The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-08-09
HecolIections OF the Old Wheel
ing Court House and Some OF
dir Old Members Of tic Bnr.

fBy james E. Wharton, formerly Of wheelIngl
It is now upwards Of one hundred and
six years since Silas and Jonathan Zane
located in Wheeling, and built the first
house in that portion OF the wilderness
west Of Limestone (Brownsville) and Fort
Pitt. In spite of the conflict Of Lord
Dunmore, through Colonel Craghan and
Connolly, with the Pennsylvania author
tiles and the Indians, the settlement in
and around Wheeling increased more
rapidly than any other on the frontier,
until the passage Of the ordinance OF
1857 and the consequent settlement near
the mouth of the Muskingum and at
Cincinnati. Still, it was several years
before Ohio county was laid of from
Monongalia, and as a consequence the
little Court House, built on what is now
the street leading from Market to the
Suspension Bridge, adjoining the Grant
Housc, little piece Of which was erect
ed about the same time and called the
Virginia Hotel, by which name it was
known through considerable growth in
its proportions, until taken by Mr.. James
Matters in lS47 and called the Monroe
House.
The United States Hotel, on the wharf,
where the St. James now stands, was also
built at an early day, but the Virginia
had the best OF il, and the reason gener-
ally given was that the Virginia and
Kentucky travellers mistook the Court
House for the hotel smoke house, and
thought they would be sure to get good
homemade ham there, and 80 turned
their steps to that place, instead Of stop.
ping at the United States. The Court
House was small gray building Of about
30 feet square, set low on the ground,
having four.sided roof, with a sort Of
chicken coop beliry on the top Of It.
There were a few small windows, which
were gracefully hung with dust and cob.
webs, giving the rough seats and floor a
still harder appearance than they would
have presented ut the best. This was
the Wheeling Court House until the
present one was built in eighteen forty
something.
You may we'll suppose that the sur
roupdings were not calculated TO refine
and improve the bar, or call forth the
most delicate sort Of eloquence. Yet
there we're among the early members Of
the bar in Wheeling some good and
strong men. There were probably some
nj that early day Of whom | knew little
or nothing. Noah Lindsey came there
from New England and lived in Wheel
ing many years-died there-and in his
will furnished the means tor founding
the present school building that bears his
name. There are still many sons Of
Wheeling scattered throughout the West
who owe their first school training to the
public spirit Of Noah Lindsey. In those
days you did not have your present pub.
lie schools. Some one competent to write
ii should furnish full history Of that
lonely but benevolent man. All has
probably not been done that should have
been done to carry oA the trust which
he coufded to posterity.
Samuel Fitzhugh, Esq, came to Wheel.
ing soon after being admitted to the bar
in New York State, and practiced hispro:
iession in that old smoke house several
years. He was well educated, genial
man, full Of wit and anecdote, and a fair
competitor Of Tappan, mmond,
Goodenough and Wright, who often
came over from Ohio to fire up the
smoke house with their speeches, They
all however yielded the palm TO Phillip
Doddridge before jury. Fitzhugh re.
turned 10 his old home in New York al.
ter several years practice but left a fund
OF anecdote behind him that was quite
current for many years.
SAMUEL srRIGa
was a prominent member Of the bar for
many years, nay, at the head oft although
his means were such that he never studied
or paid much attention 10 his practice
He preferred his sheep farm and he had
a good one. He never studied language,
the principles Of flaw, decisions, or cases
further than to ascertain the most simple
points oiIthem, but he had an instuitive
perception OF right as he understood il
which made him powerful either before
a jury or mixed audience. He was
rough in manner rs well as in language
and dress; but he had a large, kind heart
and pure thought and when he I'D:
dressed an audience he made himself
felt. / remember hearing him in the
Spring Of 1885 before u large audience