The Ohio River was the economic lifeline from the days of the earliest settlements in Brooke County. As agriculture and subsequently industry developed, the Ohio River was the only means of transporting any substantial quantity to markets.
Grain, flour,live stock, timber, whiskey, pottery, wood and other products were brought to a point along the river where they could be loaded onto rafts and alter steam boats. Most frequently the level of the river determined when raft and boat traffic could move. Storage facilities of some sort were required.
The first such warehouse, also known as "Check Houses" located in Wellsburg was south of the mouth of Buffalo Creek. It was operated by ALEXANDER WELLS. Records indicate that as early as 1788, flat boats left this point with their cargos of flour, whiskey and wool for New Orleans.
About 1796 JOHN HENDERSON built a warehouse on the river bank just above the present 6th and Main Streets in Wellsburg. This building is the southern half of the building recently occupied by the Wellsburg Daily Herald.
During this same period the TARR family built a stone warehouse on Fleet Street, now 12th Street, located near the present Wellsburg water works. Another warehouse was located just below 10th and Main Streets.
These warehouses were located on the river bank where the water was of sufficient depth to furnish good landing facilities. The earliest construction was of hugh logs and timbers but subsequent foundations were of massive stone construction. Structures as large as 60 x 100 feel were built, with enough height to permit loaded wagons to be driven in on the main floor with ease.
Some were built with a large overhand to support a rope and pulley arrangement for loading and unloading the boats.
Others were built with a track running down the river bank from the main floor of the warehouse to water level. A car of platform was operated on this track by a cable permitting loads to be drawn up into the warehouse from the boat or lowered from the warehouse to the boat. The able winch or drum was frequently operated by a horse traveling in a circle about a center pose.
When outgoing cargo was being lowered down the track it was checked down the incline by the aid of a brake, and then transferred to the deck of the vessel. From this practice derived the name "Check House".
Many such warehouses included accommodations for the warehouse master and his family. Frequently they lived nearby and maintained an inn for public accommodations.
The Virginia side of the Ohio River from NEW CUMBERLAND to SHORT CREEK, all of which was BROOKE COUNTY at the time, was dotted with such warehouses or check houses.
The products of the PETER TARR iron furnace on KING'S CREEK, the first iron furnace in this part of the trans-Allegheny country passed through the Check House located just south of NEW CUMBERLAND wharf.
A very large warehouse was located near the present site of the FORT STEUBEN bridge present day WEIRTON and STEUBENVILLE. This was reputed to be the largest on the Ohio River as it served the rich HARMON'S CREEK VALLEY and its tributaries, along which were located flour and woolen mills, distilleries, tanneries and well as rich farming lands. The present wharf of the Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel coke plant at the north end of FOLLANSBEE was the sire of what was known as SETH CLARK'S WAREHOUSE.
The last such warehouse to be used for its original purpose was DEVINNEYS located just south of the WABASH RAILROAD bridge near the mouth of CROSS CREEK. It was destroyed in the flood of 1884.
An additional warehouse in WELLSBURG was located near present Fifth and Main Streets. The foundation was subsequently used to build the WARDEN HEATING AND SUPPLY COMPANY. The building was torn down in 1966, but the foundation is still standing.
The present site of BEECH BOTTOM had MILLER'S WAREHOUSE and at the mouth of SHORT CREEK was WILSON'S WAREHOUSE.
The significance of these warehouses or Check Houses is indicated by the figures of cargo shipped. In 1820 the exports of flour and whiskey from Wellsburg exceeded those from Wheeling, and ranged well up to those from Pittsburgh.
