Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-08-19
IN THE OLDEN TIME.
How Wheeling Appeared Seventy
Five Years Ago.
The Nail City a Struggling Village Of
One Hundred and Twenty Houses,
All Above Present
Tenth Street.

1t is difficult for o citizen Of the Nail
City of to.day to realize that seventy-five
years ago the fl%ourishing industrial city
vas merely a Struggling will ige of one
street, and that street hemmed in between
the hill and the river, extended only from
Tenth street north, and consisted Of l20
houses. Fort Henry ended it on the south,
and all that portion between Main street
hill aud the creek was laid out in cora.
The Court House stood on the present
Tenth street, facing the bridge. Those
were the days of the old stage and wagon
lines, when Wheeling was a station on the
great avenue of trade from East to West.
f. Cunning, a Philadelphia of means,
left Philadelphia in 1907 and travelled to
Pittsburgh and thence down the Ohio AMI
Mississippi rivers to New Orleans. HI,
notes of the trip are very interesting and
include all of this locality, but the SUNDAY
REGISTER has only space, this morning, for
that portion relating 10 Wheeling.
We proceeded, said he, after dinner
/ ON CharlestOwn, three and a half miles
10 u ferry, ana two miles further, we
passed q point and a tavern on the right, q
mile and a half below which, on the same
side, is the struggling town and fine settle
ment of Warren, laid out by Mr.. Kimberly,
the proprietor, five years ago, but it is
only within two years that il has begun to
assume the appearance of,a town. II con.
tsins 81 buildings, charmfngly situated on
an extensive bottom, the largest l had no
ticed since leaving Pittsburgh with Indian
Short Greek empJying into the Ohio at its
southern extremity. Three miles further
down we passed Pike Island, which il
about three fourths of a mile long and
seems capable of cultivation, though per
haps rather low. Opposite to it is the
boundary line between Jefferson and Bel
mont counties, in Ohio.
~RoLAND's FERRY.
Two miles further down we landed a,
Roland'S Ferry, on the left and found
Roland and bis son engaged in building 8
boat on the bank. He had removed from
Pittsburgh last april and now rents a small!
farm from Mr.. Woods, the county surveyor,
WHO has a handsome house in sight, a little
remote from the river, where ne resides,
another on the bank a little lower down
and q cottage among the woods on the
highest neighbOring hill, intended for .
banquetting house during the summer and
commanding an extensive prospect. A.
Roland's invitation We walked 10 his cot
tage, a little distant from the river
bank. His wife and a very fine
girl, his eldest daughter. were spinning
cotton, while a younger one was attending
the ferry, who though a delicate and pretty
girl, padded the skitf back and forwards
as we'll as a man could do. He has been
very industrious, as besides having bull,
several Skifts since his removal, he had
planted and cultivated twelve acres of the
finest corn | ever saw, standing now twelve
feet high and just beginning to ear. H,
had also a large garden well stocked with
useful fruits and vegetables.
MIN To WHEELING.
At seven We left Rolands and three ans
y half miles below passed between the
north end Of Wheeling Island on the RICH
and the principal part of the town o.
Wheeling on the left, which is situated Oh
so high a cliff, with the avenues from the
river so steep, that on account OF the APP
parent difficulty of getting our baggag,
carried up, W. preferred going on to where
the cliff was considerably lower, Ian lin:
Just under Sprigg'S tavern near the ship
yards, a little above the confluence o
Wheeling creek with the Ohio.
This be!rE a great :hOroughfare, on &C
count of its situation where the great pos:
roads from Philadelphia, Baltimore, and
the northern part of Virginia unite and
cross the river, on the route through the
States Of Ohio and Kentucky, to Tennessee.
and We found several travellers of various de-
scriptions in the house and after partakiug
of a good supper, We went out TO saunter
till bed time through the town, unto which
we had 10 ascend a short but steep hill. /,
a, zal ,.ar- 1sUa1,. NIn ,nhaliNan ME hnt-yr
about their doors or in the streets, enjoy
ing the fresh, clear air of a moonligh'
evening, while two flutes were playing.
en- duo, the simple but musical Scot bal
lad OF "R0y's Wife OF Aldwallach," tn"
prime part very tastefully executed.
A LIBEL on WHEELING.
Yet, Notwithstanding appearances, on
impression of the town was rot the mos
favorable, nor after tolerable beds and d
good breakfast next morning, had W
reason 10 alter u opinion when we exam
ined il by daylight. 1t contains one hun
dred and twenty houses of all descriptions,
from middling to downwards, in a street
about half a mile long, parallel to the river,
on a bank of about one hundred feet per
p~endicular, which the face of the cliff al
most literally is. OF course the avenues
to the lodgings are very steep and incou-
Nv NOIAb AlOuoC Va sLOuC WIFI u
small belfry, has nothing in beauty to
boast OF. The goal joins is in the rear.
Ii is probable that Mr.. Zane, the original
proprietor, now regrets hat he had not
PLACED THE TOWN ON THE FLAT BELOW,
at the conAux of the creek Inc river,
where SpTigg's run and the shipyards now
are, instead of cultivating it as a farm until
lately, when a resolve of Congress TO open q
new public State road from the metropolis
through the western country, which will
come 10 the Ohio near the mouth of Vince
ing creek, induced him to lay il out In
town lots, but | fear he is too late to see it
become 3 considerable town to the prejudice
Of the old one, Notwithstanding the more
advantageous situation. The present town
does not seem to thrive, if one may seem
to Judge by the state of new buildings. two
only of which / saw going for ward in il.
The stores also appeared thinly stocked
with goods and the retail prices are high.
when the new road is finished, it will
doubtless be OF great use to Wheeling, as ID
will be a more direct route TO the western
States than any Of the others hitherto used
and besides there ere no material impede
menis 10 the navigation Of the Ohio by thu
usual craft, below that town in the dryest
seasons, when he river is at the lowest.
THE ISLAND.
The surrounding county in sight is billy
and broken, but | am informed that it is
very rich and plentiful at a short distance
from the river. Wheeling Island, in front
Of the town, is sSout a mile wide aud hall
a mile in width on its broadcast part. 1t is
very fertile and is cultivated rs a farm by
Mr. Zane. The post and stage road 10
ChillIcothe, Ohio, crosses il, which occa.
sioDs two ferries. an inconvenience which
will be remsdisd by the new State road
crossing by one ferry below the Island.
A!ter these sage remarks, Mr.. Cunning
continued his journey down the river, and
sEa' he saw Will b. told in another article