The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-03-10
acknowledgement:
,,,.,orv n, the First settlement
Sf SmithIlell, Ohio.

sa,ortv.Gve years ago the materials
that entered into the composino IN o. ,so .He
"iilare Of Smithileld were IN the waste
and bowling wilderness. The suTroun9-
;ns neirhborhOod was settled by frlenuS
ii"s 1903 and the land upon which the
ni,,aSc Il situated was owned BY James
I, tn|s who came from Pennsylvania dur
ing that year. 1ooo ,l
the circumstance took place in this wise !:
4 psrty Of surveyors passing through
,be country from the Ohio, alighted on
hi. pleasing landscape, aud while in
company with its proprietor the chief OF
Tho band remarked: "Mr. Carr, this Is
tho finest situation for an inland town We
have seen since we left the river" Where
mon Nh. Carr was sliced with the laea
Of a grand emporium Of trade I isa".
from the midst Of the surrounding iore''
and nj once set about the laying olt Oh
strcets and village plats in large ptolq-
80 What ia now known as High street
ho intended for the main thoroughlare,
~ ...a in mSSI;c sa,,ures being staked out OPP
WV pull anob olber. now occupied by the
pl UIh'IM; scbool and the hay-Scales. How
granily His ideal has been reached the
present townspcOPIe will be able TO tcS-
tiiy. r,. ,-..,
bord.hips those carly settlers had to I'M
icrgo, For few years all their goods
and groceries were brought from Wells
burg, ". Va, upon their backs or upon
pack.horses. The pleasures Of which can
Be uttested by our present mail carrier.
They lived, to Il large textent on corn
bread, procured from the car by grating
tbe ears Of corn upon tin punched full
Of holes with nail, and Sayory meat
brought down in the forest with the
trn.ty rifle. The first house was built in
1902, and was Constructed OF logs and
erected on the corner Of Fourth and
High streets. The first frame house was
nut up in 1905 by Isaiah World and John
liarrctson. .,
The meetings Of the Friends were, held
in farm houses for three years after their
first settlement, until the first school
house was built in 1904. It was con-
slructed Of logs and was situated near
where the Friends church now. stands.
The first stores were opened in 1906, two
at one time, by Thomas Fleming and
VIM. Wood, and goods arc still exhibited
in this vicinity which were purchased at
those store 8.
The first halter that located in the
place,-for the faithful Friend must pos
sess his beayer-was Abel Carey, who was
also installed Post Master about the year
1906. During the year Lewis Carey
and Robert T. Moore opened tannery
near tho village, which by the way did
not prOvea success, for the hides were
neglected and left in the yats till they
we're overllown with water and filth and
then had to be taken to Wellsburg to COM
plete the process Of tanning.
In the year 1903, two hotels were start
ed, one by Jos. Griffith and the other by
j Josiah Glover. Also II shoe-shop was
opened by Joel Hutton, and in 1905 Rich.
ard Price cabinct-maker arrived and
commenced business. Next came VIM.
Carr, n blacksmith and Elias Burnett a
hickory cooper, so by this time the little
village was bristling with enterprise
What with hotels, dry goods, Merchants.
hatters, tanners, carpenters, black-smitlis,
cabinet makers, coopcrs, shoe-makers,
and postoflicc, Mr.. Carr really began to
think the desire Of his heart and delight
Of his Imagination was going to be rea-
lied.
In 1904, Isaac Wickersham constructed
hand mill, operated by two men, to
which the settlers gave the significant
title "Bettcrsomc," because it was some
better than the "old tin Crater" Of fra
grant memory. This hand mill was su-
perceded in 1908 BY one driven by horse
power, which was still better, and in both
Of these mills half bushel grists were re-
ceived and ground, the miller taking toll
by the quart.
Thus these sturdy pioneers felled the
prlmeval forests, chased the bear and
wild cat, which Wed with them in the
possession Of these fertile hills and wales,
instilled into the bosoms OF their families
the love OF country and OF husbandry, and
have all passed 10 their reward, with the
exception Of a few, who still remain,
whitencd by tho SHOWS Of many winters,
to tell the tale OF the privation and hard
ships Of "pionner life"
We bless their memory, and reverence
their courage, and thank them Tor our
peaceful and happy homes.