Bellaire, Ohio in 1886

— from THE WHEELING DAILY INTELLIGENCER, " Special Natural Gas Edition", September 14, 1886.
➤ View Special Edition in its entirety.
 

Bellaire, Ohio, 1886

"THE GLASS CITY"

WHEELING'S YOUNGER SISTER

On the Other Side of the Ohio — The Industries of Bellaire — Window Glass, Glassware, Lanterns, Stamped Goods, Wood Working, etc. — A Thriving Place.

Bellaire is as fairly entitled to be called "the Glass City" as Wheeling to be known as "the Nail City." When the rolling mill was built by Wheeling operatives at Bellaire her industries were few and unimportant. Shortly glass men from here also opened operations in the thriving little town whose future looked bright in view of the completion of the Central Ohio railroad and construction of the railroad bridge over the river. The town has gradually grown to a thriving city, with two daily papers, and her list of manufactures below, in addition to the nail works, makes an impressive show:

CRYSTAL WINDOW GLASS COMPANY — President, Dr. R.W. Muhleman; Secretary, A.W. Voegtly; manufactures window glass; factory on Cleveland & Pittsburgh railroad, Fifth ward; was burned in spring of this year, but iron buildings are being rapidly built on same site.

UNION GLASS COMPANY — President, Thomas Wetherald; Secretary, C.C. Kelly; manufactures window glass; factory is on Cleveland & Pittsburgh railroad, in the Fifth ward.

BELLAIRE WINDOW GLASS COMPANY — President, A.W. Hamilton; Secretary, S.Q. Hamilton. This was the first window glass house built in Bellaire, and now has two furnaces. It is situated on the Ohio river extension of the Cleveland & Pittsburgh Railroad in the First ward.

ENTERPRISE WINDOW GLASS WORKS, on the Ohio River extension of the Cleveland & Pittsburgh Railroad, in the First ward. A. Schick, President, and D.J. Smith, Secretary.

LANTERN GLOBE COMPANY, on Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, Fourth ward, uses the building originally built by the Goblet Company. President, J.M. Maring; Secretary, Wm. Bergundthal; manufactures lanterns and lamps.

OHIO LANTERN COMPANY, office on Union street and factory in the rear, manufactures lanterns and lamps. This is a co-partnership affair composed of A.L. Baron and W.G. Rufer, founded in 1881.

BUCKEYE LANTERN COMPANY, on Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in Second ward, occupies the upper story of the old tobacco warehouse, a large brick building built by the State a few years ago. It manufactures lanterns.

BELLAIRE COOPER SHOPS, George W. Grodhaus; situated on Baltimore & Ohio railroad, Fourth ward.

W.W. McCONNELL, cooper shops, on Ohio Valley extension of Cleveland & Pittsburgh Railroad, in First ward.

DuBOIS AND McCOY, plaining mill and lumber yard, occupy new buildings rebuilt after a fire a few years ago, on Baltimore & Ohio railroad, Fourth ward.

OHIO VALLEY FOUNDRY, manufacture stoves and make general line of castings. Situated in First ward on Ohio Valley extension of Cleveland & Pittsburgh railroad, and occupy new building of double the capacity of the old works. This was originally started by Messrs. Parkes and Lewis; but now a joint stock company has greatly increased the capacity of the works.

AETNA GLASS AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, situated in the three story brick building of the old Bellaire Implement Works, with glass furnace in the rear, reached by both Baltimore & Ohio railroad and Ohio Valley extension of the the Cleveland & Pittsburgh railroad; manufactures table ware and many fancy articles. In addition to this the company also runs a large foundry and machine shop in the same building. The officers are Wheeling men.

THE OHIO VALLEY CEMENT WORKS, of C. Troll's Sons, at Pinch run, manufactures cement from rocks found beneath the hills in that neighborhood.

BELLAIRE BOTTLE CO., the oldest of the Bellaire glass houses, now has two furnaces; is located on the Baltimore & Ohio railroad in the Fourth ward. It was the first concern to use the Wheeling Company's natural gas. Manufactures a general line of table ware, etc.

RODEFER BROS., the old National Glass Works, in the First ward, on the Ohio Valley extension of the Cleveland & Pittsburgh railroad, manufactures tableware, globes, chimneys and vault lights in great variety.

BELLAIRE GOBLET COMPANY in First ward on private switch of Ohio Valley extension of C.& P. railroad, occupies works of the old Ohio Glass Company. Manufactured until this season only goblets and tumblers, but now all sorts of pressed ware has been added. President, M.L. Blackburn; Secretary, W.A. Gorby.

STEWART & WARD, GLOBE FLOUR MILLS, B. & O. AND C. & P. switches, and Thomas Ault & Son, on Union street, both do large business both at home and abroad. Both have the modern roller process machinery complete.

THE BELLAIRE STAMPING COMPANY, occupies large buildings on Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, Third ward; manufactures lanterns, tin ware and ar caps and has grown very much in the last few years, running steadily with few suspension.

WILLIAM GILL'S factory for glass house pots in the Fourth ward, has built up a large business and furnishes many of the pots used by the glass houses of the Ohio Valley.

Bellaire  |  Historic Neighborhoods  |  Places of Wheeling Home  |  Wheeling History Home  |  OCPL Home