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HANCOCK COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA - BIOS: NEWELL, John Bentley (published 1923)
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Submitted by
Valerie Crook
vfcrook@trellis.net
September 12, 1999
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The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume III,
pg. 225-226
Hancock County
JOHN BENTLEY NEWELL. The influence exerted by the
deeds of those who never seek publicity, but who are
ever ready to do their part in the world's work for civili-
zation and progress, is a very potent one. Transitory
success comes to some who disregard the principles of
honor and morality, but once they are removed from
their scene of action the lack of merit in their work
is soon realized, and their names are used but to illus-
trate the uselessness of their manner of living. The man
who is remembered is the one who puts self last; who
endeavors to give to others a little more than the treat-
ment he wants for himself, and who is willing to make
some sacrifice for the good of his fellow-men. Such a
man can be depended upon and his life is a benefit to the
community. Judged by these standards, the late John
Bentley Newell, of Newell, West Virginia, measured up to
the highest ideals of good citizenship, and although a num-
ber of years have passed since he was called to his final
rest, he lives in the memory of his friends as the highest
type of manhood.
John Bentley Newell was born April 12, 1839, at the
old mill on Tomlinson's Run, in Hancock County, West
Virginia, a son of John and Lydia Ann (Edie) Newell.
John Newell, father of John B. Newell, was born near
Burgettstown, Washington County, Pennsylvania, in 1796,
a son of Hugh Newell who with his brother had removed
to Vance's Fort soon after the close of the Revolutionary
war. Hugh Newell built one of the first brick houses in
Washington County, Pennsylvania, and John Newell built
the first house of brick at Pughtown in Hancock County,
an old residence that is still standing. He also owned
a tannery, which he operated for some years, even after
he had secured what later became known as the Hart-
ford Flour Mill, on Tomlinson's Run, about four miles
from the Ohio. He built flatboats, which he ran down the
Ohio River to New Orleans, carrying flour and leather,
and would then walk back to his home. About 1850 he sold
the mill to a man named Hartford and located on the
present Newell farm, to which he brought his wife, who had
been Lydia Ann Edie, of Fairview. This farm was a
part of the Greathouse tract or grant, and the old deed
to Greathouse is still held by the Newell family. The
original settler, named Greathouse, whose cabin was on
the left bank of Tub Mill Run; at the entrance to the
Ohio (the cellar being still visible), was killed by an
Indian floating down the river in a canoe. The place is
now included in the village of Newell. W. F. Lloyd, a
steel manufacturer of Pittsburgh, bought parts of four
farms, that of Newell, Wells, McDonald and Moore, but
sold out some twenty years later to the North American
Manufacturing Company, who really started the town,
the first step being to erect a bridge from East Liver-
pool. The farm extended to the Ohio and reached back
as far as the hill, which is some 500 feet above the
river level. The pottery, of course, was down by the flat
on the river. The farm had formerly been occupied and
rented by Alexander Edie, the brother of Lydia Ann
(Edie) Newell, and was purchased by John Newell from
a Mr. Glass and others. It contained 320 acres, on which
Mr. Newell made many improvements, including a brick
residence. He built his pottery on the site of the present
station at Newell, on the right bank of Tub Mill Run,
the first pottery on the West Virginia side of the river,
and in his two-kiln plant, with its thirty or forty em-
ployes, manufactured a creditable article of yellow-ware.
John Newell died in 1884, when eighty-eight years of age.
He married Lydia Ann Edie in 1826, and she died in
1844, the mother of seven children: Hugh, a sketch of
whose career will be found elsewhere in this work, in the
record of John F. Newell; William, of Berthoud, Colo-
rado; Rev. James, of Los Angeles, California; George, of
Delta County, Colorado; John Bentley; Lizzie, who mar-
ried Alfred Marks, owner of the old Marks farm at
Chester; and Rachel, who married George Harker, a pot-
ter at East Liverpool. Mr. and Mrs. Harker had a son,
William Harker, president of the Potters National Bank
of East Liverpool, whose son, Robert, still resides at Newell,
and is one of the owners of the Harker Pottery, founded
by his grandfather.
John Bentley Newell was ten years of age when brought
by his parents to the home farm and his education was
acquired in the public schools. During the Civil war he
served as a lieutenant in the Home Guards, and was twice
called into active service, once during the time of Morgan's
Raid. With this exception his life was a quiet one, and he
was content to remain on his farm, where his industry and
good management, together with his intelligent application
of modern methods, won him success. His integrity and
probity were universally recognized, while he was also
a strong temperance man, and in this connection it may
be noted that Hancock County had never had a licensed
saloon within its borders. He never cared for public life.
He and his worthy wife were members of the First
Presbyterian Church of Newell, West Virginia, in the
faith of which Mr. Newell died October 21, 1914, and
Mrs. Newell, October 19, 1910. At the age of twenty-
six years Mr. Newell married the twenty-one-year-old
daughter of Dr. Robert A. Johnston, a physician of Wells-
ville, Miss Margaret Jane Johnston, who was born at
Noblestown, Pennsylvania, and to this union there were
born the following children: Carrie, a teacher in the
public schools of East Liverpool, who died unmarried
December 20, 1919; James, residing at home, who has
been active in promoting the Newell bridge and other
enterprises, married Maud Croxall, of East Liverpool; and
Charles B., Ada and Robert C. (Bert), all unmarried and
at home.
Robert C. Newell attended George Washington University
in, 1905, following which he pursued his law course at the
West Virginia University as a student in jurisprudence
and diplomacy. An amusing incident of his college
days, which he vividly recalls, is the following: On the day
succeeding the historic victory of West Virginia Univer-
sity over Washington and Jefferson College the students
desired to celebrate, and President Purington, seeing little
chance of keeping them from their desires, gave his con-
sent. The law students, raising a great yell on the campus,
succeeded in bringing out several classes from recitations
and the crowd became greatly augmented. Finally the
disturbance reached the class taught by Miss Johnson,
whose determined stand and uncompromising demeanor
abashed and bluffed the entire crowd of law students.
Mr. Newell was admitted to the bar in 1908, and
immediately engaged in a general practice of his pro-
fession, to which, however, he does not devote his entire
attention, being also a farmer and fruit grower. The
Newell Fruit Farm now consists of 254 acres, with some
five acres in small fruits and thirty-five acres in apples
and peaches. John Bentley Newell, who conducted this
farm as a sheep breeding property for a number of years,
later in life became interested in fruit and was the
originator of the Red Willow apple, which has become
one of the leading varieties and which is produced on
this farm, as well as Grimes Golden and Elberta peaches.
The old residence stands well up on the bluff, one-half
mile back from the river, but not with a view. It was
the center of the social life of the community for more
than a half a century, and its doors have always been
kept hospitably open. The Newells have ever stood for
high standards of citizenship, their influence always for
progress, advancement and betterment of conditions in
the community which honored John Bentley Newell by
the adoption of his name.
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