Robert Ramsey became the first attorney and solicitor of Follansbee serving from 1906 until 1920.  He was the chief legal advisor for all city legislative matters.  His early political views were affiliated with the Citizens Party, a non-partisan organization that nominated candidates for office, regardless of their political affiliation, so long as they were viewed as the best possible for the city.  During the 1913 Citizens Party meeting, Ramsey, acting as chair, pointed out that during Follansbee’s past seven city elections, the Citizen’s ticket was successful six times, the Republicans once.

Robert Ramsey also acted as the attorney for the stockholders of the Bank of Follansbee created in 1914.  In April 1914, he successfully defended Follansbee’s position as the judicial center for the Cross Creek District against opposing Colliers citizens who petitioned to divide the magisterial district.

In 1915, Ramsey drafted the rules governing city traffic including the speed and control of horses and vehicles.  Also in 1915, he composed the new city charter identifying the official representatives of city government to be elected for a term of two years.

Ramsey was a brilliant orator frequently called upon to speak at public occasions.  During a 1913 Fraternal Order of Eagles memorial, Ramsey spoke in honor of the departed member, W. B. Jones.  “Our order represents the best in civilization. Progress goes on in carrying out God’s final purpose.  Each generation takes its step beyond the one that has gone on before… We shall meet our departed brothers face to face in the hereafter.”  As Follansbee boys were going off to war in 1917, Ramsey spoke at a patriotic rally in Wellsburg, “… there is no question where the people of old Brooke county stand; we are ready to again renew our allegiance to the old flag, ready…with our lives to defend the honor, the dignity and the life of our beloved Republic.”

Robert Ramsey served two terms as prosecuting attorney of Brooke County, 1908-1912 and 1916-1920.  He was the State prosecutor in the sensational 1920 Madam Stanley murder trial that attracted national attention as hundreds filled the county court room in Wellsburg.  Madam Stanley, a clairvoyant living in Follansbee, was an accomplice in the murder of a man whose body was thrown off the Market Street Bridge.  Robert Ramsey’s successful prosecution of the Madam Stanley trial brought him greater visibility as an attorney and political figure in the Democratic Party.

He was appointed to the board of governors for West Virginia University from 1927 to 1930.  He was elected from West Virginia as a Democrat to the US Congress serving from 1933-1939, 1941-1943, and again from 1949 to 1953.

Robert L. Ramsay, the son of a coal miner, was born 1877 in England, and immigrated to the USA with his parents in 1881.  His parents first settled in New Cumberland (WV), where Robert attended the public schools and later West Virginia University law School graduating in 1901.  As the Follansbee Brothers Mill began construction in 1902, Robert moved to the boom-town where he established his law practice.  He died in 1956 and is interred in Oak Grove Cemetery, Follansbee.

For additional information about Robert Ramsey, see the items listed on the Follansbee Timeline:

• Timeline, May 9, 1913 – Fraternal Order of the Eagles Memorial
• Timeline, April 6, 1917 – Congress Declares War
• Timeline, Oct. 1920 – Madame Stanley’s Sensational Murder Trial

See also, “Robert L. Ramsay (politician)   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_L._Ramsay_(politician)

Beginning with Thomas J. Mahan in 1906—1909, the mayors of Follansbee are listed as follows:

• James Walmsby 1909–-1910
• T.H. Rogers 1910-–1912
• Charles Brandon 1912—1913
• Benjamin Williams 1913—1914
• T.H. Rogers 1914—1915
• Benjamin Williams 1915—1917
• H.S. Cox 1917–1919
• Charles Berry 1919—1923
• L.A Diller 1923—1925
• T. H. Rogers 1925—1927
• William McCall 1927—1929
• Charles H. Manion 1929—1933
• Leo Traubert 1933—1937
• Walter H. Evans 1937—1939
• T. H. Rogers 1939—1944 (Rogers died in Office)
• George Hubbs 1944—1947
• William C. Forbes 1947—1949
• Preston E. Jordon 1949—1953
• Frank Basil 1953—1955
• Francis Smitz 1955—1957
• Merle D. Gaudio 1057—1961
• Vincent V. Curtis 1961—1969
• Adam Dalessio 1969—1989
• Glenn Kocher 1989—1993
• Rudy Cipriani 1993—1999
• William J. Schaefer 1999—2001
• Anthony “Tony” Paesano 2001—2011
• David A. Velegol, Jr. 2011—present

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Benjamin Williams 1913-1914

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

Mayor Rogers served as mayor 4 times, beginning in 1910.

 

 

 

 

 

Charles Brandon 1912-1913

 

 

 

 

 

Mayor “Tony” Paesano  served from 2001-2011.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mayor Frank Basil served from 1953-1955.

 

 

 

 

 

Mayor James Walmsby served as the city’s second mayor from 1909-1910.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mayor L.A. Diller served as the city’s mayor from 1923-1925.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mayor Adam Dalessio 1969-1989. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mayor George Hubbs served from 1944 to 1947.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mayor Merle D. Gaudio served from 1957-1961 and Mayor Walter H. Evans served from 1937-1939.

 

 

 

 

Mayor Vincent V. Curtis served from 1961-1969.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mayor Charles Berry (left) served from 1919-1923.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2nd on left Mayor Charles H. Manion served from 1929-1933.

 

 

 

 

June 9, 1906 – The tugboat “Coal City” struck Mingo Island with its tow of coal barges due to strong winds and current. The whole fleet was broken up in a few moments. The chains connecting the fleet snapped and barges began drifting apart. Two barges sank in the channel and two others were beached on Mingo Island. The towboat “Exporter” was nearby and landed its tow and went to assist the distressed boat. The crews of both vessels frantically worked to recover the drifting barges.   The sunken barges became a menace to navigation, but high waters allowed boats to get by for a few days without danger.

Mingo Island was still visible and identified on Ohio River charts as located near the West Virginia shore near the lower end of Follansbee as late as 1919.

• Steubenville Herald Star, “Disaster to Tow Boat at Head of Mingo Island,” June 9, 1906, front page.

One of the first concerns addressed by the City Council was whether the town’s center was on Penn Street or Broad Street.  When the city purchased two lots on Penn Street and Main the decision was final.  Many citizens thought the decision favored the upper portion of the town.  Few people foresaw the rapid development, which later became the “Upper Orchard.” The construction of hundreds of houses north of Allegheny Street between 1906 and 1920 truly made Penn Street the city’s center.

In September 1906 a contract was signed with T. W. Kelly for the construction of the first city building on Penn Street.  The building “was about 16 feet wide and 24 feet long and was laid adjoining [Rose Alley].” One room served as the meeting place for the City Council and a smaller room served as the city jail.   According to the Council minutes, “two jail cells were ordered from the “Jail Works.”  The city building became the center for festive activities.  The first city park, fire house, and  Christmas trees were located there.  Music concerts, directed by Sherd Cox, the city band leader, occurred there on a little circular bandstand.  The town’s parades also began at the city building.

  From left: First Firehouse, Band Stand, side of City Building.

 

 



 

1960s City Hall. Penn Street Hall next building.

 

 

 

 

*Quotes from City Records, 1906 Firehouse – Follansbee Review, 1960s City Building – James Piccirillo.

T.J. Mahan, one of the former owners of “Old Mingo Bottom,” was elected mayor in the first election held in the city.  He was born in Brooke county, Virginia  (that part now being Holliday Cove, Hancock county, West Virginia), in 1846.  Mahan served two and a half terms, and later was elected city sergeant.   He was educated in the common schools and at Mount Union College, Alliance, Ohio. He was extensively engaged in the real estate business. Mahan won the election by 2 votes.   Follansbee’s first mayoral election was based on 138 voters.  The Citizens won a complete victory over the Socialist by small majorities. At the time, women were still not allowed to vote.

• Steubenville Herald Star, “First Election,” July 14, 1906, p. 1.
• Steubenville Herald Star, “Follansbee,” Monday, January 13, 1919, p. 5.

 

By 1906 the area had grown to such an extent that it became apparent that the community should be incorporated.   A committee composed of Thomas Rogers, H.B. Mahan, Thomas Gill, H.H. Provines and A.S. Craig, made application for a charter that was granted on June 4, 1906. The provisions of the charter required the city government to have a Mayor, Recorder, and five members of Council.  During the first city election held on July 14, 1906, the following were elected as officers and members of the city council: Mayor, Thomas J. Mahan; Recorder, Brown Latimer; Council, A.S. Craig, George S. Hahne, Thomas Rogers, Harry Herbert, and W. Nott. The new council elected Attorney R.L. Ramsey to the dual role as City Sergeant and City Solicitor.  On January 3, 1907, the people reaffirmed their trust in the city founders by re-electing the entire ticket.

The area that had been identified with Old Mingo Bottom, Decker’s Fort, Mahan Station and Mahan Village became the city of Follansbee in honor of the Follansbee brothers who brought a thriving new economy to the entire area.

 

Document written by Brown Latimer, city recorder, of election of first city officers. 1906 Document – James Piccirillo

A murderous assault occurred on non-union construction workers who were erecting a new building for the Follansbee Brothers steel mill. The attackers were union ironworkers mostly from Mingo Junction. The non-union workers were employed by the Fort Pitt Bridge Works and contracted by the Follansbee mill. The Fort Pitt Company, while paying their workers union scale had been using men who did not belong to the union. This insured the anger of union workers.

The carefully prearranged attack involved about 8 men who rowed skiffs across the river from Mingo Junction and brutally assaulted non-union workers at the Follansbee mill.  W.M. Wilson, a foreman, and Charles Newcomer, an engineer, were badly beaten.  One attacker pulled out a revolver while others used black jacks and pieces of gas pipe. Fleeing workers gave the alarm and Sheriff Carman and deputies from Wellsburg soon arrived.  The fleeing attackers crossed over the Wabash Bridge back to Mingo where several were arrested later by Sheriff Carman and deputies of Wellsburg. They were assisted by detectives of the Fort Pitt Bridge Company.

• Steubenville Herald Star, “Murderous Assault on Workmen,” June 14, 1906. p. 1.

A baseball park with a capacity of 1000 was constructed just north of Follansbee along the trolley line from Steubenville.  The park was known as Ferguson Field, named after the man who leased the land to owners of a Steubenville professional baseball team organized in 1905. The park was build with support from the trolley company that stood to make profits every time fans made the trip over the Market Street Bridge to see a game. The Herald Star reported that the grounds were “… as large as a fair ground, and as level as a floor, just eight minutes ride on the street car from the foot of the bridge.” However, West Virginia Sunday Laws and the discovery of oil on the site of the ballpark resulted in the Steubenville club leaving Ferguson Field after 1912. During Sunday games, members of the baseball team were arrested at the ballpark by Chief Addison Barnes and justice of the Peace Brown Lattimer, both of Follansbee. There were no laws in West Virginia prohibiting Sunday ball playing. So it was necessary to show that the players were being paid for playing which violated the state Sunday Labor Law.

• Steubenville Herald Star, “Ball Grounds Secured This Side of Follansbee for Team,”  January 8, 1906.
• Steubenville Herald Star, “Ball Players Indicted for Playing on Sunday,” October 12, 1909.
• Steubenville Herald Star, “Follansbee: Charges Against Steubenville Ball Team,”  September 3, 1909.

The construction of several open hearth furnaces, a bar mill, and a 800 ton hammer made it possible for all the stages of the Tin Mill production process from raw material to final product be done under one roof. Following the introduction of what was called the “Hammered Process,” tin and steel products produced in the city became know nationally under the trade name “Follansbee Forge.”   “These included automobile and electrical steel sheets, black, blue, polished and full finished steel sheets, tin plates, roofing plate and long terne sheets.  They [were] used for a great variety of purposes.” Longtime Follansbee resident Gerald “Peck” Blakley remembered that the booming sound of the hammer resonated through the entire city.

The long lasting legacy of the Tin Mill became engraved in the names of Follansbee’s High School publications.  The name of the newspaper, the Ingot, comes from the ingot copper used at the mill. And the yearbook, called Forge, was named after the high quality steel sheets and tin plate marketed as “Follansbee Forge.”

• The Pittsburgh Press, Mar 4, 1928
• http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19280304&id=EPoaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=L0oEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5970,2420291

 

Dedication services were held November 19, 1905 as the construction of the Methodist Episcopal Church neared completion.   It was located at the corner of Virginia Avenue and Raymond Street.  The firm of Lusk and Watson was hired to build the church.  The Methodist ministry actually began in town earlier during 1904 when Rev. J. R. Fretts of Wellsburg gave a service in the Richard Humes storeroom.   Among the prominent backers of the Church were William Banfield, H.B. Mahan and Thomas Grill, officers of the new Follansbee mill.   The earliest minister to serve the Church was C. C. Hall, 1905-1906.