Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1885-09-17
new AND old!
Scraps of Belmont COunty's
History.
THE OLD COURT HOUSE AND
THE NEW.
How st. ClairsVille Became the Per-
manent Seat of Justice,
BELMONT COUNTY HISTORY.

BELMONT COUNTY HISTORY.
Belmont county was established by
proclamation of Gen. Arthur St. Clair.
Territorial Governor, dated September
Q, 1901, and was the last county establish
en- in the Northwest Territory. With its
establishment, the seat of justice was
located in Pultney Bottom, three miles
below Bellaire, and on the 23d of No
vember, 1902, by order of court, court
house was to be constructed, 35 feet
square. two stories high-the first story
to be II feet in the clear, the second s
feet; and the commissioners we're author
lied to expend $500 for material for its
construction. 1t was also ordered that
a goal" of hewn logs be built, and s165
was paid for its construction. In 1904,
after the removal of the seat of justice,
these county buildings were sold to
Daniel McElherron for S2l9.
ST. CLAIRSvILLE.
In April, 1904, the seat of Justice of
Belmont county was ordered removed to
st. Clairsvilln, by special act of the
Legislature, passed on recommendation of
committee appointed to examine and re-
port on the subject. Tradition says,
however, that Gov. st. Clair's principal
reason for being interested In the change
of the seat of justice, was that the name
of the town was changed from NeWells-
town to St. Clairsville, in his honor.
The first court at st. Clairsville was
held, commencing April 16, 1904, at the
house of Wm. COugletOn, who was paid
So for preparing rooms for the same.
Calvin Pease was the presiding judge,
with Return Jonathan Meigs, Samuel
Huntington and William Spriggs, Es
quires, judges.
The present court house was contract
ed for February 16, 1913, to be in the
same style as the court house at Steu-
beDville, and was to be completed April
| 1, 1915, at total cost of So $40. 1t was
completed July l6, 1914, and accepted by
the commissioners from William Brown,
contractor, in August following.
In 1919, Jail was contracted for, and
was completed in 1921, at a cost of
s.. .O4O. The present Jail and sheriff s
residence was built in 1912 by Charles H
Bailey, still an honored resident of st.
Clairsville.
But these old buildings, standing firm
to-day, as an earnest of the good work
done in ye olden time, so full of remin-
iscenses and history, are soon to go; their
days are numbered, and the elegant new
buildings, now in the course of cOnstruc-
ton, will take their place.
COUNTY SEAT QUESTION.
Probably the first reason why new
county buildings are being constructed
at this time. is the county seat removal
question" which was a disturbing ele-
ment in county affairs for many years,
from almost before the recollection of
those living to-day. Leaders ii this
memorable struggle have lived and died
and handed it down to their pOsterity,
who have taken it up, some not even
knowing its origin. DIR. Henry West,
who has gone through it all, and knows
its history from the beginning, in an ar
ticle to this paper on the subject, written
in 1881, gives the following items of in
formation, which brings the matter up
to that date:
In December, 1857, the question was
first brought up by John II. Sullivan,
President of the OHIO Central railroad,
assisted by its directors and others int
terested. Hon. Isaac Welsh was elected
to the House of the Legislature in its
behalf, and Hon. Isaac Holloway to the
Senate. A bill was introduced into the
lower House providing for its removal
to Bellaire, and petitions and remOn
Strances were sent in, the former num-
bering 1896, and the latter 3,1O6. The
bill went to the committee on new coun-
ties, and in March. 1858. the committee
reported in favor of removal, but on the
24tn of the same month, the bill came
to vote and was indefinitely postponed
by a vote of 81 to %.
1t rested until 1869, when the subject
was again in the Legislature. Petitions
numbering 1892, and renonstranees to
the number of 4,243 we're received. The
committee on new counties reported adj
versely, and this report was unanimously
adopted.
Then it slumbered again until in De-
cember, 1878, when it showed up in the
hanC5 of entirely new parties. In this
| Legislature, Hon. II. Danford favored
removal, and Hon. Ross J. Alexander op.
posed it, both being members from this
county. Petitions and remOnstrances
came in up to February, 1879, the former
numbered 5,377, and the latter 6,466
The committee, five members signing,
recommended its indefinite postpone
ment Mr. Danford moved that it be en-
gressed-lost: Ayes AZ, nays 40.
i In 1880 it came up again, and the
committee to whom it was referred re-
ported for removal. against and
neutral. No vote could be obtained al
this session, and it went over. On jan
uary 10, 1881, the bill came up for finaI
action, and after argument, the vote was
taken as follows: For removal p, against
II, and this chapter was completed.
The fore part of January, 1888, another
exciting contest on the subject was had
in the Legislature, when Representative
David Wagener introduced bill submit
ting the question of removal to Bellaire
to vote of the people, and providing
for new buildings in either Bellaire OF
St. Clairsville, to be determined by the
vote. A committee of the Legislature
visited the county and examined into
the proposed sites. and heard the claims
of all parties. In February, this com
mittee reported in favor of the indefinite
pOstponement of the WAGNER bill
whereupon on the 9th. Hon John F
Locke, of Madison county, introduced a
bill to erect new buildings at ST. Clairs'
vile, at a cost of 100000. The bill was
favorably reported from the House com
mittee, and on March 29th, came up as
the special order in the House. Mr. Wag
ener moved to amend the bill, so as tC
provide for submitting the question Ol
building TO vote of the people, and the
amendment prevailed by a vote of 4S
yeas to 81 nays. Mr. Thorp, the member
from Ashtabula county, friend of the
bill, then moved its indefinite postpone
ment which motion carried-aves A7