Beginning with a bond issued for $7,500,000 in 1915, La Belle Iron Works of Wheeling started building a coke plant just north of Follansbee and a bridge connecting its Steubenville operations on the Ohio side of the river.   (See Timeline Oct. 1915 La Belle Iron Works)

In May 1917, the steel single-track railroad bridge was erected.  The Ohio-West Virginia Bridge Co., a subsidiary of the La Belle Iron Works, received the charter to oversee the bridge construction.  The bridge connected the new coke plant north of Follansbee with La Belle blast furnaces and mills on the Ohio side.  The bridge has a total length of 1120 ft. The bridge is interesting because the American Bridge Co., contractor for the superstructure used locomotive cranes exclusively. It is believed it was the first time a cantilever bridge was erected entirely with this kind of equipment.

Located just south of the Market Street Bridge, the coke plant provided fuel for the LaBelle Steel Mills and other mills in Follansbee and Weirton.

• Photos courtesy of Danna Taibi Sullivan
• Follansbee Review, “Bridge Company is Incorporated,” November 26, 1915, front page.
• Engineering News Record, “Locomotive Cranes Erect Cantilever Bridge…,” Vol. 79, No. 3, July 1917, p. 104.  See website for photo of bridge being erected. http://www.historicbridges.org/ohio/steubenvillerr/articles.pdf

Mr. G. Berardelli, formerly of Fairmont, but recently a new Follansbee resident, made a gift to the local Sons of Italy Lodge of two silk flags, one American and the other Italian. The flags cost $200. The Lodge meetings were held at the Moose Hall on the corner of Main and Broad streets where the flags were exhibited for the first time on Columbus day.  The flags continued to be carried with the Sons of Italy marching band that participated in many city celebrations.

• Follansbee Review, “Silk Flags to Sons of Italy Lodge,” October 13, 1916.

An independent lightweight football team to weigh not more than 130 pounds was organized at a meeting in the Mayor’s office.   The team members were ex-high school players. H. A. Cooper was the team manager. The Zepps were looking for opponents.   The Follansbee Review reported that the Zepps defeated the Wellsburg Imperials Athletic Club 7 to 6 in early November.

• Follansbee Review, September 22, 1916.
• Follansbee Review, November 4, 1918.

Two well-known young Follansbee men drowned and six-companions were rescued when their overloaded boat capsized in the middle of the Ohio river opposite 24th Street, Wellsburg, at 9:04  on Sunday night. The other occupants, William Lewis, John McFredrise, John Ryan and Dave Jones of Follansbee, and George Jones and E. Blankensop, oarsman, of Wellsburg, were saved by rescuers from a nearby camp when cries of help were heard.  The drowning was the sad ending of a birthday picnic party given by Dave Jones in a small grove on the Mingo bottoms side of the Ohio River. William “Red” Blakley was 23 and Harry Johnson 27. Blakley first tried to save Johnson, but became exhausted and failed to make it to shore. The Mingo bottoms were a very popular picnic and camping location for West Virginia residents who crossed the river to escape the Sunday Laws that outlawed drinking.

• Follansbee Review, “Wm. Blaklely and Harry Johnson Drown,” August 4, 1916, front page.

The Free Methodist camp meeting was held in the Ferguson Orchard.   Seventy tents housed the participants.  The meeting was at capacity each day.  Rev. W.W. Spiker elder of the district of Rochester, Pa., was in charge.   The orchard where the meeting was held belonged to Cyrus Ferguson who purchased a house and property from the Mahan family near where the Follansbee Middle School stands today.

• Steubenville Weekly Gazette, July 6, 1916,

New homes on Cyrus Ferguson’s properties in north section of town were on sale.  The Ferguson Addition was advertised as having paved streets, gas, water, and sewers for each lot. Potential buyers were offered no interest loans and no taxes for one year

• Follansbee Review, “C. Ferguson First Addition to Follansbee,” June 23, 1916.

Winfred Blosser was fatally stabbed in the heart by Harry Duff of Pittsburg. Duff was a boarder at the Blosser home. While drinking he used language offensive to young Blosser’s mother and sister.  When the 20-year-old Blosser went outside to tell Duff to tone down his language, an intense argument led to Duff stabbing Blosser.

Duff attempted to escape while being pursued by police officer Gene Curtis to the riverbank vicinity. Curtis was able to track Duff down arresting him and transporting Duff to the city jail.   Several days later angry locals gathered near the jail creating concern that a lynching was about to take place.  Duff was quickly taken to the county jail in Wellsburg where more security was available.  During October Duff went on trial at Wellsburg on a first degree murder charge.   He was sentenced to life. 

• Follansbee Review, June 16, 1916, front page.
• Follansbee Review, “Duff Gets Life in Pen,” October 6, 1916, front page.

Before radio and television, people spent most of their time outdoors enjoying all sorts of entertainment.   The opening of baseball season was an opportunity to celebrate.  A street parade was organized with nearly every automobile in town, which in 1916 may have been as few as 4 or 5. The parade was led by the Citizens Bank car followed by the players and officials.  Hundreds of fans marched to the Glass House Field. The field was also called “Bush Field” named after Winfield Bush who was a Glass House foreman who influenced the Company to allow their land to be used for baseball and football. The parade marched from Penn street to the ball field. Following a band concert, Mayor Williams pitched the first ball as the Follansbee team took the field against the East Liverpool Grand Athletes.   Nearly a thousand spectators cheered the home team to a 6-3 victory. A May 12 issue of the Review reported Follansbee winning over Martins Ferry in 16 innings. The Follansbee lineup was listed as follows:  Houser (3B), Buchannan (3B), Mahan (2B), Steinor (M), Ratcliffe (SS), Ishenbaugh (LF), Gaffeney (CF), Brady (1B), Blakley (RF), and Silvis (P). Two players were listed as third base suggesting that a substitute occurred during the long game.  Same names may be misspelled when reported by the newspaper.

• Follansbee Review, “Baseball Season Opens,” April 28, 1916.
• Follansbee Review, “Follansbee Wins first Game,” May 5, 1916

Two movie theaters advertised in the Follansbee Review during 1916.   The Palace and the Family theaters. The Palace, which opened in 1913, presented William Fox photoplay successes every Tuesday and VLSE features on Mondays and Thursdays. The Palace also featured good piano music every night with Miss Helen Krager.  Louis Cantos was the manager. The Family Theater was operated by the Floyd brothers, Glen Floyd being the general manager.  They presented a five or six reel feature and one other one-reel picture every night.   The Family Theater was also used for live theater. As part of the 1918 Follansbee High commencement, students preformed “Deacon’s Second Wife” at the Family.

The Edison Theater was also advertised in the Follansbee Review, but appears to have been located in nearby Wellsburg.

• Follansbee Review, (See Palace Theater ad), January 28, 1916.
• Follansbee Review, “High School Play,” May 10, 1918.

A local agency located in the Bank of Follansbee building began retailing talking machines. An assortment of the newest machines was displayed.   The Vitaphone was a music record playing machine.  Its catalogue illustrated various styles of Vitaphones ranging in price from $15 to $165 produced at the Vitaphone factory in Plainfield, New Jersey.

Follansbee Review, “Follansbee Vitaphone Company,” March 3, 1916