Ritchie county history
It all started when…
Ritchie County was established on February 18th, 1843. The county has a wealth of history and beauty within its borders. At 455.27 square miles, the county was formed from parts of Harrison, Lewis and Wood counties.
Ritchie County was named after the journalist, Thomas Ritchie, who was the editor of The Richmond Enquirer and The Washington Record. The joumalist was known to call Ritchie County his "little gem."
Tradition tells us Elias Hughes, Jesse Hughes, and William Lowther were the first white men to enter what is now Ritchie County. Historians tell us Christopher Gist may have been the first white man in this area.
The first man to settle in Ritchie County was John Bunnell, who in 1800 built a cabin on the small creek which bears his name, at what is now the City of Pennsboro. But before 1810, he sold his property to John Webster, who built the "Old Stone House" on this site. The structure is now the property of the Ritchie County Historical Society and is named the Old Stone House Museum.
The county seat was established in what is now called Harrisville. The county is bounded on the north by Pleasants and Tyler counties, on the east by Doddridge, on the south by Gilmer, Calhoun and Wirt and on the west by Wirt and Wood.
The county's growth began between 1830 and 1840, when the Northwestern Turnpike was completed. Between 1850-1860, the Parkersburg-Staunton Pike was completed to Parkersburg, while the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was built between 1856-1858.
ln 1875, the Pennsboro and Harrisville Railroad was built and then later named the "Lorama." The line was eventually extended to Pullman. The 9-mile broad-gauge standard line from Cornwallis to Harrisville was constructed and the Calico Road was built to transport a very unique product from Ritchie Mines, the only "Asphalt Mine" in the United States at the time.
The ability to travel the pike and rail lines provided, brought many settlers from the East. The population at the first census after the creation of Ritchie County had been 3,856. By 1910, the population was near 20,000. According to the 20010 census, Ritchie County houses 10,449 residents.
Oil was discovered in Ritchie County in the late 19th Century, bringing on an oil boom, which raged throughout the area during the 1880's to the 1920's. The production of oil and natural gas has been a chief source of wealth since 1865 and 1870. In the 1890s, the Town of Cairo was listed as one of the richest towns per capita in the United States. Oil and gas production is an industry, which fed the economy of the whole region for the past 150 years. Gas wells can be seen along any road in Ritchie County and are still being drilled today.
While oil and gas are the county's main industry, the area also produces livestock, hay and grain as well as markets products such as aluminum and lumber. The county formerly marketed glassware, marbles and clothing. Today, Simonton Windows is the largest employer in the county, which is also home to many small business and tourism assets.
The county offers miles of trails, hunting and fishing and natural beauty, which brings peace and relaxation to its visitors. North Bend State Park is a vacation spot offering a lodge, cabins and campgrounds as well as a wide range of activities and events. The county is also home to the North Bend Lake and the North Bend Rail Trail bi-sects the county, running East to West. Visitors can also stay at the Sleep Inn & Suites at Ellenboro.
North Bend Park, consisting of 1,404 acres, lies between Cairo and Harrisville and is filled with hardwood forests, rich river bottoms and steep rocky ridges. The area was once the scene of a booming oil industry.