Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-07-06
RANDOM REC0LLECTI0kS
OF
BELMONT COUNTY
Collected and Strung Together at
Random,
BY I. II. PATTERSON.

by L. d. FAI IIGhSON.
In attempting to give some "reminiscences o
/. the early days of Belmont County we find tn
task much more difficult than was anticipated
Had we commenced it six months ago, a mucl
more interesting collection of items would havt
resulted. Death has left very few of our ole
citizens who could have furnished items of in
formation. We trust that our readers will ac
cept the following sketch kindly and that some
ADLER pen will take up and complete the subject
Belmont County was established September
7th, 1901, by proclamation of Arthur st. Clair,
Governor,-being the tenth and last county
formed in the Northwest Territory. The name,
Belmont, is derived from two French words,
meaning Beautiful Mountain" Belmont
County was one of the earliest settled within
the State of Ohie.
| PROBABLY THE FIRST SETTLEMENT
was made by Capt. Joseph Kirkwood at the
mouth of Wheeling Creek, now the site of the
town of Bridgeport. Heerected block house
on the south side of the creek about 1889.
Capt Kirkwood came from Delaware and
twas the gallant and unrewarded Capt. Kirk
wood of the Delaware line in the war of the
Revolution, to whom such frequent and hon.
orable mention is made in Lees memoirs of
The Southern campaigns. He fought with dis
tinguisbed gallantry through the war and was
in the bloody battles of Camden, Hobkirks,
Eutaw, and Ninety-Six."
The next settlement we learn of, was made
on the river bank nearly opposite Moundsville,
on the lands now known as ''Dillies Bottom"
A fort was erected there called Diliies Fort.
On high point on the Ohio side of the River,
nearly opposite the Grave Creek Mound, are
| the remains of ancient Notifications which
probably date with the mound. | can get but
little information concerning this relic.
THE FIRST REGULAR COURT
in Belmont County was held at the town of
Poultney, a few miles below BellaiTe-now
known as the ''Pultney bottoms" There was
quite town laid out at this place-on paper
in 1901, by Daniel McElherren. In the rec
ords of the Court the town was called 'Poult-
ney," and the plat as shown on the Recorders
books, presents quite an imposing appearance
squares for Court House, Jail, Market House
and churches were duly marked out. By
musty old Court Docket we find that Novem-
Der term 1S01-The Court do order that there
be built in the town of Poultney, on the Pub
lie square, Brick House, thirty-two feet
square in the clear, twelve feet high in the
first story and eight feet high in the second
story; to be occupied as a Court House tor the
county.
We find another interesting relic regarding
Public Buildings at this time. 1t was ordered
by the Court that house be erected, twenty
ty-four by fifteen feet, of hewn logs, with shin
gle roof, strongly built, with a log partition
across the center, to be occupied as 'JoAI.
THE FIRST COMMISSIONERS
of Belmont County were William Bell, Samuel
Dilly and Jacob Lewis. This Dilly was prob
ably ''Dilie" who gave the name to the fort a
few miles below, and also to ''Dillies Bottom
now owned by Col. John H. Thompson.
JUDGE CALVIN PEAsE
was the first Judge in the County for Common
Pleas Court. He came from the neighborhood |
of the Western Reserve. There was Court |
previous to this time, composed of Magistrates |
of the county. Here is copy of The Min |
utes and Proceedings of the Court of General /
Quarter sessions of the Peace for Belmont
County in the Territory of the United States,
Northwest of the River Ohio, held at Poult-
ney in pursuance of proclamation by his Ex- /
celency Arthur st. Clair, Esquire, Governor
of the Territory; November session, 1801:"-
David Lockwood, Daniel McElherren, and
Jacob Repshire composing the Court; and the
Grand Jury to wit: Motley Hayes, Patrick
White, John King, Anthony RigeI, Joshua
Bailey, Cephas Cary, Joseph FIndley, Matthew
Martin Sherry, Thomas Duffield,
VIM. Bush, George Barnet, Peter Buzsard, @
John Wall, Abraham Emerine, Richard Har-
desty, John Lamb, Robert Giffen, Henry
Leep, Samuel Barns, George Miller, Archibald
Smith, Andrew This was proba-
bly, the first grand jury in Belmont County; 90
an odd number, and why?
We find that at the November session 1901,
John Woolford was recommended as a proper
person to keep house of entertainment on the
road leading from the 'sRiver Ohio to Chilli
,othe" Rather an indefinite location at this
late, but very popular route to keep no.
eP' on, Judging from the number of applicants
,or license. Can any one give light as to the
ocation of this road? License FOR "Zane's
Road" we find also about the sBme time. The
National Road occupies nearly the site of the ;
I'D Zane Road. In 1901 the Court ordered
hat road should be opened from the town of
ooultney to Newellstown-St. Clairsville-Ja-
;cb Coleman, Surveyor. In the same year, |
180D road was opened from Major Abraham
Martins Ferry to intersect road from Peter
Ienderson's at Thon's Ferry, near the mouth |
# Short creek.
1901, Charles Hammond was appointed by i
he Court to act as Prosecutor until he should {
e legally appointed by the Attorney General. f
lie was, legally appointed in 1902 by the i
Attorney General, nephew of Gen. St. Clair. c
1t the February term, 1902, he quashed an in '
ictment against Jacob Repshire for assault
nd battery Jacob was one of the Magis- n
1as twice indicted at this term for the same a
ffense; ''salt and battery was frequent b
ause of trouble about this timc. v
THE FIRST CHURCH
the settlement, that we learn of, was near
lie mouth of slug Rum" on the farm now n
wned by Major Thompson. The first Pres "
yterian church was merely log cabin on the W
rounds of the Union Cemetery, ! mile north el
St. Clairsvile. This cabin church was put b.
D about 1898, and occupied until 1908, when Il
larger and more comfortable log building al
as erected on the same spot This second IL
Hiding was used until 1922, when he con- C
egation erected in the town of st. Clarsville, I'll
large brick building, which was destroyed by D
e in 1841. In 1S43 the present church build bl
g was erected. Rev. Joseph Anderson was cl
e first pastor of the Presbyterian church, st
as installed in 1900, and occupied the pulpit til
r 80 years. He was the first Presbyterian
mister ordained west of the Ohio River w
led at Monticello, Missouri, in 1S47 a
The Methodist church of st. Clairsville we II,
n learn nothing definite of its early history. th
be old church building which was probably NC
ected as early as 1910 stood on the grounds in
the Cemetery north side of town. This was ri
large frame building; it was taken down y,
out 1880 and brick building erected on the
esent location-1S61 the house was rebuilt
d much improved. "a "a
Immediately opposite the present Methodist ~ ~
urch stood the Episcopal church building, III
tilt 1922 The congregation becoming scatter 70 70
!, it was used for some years by the Associate VI VI
sformed Church-and after that remained NJ, ne
occupied until 1862, it fell down and the el' el'
ound was sold. re re
The Associate Reformed-now the United u III
church building was erected about e Se
33 ON the south side of town-1874 the build Vi
g was remodeled and repaired with modern
provements w,
The Friends or Quakers, at one time numer- in
g here, have almost entirely disappeared %
heir Meeting house. was taken down 1875. he