Exhibits

Barnesville

Barnesville is home to the Victorian Mansion Museum, an original house owned by the Bradfield Family in the 1890s. Barnesville was once known as the "Strawberry Capital" as they were high quality and shipped to many cities across the country.

Barton

Barton is a mining town on Wheeling Creek. The plat was recorded by Annie P. Baron on September 7, 1905 and the town was named for Abner Barton, the original owner of the land on which the town is built.

Bellaire

In the 1930s Bellaire became known as "The All American Town" when many Bellaire athletes were found throughout American colleges and universities on the gridiron. Bellaire was also known as the "Glass City" from 1870-1885 and provided modern transportation by means of railroad (The Great Stone Viaduct).

Belmont

The founder of Belmont, Joseph D. Wright, laid out the streets in the original part of town similar to his hometown in Ireland-in the shape of a coffin. Harley Warrick, also known as "The Barn Painter," resided in Belmont and painted signs (mostly barns) in 13 states.

Bethesda

Bethesda was a mass producer of tobacco and workers used to roll cigars into wooden boxes which gave them their shape, known as "cyclones." Montgomery Ward featured a cigar in the early 1900s called the Bethesda.

Blaine

Locate in Blaine, the S bridge was a staple of the National Road. It was shaped the way it is because it was a cheaper way of safely building across a stream.

Bridgeport

Bridgeport was originally known as Canton. It is also known as the "Gateway to Ohio" due to it being the first town you see when you enter Ohio from West Virginia. Bridgeport was once booming with industries that included glass, metal, and lumber.

Colerain

Colerain was the home of Josiah Fox. Born in England Fox came to America in the 1790s. He was hired by the government to help design ships. His most notable work was the USS Constitution.

Fairpoint

Fairpoint was named by students, and was most likely chosen because of its location. Between 1900-1930 Fairpoint's population rose to over 8,000 residents.

Flushing

Flushing was originally laid out to be identical to the streets of Flushing, New York. It is home to the Stratton Flour Mill, where flour was produced for pancakes; and also the Underground Railroad Museum.

Hendrysburg

Hendrysburg is the birthplace of William Boyd, who portrayed the famous Hopalong Cassidy character. New artifacts and displays have been added to this exhibit.

Holloway

Holloway's claim to fame was the railroad. It was one of the hubs for the railroad with the roundhouse being located here. For this reason, the school team was called the Railroaders.

Martins Ferry

Martins Ferry was the first legal settlement in Ohio. It was founded by Absalom Martin in November of 1787, a few months before Marietta. New in this display are artifacts from the original Martins Ferry Hospital and the Ruth Brant Maguire School of Nursing.

Maynard

The name Maynard is said to have come from Tennessee Representative Horace Maynard, who came to St.Clairsville to speak to Civil War veterans. Maynard would later serve under Ohio-born President Rutherford B. Hayes as Postmaster General from 1880-1881.

Morristown

Morristown was an original Pike Town. The couple in the photo were married and legend says that the man died soon after the photo was taken from being struck by lightning. The Horner House, now known as the Black Horse Inn, still stands in Morristown today and is being preserved. Morristown is listed under the National Historic Registry.

Shadyside

Shadyside held the location of the county's original courthouse. The railroad brought industry to Shadyside and helped it grow. It was a narrow gauge railroad and its nickname was the Bent Zig-zag and Crooked because it was hardly straight. There was also a marble factory in Shadyside which produced marbles by placing them in a giant bowl in the ground.

St.Clairsville

St.Clairsville was once known as Newellstown, but later changed its name to honor Arthur St.Clair, who was Northwest Territory Governor and Revolutionary War Major General under George Washington. Its Downtown District is listed under the National Historic Registry.

Uniontown

Uniontown was given the name for the United Presbyterian Church there. People from several villages attended it, so in a way it united them.

Virtual Puzzles

Experience the museum through virtual puzzles! Simply click one of the images of artifacts below to start your puzzle digitally from your phone or desktop. Drag and drop the pieces to complete the puzzle. Send to your friends and complete to see who can complete their puzzle first!