhatan and St. Clairsville. They contain nineteen school-houses, valued at $210,000, containing eighty-six primary and seven high schools, employing in the primary schools, ten male and seventy-eight female teachers, at average wages of $53 per month for males and $35 for females; in the high schools five males and six female teachers, average wages $Si for males and $55 for females. The total expenditure last year
773
BELMONT COUNTY, OHIO.
was $72,117.60, of which $10,436.48 was paid for interest, debt and new building, leaving $61,681.12 as the cost of maintaining the schools. The enumeration of youth in these special district last year amounted to 7,975. The aggregate school enrollment is 5,563, the average monthly enrollment is 4,426, and the average daily attendance is 3,799. The cost of education per pupil, based upon the total expendi- ture and the average monthly enrollment, would be less than $16.30. and based upon the daily average attendance would be $18.98 per pupil.
The following from last year's returns show the enumeration, en- rollment, average monthly enrollment, average daily attendance, average number of weeks taught and total expenditure, in the town- ships, districts and in the separate districts:
Enumera- tion.
Enroll- ment.
Average Daily Average Weekly Enrollment. [Attendance
Weeks Taught.
Total Expenditure.
Township Districts.
City and Town Districts
10,350 7,975
8,582 5,563
6,645 4,426
5,271 3,799
30 36
$83,012 12 72,117 60
Estimates will disclose the fact that the cost of maintaining the city and special district schools, under general supervision, with much bet- ter common school facilities and the great advantage of high school education is no more per pupil per month than the cost of maintain- ing the township schools. Why not place the township schools under the special school district system?
The following table shows the receipts and expenditures for com- mon school purposes in Belmont county for the fiscal year ISS9:
RECEIPTS.
Townships.
Cities and vil- lages.
Totals.
Balance on hand September 1, ISSS.
$26,313 42
$32,514 91
$58, SzS 33
State tax ..
15,246 55
11,433 25
26,6,9 So
Irreducible school fund.
6,334 17
1,835 25
8, 196 42
Rents on section 16.
996 55
996 55
Local taxes for school and school-house purposes
54,110 23
48,677 48
102,787 71
Amount received on sale of bonds
2,771 OS
1,000 00
3.771 08
Fines, licenses, tuition of non-resident pupils and other
sources
1,961 35
3,976 SS
5,938 23
Totals
$107,733 35
$90,437 77
$207,171 12
EXPENDITURES.
Paid teachers, elementary.
$51.475 25
$31,766 $3
$$3,245 OS
Paid teachers, high
104 06
7,137 50
7,241 56
Managing and superintending.
4,140 00
4.140 00
Sites and buildings
8,066 91
650 00
8,716 91
Interest and redemption of bonds
3,969 86
9.750 4S
13,750 34
Contingent expenses
19.393 04
18,630 79
38,029 $3
Totals
$$3,012 12
$72,117 60
$155,129 72
Balance on hand September 1, ISS9.
$52,041 04
774
HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY.
In the management of the five principal city and village schools at Barnesville, Bridgeport, Bellaire, Martin's Ferry and St. Clairsville there is substantial uniformity of system in conducting the details.
The following table gives an abstract of the enumeration taken during the two weeks ending on the fourth Saturday of July, 1889, of the unmarried youth between the ages of six and twenty-one years, and also between the ages of sixteen and twenty-one years, residing within the county of Belmont, state of Ohio:
Names of Districts,
No. of Boys. No. of Girls.
Total.
No. of Youth between 16 and 21.
Colerain township ..
331
305
636
160
Flushing township.
236
215
451
130
Kirkwood township
319
281
603
164
Pease township.
475
464
939
217
Richland township-
489
459
948
317
Somerset township
355
302
717
195
Warren township.
350
329
679
ISI
Washington township
306
277
583
164
Wheeling township.
236
191
427
III
162
144
306
82
Total
5,212
4,731
9,943
2,763
SEPARATE DISTRICTS.
Barnesville.
Bellaire.
458
4So
938
271
Bridgeport.
1,756
1,590
3,346
845
Belmont.
578
598
1,176
347
Fairview.
86
80
166
36
Flushing.
91
100
51
Morristown.
59
49
IOS
9
St. Clairsville
75
91
166
48
169
190
359
92
Total.
4,259
4, 101
8,360
2,127
Grand total.
9.471
S,832
IS,303
4,890
Goshen township.
3IS
313
631
208
Mead township.
314
25S
572
160
J'ultney township
482
376
858
205
Smith township ..
313
2SS
601
191
Union township.
219
190
406
116
Wayne township.
307
276
583
162
York township
4
4
2
Martin's Ferry
987
919
1,906
426
Powhatan
775
BELMONT COUNTY, OHIO.
CHAPTER VIL.
BY COL. C. L. POORMAN.
RELIGIOUS HISTORY - EARLY MEETING HOUSES - FIRST CONGREGATIONS GROWTH OF RELIGIOUS SENTIMENT - METHODISM IN BELMONT COUNTY - EARLY SOCIETIES - CIRCUITS- STATISTICS - PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH - BAPTIST CHURCH -- CHRISTIAN CHURCH - UNITED PRESBYTERIAN --- CATHOLIC CHURCH - EPISCOPAL.
NOTHING connected with the early settlement, growth and present condition of Belmont county affords greater contrast than the early and present condition of religious organizations. There is some controversy and much spec- ulation as to which denomination was first to organize re- ligious societies within the county, but none as to the char- acter of the earlier houses of worship and the simple manners, habits and dress of the pioneers who worshiped in them.
First Mccting Houses .- Whether the first meeting house was erected at Dillie's Bottom where the first legal settlement occurred, or at Concord, in Colerain township, near Mt. Pleasant, or west of St. Clairsville by the Baptists, or north of St. Clairsville near the present Presbyterian cemetery, by the Presbyterians, or by the Seceders in Colerain township where very early settlements took place on Scotch Ridge in Pease township and north into Colerain, or at some other point, all that were carly built -in fact during the first five or ten years of the present century, were of the same general character dif- fering only in size. Descriptions are not often given in later histories of the churches in which the expression "a hewed log church for house) was erected." The following descriptions of some early churches give the general character of all erected at that carly date: The first Trinity United Presbyterian church is thus described: " The first meeting house was built in 1815, where the graveyard is now located. The structure was of round logs, 20x25, with a clap- board roof, and the whole of one end of the house occupied by the fireplace. The building was very primitive in construction and de- fective in architectural design, so to avoid the smoke the congrega- tion took to a tent whenever the weather permitted."
The Salem Methodist Episcopal church, organized, we are told, in 1812, "erected a hewd log church building near the western line of section 10, in Kirkwood township. Their benches in the house were small logs split in halves, the flat side shaved smooth, holes bored and sticks put in for legs, which they used for seats for several years, then made seats of boards. Their fireplace was a box set in the middle of
776
HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY.
the house with dirt in, on which they made fire. This they used un- til 1816, when they made a fireplace and built a stone chimney in the center of the house."
In Barnesville the Methodist Episcopal church was organized in 1808, and the first house is thus described: "It was constructed of huge hewn logs contributed by the membership and friends. The house was 40x36. Two chimneys of stone were put up outside at the west corner with two immense fireplaces on the inside for wood fires. The doors occupied the east corners and led to the aisles that passed along the sides of the house to the fireplaces. Between the aisles were benches without backs -- mere slabs split from large trees and with four legs to the bench to support it. The sides and end of the room were ceiled to the square. At the square two substantial girders crossed each other at right angles and were fastened into the top logs to support the walls. There was no ceiling, so the whole of the inside of the roof was exposed to sight. A little high circular pulpit decor- ated with filigree work stood between the fireplaces." This, perhaps, was one of the best church buildings in the county at that date, and contrasts greatly with the present magnificent church edifices.
First Congregations .-- A primitive worshiping congregation, if one could be gathered into one of our present churches, would be almost as startling as Buffalo Bill's Wild West show to the nations of Europe. Tow-linen, linsey-woolsey, and red flannel, the latter in later years, constituting the Sunday as well as the week-day apparel of the pion- eers, and up to 1840 to 1850 the majority of rural congregations were thus appareled. Upon this subject of dress we quote from an early and graphic description of log cabin pioneer life, from John S. Will- iams, an early settler of Concord. Colerain township, who, in 1843, edited the American Pioneer, published at Cincinnati. This descrip- tion shows not only the method of making the clothing of the early settlers but their method of dress:
"One of my employments of winter evenings, after we raised flax, was the spinning of rope yarn, from the coarsest swingling tow, to make bed cords for sale. Swingling tow is a corruption of singling tow, as swingle tree is of single tree. The manner of spinning rope yarn was by means of a drum, which turned on a horizontal shaft driven into a hole in one of the cabin logs near the fire. The yarn was hitched to a nail on one side of the circumference next to me. By taking an oblique direction and keeping up a regular jerking or pulling of the thread, the drum was kept in constant motion, and thus the twisting and pulling out went on regularly and simultaneously until the length of the walk was taken up. Then, by winding the yarn first on my fore-arm, and from that on the drum, I was ready to spin another thread.
"The unlearned reader might enquire what we did with the finer kinds of tow. It is well enough to apprise him that next to rope yarn in fineness, was filling for trowsers and aprons; next finer, warp for the same and filling for shirts and frocks; next finer of tow thread, warp for sheets and frocks, unless some of the higher grades of
777
BELMONT COUNTY, OHIO.
society would use flax thread. Linen shirts, especially 700, was counted the very top of the pot, and he who wore an Soo linen shirt was counted a dandy. Ile was not called a dandy, for the word was un- known, as well as the refined animal which bears that name. Pioneers found it to their advantage to wear tow linen and eat skim milk, and sell their flax, linen and butter.
"Frocks were a short kind of shirt worn over the trowsers. We saved our shirts by pulling them off in warm weather and wearing nothing in day-time but our hats, made of straw, our frocks and our trowsers. It will be thus perceived that these things took place be- fore the days of suspenders, when every one's trowsers lacked about two inches of reaching up to where the waistcoat reached down. It was counted no extraordinary sight and no matter of merriment to see the shirt work out all over the waistband two or three inches, and hang in a graceful festoon around the waist. Suspenders soon be- came a part of the clothing, and was a real improvement in dress.
"The girls had forms without bustles, and rosy cheeks without paint. Those who are thin, lean and colorless from being slaves to idleness or fashion, are, to some extent, excusable for endeavoring to be artificially what the pioneer girls were naturally; who, had they needed lacing, might have used tow strings, and if bran were used for bustles, might have curtailed their suppers. Those circumstances which frequently occasioned the bran to be eaten after the flour was gone, laced tight enough without silk cord or bone-sets, and prevented that state of things which sometimes makes it necessary to eat both flour and bran together as a medicine, and requires bran or straw outside to make the shape respectable.
"Not only about the farm, but also to meeting, the younger part of the families, and even men went barefoot in summer. The young women carried their shoes and stockings, if they had them, in their hands until they got in sight of the meeting house, when, sitting on a log, they shod themselves for meeting: and at the same place, after meeting, they unshod themselves for a walk home, perhaps one or two miles. Whether shoes, stockings, or even bonnets were to be had or not, meeting must be attended. Let those who cannot attend church without a new bonnet, who cannot go two or three squares be- cause it is so cold or so rainy, or so sunny, not laugh at the zeal of those pioneers for religion.'
Who will say that in those days of primitive simplicity there was not as much genuine love of God and his cause as can be found in the fine churches, and silk, satin and broad-cloth dressed congregations, that come with increased wealth and growing general intelligence? And yet, who will say that, comparing the weak, scattered congrega- tion of the first thirty years of the country's history with the second, or the third thirty years of that history, that the church has been re- tarded in its grand work by the change from log cabin to splended brick and stone churches, and from linsey-woolsey and red flannel to the finer but not much more costly apparel of the present? . At all events the church, in the midst of its dissensions and disagreements
:
T
778
HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY.
upon minor matters, has kept pace in its growth with any and all other interests and is a mighty factor in the education and elevation of the people.
In the limited space allowed for the presentation of this subject, it will be impossible to give more than an outline of the work and growth of the several denominations:
The Methodist Episcopal Church .- The history of early Methodism in Belmont county, owing to the want of early records and continued changes in jurisdiction is necessarily brief. Its earliest operations were conducted under what was termed " the Ohio circuit," first ap- pearing in 1787. In 1789, Jesse Stoneman and Thomas Haymond were appointed to serve on this circuit, and were followed by Joseph Bowen and John Cullison in 1800, and by Benjamin Essex and Joseph Hall in 1801. There is but little record as to work done by these ministers, except that at the latter date there were 521 members in the Ohio circuit, but no information as to how many lived in Belmont county.
In 1802 the West Wheeling circuit was formed within the bounds of the Pittsburgh district, with Thornton Fleming as presiding elder, and Joseph Ilall as preacher, membership 394. Ministers succeeded these in the following order: 1803, John Cullison; 1804, Lashley Mat- thews; 1805, John West and Eli Town; 1866, D. Stephens and A. Daniels; ISo7, William Knox, James Riley and J. G. Watt; ISOS, R. R. Roberts and Benedict Burgess.
In 1809, West Wheeling circuit was transferred to the western con- ference, and Jacob Young and Thomas Church appointed ministers, and in 1810 the membership was Sio, having more than doubled in eight years. Jacob Young and William Lamdin were the ministers. In 1811, William Lamdin and M. Ellis. In 1812, the circuit court was restored to the Baltimore conference with John Clingman as preacher. In 1813 it was attached to the Ohio conference and the famous James B. Findley was preacher. In 1814, Barnesville circuit appears and James B. Findley and M. Ellis served that circuit and the West Wheeling circuit. As these two circuits occupied parts of the county with portions of other counties it is impossible from any records avail- able to say exactly what the work of either was with the limits of this county. In 1824 these two circuits were made part of the Pittsburgh conference district, and in 1876 were made part of the Eastern Ohio conference then established. During this period some changes have occurred and the West Wheeling circuit and the Barnesville circuit have disappeared and the charges and circuits have grown to eighteen in number, belonging to the Barnesville, Steubenville and New Phila- delphia districts. These eighteen appointments contain fifty-one churches and congregations, of which forty-one are in the Barnesville district, four in the New Philadelphia district, and six in the Steuben- vill district, and the following table which we compile from the official record of the east Ohio conference, shows that these forty-nine churches had a membership of 5,780, about one-tenth of the popula- tion of the county. They maintained fifty-two Sabbath schools with
779
BELMONT COUNTY, OHIO.
4,949 pupils, and held church property to the estimated value of $152,100. That they contributed last year $15,864 for support of bishops, elders and preachers, other church collections $8,470, for sup- port of Sunday schools $1,524, making $25,808 for regular church work, and $27,oSo for church and parsonage improvements. Total $52,888, or nearly $io for each member.
The following table shows the condition of the Methodist Episco- pal church in Belmont county, in 1889, including membership, number of churches, value of church property, amount paid ministers, col- lections for church work.
Appoint- ment.
Number of
churches.
Number of
members.
Value of
church
property.
Paid minis-
Paid elder,
Other col-
Jections.
Sunday
schools.
Scholars.
Expenses
of schools,
sonages
churches.
Name of preacher.
Armstrongs cit
4
307
$4,000 00
$765 00
$77 00
8358 00;
263
$30 00)
S. P. Loyd
Barnesville.
1
25,000 00
1.400 00
150 00
1,145 00
1
325
162 00 820.000 00 C. Manchester
Barnesville cir
1
484
5.400 00.
930 00
150 00,
694 00,
1
364
51 00
W Peregoy.
Bridgeport ..
1
225
7.0.1) 00
1,200 00
100 00
403 00
1
1:23
124 00
20 00 J. H. Rogers.
Bridgeport cir
1
2015
9,300 0 )
20,000 00
1,210 00
136 00
758 00'
407
250 0KM
2.500 00
T. W. Lane
Bellaire, south'
3
305:
4,500 00
810 00
85 001
518 00
3
3211
156 00
115 00 J. C. Sunth.
Ceterville ......
1
6.300 00
7,200 00
900 00
95 00
55, 00
230
25 00
Į T. Timberlake
Martin's Ferry
1
500, 15.000 00
1,200 ())
120 00
73> 00
1
140 00
2,000 00 L. S. Winters.
Morristown .. ..
3
6.500 00
700 00)
67 00
387 00
3.
144
32 0)
340 00 J. T. Morton
Powhatan .
4
202
7.100 00
700 00
68 00'
273 04
985
7 00
1 J. D. Kalın.
St. Clairsville
1
223
13.50} 00
1,200 00
120 00
625 00
1
935
126 00
1.500 00 J. Hollingsh'd
Somerton ...
1
304
5,700 00
160 00
77 001
293 00
1
275
50 00
75 00 C. T. Petty.
Wegee.
3
174
2,500 0J
1225 00
35 00
130 00
3
130
38 00
100 00 D S. Thoburn
Total .
10
5,780 152. 100 00 814, 200 00, 81,574 00 $9,470 00
59
4.919, 81,524 00 $27,080 00
-
-
The Presbyterian Church .- In point of members, influence and num- ber of churches, both in the earlier and later history of the county, the Presbyterian church occupies position next to the Methodist church. In fact, it was most conspicuous in the early settlement and the pioneer work of Christianity. Many of the early settlers of Belmont county were of the Scotch and Scotch-Irish stock, who had been so prominent in the formation of our government. The forms and usages of the church of Scotland were brought by them to America, and gave rise to the various branches of the Presbyterian churches in this country. The stronghold of Presbyterianism from the first had been in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and so many of the early settlers here were from those states. They brought their church forms with them, and thus the seed of Presby- terianism was planted in this fertile soil, and has grown vigorously ever since.
The first Presbyterian organization in this county was effected near St. Clairsville in 1798 when the country was almost a wilderness. Rev. Joseph Anderson began a ministry of thirty years in the church of St. Clairsville (then called Richland) in 1790. The church of Crab Apple was the next in order and was organized in what is now Wheel- ing township, in 1804. Rev. John Rea was the first pastor, a man of great learning and influence as a pastor and preacher.
...
1
305
700 00
60 00"
446 00
532 00
1
3:3
59 00
125 00, J. W Eicher.
Hendry sburg.
1
416
6,900 00
337 00
1
275
50 00
25 00 J. G. Gamble
Bellaire ..
1
370
Flushing
3:
341'
..
3
330
92 00
A. J. Lane.
Belmont ...
1
310
60 00
300 00 Wm. R Scott.
60 00
255 00
1
5
Paid on par-
ters.
bishop.
69 00)
..
5
780
HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY.
The church of Rockhill, in Pultney township, was organized in 1812. No settled paster was over it for many years, but in 1834. Rev. Ben- jamin Mitchell, D. D., began a faithful ministry there, and continued twenty-three years. He had this church in connection with Mt. Pleasant, in Jefferson county, twelve miles distant, and over all that interven- ing country he was the only Presbyterian minister, traveling every- where and preaching to the people. Many churches have been organized on that field in the last half century.
The church of Morristown was next organized in 1824. Then came the following in the order of their date of organization: Concord, in 1831; Stillwater, in 1832; Wheeling Valley, in 1838; Martin's Ferry, in 1841; Powhatan, 1850; Wegec, in 1851; Bridgeport, in 1851; Bethel. in 1857; Barnesville, in 1859; Bellaire (ist), in 1860; Scotch Ridge, in IS69; Farmington, in 1870; West Brooklyn, in 1871; Coalbrook, in 1875; Bellaire (ed), in ISSI; Bannock, in ISS4, and Pleasant Valley, in 1887.
These twenty-one churches represent the present strength of Pres- byterianism in Belmont county. To gather them and bring them to their present state has required diligent and faithful labor. The pas- tors have been faithful and zealous men and the membership has been composed of some of the most intelligent and best class of citi- zens.
New houses of worship have been recently erected in St. Clairsville and Bridgeport, the unfinished building of the first church of Bellaire has been completed, and a movement is on foot to rebuild at Rock- hill.
The twenty-one churches of this county form a part of the Pres- bytery of St. Clairsville, and their report to the last general assembly of the Presbyterian church is as follows: Total number of communi- cants, 3,078; total number of persons in Sabbath schools. 2,955; con- gregational expenses for year ending April, 1889, $33,522; contributions to benevolent objects in same time, $7,392. Such is, in brief, the origin and growth of the Presbyterian churches in this region in the last ninety-two years.
The Baptist Church .- One of the oldest churches in the county of which there is authentic record was built by the Baptist organization in Richland township, about one and one-fourth miles west of St. Clairsville. It was a log building and said to have been built in 1798, and was used for many years as a Baptist church. It was subsequently abandoned, and a small grave yard is all that is left to mark the spot.
The Stillwater Baptist church was organized November 28, 1816, with John Prichard, Nathaniel Skinner and Elijah Stone as elders. The first building was a log house, which was at a later date replaced by frame building. This church prospered for fifteen years and the con- gregation was quite large. In 1831 Alexander Campbell preached to this congregation and as a result it was divided, the larger part of it going to the Disciples or followers of Mr. Campbell. The church building was sold to the Disciples, and those who still adhered to the Baptist church, re-organized and built the church, still retaining the
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.