Johnstown Pennsylvania (#2)

Laurie and I are wishing that everyone has a happy and healthy New Year!🎉🎇🎊

After our drive along the highways and byways of Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania, followed by our visit to the Johnstown Flood Museum, we still had a bit of time left for a little exploration.  One item of interest caught my eye as we exited the museum, so off we went...

The Johnstown railway depot at 43 Walnut Street was the second Pennsylvania Railroad station that was built in Johnstown.  By 1914 the earlier station was outdated and was overwhelmed by the passenger traffic on what was one of the busiest stops on the main line.  This new station was completed in the fall of 1916.  The depot's architect was Kenneth Murchison, and he's well known for his design of several well known depots over the course of his career.  His design of the Johnstown's depot was typical of Beaux-Arts design incorporating Neoclassical elements.

Fortunately, the former Johnstown Pennsylvania Railway Depot is partly accessible because it serves as an active Amtrak passenger destination.  We couldn't access the enormous waiting room with its original oak benches mounted on marble bases, Guastavino vaulted ceiling, marble Doric pilasters and wainscoting, terrazzo flooring, ornamental windows, and the old ticket windows.  That area of the depot...although apparently well maintained...just isn't utilized by Amtrak.  

In our imagination we could visualize this giant hall populated by a couple hundred passengers coming and going or waiting for their train to arrive.  I found photos on-line showing that someone cares about this old depot...as this waiting room was decorated for Christmas.  Based on the information I found, the depot is owned by the Johnstown Area Heritage Association.

FYI - Guastavino tiling is a patented technique for constructing robust, self-supporting arches and architectural vaults using interlocking terracotta tiles and layers of mortar to form a thin skin, with the tiles following the curve of the roof.

This hallway or corridor runs along one side of the waiting room.  The doors at the end of the hall lead to the boarding platform.  The ticket window, (Yes, this depot is manned!), is under that blue sign at the left near the doors.  Note the benches that now serve as the waiting room.  The depot also serves as the  Greyhound Bus station in Johnstown.

This tiled tunnel leads under the tracks and it provides access to the boarding platform for Amtrak passengers.  The setting was a little 'spooky'.  Fortunately for us, the ticket agent allowed us to access this passageway so we could go up to the boarding area...

I found this old photo on-line.  It shows Johnstown's passenger boarding platform back in 1967...just a bit decrepit but at least it was covered.

This is the Amtrak passenger boarding platform in Johnstown as it appeared in late September 2024.  Not too welcoming but at least shelter is provided for passengers waiting for their train.  There is an exterior elevator available.  The shelter is in bad shape, rusting out around the bottom in several places.

I captured this fuzzy photo from the Internet.  It shows an Amtrak train and passengers at the Johnstown passenger platform.  This once busy depot is now served by only one train a day in either direction.  The Pennsylvanian is a 444 mile daily daytime train that operates between New York City and Pittsburgh via Philadelphia and Harrisburg PA.  Traveling the entire route takes about 9 hours.  In 2023, a total of 16,449 passengers were processed through this depot.    

As the saying goes, "Hope springs eternal".  Improvements to the station platforms, tunnels and track were slated to begin in the fall of 2022.  A new heated and air-conditioned headhouse (shelter), an interior elevator, stairway, small waiting area and a platform with a snow melt system are all part of the plan.  The station itself is envisioned as a downtown anchor that would serve as a multimodal transportation center with space dedicated as a visitor's center, farmers market and retail spaces.

This is the Tribune-Democrat Building in downtown Johnstown.  This structure with its Classical Revival details was built in 1919.  The Tribune-Democrat is the result of a merger between two newspapers, the Tribune and the Democrat.  This is also the home of the Johnstown Magazine.  That 'person' by the entrance who's reading the paper is a statue of "The Working Man".  He is everyone and he represents the importance of a free press in society.

Built in 1893, only 4 years after the Johnstown flood, this is the GAR building in the center of town.  This Grand Army of the Republic chapter (US Civil War), once had over 300 member.  The Romanesque style structure features heavy stone arches and carved stone sculptures or insets with a cannon and crossed sword motif.  Currently the building is owned by a Michigan firm.  It appeared to be empty when we visited but previously it was home to a tavern and a diner.

My photo of this structure wasn't usable...so I went online and copied this one.  This was the business center of the Cambria Iron Company's empire.  It was a Johnstown Flood survivor.  The two sections, built in 1881 and in 1885 reflect changing architectural styles.  The right side is Palladian...very symmetrical, while the left side is very much a Queen Anne design.  

Before the flood destroyed much of Johnstown in 1889, the city was very much a company town.  About 7,000 men and women worked for Cambria.  Many of those workers rented one of the 700 company houses in the area.  Groceries and supplies were purchased at the company store.  Medical service could be obtained at the company-financed hospital.

I found this photo on line... I'm guessing that the air wasn't too healthy in Johnstown when Cambria's steel mills dominated the valley.  This photo shows just one of the smelters in the area.  Cambria also operated railroad shops, flour mills, several banks and newspapers.

Only those employed by the Cambria Company lived on the flats and man-made ground along the rivers.  The company built rows of two-story frame tenements close together to cut costs.  The better tenements were separate buildings, with 2 families to the house.  Cheaply made, the tenements rented for from $5.00 to $15.00 per month.  The company also owned the surrounding hills.  One hill contained limestone and another coal.  Narrow-gauge railroads ran from Cambria's mines down to the iron/steel works.

When our day was coming to an end, we decided that we didn't want to drive around trying to find a restaurant for dinner.  So, we decided to go to Chili's Grill and Bar.  I had a bad experience at a Chili's several years ago and this was our first time to give this casual style restaurant chain another chance. 

Chili's was founded in Texas back in 1975 and its now currently owned and operated by Brinker International.  Chili's serves American food, Tex-Mex cuisine and dishes influenced by Mexican cuisine.  Chili's Grill and Bar has at least 1,610 locations world-wide and they can be found in 37 nations.  About 40% (plus or minus) of the restaurants are franchised.

This was the dining room at the Johnstown Chili's Grill and Bar.  It was fairly quiet but very casual, a real positive for us after a long and busy day.

Laurie kept it simple.  She ordered a bowl of Chili's Original Chili accompanied by a house salad with dressing on the side. ($11.29) She was happy and I was able to sample her chili too.  It was very good!

For my dinner, I went for the Nashville Hot Chicken Crispers Combo. ($15.99) It included blue cheese dipping sauce for the chicken, a modest order of French fries and a cup of white mac 'n cheese.  The chicken pictured on the menu looked like strips or 'fingers' but my chicken was in chunks.  It had a little bite and it was tasty...but it certainly wasn't truly Nashville Hot.

Chili's Grill and Bar in Johnstown Pennsylvania is located at 105 Town Centre Drive.  You can learn more and check out the extensive menu at 

https://www.chilis.com/locations/us/pennsylvania/johnstown?searchResults=true.  

Once again I went online for a photo.  I wanted to show an bird's eye view of Johnstown.  Given the proximity of the rivers and the impact of heavy rains funneling down through the many hills and low mountains, floods seem almost inevitable.  Flood control river walls have been erected but despite their presence, major flooding took place again in 1977.  Of course, nothing can compare with the deluge that occurred when the dam broke.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Johnstown Pennsylvania and the 1899 Flood Disaster

Some time ago we read a book entitled "The Johnstown Flood of 1889...The Story of the Deadliest Flood in American History" by the Charles River Editors.  We became curious about Johnstown Pennsylvania and the area around it.  As a consequence, I chose Johnstown as an overnight stop on our multi-state road trip.  The history of the flood is one of privilege and neglect.   

                   

Our first stop when we arrived in Johnstown was the Johnstown Flood Museum.  It's located in the former Johnstown Public Library Building.  The Johnstown Library was originally built in 1879 by the Cambria Iron Works, a large iron and steel producer that continued to operate, (as part of a larger company), in the Johnstown area until the early 1990s.

Cambria had 5 different manufacturing sites in and around Johnstown.  All of them were located along either the Conemaugh or Little Conemaugh Rivers.  Each of these former sites represents a different phase of development and growth of the steel industry.  All 5 areas now comprise a National Historic Landmark District.

In any case the original library was destroyed in the horrific Johnstown flood that occurred on May 31, 1889.  It was rebuilt in the French Gothic Revival style by the Andrew Carnegie Fund in 1891.  The fund provided funds covering maintenance and other costs until 1930.  It is an impressive structure...

A bit of background for those unfamiliar with the Johnstown Flood of 1889.  This devastating disaster happened on May 31st, following the collapse of the South Fork Dam which was located 14 miles upstream from the city.  Heavy rainfall had trailed over the area for several days and the dam's failure released 20,000,000 tons of water down the valley and into Johnstown.

This steel railing from a bridge over Paint Creek was found wrapped around a tree a flood in July of 1977.  So why is it in the Johnstown Flood Museum?  It is meant to show visitors what power fast flowing flood water has...  In actuality, little actual debris from the flood remains 135 years after the deadly flood took place.

This bottle of dirty water is an artifact from the flood...sort of.  The bottle contains Johnstown floodwater taken as a souvenir just one day after the disaster.  A couple who collected the water came to Johnstown the day after the flood on a sightseeing excursion that had been organized in Altoona Pennsylvania.  People never seek to amaze me...and disappoint me...   

So just how bad was the devastation caused by the Johnstown Flood of 1877?  Over 2,200 people were killed, including 99 families and almost 400 children.  Tens of thousands were left homeless and without jobs.  Four square miles of the city including much of the Cambria Iron Works was completely destroyed.  What a 'great' tourist attraction... Sad!

Most of the exhibits at the Johnstown Flood Museum consists of mindboggling photos.  Note the destroyed locomotive and train in the first photo.  The home shown above with the tree driven through it belonged to the Schultz family.  The home came to rest a half mile from its foundation.  Somehow, all 6 people who lived here survived the flood.

As I mentioned earlier, many of the items that survived the flood or were recovered from it are small 'relics' from the disaster.  The pitcher came from the severely damages home of the Wesner family.  The small items in the middle were recovered from one of the flood victim's pockets.  The items include a change purse, a newspaper clipping and a notebook from the family store.  I didn't identify the large item on the right.

The South Fork Dam was originally built by Pennsylvania between on the Little Conemaugh River between 1838 and 1853 as part of a cross-state canal system.  With the growth of the railroads, the State sold the canal and dam to the Pennsylvania Railroad...and then the railroad sold it to private interests.  A group of wealthy investors/speculators, including Henry Clay Frick, purchased the reservoir, modified it and converted it into a private resort lake for wealthy business men.

Downtown Johnstown after the flood...

The investment group lowered the dam so it was wide enough for a road.  They also put a fish screen in the spillway.  A system of relief pipes and valves had been previously sold off for scrap and they weren't replace.  There was no way to safely lower the lake's water level in case of an emergency.

The investors built cottages and a clubhouse, creating the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club.  It was an exclusive and private mountain retreat.  Membership included more than 50 wealthy steel, coal and railroad industrialists.

Relief workers removing a body from the chaotic flood debris.

Lake Conemaugh at the club's site was 450 feet above Johnstown.  Like the terrain involved in the recent flooding disaster that hammered North Carolina and northeastern Tennessee, the area is a series of hills, low mountains and narrow river valleys.  It's been estimated that up to 10 inches of rain fell in the area in just 24 hours.  Small creeks became roaring torrents, telegraph lines were downed and rail lines were washed away.  At the Club, the water was almost cresting the dam.

A group of men tried to save the face of the dam by working to unclog the spillway where an iron grate and the broken fish trap had been obstructed with debris from the flooding.  Attempts to warn Johnstown of the flood risk were disregarded as there had been many alerts before and nothing had happened.  Just before 3 PM in the afternoon, the dam failed.

Another souvenir from the disaster...Mainstreet in Johnstown.  Survivors or sightseers?

As the flood waters churned on downstream toward Johnstown, it picked up debris...trees, houses and animals.  The flood was momentarily slowed when debris jammed against a stone railroad bridge.  Seven minutes later, the bridge collapsed.  Because of the water's delay at the bridge, the flood gained renewed hydraulic pressure.  This resulted in a stronger and more violent wave of water hitting places downstream

The small town of Mineral Point, one mile below that railroad bridge, was the first populated place that was hit with this accelerated force.  About 30 families lived along the village's single street.  Following the flood, no structures, no topsoil and no subsoil remained at Mineral Point...only the bedrock remained.

East Conemaugh was the next populated area hit by the flood.  As per witnesses, the water was described as almost obscured by the debris, looking more like a "huge hill rolling over and over".  An engineer in the town's railyard in his locomotive heard and felt the approaching flood.  He threw his locomotive in reverse and raced back toward the village, his whistle blowing constantly.  His warning saved many people who raced to high ground.

When the flood hit, it picked up the still moving locomotive and floated it aside.  The engineer survived but at least 50 people in the village died...including roughly 25 passengers stranded on trains along the way.

The Stone Pennsylvania Railway Bridge, shown in the photo above, was as very substantial structure.  In the picture, it shows debris from the flood stacked up against the bridge.  It included twisted steel rails, boxcars, entire buildings and the bodies of many of the flood's victims.  The surge backed up another small river and it resulted in a second wave of flood water and debris that hit the city from a different direction.

The debris then caught fire and it burned for 3 days.  At least 80 people died in the debris.  When the water receded the pile of debris covered 30 acres and it reached up to 70 feet deep.  It took workers 3 months to remove the accumulated mass, partly due to the huge quantity of barbed wire from the Ironworks.

Before and After Pictures of Johnstown.  Different angles where the rivers come together.

Fifty-seven minutes after the dam collapsed, the flood hit Johnstown.  Residents were trapped as the wall of debris and water bore down on them.  The flood surge hit speeds of 40 miles an hour (64 km/h) and reached a height of 60 feet (18 m) in places.  Many tried to escape by running toward high ground.  However many were crushed by pieces of debris or became entangled in the barbed wire from the wire factory upstream.  Of the known dead, 777 people were never identified.

After the flood, The American Red Cross, led by Clara Barton with 50 volunteers, initiated its first major disaster relief effort.  The growing Red Cross team built shelters for survivors in large buildings known as "Red Cross Hotels".  They provided free lodging, meals and other necessities.  The large 2-story hotel had 34 rooms, laundry, kitchen, bathrooms with hot and cold water and a dining hall.  Barton stayed in Johnstown for more that 5 months.  Support for the victims came from all over the USA as well as 18 other countries.  Donations totaled $3,742,818...the equivalent of $128,251,000 in today's dollars.

Many survivors blamed the members of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club for the modifications that weakened the dam as well as for improper maintenance.  Lawsuits were initiated but the Club's attorneys, (also club members), successfully argued that the dam failure was a natural disaster...an act of God.  No legal compensation was ever paid to the survivors or the families of those who died.  This legal 'failure' led to changes redefining liability.  About half of the club members donated thousands of dollars to the relief efforts...and of course Carnegie built the library.

For information about the Johnstown Flood Museum, you can go to https://www.jaha.org/attractions/johnstown-flood-museum/.  We didn't visit the other Flood memorial, The Johnstown National Flood Memorial at the site of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club.  Operated by the National Park Service, visitors can view the remaining portions of the dam, the guest cottages, the clubhouse and related exhibits at the Visitors Center.  Check it out at https://www.nps.gov/jofl/index.htm.  

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Note: Many of the photos came from the photos on-line and a Red Cross Site.  Wikipedia was the source of much of the information and in some cases, the wording was as well.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Moving North Along the Ohio River to West Virginia and Beyond

Given the timing of this post, I'd like to wish a Merry Christmas to all! 

Following our sightseeing and basic exploration in the city  Marietta Ohio, we headed north following OH Hwy 7 along the Ohio River.  Pennsylvania , New York and Virginia were waiting for our tourist dollars and we were looking forward to many more sights and experiences.

                            

This was our view of the Ohio River after we'd crossed over into West Virginia at Moundsville.  Note the fisherman doing his thing at the lower right of the photo.

There is a nice little park on the Moundsville WV side of the Ohio River right at the base of the bridge.  Aptly named Riverfront Park, it was a good place for us to get out of the car, stretch our legs and take a couple of photos.  The Moundsville Bridge, formally known as the Arch A. Moore Bridge, after the former West Virginia Governor, Arch A. Moore, Jr., was completed in 1986.  Until the bridge was opened, this area was served by a ferry service.

This massive Richardson Romanesque sandstone structure on 7th Street in Moundsville was built in 1907 as a Methodist Episcopal Church.  Later it became the Simpson United Methodist Church.  Note the 'battlemented' octagonal tower at the left and the square tower with the same feature on the right side of the entrance.  This church is part of the Moundsville CommercialK Historic District as listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

This 110 year old church congregation built a 'mission church' in the 1920s just a few blocks away near the waterfront park.  That church was designed to minister to the immigrants who settled in an area of town that was then referred to as "Spanish Town".  That mission church building now serves at the Marshall County Historical Museum.

This historic Italianate style home at 609 Jefferson Avenue in Moundsville West Virginia was built in 1877.  It's known as the Ferrell-Holt House or, alternatively, "Kirkside".  Kirkside means 'beside the church',  In this case it is next door to the Simpson United Methodist Church. It was built by a prominent local dry goods merchant named Richard Ferrell.

The home's historical significance was enhanced when it was purchased in 1890 by J. Edgar Holt.  Holt came from a very prominent and politically active family.  He was a prominent attorney and he served as the Marshall County Court Commissioner as well as a Circuit Court Commissioner.  Other members of his family served as Governor of Ohio, U.S. Senator, 2 Supreme Court Justices and a number of legislators.  

When Holt died, the home was donated to the adjoining church.  For many years it served as the Parrish house and later it was transformed into the first community youth center in Moundsville.

The first photo above shows the front or main entrance to the old/retired West Virginia Penitentiary.  The second photo was taken at the rear of the old prison and it shows the old 'wagon gate' where the hangings took place.  This foreboding Gothic style prison operated as such from 1866 until it was closed in1995, serving almost 130 years!  Today it's operated as a tourist attraction, a museum, training facility and as a filming location.  The old prison's stone walls are 5 feet thick at the base, tapering to 2.5 feet thick at the top.  Foundations for the wall are 5 feet deep.  The front section of the structure is 682 feet long.

Back in 1866, Moundsville was an attractive site for the prison.  It was only 12 miles south of Wheeling West Virginia...which was the state capital at the time.  The design for the prison is a modified version of the Northern Illinois Penitentiary at Joliet Illinois.  Note: That notorious Illinois prison operated for 144 years...1858 until 2002.  Regarding the design, the Gothic Revival architecture exhibited great strength and conveyed a 'cheerless blank' indicative of the misery awaiting the unhappy persons who enter within it's walls.

The Moundsville Prison was expanded in 1959 due to conditions...overcrowding, etc.  The 5 foot by 7 foot cells were each occupied by 3 inmates.  Over the years 36 inmates were murdered here and another 94 were executed via hanging or "Old Sparky", the prisoner built electric chair.  In 1979 a prison break by 15 inmates grabbed the public's attention partially due to the murder of a policeman.  In a riot which took place in 1986, 2,000 prisoners took over the facility.

This plaque or symbol over the main entrance to the Moundsville West Virginia Prison is a variation of the official state symbol...two fellows with tools and crossed rifles underneath them...along with the Latin phrase "montani semper liberi", which translates to "Mountaineers are always free".  That is the state's official motto.

As I mentioned at the start of my comments regarding this old prison, tours are offered.  Several films have been shot here as have bits in TV shows.  Television paranormal teams have featured the prison in their shows as well... To learn about this tourist attraction, go to https://wvpentours.com/.

This is the Grave Creek Mound.  It's located near the former Moundsville West Virginia Prison.  This mound is one of the largest conical-style burial mounds in the USA.  It's 62 feet high and 240 feet in diameter.  Originally a 5 foot deep and 40 foot wide moat encircled the mound.  The builders of the site, members of the Adena culture, created this mound ca. 250 - 150 BC.  They had to move about 30 tons of dirt to build it... This ancient burial mound is a waypoint on the Lewis and Clark National Trail, its a National Historic Landmark and its on the National Register of Historic Places.

While the Mound itself is the prime attraction, it is part of the Grave Creek Mound Archaeology Complex which is operated by The West Virginia Division of Culture and History.  There is a research center as well as the Delf Norona Museum.  The museum (free) is open Tuesday through Saturday and it interprets the Adena Culture, displaying numerous artifacts related to that culture.  For more information, go to https://wvculture.org/explore/grave-creek-mound/.

For the shoppers out there, fear not!  Laurie did manage to find a shopping opportunity in Moundsville.  I didn't take a photo but she did make a purchase at The Farmhouse Peddler Floral and Gift Shop located at 1401 1st Street.  They are on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093439039771.

As we wandered through southwestern Pennsylvania toward our overnight destination at Johnstown, we drifted along back roads and two-lane highways, passing through Connellsville at one point.  This is the former Connellsville Union Passenger Depot, aka the Connellsville Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Station.  It was built by the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad in partnership with the Western Maryland Railroad.  This American Craftsman style depot was completed in 1912.  

In the photo from this old postcard, you can see what the Connellsville Depot looked like in the early 1900s.  Note the elevated rail lines adjacent to the depot.  Pittsburgh and Lake Erie operated trains going west and the Western Maryland Railroad operated the trains to the east.  The depot cost about $35,000 to build in 1911 and an additional $35,000 was spent on platforms and overhead work.  That 3-story tower served as a teletype and control room for the interlinking switches of both lines.

At one point there were 5 railway lines running through Connellsville.  The city was not only a busy railroad hub, it was also the home of the National Locomotive Works, a company that specialized in narrow gauge locomotives.  The depot ceased being used as a passenger station in 1939, after which it housed a car dealership and auto parts store.  It was purchased by the Youghiogheny Opalescent Glass Company in the spring of 1995.  Then, between 2017 and 2022, the Somerset Trust Company initiated a $1.9 million rehabilitation project.  It is now being used as office and meeting space for that company.

Moving on to the northeast toward Johnstown Pennsylvania, we followed a number of state highways and local roads.  Along the way we encountered increasing fall colors and some very relaxing roadways.  One sees so much more if you can stay off the big Interstate Highways...

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit! 🎄🎅🎄🎅!!!!✰

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Sunday Afternoon in Marietta Ohio and Dinner in West Virginia

Once we finished our tour of "The Castle" in Marietta Ohio, we still had some time that allowed us to drive around town and take in the sights.  We focused on historic homes and churches...before we decided that it was time to find somewhere to have a Sunday dinner.

This is the First Presbyterian Church of Marietta.  It was first organized in 1865 as the Fourth Street Presbyterian Church...with a total of 53 members.  The congregation's first church home was a one-room brick building that was completed in just 3 months in 1866.  A 23 foot extension with 3 more rooms and a tower was added in 1886.  

As the church continued to grow, the congregation purchased an adjoining lot.  Construction of the current sanctuary began in 1896 and it was completed in 1897.  At that point the church was renamed as the First Presbyterian.  Addition construction over the years have continued to expand the church.

This is the Rufus R. Dawes house.  It was built in 1869 by former Civil War Brigadier General Rufus Dawes and his wife Mary (Gates) Dawes.  Rufus had led the 6th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, a regiment in the famed "Iron Brigade" in more that 20 major battles in the War.  These battles included Second Bull Run, South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Courthouse, Petersburg and others.  Later in his life Rufus served as a member of Congress from Ohio.

One of Rufus and Mary's sons, Bemen Gates Dawes served as a Member of Congress in the early 1900s.  This was also the boyhood home of another son, Charles G. Dawes.  Charles was a Trustee of Marietta College, an Ambassador to England, the author of the WWI German reparations plan, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and served as Vice President of the United States under President Calvin Coolidge.

This Greek Revival brick home on Fifth Street in Marietta was built by Dr. Josiah Dexter Cotton in 1853.  It was built with gallery porches on each side to give it a palatial southern feeling and in my opinion it is a warm and eye-catching structure.  A graduate of Marietta College in 1842, Cotton studied medicine with his father and he practiced medicine in the city for many years.  Dr. Josiah Cotton also served 3 years as a surgeon with the 92nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry in the American Civil War.  His brother John Jr. had married into a family that was sympathetic with the Confederate cause...bringing familial conflict to the fore.

Dr. Josiah Cotton and his wife had 8 children.  The family supported abolition and equal education for women.  Family life in the household was reported to be very happy indeed.  Dr. Cotton is reputed to continue to have a difficult time leaving the house.  When new owners moved in and began renovations, a man knocked on the door and asked to see the place.  They offered to escort him through the house...but he declined, stating "No thank you, I am very familiar with this house".  He then is alleged to have disappeared.

This is St. Paul's Evangelical Church in Marietta. It began as the German Religious Society in 1838, with its purpose being to serve new German Protestant immigrants that has that were arriving in the area in increasing numbers. In 1839 - 1840, the congregation was organized and it was chartered as the First German Evangelical Church. The group built this sanctuary at the corner of Fifth and Scammel Streets in 1849.
This German Evangelical "Kirche" is Marietta's second oldest church. It was renamed St. Paul's Evangelical Church in 1872. Sermons...and the official church language...was changed to English in 1909.

Now the home of Marietta College's Alpha Xi Delta sorority, this home was built for W.P. Skinner in 1855. Despite having been built by Skinner, today it is known at the George White House. White, an 'oilman', was apparently successful with his oil related investments and he purchased this home in 1908. He was a graduate of Princeton University and he'd mined for gold in the Yukon before coming to Marietta to drill for oil.
White served in the Ohio House of Representatives from 1905 to 1908, then the United States House of Representatives from 1911 to 1915, then again from 1917 to 1919. He served as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee for 2 years beginning in 1920. In 1931 he was elected as the 52nd Governor of Ohio, serving until 1935.
You may have noted that Marietta Ohio is laden with much history and many historical personages. Its partially due to the fact that back in the early days, rivers were the highways, the best way to get from one area to another. Secondly, due to its location the city was founded in 1788. It was the first permanent American settlement in the USA's newly established Northwest Territory...which was created in 1787.
Time for dinner!!!

As I searched for a likely venue for our evening repast, I noted that one of the most popular and well rated restaurants in the area was just across the Ohio River bridge in downtown Williamstown West Virginia.

As luck would have it, the restaurant was located almost right next to an railway depot.  It was built in 1889 by the old Ohio River Company Railway, which became part of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad system.  An active rail line is still in operation right down 2nd Street behind the depot...

In 1906 the railroad moved the entire depot to its current location right at the Williamstown end of the bridge over the river to Marietta.  As of 1957, the depot saw the last of its passenger service but it was still used for freight.  Eventually even the freight activity stopped and the depot sat unused for a time.  The Williamstown Area Development Corporation bought the depot in 1990 and spent $362,000 in renovations.  Since then the structure has served as a visitors center and an ice cream parlor. (Hence that pink paint?) Other than the one end of the building apparently being occupied by the Williamstown Area Historical Society, the building appeared to be vacant.

This was what the railyard at Williamstown looked like back in the days of steam locomotives and when coal was king in this area of the USA.  To view a video of a modern day coal train passing down Williamstown's Second Street behind the depot, you can go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FphchOti3tc.  Also shown in the video...that old depot, sporting much a more appealing maroon/burgundy and yellow coat of paint.

This is da Vinci's...for Fine Italian Dining...and it is next to the old depot.  In 1978, Jim and Marilyn Pettit bought an old gas station and turned it into a pizza shop.  They opened for business in 1980, with 13 tables, serving pizza and subs.  Today this restaurant has grown to the point where it can seat 650 guests and it includes a covered patio.  

From the outside appearance of de Vinci's, we would have never expected the old-time decor exhibited throughout the interior of the restaurant!  We waited for our table in the room shown in the second photo.  There was plenty of eye candy for us to check out...

This dining area is one of many at da Vinci's and it's similar to the one we ate our dinner in.  The Pettit's had started out with one small dining room and a salad bar and in 2024 there are many dining rooms or dining areas in this restaurant.

I will admit that we didn't thoroughly sample da Vinci's menu.  If it were an hour from our home I'd have many more food items to tell you about because we would have been back for seconds and thirds by now.  This was Laurie's 'entree', a big bowl of French Onion Soup. ($8.00) I'm not into onions or onion soup but Laurie is and she raved about just how good her soup was!

I did note a couple of rather unusual and imaginative appetizers on the menu...items that I'd never seen before.  The first one was the Spinach Artichoke Wontons...wontons with a creamy filling of spinach, served with homemade ranch dressing for dipping.  The second unusual option almost blew my mind.  It was the Mini German Pizza...fresh baked pizza crust topped with da Vinci's signature horseradish sauce, tender corned beef, sauerkraut and mozzarella cheese.

This was my entree...although I did share a slice with Laurie.  Is this a great looking Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza or not... It was only excellent!  The best pizza I've had in a long time...

If one were to fully explore da Vinci's menu, it would take quite a few visits.  They offer 6 different salads, subs and sandwiches, steaks, 16 pasta dishes, the pizza plus calzones and a number of sides or 'add-ons' plus no less than 12 dessert options!

The current owner of da Vinci's Restaurant, Chris Bender, had been with the restaurant almost from its beginning.  She started as a server, rose to manager...and then she eventually purchased the restaurant from the Pettit family.  Chris had initially taken the job as server just to help pay her way through college...a nice story with a happy ending indeed.

da Vinci's Restaurant is located at 215 Highland Avenue in Williamstown West Virginia.  The restaurant is closed Monday and Tuesday but its open for lunch and dinner Wednesday through Sunday.  Phone: 304-375-3633.  Website: https://www.villadavinci.com/.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!  

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave