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A few weeks ago, I read the editorial in the Steubenville Herald-Star that commemorated the birthday of the newspaper.
According to the story, June 7, 1806, "was the day Lowry and Miller published the first edition of their newspaper, the Western Herald, from a small house on North Third Street in Steubenville. After surviving several mergers and changes in ownership, that publication became the Herald-Star in the late 1800s."
Thinking about the age of the paper, it is fascinating to imagine that there was a fully operational newspaper in the town considering it had been a vast wilderness just a few short years before.
Fort Steuben, built in 1786, could have had parts of it that were still standing in 1806. The jury is out about if, or when, the fort structure came down. It was abandoned around May of 1787 and according to local tradition, burned sometime around 1790. It could be possible that some of it burned in that year, but ongoing archeology at the fort since 1978 has yet to prove that theory in the archaeological record.
In 1797, an article appeared in a Pittsburgh newspaper describing the sale of lots at Fort Steuben. You could have seen a map at Charlestown, now Wellsburg, or visit the site. Certainly, lots were sold starting Aug. 25, 1797, and within a decade of the sales, there were enough people in town to merit a newspaper.
During those very early years, Steubenville was growing rapidly. A great description of how Steubenville grew in those years is recounted in a publication written in 1947 commemorating the sesquicentennial of Steubenville.
One of the important facts recounted was that of the first marriage in the city.
Zenas Kimberly officiated the ceremony between Joseph Maker and Mary Finley.
Also recounted was the first murder of an Indian called Captain Whiteyes by a 17-year-old settler called Carpenter. The youth was acquitted, according to the book, and the settlers, fearing retribution, paid his widow $300, a sizable amount of money in those days. This event was one of the last of the days of Native American interactions between them and the settlers, marking a big shift in our local history.
These stories certainly would have made it into the paper had there been one in Steubenville when those events happened.
Another monumental event that made headlines from Steubenville is the establishment of the Steubenville Land Office.
The Philadelphia Gazette of the United States and Daily Advertiser published the news of the passage of the act of Congress that establishment of the land office in July, 1800, although the action was made official on Dec. 2, 1799. The land office officially opened in 1800, originally on Third Street.
The Annapolis (Md.) Gazette, in its May 22, 1800, edition announced the appointment of "David Hoge, of Pennsylvania, register of land office at Steubenville," and of "Zaccheus Biggs, of Virginia, receiver of land at Steubenville."
Hoge would go on to be a lifelong citizen of Steubenville. He lived in the land office in those early years and processed many settlers as they went on looking for a better life in the wilderness of Ohio.
We are lucky to have the Steubenville Land Office preserved as part of the Historic Fort Steuben Complex downtown.
In 1803, Ohio was admitted as the 17th state of the union.
Considering that Ohio had been wilderness just a few short years before, that always makes me surprised. I imagine that settlers made a constant migration to the area as soon as it was open to settlement and traffic on the river and primitive roads must have been constant. Steubenville made itself an important stop on this migration of settlers, and it was becoming a bustling place.
According to the sesquicentennial book, businesses were opening up rapidly: "Hans Wilson had opened a general store at the corner of Fourth and Market. John Ward ... was going into the hotel business, his edifice of logs commanding a view of the river from Market and High streets. Squire Jenkins held forth as host at the 'Red Lion Inn.' Col. Todd had his share of followers beneath the sign of the 'Cross Keys.' Thirsty throats could be eased, hunger satisfied, and small talk traded at Tom Hamilton's 'White Horse.' James Dick's 'Sign of the Ship,' Tom Kell's 'Green Tree' and Thomas Norton's 'Black Bear.'"
Other events during that time included the establishments of a coppers works in Steubenville, as well as mills, tanneries, potteries and churches.
In 1805 the first school was established by a fellow called Mr. Black. All the while many settlers flocked to the young town, either to settle, buy supplies or to acquire land at the land office.
Finally, a paper was established here by William Lowry and John Miller called the Western Herald. It made its first publication 218 years ago in June of 1806.
According to Erika Grubbs, local genealogist and librarian at the Schiappa Branch of the Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County, the earliest copy of the Western Herald they have on record is one published Aug. 23, 1806.
After all this time, the paper is still here publishing the news of our community.
I know I feel lucky to contribute these articles to this longstanding publication. Hopefully it will still be here in another 218 years. I am sure there will be important news then to report, too.
(Zuros is the Hancock County administrator)