Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-12-26
THE OLDEST ENGLISH TOWN
On the Banks of the Ohio-Another Claim
ant for tha Honor,

On the Banks of the Ohio-Another Claim
ant for the Honor.
10 he Editor Of the Sunday Regt@eT.
l see in your issue of Saturday last that
Point Pleasant is made ''The Oldest En-
glish Town" on the Ohio river.
If you will pardon me and give space to
the following 1 think can show by good
authority that the honor Claimed by Point
pleasantly of being the oldest town on the
Ohio river is farther up the stream.
1t is true that Point Pleasant was le'
gally constituted an incorporated town
before Wheeling by one year, but Is 1t as
true that the first settlement was made IL
1T73 on the site of the present city Of
Wheeling?
In 1863 (says Withers) Colonel Ebenezel
Zane, his brother Silas, and
Jonathan, with some Others from the south
branch of the Potomac, visited the Ohio
for the purpose of making improvements,
and seyerally proceeded to select positions
for their future residence. They chose fol
their residence the site now occupied by
the city of Wheeling, and having made
the requisite preparations, returned tc
their former homes, and brought out tnell
families the ensuing year Italics mineI
ITO.
The Zanes were men of enterprise
To the bravery and good con
duct of these three brothers the Wheeling
settlement was mainly indebted for 1t!
security during the war.
Soon AFTER the settlement of this place
other settlements were made at digeren
points. both ADORE and belO,V Wheeling ant
the country on Buffalo, &c. ltallc'
mine.
Now this proves that Wheeling was set
tied before Point Pleasant, although the
latter place was legally recognized first a
torn. But, further, to quote from Henry
Howe, who says, in speaking Of still an
older place than either Point Pleasant OF
Wheeling:
Wellsburg (says Howe) is beautifully
situated on the Ohio river, sixteen miles
above Wheeling, and laid out in 1859, (hye
wears before Point Pleasant, K. b. l.. l.,
by Charles Prather, the original proprle'
tor, from whom it was named Charleston,
but afterwards changed to its present name,
from Alexander Wells who built the first
flour warehouse erected on the OHIO. An
other town still older than this, though
not Immediately on the Ohio, is West LIB
erty, which was established (says Howe In
October, 1877, and Moses Chapline, Zach
ara Sprigg, George McCullock, Charles
Wells, Van Swearingan, James Mitchell
and Benjamin Briggs, gentlemen, were ap-
nointed trustees. at which
place the county buildings had been erected.
1t remained the county seat until 1877,
when Brooke county was formed, when the
courts were removed TO Wheeling.
Now if Withers and Howe are good au-
thority, have shown that Wheeling was
settled in ITO -four years before Point
Pleasant) and therefore is older in point OF
settlement; and that Wellsburg, on the
Ohio. and West Liberty, within four or
five miles of the Ohio, are both Older towns,
legally recognized.
But is il a fair honor for Point Pleasant
to be called an Oider town than Wheeling
simply because the legislative recognition
was one wear earlier for Point Pleasant than
for Wheeling? trow not.
We're Forts Randolph and Fincastle
afterwards Fort Henry built the same
year, IVA?
Fort Randolph was built after the fight al
Point Pleasant-Dunmore's War. But can
Mr.. Lewis, or any one else, say with au'
thority, that Fort FincaStle was not stand
ing when that battle was fought, for, says
Mr.. Geo. S. NJ. Herman, in the Americd,
| D;,aa.r. nEnrt Harry stood immediately
on the left bank of the Ohio, about q quar-
ter of 4 mile above Wheeling Creek
was constructed under the superintend'
ence of Ebenezer Zane, &c. X il
was originally called Fort Fincastle, and
was place Of refuge for the settlers IN Dun
more'S WU-covered space of about three
quarters of an acre, &c.
Point Pleasant has sufficient notOriety
| in the atrOciOus murder of that grand old
Shawnee chief-COrnStalk.
Il. Il. l.. TRIPPETT.
KINGwOOD. w. Va, Dec. Goth, 1886.