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A Description of Wheeling in 1848
- from "A Complete Descriptive and Statistical Gazetteer of the United States of America: Containing a Particular Description of the States, Territories, Counties, Districts, Parishes, Cities, Towns, and Villages--mountains, Rivers, Lakes, Canals, and Railroads : with an Abstract of the Census and Statistics for 1840, Exhibiting a Complete View of the Agricultural, Commercial, Manufacturing, and Literary Condition and Resources of the Country," Daniel Haskel, John Calvin Smith, 1848
WHEELING, city, port of entry, and capital of Ohio co., Va., [351 N. w.] [Richmond, 266 W.] Pop. 1810, 914; 1820,1,567; 1830,3,221; 1840, 7,885. Situated on the E. bank of Ohio r, at the mouth of Wheeling cr. It contains a handsome court house, a jail, county offices, an academy, 2 banks, a theatre, a masonic hall, the Wheeling Institute, 9 churches—2 Presbyterian, 1 Episcopal, 1 Baptist, 2 Methodist, 1 Campbellite, 1 Friends, and 1 Roman Catholic—2 academies, 97 stores, 7 commission and forwarding houses, 4 iron foundries, 4 steam engine fac, 8 glass houses, in several of which cut glass is manufactured, 4 woollen and cotton fac. with carding machines, 2 paper in., 4 saw m., 3 white and sheet lead and copperas fac, and in the vicinity 134 flouring m. The city contains about 1,000 dwellings, and is handsomely situated on a high bank of the r. Over 20 steamboats are owned here, and many others stop at its wharves. The national road passes through the place. The city extends 1 1/(?) m. along the r., is a great thoroughfare, and the largest place in W. Va. It was laid out in 1793, and has received 10 additions, and now contains 1,270 lots, 856 on the N. and 414 on the s. side of Wheeling cr. Zane's island lies in the Ohio r., immediately in front of the city, and contains 350 acres, one half of which is laid in 923 lots, and connected by a bridge with the city. This place is called Columbia City, and the national road passes through it. Bituminous coal is abundant in the vicinity, and 1,500,000 bushels ore exported annually. Tonnage 1840, 2,160.
