Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-04-21


,s-sv.lle April 2O,-In the last
-. The eighteenth century few
-. having left large number OF
,-nts farther up the river, drifted
..ss this place and embarked here.
- he now dourishing city OF Sis
.srs was originated During a few
...es-g wears an influx OF settlers ar
f. , This neighborhoOd and took up
homes in what is now the county
,rfHsbourre. Early in this cen
-- settlers organized Tyler
from q part OF Ohio county. Vir-
So Tyler county is one Of the
Giles. o.. Che State.
among ,ae early settlers were ChaS.
v... n Gu:er. VIM. and Joshua Rus
T..y claimed nearly all the bot
land. l this vicinity and about
-> aca opened up business OF MS
-.Ing wi.- the Indians. and the
~.-r settlers who floated down the
r. I.l.ar on In this year The In
.s cndeavOred to drive out the
and recover their hunting
..is but they were unsuccessful,
Ind finally decamped TO another part
FL. state. Having those who had
lake. no their homes here unmOlested.
81 ndl 1915 was the city laid out in
md named Sis,ersville. This was
by Sarah and DeGlah Wells, sis
nn| a. a
gaH site contained SO lots, on four
running back from the river
a tour running parallel with il.
These were named in this order from
river back Water Main. Wells
sl Brown Betty streets. The cross
s .s. commencing at the lower end Of
-sr Catherine. Charles. Diamond and
Ea1eth Hill and Elizabeth streets
bang added later.
The founders endeayored to make
Misplace The county seat and set apart
a3rl- pi0. of ground which they call
O. ha Diamond for the city build
--- Contracts were being negotiated
-r- -heSo buildings. but before they
Ra-e co1sumUaJed the people Of the
county esiguated MiddlebOurne as the
sea- of operations
Al first. as is generally the case. the
-0W-h of the town was very slow and
v.s confined 20 Water street No es-
rl boom was noticed until about
1887 when the upper part of the town
MAS re-SUrveyed and laid ont in lois
and some Of them sold. A tannery. Op-
Grated by the Wittens, was a great fac
0- IN the upbuilding OF the city and
1870, n q tlOuTishing condition until
1871. when q change in the tariff made
The smaller tannerieS throughout
--e country suspend The building in
which, this business was carried on is
still standing at the east end Of Dia-
T'nd street and is i'm a very good state
o. preservation for building of its age.
About the year 1886 the building Of
steamboats, was commenced and sue
csssfully carried on for several years.
Among the first boats % ply the Ohio.
yeral were bull, here. and two we're
named Aubrey and Reserve.
Tn the year 1915 the city was incOr-
r-ated. The charter was forfeited for
some reason. and i'm 1866 a new ChSr,er
was granted. The town remained a
-ueu village and trading pos, until
year 1892 when oil was struck by
.h, jrillers OF che famous P0leclt well.
Since that date excitement he's run
-l and the chase for fOr,IHe has
ben g3ing on. When the news Ct the
striking Cf oil was we'll circulated. ard
-s quality made known. people COM
un,cl locking into the little hamlet
from an directions, leased territory.
sunk wells. and became rich. The de-
.ruo-- Of this territory was " on
trui. Many large wells came in
and very few dry holes ware drilled.
The on pU. from this field il such thst
g. ranks as the greatest oil field in the
United States without exception. 2 his
springs development promises TO re
truiT1us. extending over vast ter-
r.v with Sistersville as the centre
o. .-.r--ilns. Considering the very
t Weather the past winter anl he
extremely bad roads the work kgp5 on
move az a very steady rate. ard Now
since The roads are getting better the
l0,'e and activity have resumed. Al
r..y .he scarcity of teams is notice
a aud the operators are Offering
enormous prices for them.
0u.y those intimate with the oil de-
ru uc have any knowledge OF tho
N amount of money necessary 10
In he industry successfully.
-'I -sS of l1bOUens are better COM
-a3n those employed IN the
regions Men big in Drawn are
s who are successful Liberal
is weil-kn0wn characteristic Of
men, they get good wages and
-o their money freely. They are
r posSessOuS OF eleganc homes,
glance iutO their PAGES would
-a enlistment at The luxury dis
ersyil,e's hos lries rank with
ae- of those Of the larger cities
le river, and do a rushing bus
The leading hotels are the
Wh.Uiesey and Arlington.
.'s Others with boarding houses
ere To- be readily found
pr'slng business men are pre-
and ley take on the hus,-
.I3t2c,eriz.icS OF the. oil field.
''s. amount Of money handled
t.se o., @ m0Uh here has made
t-NS q necessity. and all are
lucrative business. They are.
'fr County. the First National.
Farmers and Producers Ma
Tie las, cwC have only been
Ion some few months. bu. re-
IS business and each is con
v $4,000 building. The Firs.
pc, viii build on the corner Of
anu Charles streets. and will be
and brick, three stories high.
narS and Producers on Che