The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-08-03


puuscd the cause OF the oolonists during
the revolution. The fort was destroyed
by fire In 1890. To two men Is due the
honor OF jointly purchasing the land
where Steubenyille stands aud laying II
out in lots for the Belle City" OF East
ern Ohio, as Il is called to-day. though
sometimes It IL called the Convention
City" OF Eastern Ohio. These men were
Bezaleel Wells and James Ross, The
latter was one OF the most prominent
men OF his day in Pennsylvania, being
a United States senator, and being twice
a candidate for governor. in 1888 and
1905. He was a member OF the commit
leo appointed 10 adjust the differences
of the Whisky Instruction. lie held
patents for 5000 acres OF land In this
state. At one time he was an attorney
in Pittsburgh, and recently the only
painting OF him In existence was resur-
rected In the law library at Pittsburgh,
The other, Bezaleel Wells, was one Of
the most prominent men OF his day In
Eastern Ohio. He was born In Mary
land and settled on the Virginia side OF
the river. He laid out Canton In 1904
and also town for the county seat OF
Wayne county. but Wooster was chosen,
He purchased the first Merino sheep
ever brought 10 the United States and
brought them west, and these sheep
were the ancestors OF all the bl0oded
Merino sheep from the Alleghanies west,
He was a pioneer In promoting early
manufacturing, which did much TO de-
velop this valley, which Ia now one con-
tlnuous stretch OF industrial concerns,
MIR. Wells held n number of important
public offices. He built two magnificent
manor houses, one the Grove property,
which stands on the river bank, and
the other Ross Park, on the hill In the
rear OF the city, where his grand
daughters live. This city Is beautifully
located on sloplng ground adjacent TO
the river, while frlnglng the city SEMI
clrcularly on the west Is range OF river
hills. The city Is well drained and
healthful IN a residence sense, Streets
and additions to the city and townships
In this county are named after Ross and
Wells.
Iuslntss Men OF Early Times.
The early business men Of this city
were men of push, and many of their
descendants live here to-day. Among
them We're: Benjamin Doyle. Eli II.
McFecley, Bezaleei Wells, Hans Wilson,
John England, John Ward, Martin An
drews, Moses Hale, Squire Jenkinson,
w. r. Dickinson, Samuel Hunter, Philip
Cable and others.
Being along the old National pike,
Steubenville's early taverns were famed
the country over OF these early thy-
erns the ~. s." house and Round Cor
ner' continue under the dignity of no.
tells. At tine tavern Sign OF the Lion"
have stopped Henry Clay and General
Jackson. Other taverns bore such
strange signs as "Black Bear" ship"
white Horse" indian Queen" Gross
Keys" Green Tree" Red Lion"
The excellent educational facilities for
which tho city is noted began early, the
public school system being started In
1898 and the high school in 1854. Tho
Female Seminary, which was for years
the leading institution of the kind in tho
west. was started in 1929 by the late DR..
c. C. Beatty.
Arthur Phillips, who came here In 1907
and started foundry, built the first
steamboat here, the "BezOleel Wells" in
1890. and the accounts OF the first trip
OF this boat TO Pittsburgh form an In
tercsting story Later other boats were
built here, such as the Aurora" "Steu-
benvllle," Robert Thompson" "U. s,
Mail" OF the old-tlme river men OF this
city, Captain John s. Devlnney stlll SUR
wives.
As early as 1913 Steubenvllle people
became so Interested in railroads that
they built the Steubenlvlle & Indiana
railroad, now a part Of the Pennsyl-
vanla sytem. In 1856 the first Cleveland
& Pittsburgh engine ran through here,
and In 1889 the Wheeling 4 Lake Erie
built the Steubenville extension.
As carly as i772 ministers OF the gos-
pei visited this section. The first church
organized tn the county was the ST.
ClairsVille Presbyterian church, in 1913,
The Friends held their first service west
OF the Ohio In this county in 1900 The
first church organized in this city was
the Presbyterian. In 1900; although. the
Eplscopalians claim the first recorded
service by DR.. Doddridge, In 1856 NJ.
Il. circuit riders who visited this section
in 1894 were roughly handled.
Manufactures.
Manufacturing began as early as in
1891. b. Doyle started tannery; dis.
tlllery was built In 1900; grist and
saw mill in 1909; cotton factory In 1915;
brewery in 1915; copperas works In 1870;
wooden factory In 1914. and the first
wooden goods turned out In the United
States were made here; glass factory
In 1880; J. c. Fisher started red crock
works here In 1906, and his WIFE who
helped him, still lives at the age of 1872
and win take part in The Centennial.
She IL Mrs. Christina Fisher. In later
years Steubenyllle became an Important
place In the manufacture of jeans and
other wooden goods. To-day the manu-
featuring consists OF four glass houses.
two foundrys. rolling mill, pottery. two
brick yards, paper mill glass pot works
and other minor concerns. To-day
Steubenvllle Is very cnterprlslng little
city. There are fifteen miles OF paved
streets. electric light, n high pressure
winter system, n street railway, 1--WE
banks. four wholesale houses, while
the business OF this city takes In every
branch, many business houses being
conducted on metropolitan scale. From
1875 the city has had gradual increase
In wealth and population: from 1850 to
1876 there was quite squirt due to deyel'
opments OF coal and iron and glass man
ufacturlng; from 1920 to 1850 The city
grew very rapidly. although before 1920
the early growth was slow. There nrn
nrieen churches here and several or
rnnlzntlons who have no place OF wor-
ship.
In the way OF agricultural resources
the county Ia rich. and the wool pro-
ductlon IL large. The minerals include
coal, the veins being thick and Of fine
quality. mines being located all along
Inc river, the Wheeling 81 Lake Erie and
nj Bergholz The fire clay products
nbout Toronto arc the finest in tho
world. Iron ore, limestone and shalI
rock Ens and oil are to be found In this
county. At MlnEo Is located an Iron and