Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-09-24
our EARLY HISTORY.
The Hardy Adventures who Psne-
trated the Wilderness,
And Laid the Foundations Of the Present
City Of Wheeiing-The Trials and
vicissitudes Through Which
They Passed.
Hu. RAxwELL's ELOQUENT ADDRESS.

HU. mANWELl , ClOVoINI HON"SSS'
FOLLOWING is the address of Hu. Max
we'll, Esq, of st. George, w. Va, delivered
at the Centennial celebration OF the last
siege of Fort Henry, on the State FAR
Grounds, September 16, 1891 ...
II was bright summer morning in Tune
1863, and the sun had fairly risen above
the eastern horizon, when yonng man
stood alone upon the eminence above the
mouth of Wheeling creek, and gazed across
the landscape that lay smiling at his feet.
Beneath, across, and far away stretched a
boupdIeSs forest of green trees, while
among its shades, like silver PLAIN, eX-
tending till it receded to silver thread,
swept the grand Ohio, gliding in silent
majesty beneath the groves and aroors ana
vines and flowers that waived ana oioomeu
on the banks of its everlasting course. "
This Young man was Ebenezer Zane. He
had led a small company OF adventures
from the South Branch OF the Potomac.
They had crossed one hundred and fifty
miles of wilderness, with nothing to GUIDE
them but their knowledge OF nature and
her never erring signs. Their object Tor
crossing this wide expanse OF forest was
vague; but, still they had an object In
view. They had been led on by that love
of adventure which was so common with
the people of that remote time. There was
nothing so difficult that they would not at.
tempt It. and nothing so desperate that
they would not dare it. This young man,
only twenty-three years OF age had LED ms
COMPANIONS boldly into the woods; and
day by day they had wended their way 70
the West, needless of
Hardships, Of Dangers, and OF Periis,
till at last on a bright June morning ne
stood alone upon the bluff overlooking the
site of the present city of Wheeling.
He was facinated by the beauty OF the
scene. All the enchanted lands, the Edens
and the Eldoradoes of his imagination
seemed united, and perfected IN what lay
dreaming before him in the morning sun
light. He called together his companions,
and descending from the emlnence on
which they stood, they built themselves
rude huts' where to-day are to be seen the
factories, the domes, the churches and the
mills of the capitol city Of our mountain
State.
However, Ebenezer Zane was not the
first white man who built himself a place
of abode on the site of Wheeling Many
wears before, but the exact date is uncer-
tain, Roman Catholic priest was stationed
at the mouth of Wheeling creek as a mis-
sionary among the Indians. This mans
name was Wheelan, and from him, some
say, the city takes its name. Another ac-
count traces the origin of the name to an
Indian word, meaning 1.-THE place OF
head" because in early times, says an old
tradition, among the Delaware Indians,
man was killed here and his
Head Placed on Pole
beside the river. If either Of these accounts
=, a. 10 oroI;taI tho fnrnar ia the more
reasonable; nevertheless, both may be
true or neither one may be. 1t is not
matter of vital importance, but it would be
some consolation to know the origin of this
peculiar and poetic name. This party OF
adventures remained OH the Ohio several
months hunting for game and exploring
the country, making their headquarters at
Wheeling. As the winter came on, they
returned to their homes at Moorefield.
They had the most wonderful stories to
tell of the gorgeous richness and unsur-
passed fertility OF the new country, which
ut that time was considered more remote
than to us at this day are the Pacific shores.
A lively stir was at once created among
the people of the Potomac, and in a short
time a company OF emigrantS with Zane at
their head, had made preparations to move
into the new country and to make 1t their
permanent home. Early in 1772 arrange
ments had been completed, and the train
of adventures with their families
and household goods, LETT the
sunny plantations of Moorefield
and striking boldly into the wilderness
shaped their course to the West. When
the settlements on the Monongahela were
reached, the men deemed it unsafe to take
their wives and children further till homes
should be erected and other measures taken
for security and comfort. Accordingly,
they were left at Redstone Fort, now
Brownsville, Pa, and the men proceeded to
Wheeling, where they fell to work with a
will and a determination. They cleared
farms and built dwellings, so that within Il
brief space of time the dense grove OF TIM
Der began to be laid low beneath the rising
ak, and civilization smiled, where for
countless ages had been the haunts OF bar
barsm.
The companions Of Ebenezer Zane in this
laudable enterprise were his three brothers,
Andrew, Slas and Jonathan, and five 9TH
ers, the NEST notable Of whom was John
Wetzel, who, with his five heroic sons, did
more to redeem the Ohio Valley from the
wild Indians than was done by any other
family that ever lived, not even excepting
the Boones of Kentucky.
These nine men established the
First Permanent English settlement
gina. There were, however, a few families
on the Ohio before that time. The two
Tomlin sons had located on Grave Creek,
near Moundsvillc, two years previous, and
q mysterious semi-hermit named Tygert
lived still lower down on Middle Creek.
With the exception Of these families there
was not at that time any other English
colony on the Ohio below Pittsburgh. But
there was the wreck of French colony at
Galopolis, where some OF the fugitives who
were driven from Fort Du Quesne by For
bis in 1853, had established themselves.
Further back in the interior of the State
settlements had been made many years
previous to the founding Of Wheeling colo
mics had located on the Monongahela, the
West Fork, the Valley river, the Buchan-
non the Greenbrier, Cheat and kanawha,
and in many other places throughout the
State, so that one must strain the circum-
stances to regard Zane as the father of
Yves Virginia, as he has sometimes been
called.
But, with the founding of Wheeling, a
new impetus was given 10 the work of civ
iliZation in our State. The new settlement
soon became the nucleus of others, and
forts, stations and block houses were short
~ built in all parts of the Pan. Pandle. Hol-
liday's, Rice's and Van Meters forts were
themselves centers for surrounding colo
MES and places of refuge for the people in
time of danger.
Other emigrants followed rapidly into
the country, and the forests began TO be
broken by the grain fields of the white
man, and the hunters cabin marked the
spot where few months or few years be-
fore had been the den of wild beasts or the
lair OF hateful Indians. The ring of the
woodsman's axe was heard instead of the
yell of the savage, and peace and beauty
and prosperity were seen on every hand,
and liberty, happiness and hope were the
habitants of the new and ransomed coun-
try. 1t was picture Of quiet and repose.
But, in the midst OF this
Came the Blast OF War.
The wsr that had been gathering for ten
years now burst with remorseless fury up
on the new colony, and ruin, destruction
and desolstion marked the pathway of the
tempest. The wild Indians on the frontiers,
becoming jealous of the growing strength
of the white man, and incensed at contfn-
ued and unceasing encroachments, had at
last taken up the Ratchet to wage HOSTILE
ties against those who were robbing them
of their hereditary possessions. This was
early in l774, and in history 1t is called