USA > West Virginia > Monongalia County > History of Monongalia County, West Virginia, from its first settlements to the present time; with numerous biographical and family sketches > Part 20
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* John Stealey came from Maryland to Morgantown. He died at Jeffersonville, Indiania. It is said that he made the first grates made in the county. Two of these
1
255
INDUSTRIAL HISTORY.
Betweeen this year and 1824, Watts and Kiger, Stealey's sons-in-law, ran the works. In 1824, Watts was succeeded by Jesse Evans, who put A. P. Wilson in charge of the works and the furnace, known as "Valley," which was then standing. Alexander Clear and William Alexander operated the works sometime after 1831, and were succeeded by Clear. Crouther and French operated the works sometime after 1840. They were succeeded by Kinsley sometime between 1852 and 1855; Kinsley ran them but a short time, and the works, about three and a half miles from Morgan- town, are now nearly in ruins and nearly all gone. They consisted of the furnace-quarter-stack-and a forge.
CHEAT RIVER OR "JACKSON'S OLD IRON WORKS."-In a deed made November 28, 1798, by John B. Armstead to John Davis, Henry and Isaac Hite Williams, for 200 acres of land on Quarry Run, it is described as a tract upon which " Pleasant Furnace " is now standing. This is the earliest official mention of a furnace to be found in the county. Samuel Jackson, of "Washington Township, Fayette Coun- ty, Penn.," about 1800, built a log dam and mill, where, some time before 1809-10, he erected his forge, and made nails by hand. On April 8, 1809, John Ramsey sold two tracts of land to Jackson, for $4,000. Pleasant or Davis Furnace could not supply enough iron for Jackson's use, and he bought large quantities at Springhill and other furnaces in Pennsylvania, and hauled the iron to his works. To supply these works, Davis's Furnace was run, and Woodgrove, Henry Clay and Anna furnaces were built and
grates at O. H. Dille's residence are quaint, queer looking old things, though very serviceable. Mr. Stealey married Prudence Cozad. Of their children, Elizabeth was married to Cornelus Berkshire, Sarah to Jacob Kiger, Christina to Rawley Scott, and Catharine to Col. Richard Watts, and after his death she was married to Wm. Hart, whose widow she now is.
256
HISTORY OF MONONGALIA COUNTY.
Greenville Furnace was rented. These furnaces were all quarter stacks. We shall now relate their individual histories, and then return to the Cheat River Iron Works which they supplied.
DAVIS OR PLEASANT FURNACE .- It is said that John Davis and Hugh McNeely built this furnace, and operated it for a time, and that Davis failed in business and became insane. John Jackson and Updegraff operated it until 1808-9, when they were succeeded by John Test, who opened a large store. He failed about 1811, when the furnace was aban- doned. It made, it is said, a ton and a quarter of iron a day, which was worth at that time $100 a ton.
WOODGROVE FURNACE .- Three miles from Ice's Ferry, on the Ice's Ferry and Uniontown road, this furnace was built by Josiah Jackson between 1822 and 1824 (by most accounts; some say in 1828). It stood on the Samuel Canby tract of land, bought by Jackson in 1818. It made pig-iron. In 1836, it passed to Lamb, Tassey & Bis- sell, who were succeeded in 1839 by the Ellicotts, who at- tached steam. Claybaugh operated it from 1849 to 1852, when the old stack gave out, and he built the one now standing. It was next operated by Dr. Meredith Clymer, from 1854 to 1860. He put in the hot-blast. In 1861-62, Henry S. Coombs and Isaac Blaney worked up the last stock. After the year 1849 all the iron made was shipped by water. The furnace was destroyed by fire in 1862.
HENRY CLAY FURNACE .- This cold-blast furnace, run by steam, located on a branch of Quarry Run, four miles from Ice's Ferry, was built by Leonard Lamb, bewteen 1834 and 1836, for Tassey & Bissell. Its capacity was four tons in twenty-four hours. Tassey & Church next operated it, then Tassey, Morrison and Semple, who conveyed it, in 1859, to
WILLIAM EDMUND WATSON. See Page 634.
257
INDUSTRIAL HISTORY,
the Ellicotts. They built seven or eight miles of tramway, and ran the furnace till about 1847. Up to the year 1839 all the iron made was boated down the river.
ANNA FURNACE .- Otherwise known as the "River Fur- nace," was located at Ice's Ferry. It was built by the Ellicotts between 1845 and 1848, to burn charcoal, but after- wards was converted into a coke furnace. Its capacity was from eight to ten tons in twenty-four hours. It was bought by Matthew Gay in 1849, and sold to McKey & Kelvey in 1852. This firm operated it until 1854, succeeded by Dr. Clymer, who ran it until 1860. From 1863 to 1866, it was in charge of John Kelley; 1866 and 1867, Lyod & Lossing. In 1868, Chess finished up the stock, and the machinery was taken out in 1881 and sent to Pittsburgh. This furnace had seven or eight miles of tramway.
The history of Cheat Iron Works, with its group of fur- naces named above, has been an eventful one, and a history impossible to collect at this late day, in its every detail of the many and complicated changes of possession by owner- ship and leasing. Samuel Jackson was succeeded by his son Josiah, who rented the works to Huston and others, and then ran them awhile himself. He failed. Lazier, Byard & Co., among others, operated the works for a time. On April 22d, 1839, Tassey, Morrison & Semple sold them to the Ellicotts for $92,000. After the Ellicotts failed, in 1848 or 1849, several changes took place; and, in 1852, McKelvey & Kay came into possession. In 1854, Dr. Clymer took charge of the works for the Pridevale Iron Company, which failed about 1860. Smyth & Chess, of Pittsburgh, were the next real owners, and the last iron was made in 1868. The property was placed by them, in 1876, under the supervision of Justice John N. Dawson, the present efficient superintendent.
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258
HISTORY OF MONONGALIA COUNTY.
Samuel Jackson cut his nails by hand until 1822, when he put in machinery. The Ellicotts built a rolling-mill and a puddling and boiling furnace, a nail factory, (Joshua Swin- dler was their first nail-maker,) a foundry, the Anna Furnace, machine, wagon and blacksmith shops, a large number of dwelling-houses, and leased the Greenville Fur- nace. Under their administration the Cheat Iron Works saw their palmiest days. It is said they employed as high as 1,200 hands and fed daily for a time 3,000 persons-hands and their families. The rolling-mill commenced work Mon- day, September 14, 1840.
CLINTON FURNACE is located on the left bank of Booth's Creek, six miles above its mouth. It was built and named Clinton by William Salyards about 1846, who bought the land from John Frederick; Sr. About a year after it was commenced, the property passed into the hands of George D. Evans, Plummer Fitch and Alfred Dorsey. They leased the furnace, about 1848, to Robert M. Bendle and John Burns, who made the first iron, ran it for a short time, and failed. Dr. Carr and George D. Evans were the next own- ers, but they did not make any iron. They sold to George Hardman* (so it is said) about 1853. Hardman operated it for several years. He made coke in ground ricks, and put in the hot-blast. About 1858, Hardman made an assign- ment to Benjamin Ryan who made the last iron. The furnace was a quarter-stack, and is now in ruins.
HAWTHORNE'S NAIL WORKS .- Robert and Alexander Haw- thorne came to Monongalia in 1790, and settled on what is
* George Hardman came from Courhessen, Germany. Alexander Campbell aided · him in Wheeling in improving lots and selling them. He built the Cresson rolling- mill at Wheeling. After quitting Clinton he went to Preston County, and built Iron- dale Furnace in 1859, and Gladesville Furnace in 1870, which he operated for several years. Mr. Hardman died in Preston a few years ago.
259
INDUSTRIAL HISTORY.
known as the "Hawthorne Homestead," about four miles south of Morgantown, on Aaron's Creek. One mile from its mouth they built, previous to 1800, a nail factory and car- ried it on for a number of years.
A powder mill was built on Quarry Run before 1800, and stood several years, where powder was made by Smith,* Charles Rose and Graham.
In an early day getting out country mill-stones was a considerable business. Some forty years ago, Joshua Swindler had a boat load shipped from Cheat River to Cincinnati.
Carding machines were used at an early day. Over fifty years ago, John Rogers had a carding-machine and a full- ing-mill for the manufacture of country cloths. Moses Strosnider, in 1874, built a woolen factory on Dunkard Creek at Strosnider's Mill. Four years later, he moved the machinery to Blacksville, and erected his present large and commodious factory for the manufacture of woolen goods and for carpet-weaving. It is a two-story frame building, 36 by 52 feet, with an underground story. The machinery is run by a 20-horse-power engine.
John Rogers finished building the "Live Oak " paper-mill at Morgantown, on Decker's Creek, in 1839. On Monday, September 2d of that year, Tillton & Crowl commenced making paper. The building was stone, four stories high, and cost about $6,000. Tillton & Crowl were succeeded by Rogers & Tillton, and they by Tillton. In 1853, Mr. Treu- dly was making wrapping paper; and in 1855, Mr. Charles
* By one account a man by the name of Smith (and by another account his name was Lyons) drove a nail in the powder mill, and a spark from it set off the powder, and the mill was blown up. Smith was so severely burned that he died after walking half a mile to Charles Rose's house.
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260
HISTORY OF MONONGALIA COUNTY.
Arthur, of Beaver, Penn., had leased the mill'and was re- fitting it, when it took fire and burned down.
The manufacture of pottery was commenced in Morgan- town by a man by the name of Foulk. At an early day his pottery stood where Pickenpaugh's livery stable is. John Thompson bought him out, and the pottery burned down, August 29, 1830 .* Thompson commenced building the present steam pottery on September 15, 1830, and operated it until 1853, when his son, Capt. James Thompson, came into possession, afterwards attached steam to it, and is now engaged in manufacturing stone-ware. Francis Billingsley started a pottery on Mrs. Kelley's lot, which he sold to John Thompson. It was torn down. William Critchfield made stone-ware at Collins's Ferry years ago. Potteries were started by James Morris on Dunkard, and by one Miller twelve. miles from Morgantown on the Evansville Road. Neither is now running.
One of the leading industries of the county is that of carriage - making. John Shisler, in 1802, commenced wagon-making in Morgantown, on the site of the building now occupied by G. W. John & Co.'s store. In 1805, he built the log part of Kern's carriage and buggy shop at the bridge, and associated his son Michael with him. James Kern became apprenticed to him in 1832. In 1841, Mr. Kern put up the first buggy ever made in the county, as he says, in a shop just across Maiden Alley from Price's mill, and sold it to Harrison Postlewaite. In 1849-50, Mr. Kern built a steam buggy factory on the east side of the river, one-half mile above the mouth of Decker's Creek, and ran it a few years. From 1863 to 1883, Mr. Kern and his son,
* According to a diary. Col. Frank Thompson says he thinks it was in 1827.
261
INDUSTRIAL HISTORY.
W. T. Kern, carried on the business at the factory at the bridge, which is not running now.
The carriage manufactory of Fairchild, Lawhead & Co., established in the spring of 1851, is one of the most exten- sive in the State. The buildings, if connected, would be 244 feet in length, and, with the lumber-yard, cover over an acre of ground. Two long two-story frame buildings (one 72 by 26, the other 102 by 32 to 40) are connected by a broad bridgeway above the first story. A one-story black- smith shop, 50 by 30, and an office a story and a half, 20 by 14 comprise the establishment. The power is furnished by two engines, respectively, of 12- and 40-horse-power. The departments of the manufactory are, first, the machine shop, 52 by 40 (with engine-room, 14 by 32, attached), run by the forty-horse-power engine, where the neccessary planing and spoke machinery dresses the rough material. Next is the wood-shop, 48 by 26, on the first floor. The material is next carried to the blacksmith shop, where five fires and all neccessary machinery are run by a twelve-horse-power engine. The work from here goes up to the second story to the paint-rooms (respectively, 32 by 60, and 32 by 50), with varnish- and trimming-rooms attached. The work is now taken to the sales-room, 40 by 32 (on the first floor), where carriages, buggies, phætons, barouches, spring-wagons, etc., are kept for the inspection of buyers. When running to its full capacity, the factory employs thirty hands. Vehicles from these works go all over this State, south-western Pennsylvania, and in nine States, reaching as far west as Texas. All growing from a small beginning in 1851 .*
* In the spring of 1851, Ashbel Fairchild built what is now a part of the wood-shop and one of the paint-rooms (36 by 18) ; and in the fall of that year associated with him Ashbel Fairchild Lawhead. Daniel Fordyce then came in, and the present firm was established. In 1852, a small blacksmith-shop was built. The shop was widened from
262
HISTORY OF MONONGALIA COUNTY.
An establishment was opened in 1880, at Cassville, by W. C. Lough & Brothers, for the manufacture of buggies, spring-wagons and general wood-work, which is still in operation.
John Stealey made stoves before 1825, at Rock Forge; but the first foundry proper in the county, of which we have any account, was built about 1838 or 1840, at Morgantown, just back of the present seminary, by Joel Nuzum and Henry and Hugh Daugherty. Afterwards Henry Daugherty operated it for several years. Hugh Daugherty, in 1844, built the molding and engine-room of Reay's steam foundry, in Durbannah. William Lazier succeeded him, and put in a steam-engine about 1848, and associated with him James Nimon. They operated it from 1856 to 1859, when they sold to George M. Reay, its present proprietor. The foun- dry building is a frame, 150 by 32 feet (90 feet two-story, and 60 feet one-story). It is run by a 7-horse-power engine. The ware-room is 24 feet long; engine-room, 66 feet; cast- ing-house and store-room, 60 feet. Stoves, grates, general castings, and hollow-ware are made. Cane mills were made in 1863 and 1864. James Nimon built a steam foundry in Durbannah in 1862, and operated it for eighteen months. It was torn down. Joseph Smith once had a foundry near Halleck, which was removed from Clinton Furnace to that place. Mr. Jones ran a small foundry near Thomas Pugh's, in Union District, near the State line, some years ago.
Robert P. Hennen worked as a cabinet-maker in Morgan-
18 feet to 26 feet in 1854, and extended to 72 feet. The machine shop (two stories) was built in 1860, and a small engine set up. The large engine was put in in 1869; and the next year the sales-room was added to the machine shop, completing the second long building. In 1871, the present blacksmith-shop was built, and in 1872 the office was erected. In 1874, the 12-horse engine was set up. The firm ran a branch establish- ment at Clarksburg, W. Va, from 1857 to 1870, and one at Uniontown, Pa., for several years.
263
INDUSTRIAL HISTORY.
town in 1840, and built a part of the present steam furni- ture manufactory on Front Street. In 1865, he associated his son with him; and, in 1873, the firm changed to Hennen Brothers, which continued until 1882, when it was succeeded by Hennen & Madera-F. A. Hennen and J. E. Madera. The establishment is a three-story frame building, 50 by 70 feet, divided into a large workshop and finishing- and fur- niture-rooms. It is run by a 25-horse-power engine. Steam has been used for twenty years. When running to full capacity it employs twenty hands. The establishment makes fine furniture of all kinds-chairs, spring-beds, mattresses, caskets and coffins. The work is sold in this and adjoining counties. The Smyth Brothers-William B. and John H. Smyth-have a furniture and undertaking es- tablishment near Maidsville, which has been in operation since 1882. Edward Price also has a furniture establish- ment in Morgantown.
There was considerable excitement in the county in the spring of 1861, which was caused by talk of the certainty of striking a rich oil-field in the territory of Monongalia. The more intense excitement attendant upon the breaking out of the war absorbed it, however, until 1865, when the "oil fever" again broke out. Oil companies* were organized, and wells bored (but down a few hundred feet only) in many places throughout the county. However, oil in non-paying quantities was obtained on Decker's Creek and Cheat River
* Oil companies incorporated in 1865 : Name.
Date.
Authorized Capital.
Baltimore and Dunkard Oil.
March 3d.
$150,000
Doll's Run and Dunkard Creek Petroleum
March 3d.
300,000
Cheat River Oil and Mining.
March 4th. 500,000
Laurel Run Oil
April 7th 500,000
The Maidsville Oil and Mining.
. April 8th.
.1,000,000
Monongalia Oil and Mining.
. April 24th 1,000,000
Hawthorne Petroleum and Lumbering.
. May 6th 100,000
The Woodgrove Oil.
August 30th 500,000
264
HISTORY OF MONONGALIA COUNTY.
only. The Morgantown Post mentions the Essex Petroleum, The Teutonia, the Decker's Creek Petroleum and the Key- ser Oil companies as operating in the county in 1865.
About 1824 or 1825, Peter A. Layton and Andrew Brown bored a well for salt-water, near Cassville, but abandoned the project. In the borings for oil, brine was struck on en- tering the conglomerate. At Stumptown, in 1869, an aban- doned oil-well was converted into a salt-well, and Thursby, Kidd & Co. put up the Monongalia Salt Works, at which about fifteen barrels of good salt was made per day. It was a very white article, but coarse for want of proper ma- chinery to reduce it. The enterprise was abandoned.
Something resembling gold quartz was found at 519 feet in the Grufffin oil well, near New Brownsville. The same material was struck in a well on Decker's Creek at 343 feet, and considerable excitement prevailed. The quartz did not turn out to be gold.
Coke-burning in the county, since 1853, has been carried on at the furnaces, by burning in ricks on the ground. Some time after 1850, William Lazier built a brick oven and burned coke at Durbannah Foundry. About 1878, George M. Reay erected a fire-stone coke-oven at the foundry, about eight feet in diameter, in which he has since burnt 48-hour coke, which is a good article for foundry use. In December, 1881, Thomas Anderson hauled ninety bushels of Connellsville coal from near the Pierpont Church to the Fairchance Furnace, where it was coked. The superintend- ent, R. L. Martin, pronounced it a fair grade of coke.
In 1822, "The Preston Company"* was incorporated.
* Certificate of incorporation issued April 25, 1882; admitted to record in Monongalia August 19th ; corporation to expire in 1932; maximum capital authorized, $1,000,000; Shares, $25; corporators: J. M. Hagans, A. W. Lorentz, H. B. Lazier, R. L. Berkshire and S. G. Chadwick.
265
INDUSTRIAL HISTORY.
Its object is the buying and selling of mineral and timber lands, the mining and manufacturing of minerals, and to contract for the building of railways, telegraph lines, bridges, etc.
Among the exhibits of Monongalia in the West Virginia Building at the Centennial International Exhibition in 1876, were cedar, spruce, white walnut, black walnut, white oak, hickory, poplar, common locust, wild black cherry, white ash, sugar maple, linden (or basswood), and chestnut sam- ple boards from Fairchild, Lawhead & Co., and curly walnut boards from Walter Mestrezatt, of Morgantown.
INDUSTRIAL STATISTICS OF MONONGALIA COUNTY.
YEAR.
Number of
Establishments
Number hands
Employed.
Annual Wages
Cost of Raw
Material.
Invested.
Annual Value of Products.
1860.
Agricultural Implem'ts.
2
5
$1,152
$1,100
$5,200
$3,100
Carriages ...
1
10
3,600
600
3,000
10,000
Men's Clothing.
1
4
672
1,000
1,000
2,000
Flour and Meal.
12
22
5,772
97,987
53,500
114,284
Furniture, Cabinet
1
2
480
247
1,000
887
Leather ..
4
9
840
4,815
8,300
6,700
Lumber, Sawed
7
8
2,088
3,910
6,800
7,475
Pottery Ware.
1
2
600
497
1,500
2,000
Wool, Carded.
3
3
180
7,200
5,000
8,000
Total .. 1870.
32
65
15,384
117,366
85,300
115,346
Carriages, Wagons.
3
14
$16,336
$4,250
$12,350
$19,600
Flouring-mill Products.
7
11
3,200
77,235
39,300
80,700
Leather.
8
11
1,950
23,325
11,400
29,065
Lumber, Sawed.
3
9
1,500
7,400
3,350
15,625
Wool, Carded ..
2
3
8,940
2,200
11,000
Total
115
178
28,273
$208,091
$148,750
329,714
1880.
Total
73
166
$30,877 |$198,134 |$157,850
$281,73
Capital
NOTE ON THE FOREGOING TABLE .- The table is compiled from the census reports. The report for 1860 attempts to give all the
266
HISTORY OF MONONGALIA COUNTY.
industries of the county, while that for 1870 gives in detail only the. "selected industries," and the total of all in the county. The report for 1880, so far as now published, gives the total only.
The number of steam-engines in the county in 1870, was 17; their total horse-power, 361. Number of water wheels, 27; their total horse-power, 440.
In 1870, there were two "bituminous coal establishments" in the county, employing three hands, with $1,200 capital invested, paying $700 in wages, using $200 worth of raw material, producing 2,400 tons worth $2,400. .
The value of "home-made productions" in 1850, accord- ing to the United States census reports, was $17,946.
CHAPTER XVIII. POLITICAL HISTORY.
Qualification of Voters-Voting Places-Presidential Votes-Del- egates to Constitutional and other Conventions-Votes on Constitutions and Amendments, Secession, New State, Etc .- Members of House of Delegates-Senatorial and Congress- ional Districts-List of Sheriffs, Surveyors, and Assessors- Prominent Monongalians Abroad-Biographical-Votes of the County-Statistics of Population, etc.
BY THE constitution of 1621 of the Colony of Virginia, the right of suffrage (in the election of members of the House of Burgesses) was given to "the inhabitants"; afterwards only freemen were allowed to vote. The right was further restricted, and housekeepers only could vote; then free- holders and housekeepers liable to levies. Again, all free- men were made voters ; then freeholders only; then tenants for life were added. Again, the right of suffrage was limited to freeholders "(excluding women, infants, and recusants convict)." In 1736, it was confined to holders of one hun- dred acres of unsettled land or twenty-five acres of improved land, and all freeholders in towns. Till 1723, free negroes, Indians and mulattoes could vote. In that year they were disqualified. The convention of 1775 extended the right of suffrage to free white men in possession of the requisite quantity of land, and those claiming freeholds therein, though they should have no patents or legal title to their land .* In 1785, the amount of unimproved land neccessary to be held as a requisite to the right of suffrage, was reduced from one hundred to fifty acres. The provision requiring voters to
· See page 51 of this work, foot-note.
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HISTORY OF MONONGALIA COUNTY.
vote in their respective counties and towns, was enacted in 1699 .* The Constitutional Convention of 1829-30 made further modifications in the direction of free suffrage ; and the convention of 1850 wiped out the property qualification altogether, and "every white male citizen of the Common- wealth, of the age of twenty-one years, who has been a resi- dent of the State for two years, and of the county, city or town where he offers to vote, for twelve months next pre- ceding an election," was made a voter. The mode of voting was viva voce.
The first election was held at the house of Jonathan Co- bun.t The next earliest voting places of which we have any account was at Morgantown or near it, prior to 1782, when an act of the Legislature made Zackwell Morgan's the place of holding court, and it and Boush's Fort (now Buck- hannon) voting places. After 1784 the place of holding court was the voting place for some time. In 1816, Morgan- town and some point in "the Cheat District " were voting places. The court-house and the "Swamps" were polling places in 1821. In 1824, the court-house, "Pawpaw " and "Swamps" were the polls. In 1830, "Dunkard" was a poll; and, in 1832, the court-house, Middletown, Pawpaw, Dun- kard and Swamps were the polls. In 1836, "Jarrett's, Ross and Snodgrass" were additional polls, and Pawpaw and Dunkard did not appear. In 1840, the polls were the court- house, Ross, Swamps, Jacksonville, Snodgrass, Middletown, Jarrett's, Pawpaw, Flat Run and Blacksville.
"No returns of the popular vote for President are pre- served with any fullness previous to 1824," says Mr. Spofford, the Librarian of Congress.
* Code of 1819, vol. 1, pp. 38, 39, note.
+ See page 51 of this work.
269
POLITICAL HISTORY.
THE VOTES OF MONONGALIA FOR PRESIDENT,
from 1828 to 1880, were as follows :
1828-Andrew Jackson, Democratic 490
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