Belmont Cty Ohio

Leaving Home

We finally got on the road April 19. I had originally wanted to go earlier, but sometimes getting this family organized to leave is a challenge. I had originally wanted to go through the Altoona -- Horseshoe Curve area since I have been through there several times on the train. But since we did not have time (we had tickets from Pittsburgh to New York for the 21st), I opted to go to Belmont County OH.

Belmont County Courthouse in St. Clairesville OH

Why Belmont County? Well, one of my ancesteros, David Rusk, my Great Great, Great, Great Grandfather (I think that is the proper number of "Greats") settled there in 1791. This makes him one of the earliest settlers for the area.

My main goal was to see what resources there might be in the county for doing further research. I also just wanted to see what the land was like. We stayed in St. Clairsville and went out to Belmont OH. I was not sure that he had settled in that area, but I thought it was a good place to start.

Abandoned Belmont National Bank Building, Belmont OH

I found a town that was very slowly dying. Like much of rural America, the people have left and no one seems to care. A leading Presidential Candidate can make derisive remarks about small towns, and no one gets all that upset. Anyway, we rode through the area and stopped at the Graveyard but found little of use for my research. Still, it was an interesting stop.

Black Horse Tavern, Morristown OH

On our way back to St. Clairesville we stopped at another "dying town," Morristown OH. However, this one, being the site of some of the earliest settlement, and filled with buildings from the "Federal Era" is at least attempting to remain viable. The tavern pictured above is now vacant. But it had been operating up until fairly recent times. So maybe there is hope.