This past week was fall clean-up in Weirton, and my family certainly took advantage of that opportunity. I really hate to get rid of good things that still could be used. We tried our best to donate as much as possible, but sometimes, things just wear out, break and outlive their useful life. I am a collector and a saver, so I usually strip something down to its bare bones and save anything useful from something before trashing it. As a result of all this saving, I have amassed a collection of screws, nuts, bolts, washers, boards, trim, wires and scraps of various origins, just in case the need ever does arise when I need the perfect part for a project. More often than not, that opportunity rarely comes. There have been those rare occasions though that I have held on to things for years waiting for the moment it can be used, then after tossing it, I come to need it within a week. Such is life.

The ability to own lots of stuff is a relatively new idea. In the past, objects were more utilitarian, unless you were wealthy. Here in our area in the earliest years of settlement, what you had is generally what you could make or what you brought over the mountains from eastern settlements. One of the reasons the Peter Tarr Furnace on Kings Creek was so successful shortly after its founding in the late 1790s, is because iron objects were difficult to bring over the mountains. Things made at the furnace were everyday iron essentials like pots, fire backs, kettles, grates and the like. Homes needed these essentials, and it wasn’t until the early 19th century when objects like this were able to be had here. This is due to the fact that they were made in bigger cities and could be transported either by river or, by the 1850s, rail. Most objects before then were made right here. Even down to everyday essentials like gunpowder. Jack Welsh in his 1963 book about the “History of Hancock County” says that there was a gunpowder manufactory in the county operated by a man named Nesselroad. Nesselroad had to grind everything for the gunpowder by hand between two rocks, according to the text. The operation was abandoned by 1801.

As our settlements grew from our earliest days, businesses that created objects started to appear. In Zadok Cramer’s book “The Navigator,” that was published several times in the very early to mid-19th century, our area is discussed at length. This text was designed in the interest of aiding travelers who were descending the river to settle points west and south. In his 1818 version of the text, he writes about Steubenville. He says, Steubenville has “1 woolen factory, worked by steam power, in which are manufactured, on an extensive scale, cloths of the finest texture and of the most brilliant and lasting colors — 1 air foundry, in which castings of all kinds is performed — 1 paper mill of 3 vats, in which steam power is used — 1 brewery, in which are manufactured beer, ale and porter, of the first quality — 1 steam flour mill, which is kept in continual and profitable operation — 1 steam cotton factory, in which cloths of an excellent quality are made; — 1 nail manufactory — 2 earthenware factories — 1 tobacco and cigar factory — 1 wool carding machine — 27 stores — 16 taverns — 2 banks — 1 printing office — 1 book bindery– 2 gunsmiths — 1 coppersmith — 2 tinner’s shops — 32 carpenters — 4 cabinet makers — 6 blacksmiths — 5 tailors — 4 saddlers — 3 bakers — 8 shoe and bootmakers — 4 chairmakers — 3 hatters — 3 clock and watchmakers — 1 silversmith and others.” I find this list incredible and it is the reason I have quoted most of it here. Just 21 years earlier, the area that was Steubenville was just frontier. At this point in history, the residents of our area could get fine things made by craftsmen in high style. I have seen silver objects made by Steubenville craftsmen and it is high quality and is very fine. I also have seen fine and high style clocks made by Steubenville cabinet makers and clock makers. Steubenville was a posh place in the early 19th century.

Although there were fine craftsmen in town, I think a lot of the Steubenville made objects left town. That is certainly true regarding the woolen industry in Holliday’s Cove, the site of Weirton today.

There were woolen mills in town and much of those products were sent down the river. During the Civil War, this factory shifted its focus to creating uniforms and woolen products for the Union cause. By 1856, Steubenville had hundreds of businesses all over the downtown area. One that is especially appealing to me is the firm of James Teaff. Teaff was a gunsmith, as was his father before him in Steubenville. His shop was located on the west side of Third Street below Washington Street. Teaff’s guns are still around and can be seen in our area today. Objects to be bought in our area were more sophisticated in 1856, according to the city directory. There was a marble works, oil manufactories, confectioners and a store where one could find carpets. This was a sort of general store called Dougherty and Bros., located at the northeast corner of Third and Market streets.

By the end of the 19th and early 20th century, stores like Munker’s, Sulzbacher’s and the Hub dominated the retail landscape for merchandise.

Objects were a lot easier to produce on a mass scale and were cheaper, too. So, with all the extra stuff, we have a lot to discard when these things don’t work, break, or are not useful any longer. And for those of us who collect, it sure is hard to part with these treasures because who knows, we might need it someday.

(Zuros is the executive director of Historic Fort Steuben)