Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-04-12
= A BOOMING TOWN.
New Martinsville Growing Rapidly
in Population and Business Inn
n0rfanCa.

In reputation anu ousIhcss AAh-
pOrtance.
From Staff Correspondent. 8H
NEW MARTINSVILLE, W. Va,
April 10.-New Martinsville, the coun-
ty seat and metropolis of Wetzel
county, bids fair to become one of the
leading cities of the State, and at
present is undergoing rapid devel-
opment second to no other town in
West Virginia
The land upon which New Martins
vile now stands was originally owned
by Edward Doolan, who settled here
about the year 1880. Presley Martin
purchased a part of the tract, which
originally consisted of 1,400 acres.
Mr.. Martin laid out the town which
was named in his honor Martinsville,
but as there was a postoffice in the
eastern part of Virginia of the same
name, it was changed by the Legisla-
ture by prefxing the word New On
the 2Sth of March, 1888, the Legisla-
ture of Virginia passed an act incor-
porating the town. The town grew
gradually from the time it was incor-
porated until the population became
1000 in 1897. Since that time it has
nearly trebled, the population now be-
ing 2,700, which is increasing faster
than ever, many people coming in
every day. The situation of the town
from a commercial standpoint is ex-
cellent, it being situated on the Ohio
river and is also accessible by rail.
While New Martinsville is not right
in the oil fields, the citizens Of the
town are interested financially in the
development of them and command
the trade of nearly every field. The
Elk Fork field is seven miles south of
the town, while the Pine Fork, which
is the greatest producing field in the
country, is eighteen miles southeast.
The Proctor field is seven miles north
/ east, and the Benwood field is eight
miles west in Ohio. All of these fields
are now under development, new wells
are coming in every day, most of which
are good producers. The Rocky Run
and Mauds Run fields have recently
been opened up and are very promis-
ing. They are fifteen miles east of
New Martinsville.
Dnrir1 tho coming NpW Mar
tinsville business development will
be of wonderful magnitude. The new
Short Line railroad which is now I'M
der construction between here and
Clarksburg, is nearing completion. All
the tunneling and grading has been
finished and the bridging is rapidly be-
ing completed. The laying of cross
ties and rails will be started May l,
and the road will be in working order
early in the fall. The Ohio River and
Short Line railroads have bought 200
acres on the south side at a cost of
S35 900, and will bring their shops here.
They will also build a fine union de-
pot, which is now partly under con-
struction.
The Tri-State Gas Company will be
granted a permit to enter the town,
and several large manufactures are
considering the purchase of building
sites. A new Court House costing $780,
600 will be built this summer; also a
school building costing S25 1000, and a
new Methodist church at a cost OF
s12 200. The Brast Bros hotel, which
cost $50 900, the postoffice and Wetzel
County Bank building and the McEl-
downey brick, all of which are fine
buildings, have just been completed
The New Martinsville Bank building
now under construction, will be a three
story granite structure. Business
houses are going up on every street In
the town; over one hundred dwelling
houses which cost over 81, 900 apiece
have been recently built, and many
more are being erected. Over fifty
acres of land on the north side OF the
town has been laid of in lots. many OF
which are being sold every day, and a
S0-foot front lot on Main street sold
for $500.
A. c. Ruby. the hauling contractor
for the South Penn Oil Company, en-
ploys over 800 men. Koontz & Phil
lips's lumber establishment employs
over 100. There are also two Touring
mills, two wagon manufactures, an
iron foundry and large marble works,
I'll Of which employ many men The