Black History is American History

Black History & the Underground Railroad in Belmont County, Ohio

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Black History is American History: Black History & the Underground Railroad in Belmont County

Written By Kristina Estle, President of the History Detectives of Belmont County/ Director of the Underground Railroad Museum

With this month (Black History Month) almost over and we sit back and reflect upon all we have learned this month intertwined with current events, it is important to note, ‘Why not celebrate Black History year round, why just one month a year?’

Black History is a crucial part of American History, and yes, even here in Belmont County. Though a full college course could be prepared on the significant roles that Black individuals and communities played in the Ohio Valley, I want to share a couple of stories with you about Black individuals who were monumental in the underground railroad movement in Belmont County. 

Important to note: Wheeling, WV, (Virginia until 1863, when it seceded) was known as the last stop for slavery. Richmond, Virginia was the largest importer of enslaved people. The ships would carry the enslaved cargo to Wheeling, where they would be kept in the basements of businesses or the jailhouse awaiting the slave auction that would be held on the corner of 10th and Market Street the following morning. 

Samuel Cooper and Richard Naylor, two formerly enslaved men, operated a station of the underground railroad named Floral Valley. This station was located above Martins Ferry. They also owned and operated a ferry. At night the two men would ferry across the Ohio River to Wheeling, act intoxicated to deter attention, and approach the enslaved. They would help them escape, ferry them across the river, and help them onto the underground railroad. Most enslaved people utilizing the underground railroad in Belmont County would make their way into Jefferson County to Mount Pleasant. 

Thomas Pointer, a formerly enslaved man from Virginia, lived in a log home behind the Jacob Van Pelt (a prominent UGRR conductor and abolitionist) house. Pointer would hide enslaved people in the attic of his home. His wife would pour boiling water across the pegs of the ladder and sprinkle cayenne pepper to confuse the bloodhounds and cut off the scent trails. 

Important to note: Bloodhounds were trained to track the scents of the enslaved through the woods. Plantation owners and bounty hunters [there were rewards offered by the plantation owners (properly called enslavers) for the return of their “property”] would track the scents of the enslaved through the woods leading them to the front doors of many of these underground railroad stations. Belmont County had approximately 27 stations. Ohio was the most involved with the UGRR. The National Park Service’s Network to Freedom has 107 documented sites in Ohio, however, it is estimated that there were 220 possible stations. 

The Captina Settlement, located five minutes outside of Barnesville, was one of the first free Black settlements in the state of Ohio. These communities were important in many ways. Black Laws were enacted by Ohio state legislature beginning in 1804 which limited the rights and activities of black individuals, even though the state was founded as a free state. These laws required that freedmen must post a $500 bond and letters from two white men stating that they had no criminal record and ensured good behavior. These statutes prevented black people from attending schools, testifying against white people and even performing any type of military duty. As discrimination intensified, free black communities began springing up across the state. The leader of the Captina community, Alexander ‘Sandy’ Harper, was an agent for the underground railroad. He would transport the enslaved from one station to another under the cover of the darkness of night. He worked with conductors in Somerton, Barnesville, and Morristown. 

For questions or inquiries please reach out to Kristina at kristina.estle@historydetectivesbc.org or director@ugrrm.org 

Underground Railroad Museum www.ugrrm.org 

Did YOU Celebrate Black History Month?

• YES
• Not yet, but I plan to!
• No

Haunted Belmont County

Written by Kristina Estle, President of the History Detectives of Belmont County

Who would have guessed that Belmont County housed so many haunted sites!?

Recently, Anthony Atkins, Director of Belmont County GIS, in collaboration with Belmont County Tourism, created a virtual tour of Belmont County’s most chillingly haunted sites. Visit the new website Haunted Hills of Belmont County: Ghostly Legends and Lore Trail. In this blog, we are going to examine some of the listed sites on this spooky, haunted historical analysis featuring dark, sad, and chilling tales deep within Belmont County’s history. 

Site 1: The Burial Site for Louiza Fox (Egypt Valley)

Though I have yet to visit her grave, as I travel Rt. 108 on my way home, especially at night, I can’t help feeling a chill. Louiza Fox was only thirteen years old when she was murdered in 1869 by Thomas Carr, a coal miner. Thomas, 22 years of age at the time, was courting Louiza. The murder occurred in Egypt Valley. The ghost of Louiza Fox haunts the murder site and the place where her body is buried, in Salem Cemetary. It also has been said that Carr’s ghost has been spotted at the place where he murdered Louiza. Carr was a violent man, with drinking tendencies. He had formerly served as a Union Army Soldier. The murder occurred on January 21st when he attacked Louiza, who had been walking with her brother. Carr sent her brother on, while he slit her throat and stabbed her 14 times. Located on Starkey Road is a plaque commemorating the event. Carr was hung in 1870, and just before the hanging occurred, he admitted to murdering 14 others. 

Site 2: Old Egypt Cemetery, Salem Semetary, Egypt Valley

It is said that “ devil” dogs haunt the Old Egypt (Circle) Cemetery, and can be heard howling in the woods at nighttime. The cemetery also contains the remains of witches. The lore goes that if someone walks around the cemetery six times, they will disappear. I do not recommend that you try this. The cemetery also houses a truck driver who was tragically killed in a crash and lost his arm. The arm was never recovered. So if you sit quietly and listen, you may hear the sounds of tapping fingernails on the marble gravestones.

Site 3: The Darkness on Church Street (Barnesville)

In a book written by Guy McCort, he tells a horrifying story about how a family lived in a home and experienced poltergeist activities. Many strange occurrences took place between the years 1970- 2000. Four murders had taken place in this house located on Church Street. An ax murderer had also lived there and had been known to perform macabre rituals. You can watch Guy McCort’s The Darkness on Church Street on YouTube (for adult audiences).

Site 4: Lady Bend Hill

In 1833, a young woman, who came from a wealthy family in Wheeling, decided to flee in the middle of the night to meet her lover in Fairview. She had taken Zane’s Trace, now National Road (Rt. 40), when lightning struck, spooking her horse. She was thrown from the coach when it crashed. Some say that she was caught in the wagon spokes, and some say that she was caught in the horse’s reigns. People say that on stormy nights if you travel to Lady Bend Hill, you can see her headless body riding a wild horse. 

Site 5: The Former Belmont County Jail and Sheriff’s Residence

On a personal note, I can add that I have had the chance to step into this place, (the Sheriff’s Residence is now the Belmont County Heritage Museum) and I had a very chilling encounter. I am not one who believes in ghosts, nor will I go on ghost chases, but I cannot deny the heavy presence in this place. As I stepped into the former Belmont County Jail, I knew at once I was not wanted there. I felt a very painful clenching in my chest and it radiated throughout my limbs.

The building is 134 years old, the sheriff and his family once lived there. Attached to the residence is the three-story jail that had jail which has 36 beds. The jail operated until its close in 1996. Several inmates had committed suicide there and at one point arson had been committed. There were also two prison breaks. 

Site 6: The Chair at Scotch Ridge Cemetery

Outside of Martins Ferry is the famous Scotch Ridge Cemetery. The tombstone of Thomas and Jane Mitchell has the inscription: I Samuel 20:18, ‘You will be missed because your seat will be empty’. On the other side of this tombstone is an engraving that reads, ‘Meet me in heaven.’ The legend behind this tombstone grew and the local lore was that if you sat in this chair for an amount of time, you would die. Many youths who had passed were thought to have sat in this chair. 

Site 7: The Rothermund Haunting

German immigrants, Augustus and Hannah Rothermund had bought a two-story home in Martins Ferry. It is believed that a ghost, presumably Augustus, haunted the house. He would play the organ, move objects, and cause doors to fly open and shut. These occurrences seemed to have been targeted towards women. Families generations on would flee the house. Mrs. Ribold, the wife of a tenant, fled the house with her infant on January 23, 1890, it is said that she was too frightened to speak. The house became a local attraction. It was later demolished to make way for Rt. 7.

Other sites include:

The Bellaire House

The Belmont County Casket Company

Week’s Cemetery

Butter Milk Road

Frozen Spirit of Black Oak Road

Belmont County Sanatorium

Zane Mansion

Celebrate Local Women in History!

A Special thank you to Cathryn Stanley, Secretary of the History Detectives of Belmont County, for this month's HDBC History Blogger's edition on Women's History!

Written by Cathryn Stanley, Secretary

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March is Women's History Month. This blog highlights some of the many women who have shaped the history of Belmont County. From plucky pioneer heroines to modern women breaking barriers in their fields, these ladies are essential to Belmont County's story.

Betty Zane- Revolutionary War Heroine

Elizabeth "Betty" Zane McLaughlin Clark (July 19, 1765 – August 23, 1823) was a heroine of the Revolutionary War on the American frontier. She was the daughter of William Andrew Zane and Nancy Ann (née Nolan) Zane and the sister of Ebenezer Zane, Silas Zane, Jonathan Zane, Isaac Zane, and Andrew Zane. On September 11, 1782, the Zane family was under siege in Fort Henry by Native American allies of the British. During the siege, while Betty was loading a Kentucky rifle, her father was wounded and fell from the top of the fort in front of her.

Zane volunteered to fetch more gunpowder from her brother’s house 40 to 50 yards from the fort. In answer to those who doubted her speed, she reportedly replied, “’Tis better a maid than a man should die.”

As young Betty dashed to the cabin, the stunned opponents did not fire, but as she returned to the fort, they realized her purpose and opened fire. Bullets pierced her clothing, but her wounds were superficial. Her heroism enabled the fort to hold out until relief arrived.

The Zane family later settled in what became Martins Ferry, across the Ohio River from Wheeling, and played an essential role during Ohio's formative years.

You can see a statue of young Betty Zane (erected with funds raised by school children in 1928) in Walnut Grove Cemetery in Martins Ferry. While in town, learn more about her and the Zane family at the Sedgwick House Museum in Martins Ferry.

Rachel Lloyd - Chemist

Born in 1839 in Flushing to a Quaker couple, Lloyd was the first American woman to earn a doctorate in chemistry and the first woman author in a major chemistry journal.

She studied at the Harvard Summer School and received her doctorate from the University of Zurich in 1886. She worked as a professor of chemistry and head of the chemistry department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her work determining the sucrose concentration of sugar beets helped establish a commercial sugar industry in Nebraska. In 1891, she became the first regularly admitted female member of the American Chemical Society. On October 1, 2014, the Society designated her research and professional contributions to chemistry at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a National Historic Chemical Landmark.

Lydia Ann Starr Hunter McPherson -Newspaper Editor and Publisher

Lydia Ann Starr Hunter McPherson (born August 11, 1827, in Warnock) was an American newspaper editor. She founded the Caddo International News newspaper in Caddo, Oklahoma, making her the first woman publisher in Oklahoma. Two of her sons did the printing for her.

In 1877, McPherson moved across the Red River to Whitesboro, Texas, where she founded a weekly newspaper, the Whitesboro Democrat. It was the first newspaper in Texas published by a woman. It subsequently moved to Sherman, Texas, and became a daily newspaper under the Sherman Democrat.

In 1881 she became one of the first three women to join the State Press Association of Texas and was elected corresponding secretary. She was a delegate to the World's Press Association convention in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1886.

McPherson also wrote for other periodicals, contributing to Cosmopolitan magazine and Youth's Companion. In 1892 she published Reullura, a collection of her poems.

Susanna Salter - Politician and Activist

Susanna M. Salter was born Susanna Kinsey on March 2, 1860, near Lamira in Belmont County. At 12, she moved to Kansas with her parents, descendants of English Quakers. She was the first woman in the U.S. to be elected mayor. Her nomination was a surprise (including to Salter herself) because her name had been placed on a slate of candidates as a prank by a group of men hoping to secure a loss that would humiliate women and discourage them from running. Because candidates did not have to be made public before election day, Salter did not know she was on the ballot before the polls opened. On election day, she agreed to accept the office if elected. The Women's Christian Temperance Union abandoned its candidate, and members voted for Salter. She also received backing from the local Republican Party, helping to secure her election by a two-thirds majority. She served one term as mayor of Argonia, Kansas, becoming the first woman elected mayor and one of the first women elected to any political office in the United States. Although her term was uneventful, her election drew national attention and sparked a debate about women in politics.

Mary Maurice - Silent Movie Actress

The "Grand Old Lady" of early silent films, veteran touring company actress Mary Maurice (born Birch on November 15, 1844, in Morristown), spent nearly her entire 1910-1918 screen career with the New York-based Vitagraph company where, on and off the screen, she "mothered" everyone from the Talmadge sisters to Jean, "the Vitagraph Dog." She was especially effective as James Morrison's mother in The Battle Cry for Peace (1915). She appeared in 139 films between 1909 and 1918.

Ruth (back) is shown in this photo with nursing students Sharon Weber and Shelva Truax in the new west wing nurse's station.

Ruth Brant Maguire - Nurse and Educator

A native of Pennsylvania, Ruth came to Martins Ferry in 1923 after becoming a registered nurse. Initially, her duties were as floor supervisor before advancing to assistant superintendent and eventually administrator on October 1, 1925. Ruth held the administrator position for 45 years.

In 1925, Ruth organized the Martins Ferry Hospital School of Nursing, later named in her honor. The school graduated more than 500 nurses before its doors closed in 1965. Items from the school once housed in the basement of EORH are now on display at the Belmont County Heritage Museum in St. Clairsville.

During her administration, the hospital grew in size and scope of services. Additions to the hospital campus were added in four consecutive decades, ultimately increasing from 30 to 200 beds.

Also known for her commitment to civic activities, Ruth was a founding member of the Betty Zane Frontier Days Steering Committee and served on the city's Board of Health. She also founded the Ruth Brant School of Nursing Alumni Association.

Kathy Crumbley - Belmont County Sheriff

Kathy Crumbley, elected Belmont County Sheriff in 1976, was America's first female to win a sheriff's race while competing in the primary and general elections. She appeared on the "Johnny Carson Show," "Hee Haw," and "The Mike Douglas Show.” Paramount signed Crumbley as a technical adviser for a proposed TV series based on her exploits. The tentative title was "Walking Broad." A song, "The Lady Sheriff of Belmont County," was written and recorded about her. Crumbley was not the first female sheriff of Belmont County. May K. Dunfee filled in for her husband, Sam, after his death while on duty in 1926. She finished his term from 1926 to 1927. This was common at the time. The sheriff’s wife served as matron, caring for female prisoners and feeding prisoners and staff.

May Louise Hinton-Wykle -Pioneering Nurse and Educator

May Hinton Wykle (Ph.D., RN, FAAN, FGSA) is an American nurse, gerontologist, nursing educator, researcher, and the first African American Marvin E. and Ruth Durr Denekas Endowed Chair at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing of Case Western Reserve University. In 2011, she was inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame. Her honors and accolades are too numerous to mention here.

She was born February 11, 1934, in Martins Ferry and graduated from Mount Pleasant High School. She earned her nursing diploma in 1956 at the Ruth Brant School of Nursing, where she was the school's first African American student.

After graduating, Wykle worked as a staff nurse at the Cleveland Psychiatric Institute. She gained experience as a head nurse and, later, a supervisor. In 1962, she pursued her bachelor's degree in nursing, then returned to the Cleveland Psychiatric Institute as an instructor and director of nursing education. In 1969, Wykle went back to Case Western Reserve University to earn her master's degree in psychiatric nursing and her Ph.D. in nursing, where her teachers were so impressed with her they asked her to join the faculty. She has been a faculty member there since. During her career as a nurse and educator, May Wykle made it her mission to open up the field of nursing to more minorities

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