Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-02-22

where Beeches' Bottom 771z miles below
was called French Creek, though the Ohio
Navigator calls it Indian Short Creek,
just above the mouth of which this book
was situated m%a a n Ss E Short afua Geek @'f Il
ADDS; comes in opposite to Indian Short
Creek. AT its mouth is a warehouse and a
good tavern kept by Mr.. Simms. There is q
bridge across this creek, at present out Of
repair"
Three miles below these creeks there is
an island known as Pike Island. just be-
low which, Washington says, I'VE came to
contiguous to each other" These Islands
Islands, their distance being S4A miles be-
low Pittsburg. While here Washington
says they learned from Indians that three
men marked all the land from hence all
the way to the Red Stone" and that 'there
was a body of exceedingly fine lar lying
ABOUT this place, and down to the mouth OF
Fishing Creek
The yoyaging party next encamped about
two miles below Twin Sister Island, prob
ably near the mouth of Glenn's Run, ana
ing October 24th), and soon after reached
wheeling Creek, called by the Indians
Split Island Creek, ION account OF com.
ing against an island from the eastward
1t was at the mouth of this creek where
the three brothers mentioned above, VIZ:
Col. Ebenezer. Silas and Jonathan Zane,
cleared round and built themselves homes
about the year 1769-'70. The distance from
the mouth of this creek to Pittsburg is
S912 miles. The government erected a
fort at this point and called it Fort Fin
castle. In the year 1776 the name was
changed to Fort Henry in OF the
first Governor of Virginia.
In that year the fort was beSieged Dy
the British and Indians, but successfully
resisted the attack. Again in 1852 1t was
attacked and Notwithstanding the 1act
that there were no soldiers present TO as
sist the settlers in its defense, they won a
second vicory, and dispered the enemy. II
was in the midst of this battle that Eilz-
hn%b khA ~ = of ~ Inna
distinguished herself for bravery by fleeing
to her brothers residence. and RETURNING
again with a fresh supply of powder, whlcn
had given out, and thus enabled them to
continue the fight, which would otherwise
have ended disastrously for them. After
the treaty of Greenville with the lndlans,
them, Wheeling became a flourishing vii
lage, and was Incorporated in 1896, at
which time it took the name 1t now pears.
In 1862" the Ohio Navigator says
Wheeling
Had a Printing Office,
a book store and library; the two first
zens. The mail stage from 'Pittsburg,
Baltimore, &c, arrives here twice a week
by way of Pittsburg, Washington, and
Wellsburg; thence westward the mail is
dispatched once a week on horses. the
town has a court house and jail, 1t being
the seat of justice for h county, ,V1r-
Sluld. II IL % lille D. W. VA LteoDO,
and 40 W. by N. of Cumberland The
hills about Wheeling contain q good min
eral coal which is used as fuel. The thor
oughfare through Wheeling of em1grants
and travellers into The State of Ohio and
down the river is very great IN the raj!
and spring seasons. Boats can descend
and those going down the Ohio from
Maryland and the lower parts OF Virginia
If the water be too low at Brownsville,
pass on to Wheeling for embarkation.
Since the completion of the great turnpike,
business and the carrying on of trade IS
very lively in and through Wheeling;
commission stores in this place"
In describing its situation, the writer
says: THE town of Wheeling fronts the
middle of the island, and having immedt-
ately back of the town Wheeling Creek
hill, which is steep and lofty, and SO mar
is scarcely room for a wagon to pass along,
and nearly a perpendicular precipice to the
bottom of the creek. This singularly
formed backbone, as it were, between the
river and Wheeling Creek, slopes off grad
ually into a fine bottom just below the
town, and above the mouth ofthe creek,
but which is considerably lower than the
ground on which Wheeling stands, and In
some seasons is known to be by
floods. There are on this bottom an ex-
cellent public inn, a warehouse, a BOAT
yard. and a rope walk, and some other
buildings. Immediately above the mouth
of the creek there used to be a tort, serv-
lIS % d. - ROoNt oSoN
wars with the Indians. In OF
the hills just mentioned, and which crowds
the town close to the bank of the river,
Wheeling has but one street, which is
thickly quilt on for a quarter OF a mile IN
length. The town has about $50 dwell
ings, IL stores, 2 potteries OF stoneWare,
and a market house"
This city now contains a population or
&C, O00, and is the largest commercial and
manufacturing city in the State. It was
the capital twice, from 1868 to 1870, and
from 1879 to 1888. Among its numerous
industries are a number OF iron, nail and
steel industries. A short distance above
Wheeling creek there is a magnificent sus-
pension bridge connecting the city with
the island referred to. A fine steel bridge
also crosses the Ohio over which the cleo
trio cars run to Bridgeport, Martins
Ferry and Bellaire, the last mentioned
place being four miles below Wheeling,
and connected with Benwood, West Vir-
ginia by a handsome steel ridge Ben
wood has about 5000 inhabitants and its
great iron and steel works give employ
ment to several thousand men.
The stream called Nicholson, wheeling
Creek, and by others Indian Wheeling
Creek. is six miles below Wheeling, on, the
west side of the river. It is here where
Putney Bend begins. Washington says, "a
mile below on the east side is another
creek which l remark because OF the scar
city of them, and to show how. poorly fur
nished the country is with mill Seats
Another Run is Mentioned
in diary up which was a near way" 1t