BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, BELMONT COUNTY, OHIO

"History of the Upper Ohio Valley" Vol. II, 1890.

Presented by Linda Fluharty from hard copies provided
by Mary Staley & Phyllis Slater.


Pages 655-656.

OWEN MEEHAN

Owen Meehan was born in the year 1834, in county Monaghan, Ireland, and was
a son of Owen and Mary Meehan, natives of that county. His early life, until
about the age of thirteen, was spent in Ireland, acquiring an education and
assisting his father on his farm. The family remained in Ireland, but the
son, Owen, removed to America, at the age of thirteen, locating first on a
farm in New York, where he remained for two years, when he removed to West
Virginia, locating in Rollisburg, where he worked for about two years when
he removed to Wheeling, and engaged in the machine shops for the B. & O.
railroad company. He was engaged here a short time when his uncle, Patrick
Meehan, who had a contract for building some of the bridges for the C. O.
division of the B. & 0., died, and Owen was obliged to take the work through
to completion. On the completion of the C. O. division, he entered service
under Col. John A. Sullivan, at that time president of the Central Ohio
railroad, having supervision of his private affairs. Leaving his service
he entered the B. & O.shops at at Bellaire, taking charge of night force
of repair work. During the time Mr. Meehan was employed here he was
instrumental in saving the company many dollars worth of property. One
night, the shops taking fire when there were many engines and coaches
contained by them, Mr. Meehan, with but one engine at command, and at
considerable risk, saved all the property but one yard engine, which was
partially destroyed and quite seriously burned during the fire. After he
had recovered from his injuries he went on the road as a locomotive
engineer, running between Bellaire and Columbus, in which capacity he was
employed for nine or ten years. Retiring from this, he went into coal
mining in 1866, under the firm name of Stewart, Ball & Meehan. In 1868
Ball retired from the firm, and since that time Stewart & Meehan have
continued the business, in which they have been successful. Mr. Meehan
was married in 1873 to Miss Margaret E. Douglas, a daughter of Andrew
Douglas, of Richland township, Belmont county, Ohio. The children of
this marriage were six in number, four of whom are living, namely: Minerva
D.; William, deceased; Eliza, deceased; John E.; Mary Etta. Mr. Meehan
has paid some attention to politics in his home affairs, having been
trustee of the township and on the board of county commissioners for
some six years. Mr. Meehan is a member of the Catholic church, while
Mrs. Meehan belongs to the Presbyterian. Mr. Meehan is also interested
in many business enterprises in Bellaire, and was one of the organizers
of the Bellaire Gas Light and Coke company, which has since been changed
to Bellaire Gas and Electric company, of which Mr. Meehan is president,
also one of the organizers of the AEtna Glass and Manufacturing company,
of Bellalre, of which he has always been a director, and for the last
three years has served as president of the organization. He is identified
with some minor enterprises and an owner of considerable real estate in
different parts of the city. Mr. Meehan's father, Owen Meehan, Sr., died
in his native country, Ireland, in 1879, at the advanced age of one
hundred and five years.