The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-11-17
AN Old PIONEER GONE.
A West Virginian who Wit
messed Chicago's Birth.
THE FIRST HOUSE BUILT

tiF# F#I'> '' 8 ~ At' y II.
THE FIRST HOUSE BUILT
by n Trading Company OF Which Ii,
was a Mcmbcr.-.Isomnntic Fairly
Career OF Edward Ebert, who \
Died Lately nt shinnston.
Special Di.pateh to tae fnttHigencer.
| FAInNoSr,W.vA., Nov. l6.-Last week
there appeared in the papers the simple
announcement OF the death OF Mr.. Ed.
ward Ebert, Of shinnslon, Harrison
county, this State, at the age OF eighty.
eightyears. Few OF the younger citizens
Of thissection Of the State know that the
death Of Mr.. Ebert ended career the
early. part Of which was iull OF romance
and adventure. Few knew that the
quiet, reserved, eccentric old bachelor
whom they had known nil their lives
simply as "Uncle Ed, and OF whose past
history they knew very little, had, in his
younger days, more than hall century
ago. contributed share to tho great
work Of opening up the unknown north.
west, and laying the foundation OF what
Ia now the metropolis Of the West and
the second city in eize on this continent.
When, as a young man oi eighteen, con.
nected with French fur trading com.
pany, he helped to build one Of the first
cabins on the site OF the present city OF
Chicago, and satisfied with his several
years experience as a pioneer, alterward
returned TO his home at Fairmont, in
Virginia, then frontier village, to spend
Fthe balance Of his life. He little knew
that within his lifetime great empire
would arise in the undeveloped country
he had trayersed, and that grea! cities
would exist where he had known only
Indian villages and trading posta. sgl
Ills EARLY LIFE.
Mr.. Ebert was full Of "reminiscences Of
the adventurous days OF his youth. lie
was son Of Henry Ebert, ono Of tn Q
early settlers Of West Virginia, who
had come here from Pennsylvania, and
whose descendants are quite numerous
in Harrison and Marion counties,
amongt them being General r. E. Flem-
Ing, Mrs. r. 9. Huntington, Hon. g. NJ.
shinn, Mrs. 7. A. Fleming, the Janeses,
Lofts and many others we'll known here.
lie was n halter and furrier on large
scale and had large factory on the
present site OF Fairmont. That was rs
far back rs lslS, and Mr.. Ebert employ
ed several iourneymen, shipping his
hats by the thousands in flat.boals down
the Monongahela river, selling them to
regular customers Mt points along the
river, Morgantown, Pittsburgh, Wheel.
ing, Marietta, Cincinnati and inter.
mediate points as far south as Shawnee.
town. r
Il A RESTLESS YOUTH.
:. Young Edward learned the business
from his father and remained at home
until he had reached the age OF seyen-
teen. Then he began to grow restless
with desire to SEQ something OF the
unknown world that lay beyond the
Ohio. One day. he. disappeared from
home and was not heard from for sew.
eral years, when he reappsared just as
suddenly as he had departed. a great
change had taken place in his appear.
ance. He had grown into a stalwart
man, was as brown as an Indian
and wore his hair very long, the locke
falling over bis shoulders almost to his
waist. He told many thrilling stories Of
his lie among the traders and Indians
OF the far West and OF the hardshipsand
adventures experienced with a company
Of French fur traders with whom he had
enlisted, and with whom he had drif,ed
to the shore OF Lake Michigan, where
the city of Chicago now stands.
About sixteen years previous Fort
Dearborn had been built by the
Government near tho mouth OF
the Chicago river, and when the
war with Great Britain broke out,
in 1872, the Government, npprehen.
sive that post among the Indians, 80
far from the frontiers, could not be sue.
cessfu.fy maintained, ordered it to be
abandoned. The Indians afterward de.
ssroyed the fort, but in 1876 it was re.
built, and was the only sign Of a habita.
ton in the vicinity when tho fur
traders, among whom waa young Ebert,
established their post there. The place
was then known as Chicagou, that be.
ing the name given it by The Pottawat.
tonne Indians Of the neighborhood.
t=5 TIE BEGINNING OF culcAqo.
Mr.. Ebert remained at home for some
time, but ngain grow restless and return
ed to Chicago about the year 1928, where
he remained until 1887. He was there
when the town was organized in 1888.
There were at that time in all twenty.
eight votes in the PLACE. A treaty was
signed with tho Potawatomies, 1000 OF
the tribe being present at tho council,
in which Mr.. Ebert took part, after
which the Indians removed to the coun.
try west Of the Mississippi. Iu 1857 Mr..
Ebert returned home. Ho had had
enough Of pioneer lie. He has resided |
ever since sat Fairmont and shinuston
amoug bic numerous reIatiyeg end
friends. No man enjoyed greater esteem
among those who knew him, and his
friends were never tired Of listening to
his stories Of his early adventures. Mr..
Ebert often remarked that he had known
the time when he could have purchased |
the ground on which stands the entire
city OF Chicago for u few dollars, or their
equivalent in furs. ~ sEs
~ Is,,,