Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-11-28
"REMINISCENCES.

A Brief History of WaIrenton, which VA
Once a Thriving Town, Now Mere
Manufacturer Stories and Old Tim'
Proceedings in the Upper Ohio Valley.
SDsci,I Correspondence q he Register.
PORTLAND. 0 Noyember27. CONNECTED
with Warrenton, which is now mere ham
let in Jefferson county, Ohio, located Oh
the bank of the river bearing the same
name, is quite an interesting chapter o.
history. Its present appearance IS by nc
means suggestive Of its former days Of
prosperity and enterprise. One first hear
ing the wonderful story OF this little town
will at first involuntsrily give signs Of
disbelief, ard is led only to give credence
to the bit of information because OF the
abundance OF evidence.
This collection of houses known as War.
renton, and which is scarcely worthy the
name of a hamlet, is the remnant of u
osce thriving town.
When Andrew Jackson stood OF the
helm and guided the ship Of State over
the rough rude sea, the then town OF War
rentou was the home Of over four hun
bred inhabitants. The people for thirty
miles west would wend their way bearing
their products to this trading center aud
exchange them for the merchandise OF
different cline. The then yigin soil which
had been but lately rescued from forest,
mat was no little reminder of the Csrboni'
ferrous Period because OF its density, was
s;nsularly productive. The main staple
vas wheat. The bottom that exceeds one
half mile in expause in places aud The
Short Creek valley which extends in q
westerly direction in these esrly days,
could be seen covered with this species OF
cereal waving in the pleasant breezes Of
%. ing time. Legend has it the gods we're
especially propitious in those early days
and the gain of the husbsndmen was thirty
fold.
AS a natural result from such prosperity
mills we're erected in the favored region
. Portland which is situated about one hal
mile southwest of Warzenton, consisted
then of a single -four mill owned bS j. b
/ Bayless. Wsrreuton itself, on account
its being below high water mark, was 20
familiar with the hum OF a single mill. Or
/ the banks of Short Greek, which has ii:
confluence with the Ohio At Wssrentor
after many windings through the country
we're located not less than four mills II
about the same number OF miles above
! Portland. These were owned by 1essrs
William Smith, Dilworth, Updsgrsf ant
lastly, what is commonly known as hIi
Mills. Five others were added to this Es
"A YOU pass up this creek 10 CadiZ, dis
lance Of twenty miles. The product o
these mills, with the exception OF a small
par cant which was used in local consump
lion. was transported to Warrenron In carts
hauled BY two boviues, and which would
unset at the first possible opportunity
The roads we're so rough In those days IL
hat section, as they are now in many re
siors, that TO see q cart turned bottom up
wards with -four barrels orrsmenhog the
hillside below, was common sight. Some
syain would meet tree on their descent
ana the contents would be scattered over
a considerable area. The hill wss ther
uatting on flour. Perhaps the maideus OF
the valley borrowed al idea from this rus
nc exposition and transmitted It to then
gcrthy descendants, who have slightly I'M
uroyed upon it and call the sub
st;Iuts powder. However thit
NAV be thousands of barrels
would yearly reach Wsrenton. from Whlct
place It was shipped usually by hstooat a
TAR north IS Plt;sburg and south to Ne"
Orleans. As late IS lS4j James Garry
n;;;,,,ed a Aatboat to New Orleans, loaded q
Warrentou with four thousand barrels o
8opr three thousand bushels of oats sn'
fifteen hundred bushels Of potatoes Ina
day was but an echo OF What 1t was ont,
| fifteen years before. :.
| Naturally enough Wsrrsnton was IN II
ualmy days favorite resort for rIVermen
Il was the home Of James DickeY, kooe'
Farmer. Steven King, Thomas hing, Joh
and N. Hall, L. Liston, Aaron Chamber
ain and John Mccormick. =,
Who died last year, eli of whom were PHO
on Fat boats. At ths time the system
towing the barges with steamboats, can
ia vogue, these men we're deprived OF the
employment. By the adoption OF TIPS IL
provement, as well as in al others, lar
amount of manual labor was dispense
with. The first efforts, however, we're n
successful when the barges were placed,
the side of the steamer. The fstboat pho
we're sgain iubilsut but their Joy proved
short duration, as the system Wasmsce
Saocessby plsciog the barses in front
the propeiEnS boat.
Early in the history Of Wsrrenton "
large warehouses were built, enc ey Mos
Kimbls and the other by Robert baine
Just across the river on the West Virgin
side, Mr.. Wells also kept another. The
we're Sll taken out by the Good Of last yes
Those in Wsrrento1 were each shout Of
hundred feet long and forty feet vide. t'
and one half stories high. and were plsc'
at right angles with the river, one Ell
Of each extending out over the river,
New York. The principal merchants
thu place ct that time were: Messrs.
Shsansp, William Hogge, Willis
Craig, and Thomas Fleming They
did 3 'srgs business. 4 tannery was r
BY Joseph and William hutsop. Tn
carried on quite sn extensive bushes
A man named Kings operated 8 brick "a
but the demand fcr brick in those early da
vas not sufficient to enshls him to mar
fseture extensively.
Thus We see that Wauenton in 1880 v
one Of the leading trading points in I
Upper Ohio Valley between PIttshurg a
Wheeling. If, indeed. il did not vie with +;
latter very successfully The people vi