In this article about the Past and Present we are taking a look at Paden City, a town divided by a county line at its heart, and held in check by the Ohio River. For the most part the county line has not made much of a difference over the years. But the Ohio River and the passing railroad gave the community the opportunity to become a key industrial center in the early 1900s. There have been times when the community’s attention was on the rising waters of the river as it played a role in the town’s long history.

To tell this story, it doesn’t make a difference which side of the county line you live on. The town from the north end, down to its south end is, and always has been like a family. That was understood from the start and still exists today. Over the last century the town grew into more than a sleepy wide spot on a gravel road between Parkersburg and Wheeling. It became a place where people could live, work, and be part of the community family. But still, with all those advantages, times changed, and the town’s once thriving industries along the river, became mostly weed covered concrete foundations and forgotten cold memories. Today an effort is being made to revive the community and bring it back to its glory days.

With the wonderful help of Daniell Ice-Davis, and Sarah Veyon at the Paden City Library, and the Paden City Museum, the story of the past can be re-lived through past documents, and just as important, the collection of pictures preserved by local Historian, Ome Brown and his family. With those frozen images the history of Paden City can be revisited and live on.

Paden City was incorporated in 1916; its early pioneer roots go back to 1796. Obediah Paden, a veteran of the Revolutionary War came south and settled. The bottom land was rich and easy to work to build his family’s future. For the enormous sum of $1,333 Obediah purchased 1,000 acres from Robert Woods. The land was known as Paden Bottom.

By the late 19th century, the railroads made their way into the area. With the Ohio River and the railroad Paden Bottom began to flourish with new industries. By the late 1870s mail service arrived along with steam boats. When train service became dependable they took over delivering the mail, and transporting freight, along with products produced by the towns industries. Early Paden City had everything it needed to grow and prosper and that it did.

By the beginning of the 20th Century the Paden City Land Company saw the opportunity to develop the area into an industrial hub. River and rail transportation for raw material and shipping out finished products provided an easy way to make manufacturing profitable. Empire Glass Company began manufacturing color glass. Later on it was sold to Paul Wissmach Glass Company. This early business is still very much part of the community.

The Paden City Land Company with Charles Ray as President laid out the plats of the community and began selling lots.

The people coming to work in Paden City soon started building homes and before long they were springing up all over town. Several local men opened up contracting businesses and with no lack of work over 600 new homes were constructed during the 1940’s through the 1960’s.

The Paden City Pottery Company opened in 1911 capitalizing on the region’s clay deposits. The raw materials were abundant in the area and the skilled workers molded and shaped the clay before heating it in a kiln and hardening it into pottery. The plant employed over 400 people at its peak, producing high-quality pottery and dinnerware. The plant stacks stood tall above the local landscape making it an icon to local industry of the time. It operated until 1950 when imports flooded the market place. But even after its closing the pottery’s products remained a valuable collector’s item, and still is to this day.

Paden City Ford Pottery employed as many as 75 people into the late 60’s. The picture clearly shows the building that has the name of the pottery. Research could not produce much history of the business other than it was once part of the city’s many manufacturing companies and the owner later became the Mayor of the town. Paden City Park was later named the Bill Ford park. Ford Pottery pieces were known in several states for their gift items, in particular small ashtrays with the Ford Pottery name inscribed on the back.

Euclid Manufacturing was a plant site that produced masonry tubs with cast iron supports. A product that was a common fixture in homes in the early days of the 1900s.

Paden City had become a community with two major metal works plants within the town’s city limits. At one point in time it was estimated the community had over 2,000 employees in industry. With many purchasing property from the Paden Land Company and residing in town.

Carter Iron Works employed several hundred local employees alone. They created Iron by injecting iron ore into the top of three huge blast furnaces. Coke made from local coal was used as fuel and limestone was used as a flux agent to remove impurities in the molten iron. The finished iron was refined into steel or other highly valued metal products. Carter Iron Works furnaces, produced products for other manufacturers, such as the nearby Euclid plant.

The Paden City Foundry manufactured everything from manhole covers and fireplace gradings to strong parts for steam engines.

The Carter Iron works plant was most likely the key to bringing industries to the area that needed iron as part of their manufacturing process.

Glass Companies were also in high demand and the raw sand to produce glass was abundant from sand deposits in the eastern part of the state and along the banks of the river. The Paden City Glass Plant, Wissmach Glass, and Duquesne Glass were well known in the glass trade. Later on the marble factory came into operation and material by products from the local glass plants were recycled and used to manufacture millions of marbles each year, and they are still producing quality marbles today.

The H. Bettis box factory manufactured cardboard boxes that were used by several industries to safely and securely ship their products across the country. They were valuable to the local glass industry. The Box Factory was located in the Industrial Park adjacent to the Marble Factory and employed over 150 workers until the 70’s.

One more unique local manufacturing operation was the McKee Bilver Button Factory. This plant used fresh water mussels that were abundant in the river, especially before the construction of dams raised the level of water. Men working out of small dredge boats used drags to gather the muscles. They were then taken to the plant where dozens of workers used presses to punch out the pearly shells producing millions of buttons.

Paden City industries were dependent on the river, railroads, and local sources of raw materials. There were two more indispensable things the plants needed. A good dependable workforce, and the abundance of natural gas. All of these things gave the town of Paden City a strong foothold with industry in the first half of the 20th century. But that dependence on each other, and raw materials becoming increasingly difficult to obtain during and after the Second World War, which helped lead to the demise of industries.

Without a local iron works, the foundry needed a new source of product which increased the cost. Without the raw cast iron to manufacture tubs, the plant was forced to close. The glass industry saw increasing cost in raw material and the changing world environment. By the early 1960s, the landscape had changed, and the big manufacturers were gone. Jobs disappeared and the good economic status of the town changed.

By the early 1970s, Corning glass and Wissmach along with Marble King had survived the changing times. But eventually Corning moved its production from Paden City to other areas. And much of the local workforce left with it.

The story of a community losing its local industry is not just a story about Paden City. All up and down the valley iron works, steel plants, and glass manufacturing, have come and are now gone. Yet it is important to remember and share the past memories.

The Present and Future: Today a strong movement is in place to revive Paden City. The future of the community will depend on the same vision shared by the early founders. That vision includes effort and effort comes from leadership.

The Paden City Development Authority provides that leadership. However, leadership requires community commitment. It looks like that is also in place. The Development Authority is made up of a group of dedicated volunteers bent on using their resources to entice businesses to locate in the town limits and open up the job market.

The Development Authority has several fine pieces of property available for mom-and-pop businesses, to areas suitable for large scale manufacturing.

Available within the Paden City Business Park is space for manufacturing which offers truck, rail, and river access.

Recently, WVU Medicine opened a Clinic on the South end of town, while Dollar General Market opened right along Rt. 2 at the red light.

Paden City American Legion Post 86 is now open in a refurbished building on the West end of Main Street. A long-term goal of the Authority is to attract new shops along Main Street to bring it back to life.

Just last year it was announced that a business purchased prime property on the Corner of Rt.2 and Main Street, with intentions of building a new sit-down Restaurant.

Recently the Authority acquired the former Paden City high school and the surrounding property, giving them a huge lift in their vision for the town.

They recently renamed the building “Cornerstone” which is fitting for the future. Office space is available for nearly any type of small business. At the present time there are three small businesses occupying space in the Cornerstone.

With Wissmach Glass, Marble King, WVU Medicine, Wesbanco, and Dollar General Market as community anchors the potential is endless.

One of the major contributors to the community is Myer’s Used Cars. Also Auto Related, a car repair shop that provides inspections, repairs, and body work, is located right across from Cornerstone.

Several other small businesses, including three eateries, two gas stations, a car wash, Wesbanco, two CPA’s, a couple Beauty shops, Fraternal Order of Eagles, the Paden City Museum, and several places of worship, help make up the community.

The City Complex is located on Main Street and houses the VFD, the Police Department and City offices. At the very West end of Main Street is the Paden City Park. The park has several ball fields, a playground area, basketball court, walking trail, boat ramp, camping area, pickleball courts, swimming pool, and picnic shelters. It hosts the annual Labor Day celebration, and the summer Thursday night music in the park series.

A city-wide cleanup effort is also underway. The town Police Chief in conjunction with the Mayor’s office and city council is cracking down on rundown properties in an effort to make the community more attractive for visitors and potential business and residential prospects.

With the closure last year of Paden City high school, the only school left in town is the elementary school. However, the future looks bright with prospects for revitalization and community development as the goal. There is plenty to be excited about. Join the effort and attend the May 5, Cornerstone open house, and get a first-hand view of what’s to come. You’ll be glad you did!